Scubatoys.com is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!

[Floridawannabe]

I always enjoy ordering from Scuba Toys. You call and they pick up the phone! No call menu. What an amazing concept. The Scuba Toys web site is very well done as well and I think one of the better sites on the net.

I have also ordered through them and they are great. Try going to thier web cam and then call them. Tell who ever at the register to stop picking his nose they usually wave back at you. I love the site and the people that work there are great.

 

[riverdiver]

Was just in the Dallas area last week and stoped by Scubatoys to check them out, and they gave me two free t-shirts you will not get anything free from my LDS . That is why they are doing so well ,they take care of the customers.
Ed

 

[JdLag1]

Great shop, great people, great toys!

 

[BrianV]

Agreed. Larry accommodated my unusual request last weekend, great customer service as well (which is harder to find with online sites).

I'll be buying A LOT from them and sending a lot of people over there as well. I wish I bought my regs there so I could get the $40 servicing, my LDS wants $90 and I bought both from them (but I got killer deals since they were on closeout sales).

Live and learn....

 

[K9trnr]

I second that about scuba.com. Had lots of problems with them! As far as LDS's if they keep charging outragous prices for there stuff, they deserve to go out of buisness.

I have never had a problem with scuba.com, but I'll certainly check out scubatoys in the future. I buy both locally and online depending on the price variances. I'd rather pay 10%-20% more at the LDS than buy a $3000 air compressor online when the LDS goes out of business and I can't get my cylinders filled. On the other hand, if the price difference is significant on a high priced item, I'd ask them if they can at least come close to the online prices. Sometimes they can and sometimes they can't, but I wouldn't be embarrassed about asking them...and then possibly buying online if they can't.

I'm not recommending people pay "outrageous" prices when another outlet has a competitive advantage and can offer a lower price. But also remember the LDS probably isn't trying to put one over on you. They have different overhead and distributor pricing. They also can't survive on providing airfills. Most stores lose money on air fills.

Students will spend $1500 on a college class that teaches them philosophy, art, biology, etc. but will often go with the cheapest local dive store when it comes to a class that is important to their safety. Most of the students will never take further classes beyond open water. The dive stores make a certain amount of profit on gear sales, but very few could stay in business if they were unable to sell any gear due to online competition.

I'll jump off my soap box now. I do buy some items online and will continue to do so in the future. Many local dive stores struggle to stay open, and it's just frustrating that some people may think the store is charging a higher price for an item so the store owners can buy a new Mercedes or something.

 

[tiburon72157]

all dive shops whether an lds or online seem to drop the ball routinely. i spread around my purchases typically based upon (a) price, (b) service, and (c) whichever source i'm less pizzed off at, at that particular moment. leisure pro's shipping is too expensive, scuba toys takes too much time for servicing (sent in a zeagle ranger to be retrofitted with a brigade bladder, and despite being told they would turn it around in a day, it took 3 weeks. good thing i wasn't diving during that time frame. and when i shipped my bc to them, it was packed nicely in a large box with packing material, etc. and when i finally got it back, everything was crammed into a old, small, beat up box. obviously my original box was used to ship something to somebody else. very, very tacky. the guys at st should be ashamed of themselves. lastly, my local lds is just too damn expensive...and unless i need a quick hydro/viz/reg o/h etc. i usually take my gear business elsewhere. i get treated way better at my nlds (non-local dive shop) in san diego than i do at my lds with which i have 5 years of history with. some folks just don't know how to treat their customers...

 

[Trinigordo]

I cannot say enough about Scubatoys, Larry has continually bent over backwards to please me as his customer. This kind of effort needs to be supported as it is very rare these days. I give scubatoys a convincing A+++++++.

On another seperate note, thank you to Brad and all the other retailers that have seen fit to support our community here on SB, your products, service and/or advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[tiburon72157]

settle down folks...their prices are average at best. try really shopping around and do some comparisons. and their shipping is waaay higher than anybody else. lp ships from ny for less than they do.

 

[Azza]

I have just bought online for the first time ever.

I am usually a strictly LDS kinda guy, because I have worked in them and know how much they need the business.

But...My Suunto Vyper recently died, from a common Suunto problem, and Aquanaut NZ wanted to charge me $6-700 NZD to fix the problem then give me a 3 month guarantee.
The Vyper cost me $1000NZD.

There was no way I was going to pay that much, for the problem to maybe manifest itself again in 4 months time, and having just bought a house I am a little short on cash.

Larry, Joe and the guys from Scubatoys were great. They gave me 10% for being a scubaboard member.
So I picked up an Oceanic Atom for $700NZD. The same price Aquanaut wanted to fix my 2.5 year old Vyper.

It took a week to get here to New Zealand but I have to say I did screw up my credit card details, and with the different time zones it was a little "Back and Forth" to fix the prob. Once the details were sorted it took 4 days to get here. Not bad for being halfway around the world.

Thanks Scubatoys.com