LeisurePro vs. LDS - reg unassembled?

[Genesis]

MOST regulators and such these days are fine for EANx use up to 40% out of the box with no special cleaning required.

If you want to use them for deco bottles (e.g. 50% Nitrox or 100% O2) then you need to have them cleaned for O2 service, and some regs are just plain unsuitable for that service due to their internal construction (the parts used)

 

[dcostanza]

Addict,
It appears that one of the two LDS we have in my area read from the same manual that yours did.

I got my reg from LP and called the lds I got my OW from to see what it would run me to have them take a few minutes to make sure I screwed in the right hoses into the right ports. (My first reg and wasn't confident I had them right). I wasn't expecting to get the service free but when I was told that it would be $50-$60 and he might be able to get it done the following week... It would've taken less than 1 minute to visually look at my reg and "bless it" as being sound. Another 2 minutes to unscrew it and transfer them if I had them wrong (I didn't). I had told them repeatedly that I would prefer to buy from them and would bring in the information on the components I was interested in but I wasn't going to pay a 75% markup for the rest of my gear which was identical to what they had. I also told them that I was willing to pay a little more to buy the components from them. These guys knew I dive every weekend (and during the week as well). They also knew I was signing up my wife and father in law as well for classes, thus expanding their potential client base for equipment as well as education. Well, that put an end to any further business dealings I have with them. That was one of several bad experiences I had with them and refuse to deal with them anymore.

Here they had a (former) customer that bought 1 piece of equipment from LP and they got bent out of shape. I was very involved in offering my assistance wherever I could in various manners as well as offering my time and energy helping get the local dive club associated with their store up and running. Even bought my OW instructor (the owner in this story)a very nice bottle of rum (that was his drink of choice on his trips) as a token of appreciation when I got my OW rating. That tantrum cost them a lot more than what they would've made on the sale of the reg to me had I of gotten it from them. I went to their competitor and signed up for just about every class they offer. Also purchased a ton of stuff for me and will be breaking out the checkbook for all my wifes stuff next week.

Not only that but so far, I have convinced six other divers (not including my family) to no longer patronize them due to their antics. ( I should talk to the shop I patronize about setting me up on a commission since they are experiencing an increase in sales). Poor customer service is a MAJOR pet peeve of mine!!!

Some LDS owners, I believe, would be better DM'ing (absolutely no put-down on those that DM on boats)on a boat or in a venue that allows them to dive, help students etc. without the business responsibility, and leave the grown up business stuff to people who know how to run a business...and actually read the chapter in Business 101 on "Developing Long Term Customer Service and Loyalty..."

As I wrap up my rant about this moron, I'm reminded of the message from the X-files "...you are not alone".

Best Regards
Don

 

[Scubaroo]

More LDS scare tactic nonsense?

Where did zboss say anything about being told this at an LDS???

 

[Addict]

Before I go posting shop names, I am going to see how 'their' deal stacks up to the internet. I am supposed to get my whole package together, and bring it to them - to see what they can do to keep my business.

Let me state that I have been extremely happy with my encounters with this dive shop in the past. I always felt that they were interested in only selling me 'top of the line' equipment, but they were always very, very nice and accomodating.

I just assumed that by buying from them, the 'assembly fee' would be included, but I would have to add a couple hundred bucks to have them do it - if I bought it off the internet.

Maybe I interpreted 'the extra costs' of buying off the internet incorrectly, but in either case it will soon be in writing as the LDS makes me their sales offer.

I really hope that I mis-interpreted them, as I really like this shop & the people who work there. It would be a real let down to know that they were trying to cheat me.

 

[MikeFerrara]

I'm not saying it was a good price but to be done correctly it is more than a 5 min job. We also spend thousands of dollars/year for insurance just so we can have the privilage of looking at regs for peanuts. That used to work when we were selling the reg but now the service, like the training will need to stand on it's own.

What you will start to see is a minimum service fee like when you take a tv or vcr in to the shop. Lets face it when it comes to service, a $200 item is almost disposable unless you work on it yourself.

In the near feuture we may institute a $20 - $30 min service fee. Lets face it for less than that it's not worth it to write the ticket and pull out the tools. Repair like training needs to be a real preofit center. We do spend all day doing little things for folks, almost always for free. These seem to be the only time when someone wants the lds. If people paid for the time all that stuff took I think our problem would be solved.

