Should I leave this LDS?

[dkerr]

I have been using a LDS that is very close to my work for renting equipment for my dive partners. I have all of my own gear, but most of my buddies need to rent tanks etc. I have brought 3 different people in to rent, and a couple have been there multiple times. I chose this place because it was convenient for my co-workers to grab gear during lunch the day of the dive.
The other day my buddy rented a tank and wetsuit and we tried to get a dive in but the weather turned a little foul. The next day she went to return the equipment and told him that it had not been used and asked if she could apply it towards the next rental. Now this was mid-week, and I hardly doubt that he was running low on tanks to rent. He refused to apply anything towards her next rental, but after going back and forth he offered to give her $4.50 (the price of an air fill which she did not even use).
Does it make sence for him not to apply at least some of the cost towards the next rental? I was planning on using this shop often and have brought him other customers, but now I dont know if I want to go back. I know the LDS's are hurting, but this just seems like bad business to me.

 

[chuckrt]

I am not a dive shop owner or an employee of one. I do not see a problem here, if you rent for the day but do not use it you still had the gear for the day. I think the owner did fine by giving you 4.50 for the fill. Might it be good for buisness to credit for a later time? maybe but I think you will find more shops not giving refunds than those that do. If you rent a car for a day but let it sit in your driveway will Hertz let you have a credit?

chuck

 

[tchil01]

Others will probably reply with better advice then I can provide, but I always assumed that renting gear from a dive shop is like renting anything. It isn't the use that you are renting but the time. If you rent a car but don't drive it, you still pay for that days rental.

Last Month my girlfriend went with me to Dutch Springs for a class I was taking. She rented tanks, a wetsuit and a pony and we were going to try to get in a couple of dives after my class. She's a new diver and wanted to get in some practice. Anyway, the weather was cold and rainy to she decided not to dive that weekend. We decided to go up the following weekend and she went to our LDS to pay for an additional rental. They were kind enough to not charge her for the additional rental, but we were willing and expecting to pay. Now we have used this LDS for all of our training and have bought a considerable amount of gear from them too.

Anyway, that's my $0.02 and a bit of my rambling. I don't think the LDS was in the wrong and I would of had a hard time asking for my money back if it wasn't their fault that you couldn't dive.

Ty

 

[metridium]

Be happy with the fill credit. You bought the time, you used the time, and that's it.

 

[dkerr]

Thanks for the replies. I was not sure how to react towards this. I know that we paid for that time whether we used it or not, but I was hoping that there would be a little more give on their part. No biggie. I will continue to go there, but maybe choose my dive days a little more carefully!
Thanks
Doug

 

[danceswithoctopus]

Gotta agree with the crowd so far: you had the gear, thereby preventing the LDS from renting it to someone else. Suppose you go to the LVS (Local Video Store) and rent a movie. Then for whatever reason you don't watch the movie. Do you think the LVS should give you credit?

Okay, now for the other side. I've been in this same position: my girlfriend rented some gear, but we aborted the dive due to excessive waves. I talked to the dive shop and got them to credit us back 1/2 the cost of the rental. I do a lot of business at this shop, so I know it was in the interest of goodwill. But part of my argument was that if a diver has a financial investment in a dive, s/he's more likely to feel obligated to dive and therefore more willing to take unnecessary risks (much the same as in the case of a dive charter). Might be a bit weak in the old argument department. But in the interest of safety?

I think the shop was fair to credit you the refill. I also think it would have been nice if they had credited back a portion of the rental (to be used towards another rental at another time). I wouldn't let the fact that they didn't sour me on giving them return business. But you might look around and see if someone else is willing to credit back part of the rental fee in the event the dive is aborted (notice the potential for abuse here: a rentor dives, gets a fill at another LDS, and says the dive was aborted). This is one of those things that needs to be established before money changes hands.

My 2 cents.

 

[MikeS]

I think that you should ask yourself if what you are asking is fair. Let’s look at a similar situation. If you go to Block Buster and rent a DVD but for whatever reason don’t get to watch it, do you ask them for a credit? Even if it were in the middle of the week and the DVD would have sat on the shelf if you hadn’t rented it?

What was the agreement when the rental was made? It sounds to me like the LDS fulfilled his part of the deal. Is it fair to go back now and try to renegotiate the deal? It took the LDS employees time to check out and check in the equipment does he not deserve compensation for this? I think that he is being generous crediting the air fill cost, and while you may be able to pressure him into doing more with the threat of taking your business elsewhere, in my NSHO I think what you are asking is unfair and unreasonable.

Mike

 

[nickjb]

Sounds pretty reasonable to me. As MikeS says, the LDS would still have to sort and check the gear. They have totally fulfilled their part of the agreement. The only thing you could say against them is that they have lost a bit of customer goodwill.

I can't think of any other rental company that would give you money back if you didn't use the item rented.

 

[Liquid]

I agree with the croud here.

Maibe if you went with her to the shop later, and the worker recognized you, you might have got a better settelment. Personaly I don't pay for renting gear, since I go to places I used to work for (and they usualy give me tasks on the way when I'm there) and I can buy gear very cheap. Going where your face is known is an advantage, so better stick with the same place than start with a new one where you'r not known at all.

 

[Paul168341]

The best advice I can come up with is, buy the gear. For yourself and your GF. Its a big expense up front maybe, but you won't be in this position again. After all, if you don't use air from a fill, it stays in the tank until you can use it later.