Support my LDS? Really?

[Chris Brown Tech]

So everyone says to support my local dive shop. I get it. I do. Local business, local divers, air fills, training, etc etc etc.

But my LDS is run by a complete arse.

Ha ha! Love it!

 

[Rooster In Ohio]

I read the first post but skipped the flame war so please forgive me if I rehash. I literally scrolled up to see if the OP was from the same area as I am - the bad LDS must just be the norm. I have only been into this for a very short couple of years now and I truly dispair for a good shop that is good to its word. Is recreational scuba the only service / discretionary income field where the customer is expected to just accept bad, untimely, overpriced service on rotating terms? This is my fourth or fifth high hard cost hobby in the past decade and I have to say that not one gun shop, motorcycle shop, boat supply, machine shop, exotic car shop, or the like has treated me as poorly as every LDS I have done business with (and I am not nit pciking - I am talking equipment spending days, weeks, or months in for annual repair beyond promised dates, no call back with promised information on items I want to buy from the LDS, increases on prices for services already performed, broken promises with BS reasons, you name it). I am pretty much to the point of wanting to do everything on the internet, buy my own compressor/blender, and just blow all of them off! What gives?

 

[chrpai]

Flame war in the basic scuba discussions area? Say it isn't so.

 

[Crush]

Did your clients also pay $695 for that same trip? If so, it was a screaming deal. But if what you're quoting was what you paid ... and they paid a higher price ... then that's exactly the deception awap is talking about.

I am anxiously awaiting a response to this question...

 

[redacted]

It is also important to know what hotel (for categorization purpose) and whether that price included taxes. I have had some great deals with Hotel Cozumel, including all meals; but that was quite some time ago when flights were still around $200. Not lately. Unfortunately, such LDS trips must be planned so far in advance that they can not take advantage of special discounted airfares that show up in the last weeks or months. In fact, most LDS trips I have seen include a stipulation that airfares may be increases because they can not get airlines to lock in with good prices the 6 months or more out that the shop want to plan on.

I was in a shop last week that was trying to sell me a Bonaire trip (Divi Flamingo) in December for "only" $2300 pp. I explained I was going in 2 weeks for about $1500 pp (Capt Don's). But you are definitely part right - the trip leader was working very hard selling his Bonaire trip.

 

[cbrich]

I was in a shop last week that was trying to sell me a Bonaire trip (Divi Flamingo) in December for "only" $2300 pp. I explained I was going in 2 weeks for about $1500 pp (Capt Don's). But you are definitely part right - the trip leader was working very hard selling his Bonaire trip.

That is a fantastic deal, does that include airfare? What about rental truck? I have notice that Divi Flamingo does not include a rental truck with their packages.

 

[redacted]

That is a fantastic deal, does that include airfare? What about rental truck? I have notice that Divi Flamingo does not include a rental truck with their packages.

Which deal sounded good?

Mine is airfare out of Houston, breakfast at Capt Don's, and drive and dive package - Leaving Saturday. Through Caradonna travel.

I think the shop had some boat dives plus shore dives - I'm not sure on the trucks.

 

[cbrich]

Which deal sounded good?

Mine is airfare out of Houston, breakfast at Capt Don's, and drive and dive package - Leaving Saturday. Through Caradonna travel.

I think the shop had some boat dives plus shore dives - I'm not sure on the trucks.

Through Captain Don's.

 

[pThrift]

so....I'm not sure when my original thread got derailed somewhere 2 or 3 pages back, but this thread is pretty much useless now other than a couple scattered comments in the last 30~ish.

but I'm just the dumb newb & the OP, so what do I know?

 

[redacted]

Through Captain Don's.

My trip was all set up through Caradonna Travel (and it did not cost me a couple hundred extra pp). They did all the work to find what I was looking for. If you are thinking about it, there is one problem. United will stop flying that route in a couple weeks and not start again until Nov/Dec.

---------- Post Merged at 05:16 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 05:14 PM ----------

so....I'm not sure when my original thread got derailed somewhere 2 or 3 pages back, but this thread is pretty much useless now other than a couple scattered comments in the last 30~ish.

but I'm just the dumb newb & the OP, so what do I know?

That's OK. Keep your eyes and ears open and you will learn. It tends to be what happens once the conversation gets going.