Regulator service: acceptable treatment?

[The Chairman]

What is his perspective? That he expects honesty and fairness?

Probably a lot like you: he expects everyone to conform to him.

The big problem that I see here is not one of the LDS trying to be unfair or dishonest. Read what he posted: he knew the hose was leaking and the LDS found that out. The charge for the hose was pretty darn cheap, and the price for the mouthpiece sounded fair as well. The issue was communication, not dishonesty and nothing more. Criticism is warranted, but not for being dishonest.

 

[vondo]

I did read what the OP posted and he says the shop told him the hose was leaking. He never said he knew it was leaking.

Actually I mostly said the opposite. That I had a vague recollection of a small leak during my last trip but that the shop told me nothing on the service notes or when picking up. I did confirm today that they replaced it because they found a leak.

In case anyone cares, the mouthpiece on the reg was a "Trident" clone of the comfobite. I like those because they are very soft. The shop replaced it with a stiffer (perhaps Apex/Aqualung) version of the same thing, but they don't appear to actually carry that in stock. I ordered a couple of those from another shop and they set me back $12-14 each and now sit in my save-a-dive because the stiff ones irritate the roof of my mouth. So it seems they tried to do right by me without talking to me, but failed (by not talking to me). Same story with the hose; I probably would have moved to a braided hose if I'd had prior warning.

 

[redacted]

Actually I mostly said the opposite. That I had a vague recollection of a small leak during my last trip but that the shop told me nothing on the service notes or when picking up. I did confirm today that they replaced it because they found a leak..

I read all of your posts again and still do not see where you knew there was a problem with the LPI hose. The closest I find is where you say: "I got a long, detailed response to my e-mail from the manager of the shop, the person I usually deal with, thanking me for my feedback. It was long because I sent a long, detailed history of the service, good and bad, I got from them. There was a small leak in my hose, apparently. But the summary of it as it relates to this thread is that their policy is to replace things like hoses and mouthpieces without consulting the customer to make the set diveable out the door. Otherwise it would slow them down. The customer is free to have the items and charges removed."

So, did you know of the problem when you dropped the regs off for service and did you inform the shop of the problem? What was the nature of the leak (where was it)?

What was the nature of the "corrosion" that necessitated the extra cleaning charge? What regulator and where?

 

[vondo]

I read all of your posts again and still do not see where you knew there was a problem with the LPI hose.

Very subtle (which I omitted in the interest of brevity, cause lost in post #3:

So, did you know of the problem when you dropped the regs off for service and did you inform the shop of the problem? What was the nature of the leak (where was it)?

No, it had completely slipped my mind if it was ever there in the first place. Pulling the hose out of the trash... there is a small cut in the rubber of the hose. This may have manifested as a small leak when I last used them two months ago.

What was the nature of the "corrosion" that necessitated the extra cleaning charge? What regulator and where?

Not a clue really, but I'm not fixated on it. See post #69. In the past I've been told I have excess corrosion in my first stage. This time the filter looked pretty good to me.

 

[The Chairman]

Is it simply that I have disagreed with you and some of your mods in the past?

Is that the best dig you can make? Well, it's about as accurate as your take on the LDS. Ya rly!

Here's the deal: some people go out of their way to find/assume the worst about everyone else. Some go out of their way to find/assume the best about everyone else. Reality is somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. You seem to lean way to the former, and I probably lean a bit to the latter.

 

[redacted]

Is that the best dig you can make? Well, it's about as accurate as your take on the LDS. Ya rly!

Here's the deal: some people go out of their way to find/assume the worst about everyone else. Some go out of their way to find/assume the best about everyone else. Reality is somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. You seem to lean way to the former, and I probably lean a bit to the latter.

Just a statement. No dig intended and, frankly, I don't see how you could have interpreted it as such. I guess we all have our biases.

I agree on the direction of our leanings but strongly disagree on the magnitudes. I do wonder what our motivations might be. (That is probably a "dig".)

 

[ams511]

Probably a lot like you: he expects everyone to conform to him.

The big problem that I see here is not one of the LDS trying to be unfair or dishonest. Read what he posted: he knew the hose was leaking and the LDS found that out. The charge for the hose was pretty darn cheap, and the price for the mouthpiece sounded fair as well. The issue was communication, not dishonesty and nothing more. Criticism is warranted, but not for being dishonest.

I am fair and honest in my dealings and I expect others to be the same. Is that too much to ask?

 

[redacted]

Not a clue really, but I'm not fixated on it. See post #69. In the past I've been told I have excess corrosion in my first stage. This time the filter looked pretty good to me.

That is unfortunate. You were charged and extra $30 for cleaning 2 regulators and have no idea what you or your friend did wrong and need to change to take proper care of your regs. I am a bit surprised you accepted that situation and a bit more surprised the LDS did not insist on providing you an explanation of what you are doing wrong.

 

[The Chairman]

I do wonder what our motivations might be. (That is probably a "dig".)

You obviously have an axe to grind. What would be my axe? Very, very few LDSes advertise here and like you most simply distrust me. In spite of that, I feel it's important to be fair to them. What does is say about you that you suspect anyone who simply wants to give everyone a fair shake? You seem to enjoy being antagonistic, accusatory and seem to suspect anyone who isn't that way. I couldn't live like that.

I am fair and honest in my dealings and I expect others to be the same. Is that too much to ask?

And I'm reasonable, but apparently that's too much to ask from you.

If you only own a hammer, the entire world becomes a nail. The issue at hand is one of communication and not about the LDS being unfair or dishonest. Why couch every situation in only those terms?

 

[redacted]

You obviously have an axe to grind. What would be my axe? Very, very few LDSes advertise here and like you most simply distrust me. In spite of that, I feel it's important to be fair to them. What does is say about you that you suspect anyone who simply wants to give everyone a fair shake? You seem to enjoy being antagonistic, accusatory and seem to suspect anyone who isn't that way. I couldn't live like that.

You have put in much effort to make your board more appealing to entities that make $$$ through scuba. It looks like you are having a bit of success reaching right on down beyond manufacturers into the shops. Just imagine what might happen if many shops were pushing their divers towards Scubaboard.

Yes, I am suspicious of some of the things that people who profit by others taking up scuba when they do things like charge them for services and equipment that were not contracted. I don't believe I accused the particular shop in this thread of cheating or scamming the OP. I did, and still do, question what the shop did and how they did it.

What you seem to be perfectly happy writing off as a simple communications problem, I still find to be questionable actions by the service provider. I have seen a number of regs that deserved an up-charge for service, but not because a little SW might have gotten inside. Regs take that OK up to a point. And, when they pass that point, parts are damaged and require replacement; not just a small extra cleaning charge. I have also worked quite some time just to disassemble a regulator; but those cases were almost always quite obvious when you see the green growing at all the metal edges. (On rare occasions I have seen such difficulties on a clean looking reg due to assembly errors.) But, if the OP is happy paying an extra $70 for things he did not ask for and reasons he does not fully understand, then he will probably continue to be welcome customer in many dive shops.

As far as my axe that you think I am grinding, I am not looking to make any $$$ and, while I would like to see some things change for my benefit, I'm pretty much set for the rest of the time I will be diving, But I do try to help other divers who are looking for help that I can provide. If you would rather I didn't, I'd be willing to stop.

I guess one difference between you and I is if I ran into Peggy and was upset enough to post about it, I would not have just told my friends about her; I would have told them how to avoid her.