jorgeherss
New
A few months ago I bought two diving masks and two snorkels for myself and my girlfriend at the Dive Station Explorer dealer in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). We then went to Tioman island. I'm a novice at snorkeling.
The fourth time I use the mask (a mere two weeks after I bought it), the mask starts leaking and I swim to the shore. I try it on a few more times, but it keeps leaking. I swim back to the boat and the mask starts leaking heavily. I take it off and discover that the silicone on the right side of the mask has completely come loose!
After our stay at Tioman I return to the Dive Station, who receive me with some sarcasm. They promise to see if the mask can be fixed -- and if not, that a new mask will be provided for. They would give me a call in a week.
Two weeks later, still nothing. I phone them up and they keep on telling they'll phone back asap. Nothing.
The next day, I personally go to the Dive Center. There they tell me that the mask is in Vietnam (where it is manufactured, they claim) and that there's some kind of discussion whether or not the mask can be fixed and who will be responsible for the warranty. This discussion, they say, could take 8 weeks! They promise to inform me immediately of any relevant changes.
The next day we're on the train heading north when my phone rings: it's the Dive Center to tell me that my mask has suddenly returned from the manufacturer in Vietnam and that the warranty cannot be honoured, as the fault is MY OWN. I send emails and phone them up later, but none are replied to and the manager is never available.
I don't believe the Dive Center ever submitted my warranty claim, I do not at all believe their story about the Vietnamese manufacturer, there's no ombudsman in Malaysia and I can't find any corporate or client service contact with Mares to complain about the Dive Center of Kuala Lumpur, who sold me faulty equipment and are now basically just sticking their middle finger at me because there's no-one to stop them.
What can I do? Is there anybody out there who can help me out here? I'm not talking about thousands of dollars of diving equipment, of course, it's only one diving mask, but this kind of customer "care" is just insulting!
Thanks,
Jorge
The fourth time I use the mask (a mere two weeks after I bought it), the mask starts leaking and I swim to the shore. I try it on a few more times, but it keeps leaking. I swim back to the boat and the mask starts leaking heavily. I take it off and discover that the silicone on the right side of the mask has completely come loose!
After our stay at Tioman I return to the Dive Station, who receive me with some sarcasm. They promise to see if the mask can be fixed -- and if not, that a new mask will be provided for. They would give me a call in a week.
Two weeks later, still nothing. I phone them up and they keep on telling they'll phone back asap. Nothing.
The next day, I personally go to the Dive Center. There they tell me that the mask is in Vietnam (where it is manufactured, they claim) and that there's some kind of discussion whether or not the mask can be fixed and who will be responsible for the warranty. This discussion, they say, could take 8 weeks! They promise to inform me immediately of any relevant changes.
The next day we're on the train heading north when my phone rings: it's the Dive Center to tell me that my mask has suddenly returned from the manufacturer in Vietnam and that the warranty cannot be honoured, as the fault is MY OWN. I send emails and phone them up later, but none are replied to and the manager is never available.
I don't believe the Dive Center ever submitted my warranty claim, I do not at all believe their story about the Vietnamese manufacturer, there's no ombudsman in Malaysia and I can't find any corporate or client service contact with Mares to complain about the Dive Center of Kuala Lumpur, who sold me faulty equipment and are now basically just sticking their middle finger at me because there's no-one to stop them.
What can I do? Is there anybody out there who can help me out here? I'm not talking about thousands of dollars of diving equipment, of course, it's only one diving mask, but this kind of customer "care" is just insulting!
Thanks,
Jorge
