PADI Card renewal ripoff

[Dave in PA]

I don't know about it being so labor intensive. Replacements or upgrades can be gotten online. I doubt there is much human labor required.

OK, so now, rather than paying someone to open an envelope and route the request to the correct department, someone has to open an email on a computer. They still have to verify information, format (even electronically) the card with the (hopefully) correct photo and information, print the card, stick it in an envelope and place that envelope in the mail. It still takes work by a human being who will want to get paid come friday.

To take it a step further, If the payment was paid for with a credit card, the processing company takes an average of 2% of the cost plus the transaction fee of say, maybe $.30 of the total. That is about $.90 of the transaction.

 

[cascubabear]

PADI's main goal is not to promote scuba diving. It is to make money. They are a for profit company. There is not big profits in a $30 card. An employee actually has to do the work to verify the information/format/process/print/mail the card. That person wants to get paid, and probably wants their pension/health/medical benefits, too.

As Dave said this is a for profit company and having to shell out money for something as small as this show what the company is concern about.

PADI is known world wide but so is NAUI. Just a small fact the reason many LDS are PADI is because they are a for profit company, where NAUI is not.

 

[james croft]

On a dive trip I temporarily lost my wallet that had my c card, etc. in it. I was at the dive shop booking a dive and they needed my c card. I called PADI and asked them if they could fax my info to the LDS. They told me they would but would have to charge me a fee. They asked for my credit card # to do this. Of course my credit card was missing also so I was in a bind. I told them I did not have my credit card as it was gone also. At the time I was a PADI assistant instructor and PADI had made a lot of money from me getting to that level . I told them that I would send them a check or they could bill me but that I needed them to help me out and fax my info so I could dive. I was already getting ready to get P.O.d as this was day was not going well. They hemmed and hawed but then they faxed my info and at no charge. I actually got something from PADI free!

 

[The Horn]

I would use the Jr. Card till I wanted another course.....if ever. Any one is going to see that your son is not a Jr Diver when he steps up to the plate........BTW they put Jr. in front of the AOW just because of age less than 15 but just award AOW when he gets the majic digits? Thats pretty silly to have the same training and have to pass the same class as Adults and then be flagged with a Jr. Can it scratch off the card? If you sone can go and get air fills and go off and dive what is the Jr. even there for??$$$$

My pain was this: Completeted AOW......wait months for card......scratch head....e-mail PADI and : Card was sent, if you don't get it pay $30 and get a replacement????? but THEY lost it......the mail lost it....not me?????? pay $$ ???? Anyway the idiots sent it to the DS several weeks later (several hundreds Kilometer drive away).....I guess that mail to my home box doesn't mean anything

 

[vimaldude]

Just be seen in public with him.

I hug mine in front of his friends

 

[Charlie99]

PADI is known world wide but so is NAUI. Just a small fact the reason many LDS are PADI is because they are a for profit company, where NAUI is not.

So why does not-for-profit NAUI also charge $30 for a replacement C-card ?

 

[rawls]

OK, so now, rather than paying someone to open an envelope and route the request to the correct department, someone has to open an email on a computer. They still have to verify information, format (even electronically) the card with the (hopefully) correct photo and information, print the card, stick it in an envelope and place that envelope in the mail. It still takes work by a human being who will want to get paid come friday.

To take it a step further, If the payment was paid for with a credit card, the processing company takes an average of 2% of the cost plus the transaction fee of say, maybe $.30 of the total. That is about $.90 of the transaction.

Thank you Dave...Couldn't have said it better....Since your son will get older and need to change from Jr status at some point I don't see the problem.

 

[fairybasslet]

OK, so now, rather than paying someone to open an envelope and route the request to the correct department, someone has to open an email on a computer. They still have to verify information, format (even electronically) the card with the (hopefully) correct photo and information, print the card, stick it in an envelope and place that envelope in the mail. It still takes work by a human being who will want to get paid come friday.

To take it a step further, If the payment was paid for with a credit card, the processing company takes an average of 2% of the cost plus the transaction fee of say, maybe $.30 of the total. That is about $.90 of the transaction.

Upgrading the card for my son was the simplest thing to do in creation. All the information was there. I went to the PADI website and I didn't even have to fill anything out at all. I think I just typed in his name, or his number, and they had all the information. I didn't even have to send a new photo. This was 2 years ago so I don't really remember all the details, but I truly doubt that anybody had to verify anything. OTOH, they probably have to recoup the cost of all that programming.

 

[fairybasslet]

I hug mine in front of his friends

I tell embarrassing stories from when he was little. Or sometimes, from last week.

 

[Melicertes]

OTOH, I can have my ATM cards, my credit cards, or just about ANY card in my wallet replaced for no charge.

Banks charge fees on your account which probably allows for those free replacements. I don't see any diving agencies charging you fees every time you dive that could absorb the replacement costs, however small they may be in reality, should you lose or damage your c-card. Looking at the fees some banks charge I'd hope they wouldn't gripe too much about replacing a lost or damaged bank card .