Two observations, both my opinions... I have no inside knowledge of LP or their acqusition methodology, but I have to assume from the products that I have purchased and their condition, that they must have access to the Mfgs. Everything I have purchased from them has been brand new, usually verifiably unopened (original tape), and in perfect order. This includes pretty much every piece of gear that I have not ebay'd, traded for, or purchased from friends/co-divers. Everyone I know that has purchased from them received new products (small statistical sample, to be sure...)
There can't be that many dive stores going out of business or flow of unauthorized grey market stuff, and think for a minute about the RIAA legal tactics on MP3 trading. How much detective work would it be to order 20 pieces in single batches and test serial numbers (all my products, to date, have had them intact.) The entire process would take a week, and the mfg could put the hammer to the offending store(s). One or two instances would put the fear of God into the owners, and the process would come to a shocking halt (or at least a screeching grind). It happens all the time in the luxury market, ie. Rolex, Omega, et. al. I am by no means an insider, but to my knowledge, Scubapro nor Atomic nor Apeks/Seaquest has tried it, at least according to friends in the industry. Just seems too easy if they were really serious about stopping unofficial sales.
Something just doesn't add up. Or, I don't know, perhaps it does. Met a corp. exec. at a outing last March, who works for a large home products mfg. Largest customer was Walmart, who described when the evil empire decided to branch into store labels on many of this mfgs products. Walmart spun the screws saying basically, re-skin your products or we will find another mfg. Tough decision for them. I wonder if some of the mfgs need to move additional product enough to dance with their equivalent of Satan? <shrug> It just doesn't add up; and the LDS does get screwed in the bargan. They can't lower their prices to compete, in most cases, anywhere near LP, the European shops, even the ebay shops. And, most don't turn inventory quickly enough to make large profits on quantities. And, ask Toys-R-Us or FAO Schwarz what Walmart, Target and the Internet has done to their high margin business models... Tough situation.
BTW, been to LP once. Strange location in NY but doesn't appear much different than most. Nobody wearing pointy horns or walking on cloven hooves...
I don't think either LP or the LDSs are innocents in the trade, but best evidence points a different direction? Any comments from the mfg side?
jwh
BTW, I work for a large mfg with a lot of similar problems. We spend incredible resources ferreting out counterfeit or modified products...
