The Aqualung Discussion [ Moved ]

[homo maris]

Many modern (read not French) manufacturers have realized that:
1. The Internet is there to stay
2. It can be useful - yeah some actually talk with us, the "end-user"
3. To control marketing they only need to control retail channels, not retail prices

Some manufacturers (read French) have decided to scare the American public with illogical statements like:

If you purchase our products by mail, telephone order, or electronically, you are purchasing from a non-authorized dealer and your products will not be covered by our warranties. We have not authorized any exceptions to the "in-store" sales policy.

So they say that mail order, telephone and the Internet irreversibly spoils their products. Uh, don't the dealers call their order in by phone or Internet and get it by mail order or do they all walk to Vista, CA to refill their inventory?

When you buy our life support products from your authorized dealer you are buying from trained professionals who can instruct you on the proper and safe use of your equipment.

Conclusion, everyone not Authorized is a dangerous idiot. You will die! mmm... how many death are directly caused by a sale from an unauthorized dealers? mmm? What? none? mmm ...

Please note that non-factory authorized service or repair facilities:
• Do not have access to authorized parts
• Do not have access to the latest technical bulletins
• Are not trained by us on proper service procedures for our life support equipment.

Geez, the liitle Frenchman who translated that must have a glass of wine to many at lunch. Simpler to say that folks who are not Authorized are ... oh hum ... not Authorized. Brilliant!!!

Let's help this obviously challenged French company translate their voided warranty statments better. Let's look at what the French site says about warranties and mail order, phone sale or the Internet. .............. looking ....... Sacrebleue, riens! Nothing, Zero, Nada, Zilch, Bupkus, Naught, Goose Egg, Nix, Zip, Zippo!

Indeed the voiding of warranties by mail order, phone and the Internet is ... an American invention or the folly of the little Napoleon running their US operation ...

Seriously, why are the US site and the Italian site (Technisub) the only ones with the warranty disclaimer nonsense? I looked at the Canadian website, the French website, the German website, the Japanase website, the Spanish website and the British website and none have the restrictive price-fixing policy that the US website has ... are we really in a free country?

Alas, it appears that only in the USA do warranties become pumpkins when they touch the Internet.

JL

This statement is free speech protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Use of small portions of copyrighted material are considered Fair Use undrer the Copyright Law

 

[Brandon]

Stupid Pumpkins...

Couldn't agree more!

Kinda funny they won't give us the same deal that the rest of the free world is getting...

Want to piss yourself off more? Look at the authorized dealer listings on Aqualung / Scubapro's Non-US websites... notice something? Nearly every dealer listed has a website! Notice something else? YOU CAN ORDER OFF THEIR WEBSITES!

(banging head against keyboard in frustration)

-Brandon.

 

[meekal]

poor ol' jaques "C" is surely rolling in his grave.....

 

[jpsexton]

Is it like this with all the other brands as well?

No, look at Oceanic/Aeris. They have established policies that allow authorized dealers to sell on the intenet and/or be competative with the rest of the world. They have also curbed the supply going to grey market. There are others but this is my favorite. Look at some of the online dealers like Scubatoys, Scuba.com, Divers Direct, Divers Supply, etc.. and you see who they are.

I'm getting that "used car salesman alert" feeling now.

It's funny you made that analogy. I thought the same thing when I started researching to buy my gear. What a black eye this environment is to an otherwise wonderfull sport!

 

[jwdiverdude]

Couldn't agree more!

Kinda funny they won't give us the same deal that the rest of the free world is getting...

Want to piss yourself off more? Look at the authorized dealer listings on Aqualung / Scubapro's Non-US websites... notice something? Nearly every dealer listed has a website! Notice something else? YOU CAN ORDER OFF THEIR WEBSITES!

(banging head against keyboard in frustration)

-Brandon.

All the more reason for dealers to help themselves. AL, and others, don't care about how sucessful your business is, they are concerned with how successful you are at selling their product, by their rules.
If the supplier isn't gonna help them then why help the suppliers.
Analyze what impact a shift in equipment vendors will have on your business and then make an educated decision to keep the line and continue to eat the crap sandwich they serve, or cut bait and run.

 

[M&P+4]

What business do they have telling a dealer what price to sell his inventroy for. QUOTE]

I am aware of other manufacturers that do this. I always assumed that it was to protect the small guy who wouldn't be able to compete with larger businesses that operate on a much smaller profit margins...maybe the original intent was OK but without enforcement of the grey market it is hurting the little guy.

I don't like AL's behavior, but most of my LDS's line is AL and I will continue to support his business as much as he supports my diving habit. I hope that things work out for the better for everyone.

 

[jwdiverdude]

What business do they have telling a dealer what price to sell his inventroy for. QUOTE]

I am aware of other manufacturers that do this. I always assumed that it was to protect the small guy who wouldn't be able to compete with larger businesses that operate on a much smaller profit margins...maybe the original intent was OK but without enforcement of the grey market it is hurting the little guy.

I don't like AL's behavior, but most of my LDS's line is AL and I will continue to support his business as much as he supports my diving habit. I hope that things work out for the better for everyone.

Aren't Most LDSs little guys? By little guys you mean one shop not a chain like sports chalet and the like?
If I owned a shop and my overhead commitments allowed me to offer better prices on the equipment I sell then another shop. That should be my perrogitive. and not even that If my over head commitments allowed me to be at or below gray market competitors then I should be allowed to go there.
And my supplier, who is supposed to be supporting their Authorized Dealer should understand and support my efforts. not penalize me or restrict my ability to compete with unauthorized sources.

 

[M&P+4]

Aren't Most LDSs little guys? By little guys you mean one shop not a chain like sports chalet and the like?
If I owned a shop and my overhead commitments allowed me to offer better prices on the equipment I sell then another shop. That should be my perrogitive. and not even that If my over head commitments allowed me to be at or below gray market competitors then I should be allowed to go there.
And my supplier, who is supposed to be supporting their Authorized Dealer should understand and support my efforts. not penalize me or restrict my ability to compete with unauthorized sources.

I can't disagree with you at all - that's how capitalism should work. I just usually err towards giving people the benifit of having good intentions (at the risk of being naive). My hope is that the intention is to protect all their dealers - not just the big ones or the little ones, but all of them. It is too bad that they haven't clamped down on the grey market better than they have....

 

[jwdiverdude]

I can't disagree with you at all - that's how capitalism should work. I just usually err towards giving people the benifit of having good intentions (at the risk of being naive). My hope is that the intention is to protect all their dealers - not just the big ones or the little ones, but all of them. It is too bad that they haven't clamped down on the grey market better than they have....

Yes but more important that how it should be working is that how it is working, looks like, smells like and walk like price fixing.

 

[tracker]

They have no law suit. They can't take away his freedom of speech and they can't sue for slander if he told the truth, right? Hey Aire Liquide, actions like yours lose you a lot of business. Should have just let it go. Maybe Air Liquide didn't see the part about how many members are on this board. I want to say a lot more but I also don't want to get kicked off Scubaboard. Must go research Air Liquide companies so I know what NOT to buy.