Oceanic Rip Off Pro Plus 2

[uwscotch]

Just a heads up to everyone. I am an MSDT PADI Instructor as well as a dive shop employee on the weekends and I guarantee my students and customers will not hear anything good about Oceanic's computers or customer service. I dove with a Pro Plus for 3 years roughly when it failed on me at 100ft on night dive. No big deal, I understand that happens. I contacted Oceanic and they offered me an upgrade. It sounded like a good deal, yeah right. I received the new computer and I have been using it for a couple of months now. The only new feature was water activation, who cares because you need to turn it on at the surface to check your air to begin with. I check my air before I head to the water. They also changed the menu around a little bit and allow you to set your time and date with the Oceanic Oceanlog software. The other up/DOWN GRADE was that they reduced the memory of the computer considerably. With the same sampling rate as I always used, I cannot perform a dive for longer than 60 minutes, otherwise all of the data is lost for download and analysis. The older computer could store 6 or 7 dives with 3-4 hours if not more of actual dive time. Customer support and Tech support said that they reduced the memory because people would somehow corrupt their data with their cell phone. Well, if the data is reduced in volume, it will still get corrupted with a cell phone operating near it regardless of the size. I personally think it is a big RIP OFF to CHARGE MORE MONEY FOR CHEAPER AND SMALLER MEMORY CAPABILITY. This smug cust. service rep. insisted that the additional features make it so much better and that they do not receive complaints about my question. Well, why would you talk about it in the FAQ's on the website. They state that the computer cannot save the info. They don't state that they reduced it from previous computers.

SHAME ON YOU OCEANIC.

Sincerely

Aaron J. Tyznik Ph.D
Professor in Immunology

 

[Jim Lapenta]

How much did you pay for the new comp? After 3 years most other companies would have told you to go pound salt. At least they tried to make it right. I have never had an issue with their service . Your second post on this board is to trash one of the companies that at times bends over backwards t helps their customers? Tell ya what, here's a quarter, call somebody who will dry your tears. Change the sampling rate and download your dives more often!

 

[uwscotch]

One quick note. You can change the sampling rate so that it samples the dive every 15 seconds. This results in a very shaky and sporadic looking profile since a lot happens in 15 seconds. The point is that I was told about all of the new features with NO MENTION of the loss of features, such as being able to download your dives at the end of the day instead of between every single dives. I would look foolish on a dive boat pulling out my Laptop after the first dive so I won't loose the info during the second dive. This computer is suppose to be comparable to a *&^* for example from *&^%$. *&^&*$ doesn't seem to have the data corruption problem and they store a lot of dives. Anybody else have better experiences than me, let me hear it.

best

 

[uwscotch]

Hey Jim, I agree most companies would tell you to get lost if after 3 years I wanted a new computer. I did not want a new computer, I wanted the original one serviced. Well, they no longer serviced them. Other companies will continue to service their computers or offer a true trade-in upgrade. I went for the upgrade at that time with Oceanic since cost was right around dealer cost, NOT FREE. The cost IS NOT THE ISSUE HERE. I do not want to provide the exact cost since it is confidential between dealers, manufacturers, etc. and the public doesn't need to know how much items cost or the incentive program costs for instructors and employees as "keypeople" in the industry. I expected the same type of computer as I originally had if I were trading it in.

 

[redacted]

How much did you pay for the new comp? After 3 years most other companies would have told you to go pound salt. At least they tried to make it right.

See, you learn something every day. I thought the appropriate response to complaints of failures after 3 year was "go pound sand".

Seems like awfully good service to me. I do have to wonder what a diver could be doing UW that a 15 second sampling rate is insufficient.

 

[Doug Krause]

uwscotch - There are far more improvements made to the Pro Plus 2 than you're mentioning. Not to take away from your frustration - but, everyone should realize, that in every way other than download capacity - you got a pretty significant upgrade going from the original Pro Plus. The download hardware and protocol is a completely different animal - while we reduced the capacity - the transfer reliability was improved significantly.

Please PM or email me - I'd like to know what we can do to resolve the issue.

 

[John Bailey]

I have a VT3 and like it. I spoke with Doug, if I remember correctly, when I called about registering it (for warranty). I've never had an issue with the product or customer service. Less than an hour after you posted, Doug has replied and hopefully all will work out.

I too am wondering what you are doing that a 2 second sampling rate is necessary. I also wonder if you are sooooooo unhappy, why it took two months to decide that.

Your warranty is finished, they made what sounds to me and others is a reasonable offer, and you are unhappy because of the memory issue. The way I see it, they didn't need to offer anything, but are going above and beyond.

It looks like you are trying to yell loud enough that they do more for you. While they probably will try, it looks like you dove for far longer than you should have on the new computer if this is truly as big an issue to you as you've made it out to be. What is the hidden agenda...

 

[uwscotch]

Hello Doug

I wanted to bring up my frustration in a setting where people could be informed before they upgrade their computer. At this point, there is not much that can be done other than me asking that you train your customer service representatives to be more forward with perceived negative changes in the capability of a computer.

If I bought this computer for the first time, I would have a certain level of expectation. For example, a sample rate of 2 seconds only being useful for 60 minutes of dive time would be no big deal if I did not have anything better. During the initial point of sale, it is no problem because their expectation of what they are getting is what you, the salesperson tells them. However, with an "upgrade", an individual has a perceived initial expectation that is set in place by product use. Any upgrade needs to meet the original or exceed the original expectation. Any reduction in capability really needs to be made clear otherwise the very basic expectation of the same thing or better is destroyed and as a result is Not Seen as an upgrade. The cust. service rep. I talked to did not seem to care nor did ANY of my initial e-mails about the download problem get returned from Oceanic.

Some people seem to think that the issue is that I'm upset that I had to buy a new computer. I don't care about the cost of a new computer. If I new of the limited capabilities of the computer for what I do with my diving, calculation of SAC rates, analysis of dive times, profile analysis (Remember I am a Scientist), then I would of said WHO cares about the money savings with the upgrade, I would of bought a completely different computer. I assume the VT3 has higher download capabilities and I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE COST. The original Pro Plus did what I needed. The Pro Plus 2 doesn't. Unfortunately people do not understand the cost of the computer that I paid for during the upgrade is more than what I can go out and buy it for right now. This is an inappropriate setting to talk about incentive programs. I want to make it clear that IT IS THE PRINCIPLE. After finding out all of the info that the memory is smaller, I will go out and buy a new computer soon for my self and to use during classes and training.

For standard recreational diving that my wife does, I will likely let her use the Pro Plus 2 since IT DOES HAVE POSITIVE FEATURES and I THINK IT IS A GOOD COMPUTER. The problem is the way it was sold to me.

 

[uwscotch]

For those wondering why I held off in complaining, I have tried to go to the manufacturer a number of times to talk about it without response. I tried to live with it venting my frustrations to Oceanic. They really didn't seem to care and I felt that this would be informative to other prospective buyers. I finally got so ticked off when I became unable to recover even one single dive because it lasted more than 65 minutes last night that I really pushed the issue. If it is completely inappropriate, talk to the moderators to have it removed. No hidden agenda. Just a frustrated customer that didn't get what they expected and I finally got an explanation by a person this very morning finally admitting that they use less memory in the newer computer.

 

[300bar]

Well imo this the place for the frustated customer.Oceanic must get a bit sick from all the kudo's..
As far as I know,Oceanic will try to go the extra mile,to make a customer happy.
Give Doug a PM and find out what he can do.