Leisure Pro vs. Other Internet Retailers

[Scott M]

OK...thanks for the input...not to muddy the waters, but is it cheesy to buy a reg online and have a LDS do things like connect the octo, console and BC inflator and bench test it? I am willing to pay for this, of course, but are there downsides to this? I am not concerned that I will get the equivalent of a waiter spitting on my food if I send it back as undercooked, but still...

What I envision is my parents getting a regulator for one or both of my daughters as a Xmas present and they want to have something under the tree. Should I feel badly taking this to my LDS to be assembled?

That is going to depend on the LDS, some will look at you like you have three heads for asking such a question. some will do it gladly. My LDS will gladly do it and right after he is done he will write up the receipt for the hood, the gloves, the misc small stuff, a dry bag and the tanks I had filled while there. Then we will figure out where we are going diving this week. Every LDS is different so no real solid answer. Best thing you can do is be honest and talk to them. If you received the regs as a gift there is not much you can do about that and they should consider it an honor you trusted them enough to bring them to be put together and checked out but I doubt they will see it that way.

BTW, Phil hit it right on with his response to your first question.

Regards

 

[MasterFritts]

The way I look at it, I might spend a few $$ more but I know that at anytime I can go to my LDS and they will take care of any issues. To me the extra $$ is for piece of mind. I have NOTHING against web stores at all. It is just a personal preference of mine.

 

[Sinbad the Diver]

hmm... I didnt know they are considered a pariah on the board.

Maybe not a pariah, but I think this thread is an excellent example of the passion that the on-line vs LDS debate brings. In about 20 responses you've pretty much seen everything from they are the greatest to they are the reason for the decline of modern civilization plus the same piece of information (sale of "gray market" items) stated as their sole business model to a tiny fraction of their business with the associated "I know a guy who" stories.

and of course it must all be true....I read it on the intrawebs!!!!!

 

[DRsharky]

I've been buying from LP for years and never had problems with any stuff I bought there. Their service is excellent, either online or in their shop in NY.

 

[jess4diving]

maybe not a pariah, but i think this thread is an excellent example of the passion that the on-line vs lds debate brings. In about 20 responses you've pretty much seen everything from they are the greatest to they are the reason for the decline of modern civilization plus the same piece of information (sale of "gray market" items) stated as their sole business model to a tiny fraction of their business with the associated "i know a guy who" stories.

And of course it must all be true....i read it on the intrawebs!!!!!

lol exactly!!!

 

[shoturtle]

Can someone explain how/why there are such strong feelings on SB about Leisure Pro and what seems to make them different from other internet retailers? As a new diver trying to research equipment and comparing sourcing options LP appears to dominate search results, but I get the sense that they are a pariah in the industry.

LP is the biggest scuba dealer out there, there is alot of out date info about them. The do sell some brands as gray market, but not all. And being the Biggest, they buy in bulk and can pass the savings off to the customers.

They are authorized to sell alot of the big brands. Mares, Oceanic, Aeris, Cressi, Zeagle, XS Scuba, Tusa. And some smaller brands.

The brands that are gray market are Scubapro and AquaLung products, as neither of these company allow their dealer to sell their product online.

That said, I have brought tons of gear from them for myself and the wife, with full warranty never an issue. I send my friends there to get their gear, and they have never had an issue either. I have sent items that they are authorized to sell back to the manufacturer for warranty work, no issues what so ever with oceanic.

So LP has the biggest selection, and give you the most option when trying to decide what you want. They have a great return policy, and have a very good customer service also. I have never felt push in to buy one item over another. There have been time, they advise me to get an less expensive item instead because it fits my needs better. Any other question feel free to pm me

 

[shoturtle]

The implication is that LeisurePro has done something to skirt the rules by selling so-called "gray market" goods. The reality is that none of us really know how LeisurePro obtains its merchandise, but it does sell goods for which it is not an authorized dealer. If you look on their web site, they stipulate the following: LeisurePro is an authorized dealer for most of the products it sells. One question that always comes up is, even if you buy one of those items (such as a regulator), will you be able to take it to a local dive shop for servicing or must you send it back to LeisurePro for servicing? There are good reasons for buying via the internet, but there are also good reasons for not doing so. This issue applies no matter which internet sales venue you use.

Or you can look at it in other way, if you buy a authorized item form lp. And a LDS will not handle the warranty. The LDS is violating the authorized service agreement. The warranty is not dependent on the shop, it is base on the manufactorer.

 

[shoturtle]

OK...thanks for the input...not to muddy the waters, but is it cheesy to buy a reg online and have a LDS do things like connect the octo, console and BC inflator and bench test it? I am willing to pay for this, of course, but are there downsides to this? I am not concerned that I will get the equivalent of a waiter spitting on my food if I send it back as undercooked, but still...

What I envision is my parents getting a regulator for one or both of my daughters as a Xmas present and they want to have something under the tree. Should I feel badly taking this to my LDS to be assembled?

It is pretty easy to set it up yourself, all you need is a allen key and 2 wrenches. It really is not hard. I would call the company you are ordering from, they would most likely put it together for you and test it free of charge.

But to your question, some shops will do it, while others may ask you to leave. It depends on the shop.

 

[jenlaur]

It is simple for me. I bought all the big stuff (BC, reg, fins computer) at my LDS. I bought my wetsuit from LP. I chose LP because I had a terrible experience with another online store (I had to pay to return a wetsuit that I ordered following their measuring instructions and they would not cover shipping charges to return it and order a new one). LP was excellent and I would definitely use them again, but only for smaller purchases.

 

[mike_s]

LeisurePro is gray market - which means they are not authorized purchasers or sellers of most brands of gear. They get their gear from stores going out of business in liquidation sales or from overseas markets where there is no regulation.

While their relationship to "gray market" was very true in past years.... in recent years they've become "authorized dealers" of many more products they sell.

For example, in the past year or two, LP is now an authorized dealer of Oceanic, Zeagle, Henderson, etc... (plus others).


Why? because the local dive shops are hounding the manufacturers (most who are already shipping direct to LP) to make them an Authorized dealer so they don't have to complete with them.

Yes, LP still sells some stuff as "grey market". This includes ScubaPro and Aqualung.

Many things on LeisurePro it really doesn't matter, like a drybox or booties, etc. But when you get into BCs, Computers, Gauges, and Regs it does matter as they have no warrantee if not bought from an authorized dealer. Most dealers will not service gear bought from LeisurePro for that reason.

Personally I think it's pretty stupid for a LDS to not service gear bought at LP.

I mean they get money off anything they service. Now if they don't do warranty service on it because it was bought from an un-authorized dealer that's one thing, but to turn down a customer with money in his pocket is just stupid, yet we all hear about it all the time.

I mean why piss off a paying customer. Fix his 'grey market gear' and charge expected price for it. make him a happy customer and make some money off it. Then he'll maybe use you again. But if you refuse him, it's more doubtfulll he'll spend money there in the future.

I know a person who wanted to buy a Suunto dive computer from LeisurePro as it was $300 cheaper than our LDS. He got one, but it was in bar not Psi and no manual. He brought it into the LDS it get it "fixed" and get a manual, they told him no way. I don't know if he sent it back to LP and got a new one or not. He wasn't happy.

I don't agree with LP doing this... it's just sneaky. however, it's in their fine print of their website somewhere that items might come like this.

but it's just frustrating to get a product and it not come as you expect or does it say "line itemized" that his product will come in BAR or w/o manual, etc.

but this is hugely rampant in the camera industry, which is where LP makes its real money on a store/sight that does nothing but camera sales. so this is the "norm" to them. But I still think it's a little sneaky.