Online Sales - The importance of buying from local businesses

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Craig Clark

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Have you ever been told that you get what you pay for? Most of us have, yet some people seem to prefer buying from online retailers rather than to buy from someone local. We all love our conveniences and in some respects if you do not have time, or just do not like crowded malls then online shopping is quick and convenient. If you shop online because you think you always get a better price then think again. What seems to be a good deal sometimes is not. In business there are reasons why some items can be sold cheaper than others for example, overstocks, discontinued items and blemished merchandise. If you are looking for bargins and you can save money by buying last years model so to speak then great you have saved yourself some money but bottom line, if there is a problem and you bought the merchandise locally, you have a brick and mortar building to go to get immediate help. Local retailers represent the manufacturers they buy from and meet all the requirments set by the manufacturer for selling a given product line. The retailer has been trained by the manufacturer and has that company backing them. Most online retailers however, get their merchandise from stores going out of business, from the grey market and yes in some cases knockoffs from China. In any case this type of merchandise has no warranty because they are not factory authorized to sell that particular brand and a local retailer is not usually willing to do anything for you because of a liability issue. All you can do at that point is send the merchandise back to where you bought it, at your expense, and wait for a long time to get results. Is this type of aggravation worth any savings? In the scuba industry, we think of certain types of gear as life support equipment like regulators for example. I have asked many people this question, if you were taking sky diving lessons would you buy a parachute online and usually they say no. I then ask why, and their answer usuall is because it is life support. Don't trust your life to something if you do not know for sure where it came from. In closing all I can say is, we all have been conditioned to look at only a price tag instead of looking outside the box at what we really get for the money. Buying anything is based strickly on emotional responses not on logic. Local business are the life blood of the community. They are the ones who have the investment in expensive equipment to do air fills, the online retailers do not. The local retailer has the expertise for education in the sport, the online retailer does not. The local retailer has expensive liability insurance which is required in order to do business, and the online retailer does not. We need to do what we can to keep the local dollars local instead of sending money off to other cities that are not concerned about your local economy. If local businesses are not supported then they will go away and that hurts everyone. Local businesses can not survive on air fills alone. When businesses go under then jobs are lost.
 
Right on Craig. I don't think alot of people realize the negative impact of buying online. I bought a few things online when I first started diving, but then I realized that my LDS is alot more than a retailer. They are my connection to the diving world with trips, buddies, good equipment, service, and most importantly air fills. The owner has gone out of his way to order me gear that I could have gotten cheaper online, but I would prefer to spend my money there. The LDS is more important to me than saving a couple of dollars.


BTW I wouldn't have a problem buying a parachute online, even on ebay. Then again I was once a parachute rigger, and know what's safe, and how to make repairs.
 
When you mix truths, half-truths, and outright lies; guess what your get:



Post #1



:popcorn:
 
:shakehead:...And then you have shops like ScubaToys that blow all this kinda crap right out of the water!:shakehead: Amazing that a strategic business plan, the ability to predict industry trends, and good ol' fashion adaptability can lead to success both in a local market AND online - hmmm.. who would have thought it?
Have you ever been told that you get what you pay for? Most of us have, yet some people seem to prefer buying from online retailers rather than to buy from someone local. We all love our conveniences and in some respects if you do not have time, or just do not like crowded malls then online shopping is quick and convenient. If you shop online because you think you always get a better price then think again. What seems to be a good deal sometimes is not. In business there are reasons why some items can be sold cheaper than others for example, overstocks, discontinued items and blemished merchandise. If you are looking for bargins and you can save money by buying last years model so to speak then great you have saved yourself some money but bottom line, if there is a problem and you bought the merchandise locally, you have a brick and mortar building to go to get immediate help. Local retailers represent the manufacturers they buy from and meet all the requirments set by the manufacturer for selling a given product line. The retailer has been trained by the manufacturer and has that company backing them. Most online retailers however, get their merchandise from stores going out of business, from the grey market and yes in some cases knockoffs from China. In any case this type of merchandise has no warranty because they are not factory authorized to sell that particular brand and a local retailer is not usually willing to do anything for you because of a liability issue. All you can do at that point is send the merchandise back to where you bought it, at your expense, and wait for a long time to get results. Is this type of aggravation worth any savings? In the scuba industry, we think of certain types of gear as life support equipment like regulators for example. I have asked many people this question, if you were taking sky diving lessons would you buy a parachute online and usually they say no. I then ask why, and their answer usuall is because it is life support. Don't trust your life to something if you do not know for sure where it came from. In closing all I can say is, we all have been conditioned to look at only a price tag instead of looking outside the box at what we really get for the money. Buying anything is based strickly on emotional responses not on logic. Local business are the life blood of the community. They are the ones who have the investment in expensive equipment to do air fills, the online retailers do not. The local retailer has the expertise for education in the sport, the online retailer does not. The local retailer has expensive liability insurance which is required in order to do business, and the online retailer does not. We need to do what we can to keep the local dollars local instead of sending money off to other cities that are not concerned about your local economy. If local businesses are not supported then they will go away and that hurts everyone. Local businesses can not survive on air fills alone. When businesses go under then jobs are lost.
 
This has been done before, I've done it. But this is an online community and this site is supported by online shops. Not brick and mortar shops.

I agree with post number 1.
 
Here we go again?
 
Here we go again?

:11: I know! I can't belive this argument still pops up, year after year! I guess people just don't want to set down the Kool-Aid! I am still waiting for the day divers everywhere are aimlessly wandering the streets yelling, "PLease God!! If I could only get just one tank of air! Damn those who sabotaged my LDS!!" You think they will have to create special landfills for all the neoprenee and other useless dive gear that everyone will be forced to just throw away?
 
:11: You think they will have to create special landfills for all the neoprenee and other useless dive gear that everyone will be forced to just throw away?

Not to mention the 5000 plus surplus compressors that would have to be disposed of.

But to be fair, we don't really know. Maybe his prices are reasonable and his shop actually provides better value to potential customers than online dealers. Maybe he really is posting this for our own good and not his. Maybe the next lottery ticket I buy will be the big winner.

The lottery ticket may have a chance.:rofl3:
 
What if the LDS can't or won't stock something? I can't get a marsellaise weight belt at my LDS and have no choice but to get one online. I would be happy to pay a few $'s more for one at my LDS and support local business.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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