OP
ScubaTodd77
Contributor
- Messages
- 101
- Reaction score
- 0
- # of dives
Good Idea! I think I'll do that.
Regulator Service...was I scammed?
- Thread starter ScubaTodd77
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
When you purchased your equipment, the dealer should have provided you with a copy of the Alliance Service Agreement. It would have been in the form of a light weight cardboard document with a light blue cover and the rules of the program spelled out on the back. The inside would list the equipment covered and provide space for documenting any service.
When we retail a package, we staple a copy of the sale slip to the agreement so you will have proof of purchase date. This is necessary to make sure you are presenting the equipment within 13 months of the "last service" or the first date the equipment was placed in service. All subsequent service history is recorded directly on the agreement form. This Alliance Service Agreement provides you with free factory specified service parts (annual service kit) and you are responsible for the labor.
Under the terms of the agreement between Oceanic and dealers, the dealer that first resells Oceanic equipment is "obligated" to honor the Alliance Service Agreement. Other dealers MAY participate should they decide to do so. If another dealer decides to participate in the Alliance Service Agreement, they are provided replacement service kits upon proof to Oceanic that they have completed the service on any covered regulator. There is no reasonable argument for a dealer not providing the parts free if you have the agreement. Oceanic will replace the parts if the dealer submits the necessary claim form, something you don't need to be involved in.
Just as an example of reference for a typical Oceanic outfit that includes a Delta 4 and an octopus, IF you were charged for the parts, you might see a charge of $30.00 for the FDX 10 first stage kit, $12.00 for the Delta 4 second stage, and $10.00 for an octopus. When you add sales tax on the parts and the labor charge (in our store...$60.00), you would have a total of approximately $116.00. Of course, you might also be charged a labor fee to clean and inspect the buoyancy vest and you could likely have been required to pay for a battery replacement kit if there was a computer.
It is important to note that Oceanic cannot specify the charge that a dealer can apply for the labor, so this might vary considerably from dealer to dealer. I also quoted the suggested price for the parts kits, and that certainly can also vary from dealer to dealer. For various reasons, I think that Oceanic cannot compel any dealer to participate in the Alliance Service Agreement program....with the exception of the original selling dealer for the equipment, who is compelled to participate under current rules and agreements.
Hope this helps.
Phil Ellis
www.divesports.com
When we retail a package, we staple a copy of the sale slip to the agreement so you will have proof of purchase date. This is necessary to make sure you are presenting the equipment within 13 months of the "last service" or the first date the equipment was placed in service. All subsequent service history is recorded directly on the agreement form. This Alliance Service Agreement provides you with free factory specified service parts (annual service kit) and you are responsible for the labor.
Under the terms of the agreement between Oceanic and dealers, the dealer that first resells Oceanic equipment is "obligated" to honor the Alliance Service Agreement. Other dealers MAY participate should they decide to do so. If another dealer decides to participate in the Alliance Service Agreement, they are provided replacement service kits upon proof to Oceanic that they have completed the service on any covered regulator. There is no reasonable argument for a dealer not providing the parts free if you have the agreement. Oceanic will replace the parts if the dealer submits the necessary claim form, something you don't need to be involved in.
Just as an example of reference for a typical Oceanic outfit that includes a Delta 4 and an octopus, IF you were charged for the parts, you might see a charge of $30.00 for the FDX 10 first stage kit, $12.00 for the Delta 4 second stage, and $10.00 for an octopus. When you add sales tax on the parts and the labor charge (in our store...$60.00), you would have a total of approximately $116.00. Of course, you might also be charged a labor fee to clean and inspect the buoyancy vest and you could likely have been required to pay for a battery replacement kit if there was a computer.
It is important to note that Oceanic cannot specify the charge that a dealer can apply for the labor, so this might vary considerably from dealer to dealer. I also quoted the suggested price for the parts kits, and that certainly can also vary from dealer to dealer. For various reasons, I think that Oceanic cannot compel any dealer to participate in the Alliance Service Agreement program....with the exception of the original selling dealer for the equipment, who is compelled to participate under current rules and agreements.
Hope this helps.
Phil Ellis
www.divesports.com
mike_s
Contributor
you should PM Doug Krause and/or have this thread moved to the Oceanic manufacturing forum.
I'm sure that Doug would like to know that he has Oceanic Dealers that are taking advantage of their customer base.
Doug is a manager for Oceanic.
EDIT: ScubaTodd77, Phil's (who posted above) shop is only about a 2 hour drive from Oxford. You should give him a try. His shop does quality service work on regs.
sanpedro
New
Yet another good reason to purchase Scubapro regs. There warranty program has been in place longer than any others.
Trimix2dive
Contributor
Sorry buddy sound like you were bent over the table.
The answer you received was not entirely incorrect, but the approach taken certainly reflects a level of customer service that could be improved upon. We give the original parts back to the customer at the time the regulator is picked up, as it is a form of 'proof of service'. But, we actively ask the cutomer at the time of return / payment if, once they have seen them, we put them in the wastebin, in front of the customer, so they are not re-used by the customer, or the shop.
A colorful way of putting a rather accurate assessment. I do not think the shop treated you as a customer from whom they expect, or want, further business.Trimix2dive:
h2odragon1
Contributor
The overall price of the work done sounds reasonable. that being said, contact Oceanic and keep after them for an answer about the warrantied parts. They may not give you a refund, since they only received the wholesale price for the eqpt., but they should know they have a dealer that is going outside of their dealer agreement on warranty service.
My shop shows the customer the old parts and retains them to keep anyone from reusing them. I don't necessarily agree with that stance because the customer owns the parts (unless the kits have to be returned under warranty to the factory like Zeagle). However, I have almost zero decision-making authority in my shop, so I just do what I'm told. BTW, I have almost zero authority because that's the way I want it. The vast majority of customers don't care what you do with the old parts, and wouldn't recognize the parts anyway.
Similar threads
