ScubaPro Used Reg, Warranty?

[guyharrisonphoto]

Hello,

I have been offered a very nice MK25/S600 that is lightly used. I thought I saw a reference that the Scubapro lifetime warranty can be "revived" on a used reg if you pay for parts-and-labor servicing? Is there any truth to this, or is the warranty only to the original purchaser who can "revive" it is they miss a scheduled service?

I admire all the DIYs who service their own but I don't think I will be doing that. The SP warranty seems to have some real value and I would like to have its benefit if that is possible.

Before I buy, I wanted to find this out so I can intelligently decide whether to go used or spend the extra for new from my LDS (who I respect greatly).

Guy

 

[herman]

As best as I know, it's just the original owner who can revive the warranty. However, the warranty is really not that big of a deal. It only covers parts, the service labor you still pay for, warranty or not. What you are "saving" with the warranty is the $25-40 worth of parts that are installed during service, the $50-100 for labor you will spend either way. If you decide to do an every other year service, the saving on labor will greatly outweight the saving of the "free" parts if you have the warranty. If it were me, I would buy used, have it serviced so I was sure of it's last service and then service on a 2 or 3 year cycle, depending on use and my comfort level.

 

[DMDavid]

I agree with Herman.
I have both new and used SP's and the only one that can renew an expired warranty is the original owner.
Even as the original owner if I let the servicing lapse one year I then must pay for parts on the next servicing in order to get it back into warranty.

Buy it if it's a good deal and don't worry too much about the warranty.

 

[Scared Silly]

In general, for any product the warranty only applies to the original owner. There are exceptions though.

[RANT]
IMNSHO, the SP lifetime warranty is BS. The company either warranties the product against defects or not. The crap of limiting it based on service is just a way to hoodwink the consumer into visiting their dive shop once a year. Which is why I would not buy a SP product as other mfgs warranty the product against defects regardless of the servicing. Atomic Aquatics has a nice example:

Atomic Aquatics Limited Lifetime Warranty

Read the forth paragraph that starts with "This warranty is not contingent upon obtaining annual service, ..."

[/RANT]

 

[redacted]

I believe another exception is if you live in Europe where consumer protection laws dictate that many warranties be transferable. That explains how Leisurepro obtains manufacturer warranty service on the gray market good it sells.

In general, for any product the warranty only applies to the original owner. There are exceptions though.

[RANT]
IMNSHO, the SP lifetime warranty is BS. The company either warranties the product against defects or not. The crap of limiting it based on service is just a way to hoodwink the consumer into visiting their dive shop once a year. Which is why I would not buy a SP product as other mfgs warranty the product against defects regardless of the servicing. Atomic Aquatics has a nice example:

Atomic Aquatics Limited Lifetime Warranty

Read the forth paragraph that starts with "This warranty is not contingent upon obtaining annual service, ..."

[/RANT]

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Thanks everyone, very helpful to know.

For me, I have no problems getting the annual service. I do not see it as a rip-off but just a common sense safety precaution that I would do anyway.

That being said, I can now make an informed decision as to whether several hundred dollars in savings is worth the trade-off.

These forums are great! Thanks for your responses.

Guy

 

[halocline]

For me, I have no problems getting the annual service. I do not see it as a rip-off but just a common sense safety precaution that I would do anyway.

Frequent inspection (you can do that yourself) and getting service as needed is common sense. Getting regulators serviced annually regardless of their condition is neither common sense nor a safety precaution.

 

[Couv]

Service frequency and so called free parts:

If do buy new and you're determined to keep the useless and expensive warranty intact, of course you must follow the manufactures suggested service interval. However, whether or not you want to keep the useless and expensive warranty intact, learning to check your equipment is very important and will help YOU determine if your equipment needs servicing. See this link for a set of checks everyone is capable of and should be doing: Regulator Checklist and Inspection Sticky: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/regulators/346813-regulator-inspection-checklist-rev-7-a.html

Good luck,

Couv

 

[herman]

Thanks everyone, very helpful to know.

For me, I have no problems getting the annual service. I do not see it as a rip-off but just a common sense safety precaution that I would do anyway.

That being said, I can now make an informed decision as to whether several hundred dollars in savings is worth the trade-off.

These forums are great! Thanks for your responses.

Guy

Problem is it ends up not being a "safety precaution". If you look back over the threads talking about reg service what you find is :

1. It more common for regs to fail AFTER service than during long periods of use as long as it is properly cared for.
2. Working regs that are taken care of - properly rinsed and water kept out of them- almost never fail catastrophically, rather they fail gracefully giving you a long warning if you just pay a little attention to them.

I treat regs like I do brakes. I check brakes often for wear and problems but if I don't find excessive wear or problems I don't replace the pads until they are worn to the point they need to be replaced. I could simply replace them every time I checked them as a safety precaution but I would waste a lot of money and time doing so and stand a lot greater chance of forgetting to put that critical bolt back. Regs are a lot easier to inspect than brakes.

 

[theduckguru]

If I walk into a dive shop and say I am the original owner and pay cash are they going to require ID?