Why don't most brands sell service parts?

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Etmutt

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Hey all

Quick question that bother me, I thought I would put it up here. Most of the regulator spare part ( save a few brands) cannot be found for sale. Most of the brand put actually a lot of enforcing to make sure no service kit can be bought.

I always though it was for liability reasons, but on second thought I think the proper waivers should cover them (like the dgx warnings)

Then I thought it could be to maintain business for the resellers, but again it seems a bit weak as rational.

Does anyone knows first hand why most brands are doing this ?
 
Traditionally, it was to lock you into using their network of dealers to service your regs. Part of the business model to force you to send money to the local dive shop. They dress it up under "qualified service technician" and "liability", but it is just a money game.
 
Traditionally, it was to lock you into using their network of dealers to service your regs. Part of the business model to force you to send money to the local dive shop. They dress it up under "qualified service technician" and "liability", but it is just a money game.
Interesting... Is that really worth it? I mean is it a significant money maker for the dive shops?
 
Interesting... Is that really worth it? I mean is it a significant money maker for the dive shops?
LDS near me charges $30 per stage, plus the kits. Based on my own DIY servicing, an experienced technician can probably do a set with 3 stages in under an hour. $90 for less than an hour work. Understanding there is a lot of overhead and equipment related to service, there still seems to be a good margin.
 
Servicing regulators is not a big money maker. But, it draws potential customers back to the retail store where there is the possibility of selling them another product or class or whatever.

If one is diligent and determined enough most brands can be DIY. And regulators do not generally need to be serviced nearly as much as we are told to believe.

James
 
$30 per stage is cheap. Add the margin on the kits and service becomes quite profitable.

Say $110 labor for three stages; Add 3 service kits with margin about $10-$20 each. Now you’re at around $145. Convince the customer to also “service” their BCD and the shop hits the trifecta. It can be very profitable.

With the exception of a few vociferous peeps on SB, 99.9% of divers have their gear serviced at a local store.
 
There are a few things with regulators that could become a liability if the shop/manufacturer allowed parts out. If they let parts out then that almost means “sure go ahead and tinker with your own reg”. One problem I could see would be with something like a Scubapro MK5 (back when it was new), they had a brass turret bolt. If someone over torqued that bolt it could weaken it and it could break off, and if that happened during a deep dive it would be a catastrophic failure. There are some other things about regs where trained technicians with the right tools and schematics should really be the ones working on them. However, that doesn’t mean a lot of techs in the industry know what they are doing and many can be complete idiots. I’ve heard about a lot of supposed trained tech work that was awful. It also doesn’t mean that an ordinary diver couldn’t acquire the skills to do a very fine job servicing their own stuff, as good or better than any scuba shop employee. You don’t need a note from god to do be able to do service work.
But the final reason they don’t want to let parts out is because they want to support and reinforce the “go to the authorized dealer for everything” model. They need healthy dealers to be a healthy company. It’s still remains a very closed and secretive little society.
What I think they should do is offer repair classes at a cost to independent people (not working for a shop) and give them a certificate if completion. This certificate should allow them to purchase parts at any gear retailer.
There actually is a bill in the works that addresses this exact issue but with the computer and high tech industry.
A similar law was past many years ago about auto parts being available to the general public. The dealers wanted to isolate all the service work away from independent shops and the government stepped in and called foul.
We need this for the dive industry too.
 
I always though it was for liability reasons

This is often repeated, but there isn't much evidence to support it.

Then I thought it could be to maintain business for the resellers

^ the real answer.

If one is diligent and determined enough most brands can be DIY.

It still raises the question of why spend so much time and effort to support a brand that doesn't want to support you? Just go with a more reasonable option like us at Deep6. lol

What I think they should do is offer repair classes at a cost to independent people (not working for a shop) and give them a certificate if completion. This certificate should allow them to purchase parts at any gear retailer.

This is pretty much what we have been doing for the past six years.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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