Scubapro online sales

[DA Aquamaster]

The current list of fully functional regulators:

The currently used stuff
2 Mk 17 DIN D400's (current back gas regs)
4 Mk 3 DIN Balanced Adjustables (used as deco regs)

The could be useful stuff
1 Mk 25 X650 (bought for evaluation)
2 Mk 20 DIN D400's (previous back gas regs)
2 Mk 15 D400's (prior to the previous back gas regs)
2 Mk 10 D300's (rescued off e-bay)
3 Mk 10 Plus Balanced Adjustables (because you can never have too many)
2 Mk 10 Balanced Adjustables (same as above)
1 Mk 3 High Performance (my first reg)

The semi-collectible stuff:
1 Mk 5 Air 1
3 Mk 5 High Performance
1 Conshelf XII first, second and octo

The collectible stuff:
1 Conshelf XI first and second stage
1 US Divers Deep Star first and second stage
2 US Divers DA Aquamaster double hose regulators
1 US Divers DW Mistral double hose regulator (my favorite double hose reg)

The odd bits and pieces
1 Mk 10 first stage
1 Mk 5 first stage
1 Sherwood second stage (old but never used)
1 Dacor Viper second stage
1 Tusa Duo Air

 

[scubapro50]

The current list of fully functional regulators:

2 Mk 17 D400's (current back gas regs)
1 Mk 25 X650 (bought for evaluation)
2 Mk 20 D400's (old back gas regs)
2 Mk 15 D400's (older back gas regs)
2 Mk 10 D300's
3 Mk 10 Plus Balanced Adjustables
1 Mk 10 Balanced Adjustable
1 Mk 5 Air 1
3 Mk 5 High Performance
4 Mk 3 Balanced Adjustables (used as deco regs)
1 Mk 3 High Performance (my first reg)
1 Mk 10 first stage
1 Conshelf XI first and second stage
1 Conshelf XII first, second and octo
1 Sherwood second stage (old but never used)
1 Dacor Viper second stage
2 DA Aquamaster double hose regulators
1 DW Mistral double hose regulator

...... Good collection .............. how you decide which one to use ?

 

[scubapro50]

I wish I could get my stuff that organized .... my collection takes up 2 closets and part of the garage ....

 

[scubatoys]

Your experience also shows that there may be ways to circumvent adherence to certain policies but it continues to perpetuate an outdated way of doing business. Can you point to a single VALID reason as to why SP would continue in this way? Suppose a new diver, unaware of warranty and service issues, stumbles on LP's website and purchases some SP gear at a substantial discount. After they receive the gear, they go online at SP's site and find that their registration will be invalid because they didn't buy from an authorized dealer. Does this somehow endear dive consumers to your brand? The old arguments tend to be about life support equipment, or no fills when the LDS's go broke. If these arguments are true, why isn't Europe full of dead divers, as they can buy online and how can the people who run the fill stations at local quarries and such afford to operate whithout gear sales and cert classes?

I have no problem with a company setting a policy. Now personally, I think a reasonable on line MAP price policy and allowing on line sales is fair. But I do carry brands like Atomic that I'm not allowed to sell on line... But they are consistent. There are none at the European on line sellers, none at LP. If a company wants to set that policy, just make it universal, and offer a level playing field for all and enforce it... that was all I ever asked of ScubaPro, or any other brand we carried.

It was good to see Mario say they would honor all our warranties.. Who knows.. Maybe this whole episode will force them to take another look at their policies, and come up with something that is fairer for all their retailers.

 

[rmannix]

1 USD West Pico Mistral 2 hose (1958) Pre serial numbers
1 USD DA Aquamaster 2 hose (West Warner square label) Long yoke ca. 1968
1 USD Round label Aquamaster 2hose, purchased new in 1973
1 USD Round label Royal Aquamaster 2 hose ca. 1973
1 USD Calypso J, early 60's. Old second stage with tiny exhaust
1 Nemrod 1963 Snark 2
1 USD Conshelf 12
1 Voit MR12, mint
1 AMF Swimaster MR12
2 USD Conshelf 14's, both early 80's 3/8 HP ports
1 1981 Sherwood Magnum
1 Scubapro Mk 5
1 Scubapro Mk 10
1 Scubapro Mk 7, 3000 squared yoke
1 Scubapro Mk 7 3000 heavy yoke, 3/8 HP Port
1 Scubapro Mk 7, Heavy yoke, 7/16 HP port, SPEC ambient ports
4 Scubapro Balanced Adj 2nd stages, 1 in orange
2 Scubapro AIR1 2nds
1 Scubapro G250 Graphite 1st gen 2nd
1 Mares MR12 DFC Proton from 2002. The Proton 2nd is now used as an octo. I use my G250 as the primary on this reg.
1 Dacor Pacer XL 2nd
1 Sherwood Octo
1 USD Octo (brass)
2 Scubapro Air2's, 3rd Gen
1 Tusa Duo-air

