Reg Service from LP or DiveInn

[dirthead]

Well, this is my first post to the forum. I have read a lot of posts about which reg to buy....where to buy it.....why one reg is better than the other.....and so forth. I am just completing my Open Water Certification and want to purchase my first reg. Based on my past hobbies, if I don't go ahead and purchase a top flight reg now, I will just be upgrading soon, so I might as well get one of the best. I have narrowed it down to either the Apex ATX200 or a ScubaPro Mk25/S600. My question is not about which one is better. I live in a small town with one LDS. Everything they sell is at full retail, and if you don't buy a reg from them, the yearly service is $60 PER STAGE PLUS PARTS. That would be over $200 just for yearly service. When I questioned the owner on this, he said "Don't blame the player, blame the game." He was referring to buying a reg online then bringing to him for yearly service. I took offense to that comment, and decided to buy elsewhere. I am most likely going to buy from either LP or DiveInn. My question is this.......Have any of you that have purchased from LP or DiveInn sent the reg back to them for yearly service, and if so, how was that experience? Quick turnaround?? The price for the service seems ok. LP states $34 and they pay return shipping. DiveInn said I pay for shipping and parts only. So either way, it seems to be reasonable.

Thanks!

 

[theskull]

Perhaps you're too quick to take offense at the only local supplier. If he can't make the profit on the purchase, he'll need to make it on the service. But he's THERE and can (if he wishes) provide excellent service including very fast turnaround with no shipping charges or delays and on-the-spot minor adjustments that might save a trip or at least a rental fee.

Have you asked whether a purchase could include breaks on service charges? or if a purchase could be offset with some free gas fills? Is there a discount for buying a "package" of regulator, BC, and computer?

Indeed, some local suppliers very much should be avoided and left to slowly die, but many more can be a valued partner in your diving world if you just work with them and look past the instant gratification of a low-priced on-line purchase.

theskull

 

[dirthead]

My LDS is making a killing. They have several small businesses rolled into one...Dive shop, travel agent, and they do parties, aerobics, etc in the pool. They also do a lot of PADI certifications. If I buy the reg from him, I get free parts for life and free service for 2 years. After that it's full price. So if I pay $600 for the SP Mk25/S600 + $150 for an Octo + tax I will have over $800 invested. If bought the Mk25/S600 from LP for $425 + $100 Octo + shipping......or the Apeks ATX200 w/ATX 40 Octo from DiveInn for $510 shipped, I would have under $525 invested and could buy some other goodies with the savings. Pay under $50 a year for service and come out way ahead.


I'm really not asking whether I should or should not buy the reg from my LDS. I have searched and read lots of posts on the pros and cons of LDS versus online. I just need to know from those who have used LP or DiveInn for service how there experience was. If yearly service from them is good and relatively quick, I will be satisfied. There aren't a lot of diving opportunities where I am. A couple of dives a month from March thru October will probably be it for me. I will have all winter to get service, so super fast turnaround isn't really an issue. I just don't want to buy from LP or DiveInn if their service sucks.

 

[Wayward Son]

Since you're willing to pass the factory warranty & are looking to save money anyway, why not just shop around a bit for a good deal on a used one?

 

[Hoosier]

dirthead,

LP does an annual service for the regulator. I started the thread about LP's service a few month ago, so you can get some feedbacks from other members who got their regulators serviced.

I don't want to get into the most commone debate, LDS vs. Internet, again. It is totally your decision because it is your money. Nobody can preach you about what you should do. There is a trade off between online and offline purchases.

You can find a few places that you can send your regulator for the annual service. They are all professional technician for SP and Apeks. Search more here. You will get many treasures about that matter.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

You won't get a factory warranty from any online shop with either ScubaPro or Apex. Remember that. You can do all the yearly services you want but you don't have a factory warranty.

When our local divers buy online and bring it to the shop we charge them full bore for service. Simple as that. Why help out the internet. When they buy it from our shop the first years service is free and parts are free for life. We charge 20 bucks per stage to rebuild them after the first year. So it doesn't take long before that reg is actually free.

Are those online shops going to include parts for life.

Naw, didn't think so.

False ecomony buying from them. You're tripping over a buck to save a penny.

 

[cnctina]

Yo, Dirthead,
If you want to save big bucks buy the SP Mk2 190 from LP, skip the yearly service(it's overated) and sell it after 5-7 years on e-bay. $170 reg- $100 when you sell it= $70 divide by 7 years= $10 year. This brings your yearly cost of using the reg to less than what the o-ring kits sell for. Better yet, learn to service your reg by yourself.
Did the LDS tell you if you miss a service interval the warranty is void and you loose the free parts.

 

[halocline]

$60 for labor, $200 total for annual service? $140 for parts for an annual service? Hmmmmm....something's not "quite" right here. (Maybe I misunderstood your post) I bought an old SP reg; MK15, G250, and BA190 used and immediately sent them to a highly qualified SP tech for service; they required much more than the typical annual service, and parts were around $20 if I remember.

Here's the most important thing in regulator service: find the right tech! If your LDS has an excellent tech that you trust, then there really is some value to buying a reg there, but believe me, if he/she is not the person you want servicing your gear, you'll eventually bring it someplace else anyway regardless of the warranty. There's a very well informed highly qualified tech who frequents this board, and that's where my stuff will go from now on, even though it means shipping. It's a matter of trust; and this really is what the LDS is selling.

I think the manufacturers should consider servicing their own gear, at their own factory, by their own well trained techs. If the servicing on regs is so crucial to their safety and performance, allowing any dealer to do it, without supervising the work, is risky IMO, as one dealer's tech may be great, and the next terrible. At my LDS (back in San Antonio) the SP tech did not even know that SP made a diaphragm 1st stage, and insisted to me that the MK16 was a balanced piston. Does this inspire enough trust to pay a full price for the reg so that I have the "priviledge" of this guy rebuilding my gear?

 

[dirthead]

Thanks for all the advice.

Mattboy, My LDS charges $60 per stage labor (with an octo that $180 just for labor + parts). There aren't many divers around here, so I don't think he does many rebuilds. I'm pretty sure LP or DiveInn rebuilds tons more regs than my LDS, that's why I was considering sending back to them for service.

 

[scubatoys]

I'm not sure where in Texas you are... but if you're near the Dallas area, I'd love to be able to help you get set up with a Scubapro reg if that is what you want... But even if we can't help with the sale, we are an authorized Scubapro repair center, and a complete annual is $59.95 are parts are free if under warranty. For regs purchased from us it is $39.95 with free parts.

I think if you hunt around, you'll see that is a more common price... 60 per stage seems a bit high!! :11: