It sounds like to me that the Urban Legends have attached themselves to the online retailers. Additionally, it has been reported and corroborated, that LP had a company manufacture BCDs and sew ScubaPro labels on them. Yes, I know, I know, hearsay again. Believe what you will but the source seemed very reliable to me.
Online Sales - The importance of buying from local businesses
- Thread starter Craig Clark
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jsado
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I say support your LDS!!!! So what if they have 100% markup on all their equipment!! They are nice people and just because they're charging $1200 for something that costs $600 plus $22.95 for shipping online, doesn't mean that they aren't nice people. PLUS, what about those air fills. We all need air fills don't we? I mean, you could buy an air station and take care of all that yourself....but then you would save yourself money on all of your gear, spend some on a fill station, then save it all back up again by not wasting gas driving to the LDS and paying $9 for a fill every time you wanna dive. And in the long run, you'd miss out on all those precious smiling faces with dollar signs in their eyes when you walk in the brick and mortar store. AAHHH...I can hear the greetings now, (read this part really fast)" HEY HEY!! Hey theeeere KA-CHING I mean how can I help you out today!! Can I interest you in some scubapro equipment? Thats all we sell here is scubapro! You know why???? You know why?!?!?!? because scubapro is the best in the industry!!! HANDS DOWN... to tell you the truth, most people who dive anything other than scubapro usually die or suffer from some sort of irreversible flesh eating bacteria after they burst into flames when they hit about 75ft. How bout this mk25/S6000 reg here??? YOURS for only $1195.99 plus a non refundable deposit of $129.99750 because these suckers are AUTHORIZED. AUTHORIZED I SAY..NOT like those being sold for $500 online. Those are unauthorized imitations made in sweat shops in Berlin by the elderly who are starved and beaten with bad eyesight. You don't wanna by this from someone with bad eyesight do you??"
In all fairness, I did buy my tanks rubber dustcaps at my LDS because it was only about $1.50 more than online and I really wanted them. ALSO, I have an LDS that is outrageously overpriced on everything they sell. I have a NOT SO LDS that is about 2-3 hours away and they are AWESOME. Prices so low and comparable to online I'm amazed they stay in business.
In all fairness, I did buy my tanks rubber dustcaps at my LDS because it was only about $1.50 more than online and I really wanted them. ALSO, I have an LDS that is outrageously overpriced on everything they sell. I have a NOT SO LDS that is about 2-3 hours away and they are AWESOME. Prices so low and comparable to online I'm amazed they stay in business.
One business I would not go into at the moment is as a dive store owner in a traditionally operated dive store. The market is shifting massively at this point and it is unclear who will be left standing. There is much kerfuffle about counterfeit this and grey-market that but this is really just noise underneath a rather large movement.
I have a feeling that the successful local operation will be much more service/instruction and travel oriented. I think the subsidized services such as fills and instruction will likely cost more as equipment sales will not be there to support them. Travel may help fill in, but there are a lot of avenues to obtain travel from also. Don't really know what is going to happen, but a lot of shops and other shrill folks are fighting a rearguard action that seems will be ultimately unsuccessful in maintaining the 'single channel' approach to the marketing of scuba gear.
I buy from many sources, two local dive shops and online. LP is among the vendors I have used and I have no real complaints about any vendor at this point.
I don't think scuba store owners can be big fans of free markets at this point.
I have a feeling that the successful local operation will be much more service/instruction and travel oriented. I think the subsidized services such as fills and instruction will likely cost more as equipment sales will not be there to support them. Travel may help fill in, but there are a lot of avenues to obtain travel from also. Don't really know what is going to happen, but a lot of shops and other shrill folks are fighting a rearguard action that seems will be ultimately unsuccessful in maintaining the 'single channel' approach to the marketing of scuba gear.
I buy from many sources, two local dive shops and online. LP is among the vendors I have used and I have no real complaints about any vendor at this point.
I don't think scuba store owners can be big fans of free markets at this point.
dkatchalov
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jimdiverman
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You can go back and edit your post to remove that text.
garyfotodiver
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Real world situation: I am planning a Sunday outing this summer for my local dive club. When I looked up the nearest LDS to Illinois Beach State Park to contact them and see whether we could arrange some business for them, guess what? It is closed on Sunday.
Now I could call them and see whether they might make an exception for this one Sunday, but since I do most (all) my diving in Illinois on Sunday, they are not able to meet my needs.
The dive shops I frequent in S. Florida are open on Sundays. One opens at 6AM on weekends.
CUSTOMER SERVICE! Money talks and nobody walks.
Now I could call them and see whether they might make an exception for this one Sunday, but since I do most (all) my diving in Illinois on Sunday, they are not able to meet my needs.
The dive shops I frequent in S. Florida are open on Sundays. One opens at 6AM on weekends.
CUSTOMER SERVICE! Money talks and nobody walks.
It used to be that way at one time with all the little gas stations and hardware stores until the chain stores came in and figured out that a store needs to be open when it's customers need it to be open not when it's convenient for the owners to work.
Does this guy actually have ANYTHING AT ALL to contribute to the thread? Talk about hearsay. It doesn't get any worse. (Until the next post).
I agree 1000%. For places/retailers that rely on folks having good paying jobs to buy their expensive goods, its imperative that they be open during non-traditional work hours. They should have the same hours as my local bar. I remember a late night geek-out music shop in my college town that opened at 6pm and stayed open until 12midnight. It was a great hangout and folks spent a lot of money there.
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