I bought my fins, mask, boots, snorkel...all at my lds, before getting certified. After getting certified and checking around more places, I realized how badly they are screwing people over(pricewise I mean, otherwise they're nice and have good service). LP had more stuff in their package for 1/3 of the price. When I went to get my BC, regs, etc...I got it from LP. Everything came in it's original package, and with the warranty cards and everything. They even threw in some extra stuff! I was really impressed! And as some people stated, LP's guarantee is just as good as any mfg's... Second, why wouldn't a local shop service the gear if I'm paying for them to service it? Also, why wouldn't a manufacturer support a warranty if it is indeed there product(ie...serials match and all)?? Does manufacturer X make two types of gear, one good, one substandard, and then sell the good gear to "lds's"?? If they made the gear, it should be up to the same standard as any other piece of their gear, and therefore they shouldn't have any problem supporting a warranty! Worst case, even if my equipment completely broke down and nobody would fix it , I could replace it in it's entirety 2 or 3 times over before having spent as much as I did at my LDS. I realize not all LDS's are as expensive as others, but when you live in a town in the midwest where there is only one or two dive shops, there isn't a whole lot of competition to keep them from ripping people off.
Thanks!
Ben