Unauthorized Sellers of Scubapro, Apeks and NO WARRANTY for you baby!

[Cherry]

outfits like LP purchase regs in places like germany and resell them on the internet. the warranty isnt valid with Apeks (It freakin should be but this market is better controlled than Capone controlled booze in the 20's) The savings it appears are significant and by my figurin' are really a wash in the long run but much cheaper in the short run. a kit for a atx 200 aint much and neither is the labor. Buy where u like if you can support your local LDS ( if you have one) if not dont be afraid to buy from an outfit like LP they have been good to me the times I have bought from them.

 

[erichK]

Cherry once bubbled...
outfits like LP purchase regs in places like germany and resell them on the internet. the warranty isnt valid with Apeks (It freakin should be but this market is better controlled than Capone controlled booze in the 20's).

While I can see that the ScubaPro-type free parts replacement warranty may not apply in cases of reg's bought in other coutries, I cannot fathom any manufacturer could avoid being liable under basic warrantees of fitness for designed function. If such a piece if life-critical equipment fails due to an avodable manufacturing defect, then surely this is the fault of the manufacturer, no matter where or how it was (legally) acquired.

For the same reason, the supposition some have raised that such pieces of equipment sold from MO or foreign sources are somehow "seconds" (lower quality because of some defect detected by the maker) seems unlikely. Except for purely cosmetic faults, this would be a very stupid thing for anyone but extremely unscupulous--and highly mobile---fly-by-night operations to do.

The potential for lawsuits and even criminal charges is is too high.

 

[danw2002]

and the other thing is, with equipment of this type, just about all that does not pass QC will not even leave the factory and be almost immediately distroyed because of the potential liability issues involved. i have yet to see these 2nd's and sub quality pieces that all the MO or internets shops sell us....prove me wrong with facts, not I heard from xxxx who heard from yyyyy that....fun tread....:bonk:

 

[JeffAustin]

Manufacturers in many different areas will impose sales restrictions to protect their dealers. What dealer wants to stock up on merchandise only to find out someone is selling it really cheap. I've seen this in photography, skiing, backpacking, cycling, etc... I remember when ScubaPro was really limited in dealer representation and insisted dealers all sold things at the same price. The key is to find a good LDS that sells enough equipment to be competitive, and remember, you can't get your tanks filled online.

 

[Genesis]

let's do the math here.

A Bauer Oceanus-class compressor (~4.3 cfm FAD) needs to fill about 600 tanks to pay for itself, assuming you (1) buy it new, (2) its worth zero at the end, and (3) you are pumping Nitrox and the O2 in the tank costs about a buck a fill (its really about half that)

Now 600 tanks sounds like a lot. But figure it between you and three friends. That's 125 dives each.

At that point its "free".

Now this ignores maintenance, oil and filter stacks. But it also ignores that the compressor is not worth zero when you've filled those 600 tanks - quite to the contrary - its still got a LOT of value left in it. Assuming those roughly wash, for the diver who puts 50 or more in his logbook, and can find three friends who do the same, giving the finger to the LDS is definitely a realistic option solely on the economics.

 

[Ari]

Just like in with everything else with stuff you buy:

Warranty: covers failures in the products that are caused due to material and workmenship. Usually covers both parts and labor, limited in time, etc. You can have a manufacturer's warranty, in case you are buying through an authorized dealer or the dealer's own warranty. A lot of manufacturer's insure their equipment, so the actual warranty expense is not coming out of their pockets. A dealer can do the same. Both can, naturally include warranty allocation, nurmally at a couple of percent, in the sales price.

Service: something the customer should perform, at his own expense. Sometimes, you must have to have the service done at an authorized dealer in order to maintain Warranty.

Anyway, I object to the notion that everything that is being sold by www dealers is either second hand or stuff that did not pass the manufacturers QA system. This is nonsense. There are many ways to get original Bona-Fide equipment in the market, without the need buy unauthorized crap.

You need to make sure that you are getting warranty (and LP's equipment is coming with their own warranty) and that you service your equipmet. Gatting the dealer warranty is not such a bad deal if you are saving big $$ on the initial purchase.

Ari

 

[erichK]

The LDS and especially its owner have been very helpful, from time to time,
but I'm becoming increasingly reluctant to buy from them.

A recent call I had with the LDS owner demonstrates one reason why I am reluctant to buy big-ticket items from him: evidence that his mark-ups are huge, and his pricing is arbitrary. I somewhat reluctantly informed himthat I had bought a new Suunto Cobra, with compass and quick disconnect from another shop, on closeout, for $450 US (about $700 Canadian) He then told me to hold on, while he checked his listings, and then informed me that he could have "made a few cents on that". Two weeks before, a buddy who was looking at the same computer had told me that the same person had given him a bargain offer of the Cobra with just the compass for $839 Canadian.

(This was why, after guessing that a quick disconnect would add anothe $70 - $100 Canadian, I decided to go for the closeout offer in the first place! )

In other words, my poor buddy would have been told that he was "getting a deal" when he paid over $200 Canadian more for what he would have been getting, than I would have.

For the record, most of us would prefer somewhat more consistent pricing, even if it occasionally cost us a few dollars more, rather than getting a cutthroat deal one day on one item, only to be suckered by a huge mark-up on another item on another day.

Another reason I am less inclined to buy from the LDS is the limited selection. My daughter and I both bought SP graphite jetfins there because he offered them at a big discount from "suggested list", and because he touted the advantages of split fins. We both found them to be floppier a more flexible than we liked, but did prefer them to the stiff, non-splits he let us copare them with. After researching the matter further, I now realize that a pair of the stiffer black jetfins, or the twinjet, or perhaps the apollo, atomic or tusa splits would likely have been ideal alternatives. But none of these were available to try, or even mentioned as alternatives. The same is even more tru of the many different kinds of wetsuits and skins.

So, while we apreciate the LDS help and support, I am reluctant to buy any item I do not thoroiughly know and know the actual fair value of.





So while I really do appreciate his help and support, I find it ve

 

[JDostal]

Very true erichk...one of the guys I dive with picked up a smartcom from our lds for something like $500US. I paid 700 for mine....he made money on both deals, he just made more on me than my friend. Granted, my friend buys a LOT more than I do, but still. Now that I've bought more from them, I get better deals, but I still chose to buy my UK Light Cannon online. I called up my LDS and they quoted me $200 before sales tax. Well, I got one online for $137, and that included insured shipping to my front door. Not a tough decision!!!! I love supporting my LDS, but on the other hand I'm not a stupid consumer. I value my money waaaaay too much.

 

[erichK]

Omicron once bubbled...
...one of the guys I dive with picked up a smartcom from our lds for something like $500US. I paid 700 for mine....he made money on both deals, he just made more on me than my friend. Granted, my friend buys a LOT more than I do, but still. ....

Exactly! It's not that I want to be unfair to my local LDS, it's simply that I never seem to be able to get a straight price on anything. Latter, I sometimes even find out that he gave us a real bargain, and sometimes really gouged us (mostly on small items).

Car buyers became sick of this kind of bs (excuse the term- but it surely fits!) which is why they have, or at least pretend to have clear listings of dealer cost, no haggle prices, etc.

Believe it or not, if he actually told me what his cost, his overhead his necessary markup is, in order to makje a reasonable profit, I'd probably gladly pay it and buy from him.