 

[Wayward Son]

In use:

1 Mk 5 with an R380 octo
1 Mk 2/ R190 (wife uses an AIR2 on her BC)

New in box, might keep it or trade it (just won at Christmas party):
1 Mk 2/ R190

I also have an R190 octo, NIB, that will be installed on one of these:

In transit to me:

2 Mk10 / D400 sets bought embarassingly cheap from a friend. He may also have put a couple of AIR2's in the box, he wasn't real clear about that. I don't need them, but if he sent them no problem.

 

[redacted]

I'm keeping myself, wife, and one adult daughter in regs:
3 x Mk20
2 x Mk10
1 x Mk7 (Hvy Yoke, 7/16 HP)
3 x Mk5 (2 w/Hvy Yoke & 7/16HP, 1 w/"3000" yoke & 3/8 HP)
2 x Mk2
1 X mK2+
2 x S600
1 x G500
2 x R190
2 x R380
4 x Air2, 3rd Gen
3 x R???, Balanced Adj (1 chrome cover, 2 mat covers)
4 x R109, Adj

Wife dives a Mk20/S600/Air2.
Daughter dives a Mk20/S600/R190.
I'm currently alternating between Mk7/Bal Adj/Adj and Mk5/Bal Adj/Adj. In local shallow river I use Mk5/Adj. I'm getting ready to put a Mk10/Bal Adj/Adj back in service. Mk2/G500 was on pony but will swap the G500 with a R380. One Mk2 dedicated to tire inflation. I harvested 2 set of orange rubber from the R109s. I get the impression that the orange stuff carries a premium on e-bay. I just can't see any other reason for the high prices some older reg have brought.

 

[yknot]

I have no problem with a company setting a policy. Now personally, I think a reasonable on line MAP price policy and allowing on line sales is fair. But I do carry brands like Atomic that I'm not allowed to sell on line... But they are consistent. There are none at the European on line sellers, none at LP. If a company wants to set that policy, just make it universal, and offer a level playing field for all and enforce it... that was all I ever asked of ScubaPro, or any other brand we carried.

It was good to see Mario say they would honor all our warranties.. Who knows.. Maybe this whole episode will force them to take another look at their policies, and come up with something that is fairer for all their retailers.

Setting a policy and then sticking to it at least eliminates the current hipocracy (sp?). Please be aware, however, that MAP policies are illegal. I know this because the FTC's website specifically contains statements as to that fact. The reason is because MAP policies can never be defended as benefiting the public and only exist to restrict a market and decrease or eliminate competition. As far as online sales, if a company wishes to restrict them than that is their business, but again, to what purpose? All the reasons I've ever heard for not allowing net or mail order sales don't stand up in the real world. I personally want to endorse and support companies that at least consider me, the diver, as the real customer and believe I am intelligent enough to buy a product and use it without having to pay for any unneeded additional services.

 

[scubatoys]

Setting a policy and then sticking to it at least eliminates the current hipocracy (sp?). Please be aware, however, that MAP policies are illegal. I know this because the FTC's website specifically contains statements as to that fact. The reason is because MAP policies can never be defended as benefiting the public and only exist to restrict a market and decrease or eliminate competition. As far as online sales, if a company wishes to restrict them than that is their business, but again, to what purpose? All the reasons I've ever heard for not allowing net or mail order sales don't stand up in the real world. I personally want to endorse and support companies that at least consider me, the diver, as the real customer and believe I am intelligent enough to buy a product and use it without having to pay for any unneeded additional services.

Actually, MAP policies are not illegal. You can have "vertical pricing support" without breaking the law as long as things are worded right. Like in this situation, selling a line to us for years, then a manufacturer can say we no longer ship you, but cannot stop me from selling it on line with a warranty. They just no longer ship me more product. If they were to try to discredit our company, or void warranty, then it would be a violation according to the DOJ attorneys that I met with... In this situtation, they can choose to not sell to those who don't want to play that game... and that is legal.

 

[daniel f aleman]

Actually, MAP policies are not illegal....with... In this situtation, they can choose to not sell to those who don't want to play that game... and that is legal.

Yep.

The internet will change all retail in some form, but, Walmart ain't going away soon.

Larry, what are the specific reasons Scubapro (and any other manufacturers) gave you as to why they will not allow online sales from a retailer?