LDS pricing

[ams511]

If you buy anything off the internet you may have a problem getting the stuff serviced. I know several dive shops that if they suspect you of purchasing new equipment online then they don't want anything to do with it. One shop owner I know made the statement "if they want to save a few bucks on it fine .... "sent it back to where they bought it when it breaks or needs service". The same shop owner loves people that purchase used equipment off ebay. No warranty means he can charge them for all parts and service.

Your statement interests me. Most of what I dive now has either been given to me or purchased used. I never had to pay for parts except for 2 rebuilds. It is funny but what I bought new when I was a newbie was low-performance stuff which I no longer use. I never had a problem with service or charged for parts which was part of a normal service. Dive shops seem more than willing to service whatever I brought in, although I should mention that I have always lived in areas where many people move in and out.

 

[The Horn]

I do a search on the product i want to buy and then go in and see what the LDS has/charges. If it is above or at MSRP then I'll ask what is the best price he can do. If it is significantly higher see ya later, if it at par or close then $$$ here you go. I have found that there are usually several items the LDS will charge higher or at prices closer to or above MSRP. Usually because these are hot moving, limited in production or difficult to get. Just gotta shop around

 

[Charlie59]

Honest to goodness, some of the appeal of the internet is not having to go through the hassle of haggling with a dive shop.

 

[Vtdiver2]

Your statement interests me.............. Dive shops seem more than willing to service whatever I brought in, although I should mention that I have always lived in areas where many people move in and out.

A good shop will service whatever you bring in, or help you do it. I work part time at a shop, one or two days a month, and we regularly work on stuff bought elsewhere, or send stuff out to other shops for customers who have stuff we aren't authorized to work on. We also regularly send customers to our competition when we can't help them. Two reasons for that that happen fairly often are fitting a wetsuit, or recommending they go to the other shop to get "weazelwear" undergarments when we sell them a drysuit. Could we lose them as a customer by sending them across town? Sure, but the smarter customer will realize we are there for them, even if we have to send them elsewhere for that to happen. We aren't in a huge area, so the dive community is pretty small, but we have pretty devoted customers, and I think there's a reason for that.
The internet isn't going away, and only the shops that offer services that the internet can't are going to survive. I know if my LDS closed, I'd miss it terribly. Not only do I buy gear there, fill my tanks and take classes there, but I've learned how to service and make adjustments to my own gear there, tried numerous brands and models of equipment to see what I like, and when I'm there, it's like hanging with family. It's what I expected being part of a diving commmunity to be.
Reading others post, I realize I have it much better than some, and it's why I can get defensive about LDS loyalty. I am loyal to mine because they are loyal to me.
C-Dawg

 

[dl348]

I agree wholeheartedly with VTdiver. A good LDS will service your gear regardless of where you purchased it. The ones who don't need to take a course in how to own and operate a successful business.

 

[Penopolypants]

I've never understood the "I'm not going to service your gear unless you bought it from me" mentality.

Let's say I bought my gear from my LDS here in Seattle. I then move somewhere else. My gear is ready to be serviced, so I take it into my new LDS, happy for the chance to get to know them.

The first thing they say to me is "Well, I have to charge you a lot more, or I'm not going to service it all, because you didn't buy it from me."

Er? Am I supposed to buy a completely new set of gear whenever I move? When I am ready to buy new gear, do you seriously think I'm going to come back and buy it from and *sshole? No, I'm going to buy it from the shop down the road that was curteous, friendly, and professional. If they don't exist, I'm going to buy my gear online and ship it back to them to get it serviced.

Immediately "penalizing" me because I'm new to you does not create a good first impression, and will not bring me back to your store.

 

[scubapro50]

Getting the stuff service for free is more of the question. Only if you purchased the equipment from an aurthorized dealer will you receive the full warranty with all the benifits. The local Scubapro shop may service that regulator but charge you full price for both parts and labor. I know a Atomic dealer that if you purchase the regulator from him all parts and labor are free for as long as you own it. If you had purchased it from Leasurepro (who is not an aurthorized dealer) then you will pay dearly for the service. There have been several times where Scott Zeagle has had to step in and help Scubaboard members because of problems with Zeagle merchandise purchased thru unauthorized dealers. To his credit he made an exception to the warranty policy to help out board members. Oceanic is another company that will bend over backwards to solve problems with their merchandise no matter where you purchased it. Scubapro and Aqualung seem to have the most problems with warranty and service from products purchased outside their network of dealers. Both don't allow internet sales and won't honor any warranties on products purchased that way. They try to discourage internet sales and help your LDS that way....... if you move be sure to keep your warranty registration card or bill of sale to prove where you purchase it. And think about this ...... not all Scuba firms will honor their warranty after a few years. DACOR won't honor any warranties on equipment purchased before 2000 due to being taken over by Mares. No matter where you purchase your equipment you may still have a problem getting parts and service (even if you have a written "LIFETIME WARRANTY") if the company doesn't want to honor it anymore.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

I have gotten into this discussion in the past and it will always come up. Something that we do, and I wish other LDSs would do this, is keep our pricing low. All of the prices you find on my online store, my brick and mortar store, and any other online authorized dealer, are the same. I dont charge MSRP for anything. I like having the confidence to tell people that there is no need to look on the internet because we have the same price and they can deal with us and have all the extras ex: warranty, right down the street service, support local biz, too many to name......all while getting the best price. This has been working great so far and really helping to get our name out as the store with the best prices. I had 3 customers last week alone that said they heard we had the best prices and were surprised at how great our prices were.....its not rocket science, I wish other LDSs would wake up and adjust with the times. . This is one way to keep your customers buying from you......and some customer service stories I have heard are just disheartening and reminds me why we opened our Dive Store about 6 months ago.....Customer Service and to put the fun back into it.

LDSs wake up and learn or be wiped out by something better!!!! Its called evolution

And I dont understand why they wont fix stuff they didnt sell.....bad customer service is all that is.......

 

[redacted]

I've never understood the "I'm not going to service your gear unless you bought it from me" mentality.

Some shops seem to believe that denying service to the disloyal customer is an effective way of intimidating other divers into avoiding the demon leisurepro and other competitors. The poor diver, blacklisted or grossly overcharged by his LDS, has little choice but to go home, throw his useless gear in the trash and give up diving. But more and more it is fairly easy to mail your gear off to very reputable service providers who seem to do excellent work at reasonable prices. And with so many shops depending on the "tech" who won't be in until Thursday, it may be just as fast getting the service done by a place that has a repair technician at work every day.

 

[redacted]

The local Scubapro shop may service you regulator put charge you full price for both parts and labor.

Or he may charge $75 total for anyone who walks in with a Scubapro regulator in need of service, regardless of the purchase history. Shop around. If you can't find what you are looking for locally, then expand your search area. Don't put up with bad service just because he is the closest shop.