Purchasing own equipment online/lds?

[H2Andy]

There is so much more that an LDS can do for you than an online retailer.

1. sell me air
2. let me try on stuff
3. overcharge the crap out of everything

i think that's about it!



actually, a good LDS is worth its weight in gold... unfortunately (in my experience) there aren't that many of them out there

 

[clem]

Buy wherever the price is best. ALL dive equipment is a COMMODITY. Warranties are basically one year or less, rather meaningless. Service can be obtained directly from most manufacturers regardless of where you bought it. Zeagle, Oceanic, Genesis, xcel, xces armor,posiedon,ikelite, sea and sea,sealife, just to name a few... all take care of customers directly. Price rules, the concept of paying extra for asupposed "service" sometime in the future is a zero sum game.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

Buy wherever the price is best. ALL dive equipment is a COMMODITY. Warranties are basically one year or less, rather meaningless. Service can be obtained directly from most manufacturers regardless of where you bought it. Zeagle, Oceanic, Genesis, xcel, xces armor,posiedon,ikelite, sea and sea,sealife, just to name a few... all take care of customers directly. Price rules, the concept of paying extra for asupposed "service" sometime in the future is a zero sum game.

WRONG!! If you buy an oceanic item from a non oceanic dealer, they will not cover it under any warranty! The serialize the products and know where it comes from, when you buy from an unauthorized dealer, you get no warranty, no recall, no help....Lets say Im your LDS and you buy the BC from me....a strap breaks, I fix it.....you buy online...what do you have to do to get it fixed? What do you have to pay? If you bought that BC from me, and you want a reg.....I will probably give you a discount for being loyal....WHen you come to me I help you...Im not saying I wont help someone else, but if they buy on the internet, and not from me, they might not have my full attention and help when they have a problem....I will say OK We will look at it and its I will tell you what it costs when we fix it.....If you had bought it from me....I stand behind what I sell and most likely its covered under warranty or I take care of the problem under my own warranty.....Im not saying dont buy online because I sell online.....Just make sure you buy from an authorized dealer so you have a warranty....And give your LDS a chance to match the price....When I buy anything I look online and look at the price and then check a local store....Tell them, hey you know I like you and want to keep my dollar local, but the internet has it for this price.....what can you do for me.......I promise they will help you out.....and then next time you have a problem either with what you bought from them or some other problem, they will be there for you because you were there for them.

Wow that was a looong rant my fingers hurt......Did you know that in Europe prices are higher on the internet? Internet shopping is a luxury and people pay more for luxury....Just wait a few years when that trend comes here and you will be running back to your LDS to get the product cheaper......

Like others have said if you like them, give them your money...help them out and let them help you out!

There are so many things you can touch on in this subject and I hope I didnt offend anyone and if there are any questions you would like to ask a store operator....ask away


"Buy wherever the price is best. ALL dive equipment is a COMMODITY. Warranties are basically one year or less, rather meaningless"

Oceanic and some other warranties have lifetime parts warranties..........

 

[h90]

WRONG!! If you buy an oceanic item from a non oceanic dealer, they will not cover it under any warranty! The serialize the products and know where it comes from, when you buy from an unauthorized dealer, you get no warranty, no recall, no help....Lets say Im your LDS and you buy the BC from me....a strap breaks, I fix it.....you buy online...what do you have to do to get it fixed? What do you have to pay? If you bought that BC from me, and you want a reg.....I will probably give you a discount for being loyal....WHen you come to me I help you...Im not saying I wont help someone else, but if they buy on the internet, and not from me, they might not have my full attention and help when they have a problem....I will say OK We will look at it and its I will tell you what it costs when we fix it.....If you had bought it from me....I stand behind what I sell and most likely its covered under warranty or I take care of the problem under my own warranty.....Im not saying dont buy online because I sell online.....Just make sure you buy from an authorized dealer so you have a warranty....And give your LDS a chance to match the price....When I buy anything I look online and look at the price and then check a local store....Tell them, hey you know I like you and want to keep my dollar local, but the internet has it for this price.....what can you do for me.......I promise they will help you out.....and then next time you have a problem either with what you bought from them or some other problem, they will be there for you because you were there for them.

Wow that was a looong rant my fingers hurt......Did you know that in Europe prices are higher on the internet? Internet shopping is a luxury and people pay more for luxury....Just wait a few years when that trend comes here and you will be running back to your LDS to get the product cheaper......

Like others have said if you like them, give them your money...help them out and let them help you out!

There are so many things you can touch on in this subject and I hope I didnt offend anyone and if there are any questions you would like to ask a store operator....ask away


"Buy wherever the price is best. ALL dive equipment is a COMMODITY. Warranties are basically one year or less, rather meaningless"

Oceanic and some other warranties have lifetime parts warranties..........

Sorry that the prices on internet are higher in Europe is simply wrong. The prices are of course a lot lower than at the local LDS. Just the prices are in generall higher in Europe.

