3 Year Old Cobra from Leisure pro Died, what are my options?

[Ann Marie]

LNJohn,

I am sorry you feel like you are being treated like a criminal. I work at the LDS that you took your computer in to. I am the one that made a call to a friend that works in the Aqualung repair department, on a Sunday at his home number to talk about your computer. Neither of us were being paid for that time. We also spoke on Monday as he was walking me through a couple of other options to try.

I also charged a battery to the LDS so that I could open it and replace the one in your computer (one of the recommendations that was made to me). I was sure that I had replaced the battery cover but perhaps when all was said and done I did not.

When we received your computer back from our repair center it did indeed have the screws missing but after I learned that your computer was indeed dead and gone I choose not to go to the hassle of trying to get them back.

I'm off today but I will call our repair center and request that the screws be returned. I agree with you, they should have been replaced. I can see it from the techs point of view as well, the computer is dead why waste the time? I will also make sure that you have a battery cover. That is my fault. I sorry that I failed to replace the cover, I don’t know why I didn’t see that as the parts for your computer would have been the only items on the work bench. It was in error as I was trying different things to get the computer to reset. I will look for and mail that part to you today.

Again, I'm sorry you feel like a criminal. You purchased a computer from a gray market dealer not the LDS you went to for repair. Yet, I have made several calls on your behalf (some while being paid and some while not), the LDS repair center has spent time on your computer diagnosis the problem (which was at no charge to you), an Aqualung repair tech has also spent time (paid and not) to help me out in trying to determine if your computer really was dead, and I charged the cost of a new battery to the LDS to further try and fix the problem (I'm not selling that battery to another customer now that it has been opened).

Would I go to this trouble again? You bet. I think that what you received was good customer service (except for the screws and battery cover but I will rectify that today AND I'm still surprised about the battery cover...failure of brain cells on my part ) for an item that was never purchased from us and that we lost money in trying to repair for you.

What has LP done for you?

One of the computers I own happens to be a Cobra and I love it! It is a great computer. One of the reasons Aqualung will not warranty grey-market is because they can not guarantee where the computer has been or what has been done to it prior to you receiving it. Basically you are buying a used computer from an unknown source. How do you know if someone along the line hasn't swapped out a part or two and replaced it with a part that was faulty? (Probably unlikely but who really knows?) But really, can you blame them for not wanting to cover it?

The motor on my husband’s hard-top convertible car is going out, not the engine but a motor to raise and lower the top. The car is only 3 years old. That part is not under warranty any longer. Does that mean his Mercedes is junk? No, it just means we were one of the unlucky ones who’s part failed before others do. Drat. We bought this car from an authorized dealer and we are the original owners.

I feel your pain on the whole computer thing but I don’t think you are being treated like a criminal. I feel that you are being treated like a valued customer.

 

[lnjohn]

If I had a better warranty from the LDS I would agree with your comments. However, the warranty is exactly the same. What I don't understand is that I can buy the same product from the same manufacturer for totally different prices. I thought this was the new world global economy. Maybe Suunto shouldn't sell their products to leisure pro et al if they want to prevent this. The more accurate statement is that they want to sell product to stay in business, but fail to stand behind their product when it fails. Are you trying to tell me that my computer from leisure pro is any different than the one that is at the LDS? I don't have the privelege of being able to buy through a connection, so I like many consumers shop based on price. I understand the concept of keeping the local shops in business, but not at nearly double the price. I actually believe in competition and am opposed to price fixing, which is not aligned with many dive manufacturers. I find it interesting that the dive industry continues to not sell product to many local shops if they sell at anything other than the manufacturers suggested price. I couldn't find my BC anywhere locally, so bought it off the internet. My local LDS wouldn't carry it because they didn't like the manufacturer telling them what price it had to be sold for. Perhaps, I really don't understand how Leisure Pro buys and sells their products and someone can enlighten me. How hard would it be for Suunto to send Leisure Pro a cease and desist order if they don't want them selling their computers? I have indicated that LDS said I would be in same boat had I paid full retail price and bought through an authorized dealer. I went to the website and it clearly indicates that the Cobra has a 2 year warranty, leisure pro was a 2 year warranty which they upheld. Where did I lose, unless their is some unwritten rule that the warranty is actually longer if you pay more and go through an authorized dealer.

