The Aqualung Discussion [ Moved ]

[Debraw]

Perfect. Don't get to excited though! Scubapro has much the same practices as Aqualung. This just happens to be a thread about AL, but if you do a quick search you will see a lot about SP also.

 

[mike_s]

Yeah.,... Actually Debraw is right. ScubaPro does similar price-fixing practices, although they haven't tried to squash dive shops like Aqualung has.

What Aqualung has done here will come back to "haunt" them in the long run. It's already most likely affecting sales as Scubaboard.com is already a very powerfull enity in the scuba business world.

I think in the long run that Aqualung will have to come back with it's tail between it's legs and change it's policies if it wants to stay competive in this market. If they don't they'll wither away.

 

[The Chairman]

as Scubaboard.com is already a very powerfull enity in the scuba business world.

Why thanks! We sure like to think so, though the manufacturers have had a hard time accepting this at times! With some notable exceptions of course!

 

[Dryglove]

Count me in as another customer that wont buy aqualung gear. I took a break from diving well over a year ago and am making a come back. I am looking to start purchasing gear as we speak. Its really ashame as i really looked forward to buying a vytec, apeks regs and SK7 wrist compass among some other aqualung gear. Aqualung makes some great gear but unfortunately for them there are lots of other great gear out there and will spend my money with them. I just cant bring myslef to support these kinds of practices no matter how great the gear. Thanks for the heads up scubaboard.

p.s. Aqualung if you change your practices in the next few weeks let us know so i can buy the gear i really want but tilll then i am looking elsewhere. Ahh disregard i am just going to spend my money with tobin, oceanic and zeagle. Aqualung is out of the "family circle of trust" now

 

[tehkraken]

well put. I think that goes for all of us pretty much, here on SB

 

[mike_s]

Why thanks! We sure like to think so, though the manufacturers have had a hard time accepting this at times! With some notable exceptions of course!

well the "first" Aqualung thread had almost 25,000 reads on it. This one has almost 16,000 reads on it. That's over 40,000 reads on a thread about one manufacturer (Aqualung) being a schoolyard bully on a dive shop owner (Phil at Dive Sports) . 40,000 reads on a subject about one manufacturer shows the "power of Scubaboard".


I don't think that Phil ever intended for this "grass roots effort" to be taken on by board members like it has , but the amount of reads on this thread shows the interest in it.

I'm betting that this thread was discussed daily/weekly in their staff meetings at Aqualung. I'm betting that it is still being discussed. Especially everytime they see a user say "well you know, I was going to buy Aqualung but I changed my mind now". Because everytime that happens and the cash-register rings, it's not for Aqualung but for a competitor. Aqualung has most likely cost themselves $250,000 to $500,000 in lost sales. Maybe more?

I also bet that this thread is dicussed daily/weekly in many other manufacturer staff meetings. They don't want the onslaught of customers and negative comments about them or a 40,000 read thread about them.

What's powerfull about this is the support that Phil has received out of this situation.

Aqualung should be taking notes.........

 

[mdb]

Aqualung should be taking notes.........

I'm sure they are.

 

[RiverRat]

Hey if any manufacturers out there are looking to move into the future I have a domain I'd like to start pushing gear from, www.northernscuba.com

 

[homo maris]

One of the recent business trends is market transparency.
Consumers have increasingly more or the same product information as the dealers. They come to stores with printouts and research and ask for the product they want at a price comparable to what they can get elsewhere. Then they share their experience with others through discussion groups like this one. Online reviews appear within minutes of a product hitting the market or a manufacturer changing their policy or their prices.
For example, Ford reports that 80% of car buyers come to the dealer with specs for the car in hand.
Very quickly, a newly certified diver learns that there are huge price differences on Aqualung products between say Leisurepro and their LDS. They also learn quickly that the ONLY difference is where to return the product under warranty. If the product is bought from an authorized dealer then they can return the product to any authorized dealer. If the product is bought from Leisurepro then they must return it to Leisurepro.

Think about that. The only difference that AL brings the LDS is to see the customer return AL product to their store!!! When you are a small business, having your staff’s time spent handling warranties instead of sales is a recipe for failure.

There is no question that even opaque markets like insurance are changing (see Geico and Progressive ads). It is a matter of time for the dive equipment industry to change or for dinosaur companies like AL to become extinct because they could no adapt.

 

[Storm]

They also learn quickly that the ONLY difference is where to return the product under warranty. If the product is bought from an authorized dealer then they can return the product to any authorized dealer. If the product is bought from Leisurepro then they must return it to Leisurepro.
QUOTE]


Well I'm not going to defend AL for their practice, but you guys are all approaching this from the US point of view, (which is fine as the US is currently the largest marketplace).

As to buy my life support from an online dealer in the US (with me living in Canada) I can only say one thing....ain't never gonna happen. Something goes wrong I have no real recourse ans I do not live in the US have few rights and little protection. the same situatio exists for warranty work. I really want to send 2500.00 CDN worth of gear, ( my wife's and my regs through the mail) to a shop in a foreign counry to get serviced and retuned via mail (where any incidental damage could happen)...not

Hence my support of my LDS (depsite the fact he had to charge me AL's prices).

When you are a small business, having your staff’s time spent handling warranties instead of sales is a recipe for failure.
QUOTE]

Well I've not yet walked into my LDS for service or warranty work and not purchased something. Getting customers into the shop, for any resaon, is a chance to show your wares.

Like I said, I would rather see all parties in this come to a consensus, but I also know that there's not an online shop out there regardless of pricing that will ever get my "life support" (i.e regs, tanks, safety equipment, BC etc) purchases. They might get a finger spool, or goodie bag or some other minor piece of gear sale, but not the big stuff.

By the time you add shipping, duty, exchange, and taxes, the price isn't any better than going to my LDS. And he's a lot closer for servicing and can be held accountable locally.

Just some thoughts from the non US buyer.