The local GM dealer just charged me $60 to look at my car only to tell me they didn't know what was wrong but for another $135 they had an idea of what to check.

See your local Chevy service center for a preview of the scuba equipment cervice center of the feuture.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Depending on the manufacturer of the reg besides assembling (connecting hoses) they will need to go through the entire presale check specified by the manufacturer.

This normally includes a exterior inspection, checking the IP, and second adjustment and a leak check. None of it rocket science but it will take more than 5 min.

And...if it isn't a brand they are autorized to service and sell, I garantee that their insurance company will strongly disapprove of them even TOUCHING it.

 

[Genesis]

C'mon.

It most certainly does not.

Now, if the shop was going to do a full-up check of the regulator on the bench, adjust everything, go through the entire kit from top to bottom then maybe $60 or so would be reasonable - an hour's time.

Why? Because that's all they charge to rebuild the darn things, and they aren't going to have to tear anything apart here!

$77 - $144 for each set? That's pure and simple theft. It was a punitive quote given for the expressed purpose of attempting to keep someone from buying online, and playing on their lack of knowledge to make it sound like there's something difficult about the customer doing it themself.

I have no issue whatsoever with people charging whatever they want for whatever they want to sell.

I have a very, very serious issue with any firm - ever, and under any circumstance - misleading a potential or actual customer as to the difficulty or risks inherent in doing something yourself for the express purpose of trying to dissuade you from buying somewhere else.

The latter borders on fraud and if I had an inkling that it was going to happen to me you can bet your last nickel I'd have a tape recorder in my pocket so I could put the recording on the Internet, send a copy to the state AG, and make sure every diver within 100 miles got a chance to hear it.

There is this attitude within many of the scuba shops out there (not all, but many!) that they're doing you a favor by being there. That's flatly false, its grossly misleading, and when coupled with this kind of scare-tactic nonsense it gets awfully close to the line of consumer fraud.

Mike, an IP check can be done in 10 seconds if the reg set has a BC inflator hose attached. Cracking pressure (to verify that the lever height is set correctly) can be checked with nothing more complicated than a sink full of water.

Neither takes more than a couple of minutes.

Now if there's something WRONG, that's an entirely different matter, and frankly, if I found something wrong I'd probably ship it back to LP and let them deal with it.

But if its ok out of the box you verify that fact, check it in a pool to make sure, and go diving.

 

[AquaGuy]

I did a similar thing as you Addict. I rented all my equipment for OW and a few weeks after until I was positive that I would be diving enough to justify the cost of owning my own equipment. I went to LP and purchased most of my gear (ATX 200, Cobra, Henderson Goldcore, AirII - OMS BCD from E-bay) and then took it to my LDS (who got me certified) to have them check out the assembly (I was not sure how to connect the quick dissconnect of the cobra). My LDS basically told me that it would be $50 to hook up the quick disconnect. I told them to F*** off and took all of my gear to another LDS down the street which hooked up the the quick disconnect for free and only charged me $15 to service my OMS BCD which I purchased from E-bay (The first LDS wanted $65). Addict, if I were you, I would take my business else where. It's too early in your dive career for your LDS to be playing these games.

 

[MikeFerrara]

If a reg is new in the box and unassembled I have no reason to believe the other checks have been done. Therefore, I would not be willing to JUST connect the hoses.

 

[Addict]

Mike,

I respect and value your position on LP - my mother owns a small liquor store that has to compete with big 'warehouse' style liquor stores. I can buy a bottle of Jack Daniels for about 5% less from the 'Warehouse' store, then she can purchase it for from her distributor!! People buy from her store because of the personal service that you just can't get from the large stores that buy and sell on volume.

The thing is, to buy from her - you pay 10% more, and she might be closer then the warehouse. NOT 100% more! If she charged 2 times as much as I could get the JACK from the warehouse liquor store, she would be out of business. Period.

If all businesses were run with a over 100% markup to the consumer, it would be rediculus. Think about it:

I bought a $30,000 Jeep last year. If I could have bought the same exact Jeep online, and had it delivered to my doorstep for $15,000 - I would be outright stupid not to make the deal online. If my LJS (Local Jeep Shop) couldn't stay in business because of it - then so be it.

Maybe we should place a value on the personal service that we get by supporting local businesses, but that value is not worth paying twice as much for a product I can get online.

Sorry.