QKRTHNU
Guest
http://www.scubadiving.com/gear/mailorderBCs/
Ok, is this article just hogwash or am I missing something?
Why would a product purchased mail-order be any different than one from an LDS?
So What's Wrong With Mail Order?
Ordering products to be received through the mail has long been a valuable part of our economic distribution system. From the days when a farmer would order seeds from a catalog to today's toll-free numbers, fax and internet orders, mail order has served us well, especially for specialty and hard-to-get items. In remote areas, mail order is sometimes the only viable alternative. But when it comes to scuba life-support equipment, mail order is on very shaky ground.
Consider this: Two years ago we tested the five best private-label mail-order regulators. None of the five was recommended for purchase. We pointed out that several name-brand regulators, previously selected as Tester's Choices and Best Buys, were available at dive stores in the same price range as mail-order regs.
Same for the BCs tested here. Even if these six were offered for sale in a professional dive store, they would still be substandard. But in that same dive store, you could find BCs that have made our Tester's Choice and Best Buy lists in the same price range as these mail-order ones.
Ok, is this article just hogwash or am I missing something?
Why would a product purchased mail-order be any different than one from an LDS?