The LDS that i got my OW cert through was kind of a shyster outfit as well. His entire business model is to get you into the shop as many times as possible and try to upsell everything. Example: our evening classroom training was about 50% a pitch for various trips and advanced classes he was selling. Also, he refused to sign the logbook after the dives were completed, made you come to the shop to sign it, then again to pick up the card, all the while telling you you need BCD, reg, everything. My checkout dives were 5 minutes of skill review, and then sat on the bottom while he dug up clams for himself. No returns in the shop for refund, only "store credit". The other dive shop in our area laughs when they say how they get all his repeat business.
Let me guess what LDs you are writing about here that makes you go into store repeatedly and gives you 5 minutes of time on training dives...Capt Samm's??
I had a few people find me for their training dives and or completely walked away from his store and policies and complete their academics/pool/ow dives with me in Westchester.I hope he keeps up the good work and sends me more students.