 

[lnjohn]

Ann Marie I really do appreciate all of your help and don't hold you or Sport Chalet responsible. My issue is with Suunto/Aqualung. I have bought all my tanks, 5 from sport chalet and continue to buy all my sons sports gear there. Sorry if I have offended you with this post. Thanks for clarifying and don't worry about the screws and battery cover. Quite simply what I really want to know is why can I buy a computer from Leisure Pro if Suunto doesn't authorize it?

 

[Scared Silly]

Perhaps, I really don't understand how Leisure Pro buys and sells their products and someone can enlighten me. How hard would it be for Suunto to send Leisure Pro a cease and desist order if they don't want them selling their computers?

In a nutshell this is the problem.
From Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_market

Perhaps reading this will help:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_market#Warranties_and_grey-market_goods

Hopefully that will edify the problem.

As was posted - buying gray market is like buying used. You do not know where the product came from. Yes, it did originate from the manufacture (if it did not then we are talking black market - another story) but after that who knows. Maybe they bought a bunch of computers from a shop going out of business, may be from a distributer in Hong Kong, perhaps they came from Nigeria. I can say this for sure - LP does not get their products through AquaLung USA.

If LP were to advertise their products as being from an authorized dealer AquaLung could do something about the authorized dealer part but absolutely nothing about selling of the product unless it could be shown that they were stolen.

The only response that AquaLung can do is educate people on the consquences of buying gray market goods. Forums such as this are great because they also help educate people.

PS Kodos for Sport Chalet for helping out. Many shops might just say sorry because this is a gray market there is nothing I can do.

 

[Don Wray]

Still InJohn has a point, he paid $300 less than Sport Chalet....he could have bought from Sport Chalet but the warranty would still be expired and he's out $699 vs. $399...

 

[TheRedHead]

Still InJohn has a point, he paid $300 less than Sport Chalet....he could have bought from Sport Chalet but the warranty would still be expired and he's out $699 vs. $399...

But Aqualung would fix it if purchased through an LDS so he wouldn't be out the cost of the computer. I have no idea what the charge would be, but he wouldn't be in the position he is now in.

 

[Charlie99]

I have indicated that LDS said I would be in same boat had I paid full retail price and bought through an authorized dealer. I went to the website and it clearly indicates that the Cobra has a 2 year warranty, leisure pro was a 2 year warranty which they upheld. Where did I lose, unless their is some unwritten rule that the warranty is actually longer if you pay more and go through an authorized dealer.

You didn't lose. The only one that has lost is Sports Chalet. They didn't get the profit on the orginal sale, but because Anne Marie has a soft heart and/or Sports Chalet is trying to win you as a customer they have gone to quite a bit of work on your computer.

Don't get me wrong --- I buy from Leisure Pro. As you noted, the warranty is equivalent and you paid $400 rather than $700.

It's just that I don't expect the local shop to put out any effort on my behalf with the manufacturers on those products. Kind of like how I won't go try on wetsuits in one shop and then order them online.

 

[lowwall]

Injohn,

Are you saying that Suunto refuses to even give you a quote to fix the thing? It's more than understandable that they wouldn't fix it under warranty (after all, you don't actually have a warranty from them), but to simply refuse to work on it at your cost is unconscionable.

 

[ZzzKing]

...so I elected not to repair it and instead bought a new Suunto from the LDS who will swap it out if it fails.

Did you get that in writing? And for what duration? It may be worth the drive and additional cost for a "lifetime" computer.

 

[TheRedHead]

Did you get that in writing? And for what duration? It may be worth the drive and additional cost for a "lifetime" computer.

Yes I did from the LDS and it is for the lifetime of the product (when the manufacturer stops making it). Since they are large and have been in business here since 1961, I trust them to honor it too. I'm a good customer and they have no reason not to make me happy with my purchase. That was for the Cobra model. They don't stock the D9 or the Vytek and I can't say if they make that guarantee for all models.

A lot of people don't like Aqualung products because they don't service equipment not purchased through an authorized dealer and I can understand that. OTOH, they need to understand that if they buy a gray market Aqualung product, they need to accept that they may not get any service for it.