Else I must tell that there are also a lot of LDS arround, which don't help you at all, not even give you a tank for rent (because to low profit on that), while others are very nice. There is no sense in supporting bad LDS

 

[SteveC]

The main reason to buy from the LDS is the ability to try it on, and a wet suit may be the best example, but walk into a dive shop and ask to try on a basic 7mm XL one piece. We have several dive shops in town but they won’t have a wet suit in stock. They can order it for you, but so can I. I want to try it on, touch it, feel it. I don’t see how they expect to make money if the won’t stock products.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

Thats horrible...I have all of my products in stock....thats just a bad LDS that you shouldnt give your money to.....they arent earning it and making you want to give it to them.....I want to take your money and make you happy for giving it to me.....that way you come back and buy more.....I dont understand how some of these businesses have been in business soooo long and have such poor customer service.....Gives us all a bad name But thats alright....Im making my own name and we have EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE and every single person that walks into my store, or past my Xmas kiosk at the mall will tell you that

 

[Stu S.]

Diver's Direct here in Florida is a chain of "Dive Superstores". You can buy on-line or at a store. They service what they sell. If you catch a sale, their prices can beat Leisure Pro. You get to try things on, and save money, too. Like everyone else around here, I have bought things there. They have a nice back inflate BC on sale right now for $299.

They have the best return policy I have found. My buddy took back a wetsuit after using it for a full refund... said it wasn't warm enough. I got a full refund on a pair of swimming trunks, and I wore them once. Does anyone else do that?

Happy diving!

 

[60feet]

Dear Mr. Retired,

If I may humbly suggest that you save money and buy certain scuba gear online where it makes sense. You've served your country, have financially supported your government (paying taxes) all your life, and I'm sure you've supported local businesses, as well as have given to charities many times over the years. Now, that you're retired (even if only from military service), it's time to think more about yourself and your loved one. Paying an LDS unreasonably marked up prices doesn't make sense in your case, especially as some have pointed out, LDS make more money from rentals and classes than from the low sale volume of gear.

I do agree with others about providing your LDS a "right to refuse" matching an online price, or a choice to cut their price by some attractive amount. But beyond that, it's still a free market system, with competition forces, and the buyer should use a rational, rather than emotional, approach. Rational here does mean considering buying those items that would require proper fitting - such as wetsuit, mask, etc. - at a local retail store. Items such as SPG, computer, compass, knife, flash lights, boots & fins (can be fitted by online stores), even regulator can and should be bought from an authorized online store at discount prices.

Regarding LDS not wanting/liking to service an item not purchased from their store, I personally have not encountered this attitude. Over the years, I have brought my Aqualung regulator to 4 different LDS for its annual services and have received equally satisfactory service from all 4 - none of the LDS even asked if I bought it from them; and none demanded to see the original receipt. Each was happy that I chose to give them my business instead of another LDS. As some have pointed out, service is a major source of revenue for LDS.

Good luck on your gear purchases. Happy retirement and happier diving.

 

[h90]

I don't agree a good LDS has a big value and may safe you a lot money, by fixing small things for free, tell you that you shouldn't buy one product, because they all come back for repair, for telling that his other customer sell his xyz equipment cheap because he bought something new.
From a good LDS you have a big benefit, but these are rare.

Dear Mr. Retired,

If I may humbly suggest that you save money and buy certain scuba gear online where it makes sense. You've served your country, have financially supported your government (paying taxes) all your life, and I'm sure you've supported local businesses, as well as have given to charities many times over the years. Now, that you're retired (even if only from military service), it's time to think more about yourself and your loved one. Paying an LDS unreasonably marked up prices doesn't make sense in your case, especially as some have pointed out, LDS make more money from rentals and classes than from the low sale volume of gear.

I do agree with others about providing your LDS a "right to refuse" matching an online price, or a choice to cut their price by some attractive amount. But beyond that, it's still a free market system, with competition forces, and the buyer should use a rational, rather than emotional, approach. Rational here does mean considering buying those items that would require proper fitting - such as wetsuit, mask, etc. - at a local retail store. Items such as SPG, computer, compass, knife, flash lights, boots & fins (can be fitted by online stores), even regulator can and should be bought from an authorized online store at discount prices.

Regarding LDS not wanting/liking to service an item not purchased from their store, I personally have not encountered this attitude. Over the years, I have brought my Aqualung regulator to 4 different LDS for its annual services and have received equally satisfactory service from all 4 - none of the LDS even asked if I bought it from them; and none demanded to see the original receipt. Each was happy that I chose to give them my business instead of another LDS. As some have pointed out, service is a major source of revenue for LDS.

Good luck on your gear purchases. Happy retirement and happier diving.

 

[reefugee]

I must be lucky because I have an awesome LDS (http://www.dolphinscuba.com/) that will price match authorize internet reseller. I purchased almost all of my gears from them. When I was looking at BP/W, I could have gotten it for about $50 cheaper online. However, the LDS spent nearly 2.5 hours helping pick out everything, and fitted it to me. Then the next day, I regret getting a certain wing. They swapped it out for a different wing.

On another occasion, my wifes inflator hose had a hole it in. We didn't discover it until the night before we were heading out diving. Brought it in the day we were leaving. My LDS repaired it immediately. If I had purchase it online, I don't know if they would have fixed it immediately.

Like I said - I am fortunate that I have an awesome LDS. There are other LDS around here that aren't quite as good.

Minh