am i being hosed?

[jnallen]

i've been pricing bcds online and at shops around town. of course i've found the best deals online (same exact equip, mind you)... about two-fiddy less. the only re-tort my lds manager could give is that the manuf. will only validate the lifetime warranty if i buy it from an authorized dealer.

ok. but, the difference between online vs. lds is half the price of new gear anyway.

do i take a stake in the fact that tech gear is built to last and go with my gut - purchase online? or play it safe with a warranty that will most likely not benefit me, becuase by the time i call 'em on it it's going to be time for me to get new gear anyway?

has anyone had a similar battle of financial practicality vs. idealogical warranties?

 

[jonnythan]

Buy from ScubaToys... kind of a long drive for you, but you can buy all your stuff online and still have all the warranties.. plus you get a 10% discount for being a SB member.. plus they pricematch LeisurePro.

 

[oversea]

You will propably get flamed for this post at some point. My opinion is that it is not our responsibility to pay his mortgage and what not. If he wants my business, then earn it. Make me feel as if I got my moneys worth whether it be in the form of discount, extras, training, airfills....you get the idea. Did you suck up alot of his time trying this stuff on? Buying online is fine but make sure the LDS is not getting drilled for info before your do so. Sometimes the extra cost is paying for the time spent making sure your gear is correct, others is just greed.

 

[Lil' Irish Temper]

Guess which one in the picture you are?

I gotta go with Jonnythan, Larry from ScubaToys has always treated me good and I live 1200 miles away.

 

[shark.byte.usa]

Yes, I did. After my initial OW class and having to hear a 30 minute speach on the Horrors of the Internet and how I wouldn't get a warranty on my gear. I did some digging and well they were half right, some manufacturers do some don't. I choose to give my business to the one's that don't pigeonhole me. Another contributing factor is, I have never used a manufacturers warranty in my life, but I would like it on my high $ purchases, expendable items I could care less. As for LDS vs Online, I really wouldn't mind buying from my LDS, especially since I'm an instant gratification type person, if I spend the money I want the item in my hot little hand NOW. But for the price difference it's ridiculous, every quote I get from my LDS is probably 30% more than I can find it online, with warranty in most cases.

When I was buying a BC, Larry at Scubatoys, made me an offer I couldn't refuse and I got the full manufacturers warranty (Zeagle), and I had the BC a couple days later, and saved myself about $200 vs my LDS. With the savings I turned around and went to another LDS, who was having a 1 day sale and bought a wetsuit, gear/travel bag and dive knife.

Point is you can have the best of both worlds financial practicallity and man. warranties.

 

[Henryville]

As for LDS vs Online, I really wouldn't mind buying from my LDS, especially since I'm an instant gratification type person, if I spend the money I want the item in my hot little hand NOW. But for the price difference it's ridiculous, every quote I get from my LDS is probably 30% more than I can find it online, with warranty in most cases.

Here is where the LDS mark-ups really gall me. I was recently looking for something very basic - ScubaPro jet fins, size XL - for my daughter. I was willing to pay up and get them from one of the LDS in the area that carry the brand. Thing was, not one of them was carrying stock! This happens to me more often than not - "we can order it for you and have it in next Thursday." Well guess what, I can order it too and my phone call is going to cost me less than 25% of the purchase price!

So my option, buy from LP (oohh, I guess I better worry about the warranty on those jet fins) at more than 25% less, or have the LDS order them, wait around the same amount of time, and then have to go pick them up plus pay sales tax versus having them delivered to my door with no tax.

I will pay for service, including advice, convenience, carrying stock, any number of factors, but when the LDS doesn't even carry the item in inventory, I feel like I am getting ripped off paying their mark-up. There has got to be a better business model than the one most LDS work under.

 

[ClevelandDiver]

Have you tried any other LDS? I have one that is my primary shop that I always give the first chance at my business (after researching price on the internet of course). They usually come close in price and the additional info and support they provide is worth a few extra bucks. When they can't come thru for me I buy at another shop or over the internet. Giving them first chance at my business has helped build a strong relationship with the shop and helps to keep it around. That said, they have missed out on some big purchases because they were unwilling or unable to work with me on an item, but at least I gave them the oppurtunity.

 

[maggs_the]

the warranty I got from my Local Dive Shop on my BC and computer include any parts that are needed during the yearly servicing, and i DO recommend the yearly service.

i believe that since i purchased my BC and computer from my LDS, they were willing to meet several prices that i brought them from online when i was adding to my U/W camera accessories, and to do that, they came down a LOT from the price that was on the box they had in stock!

i bought lights, knives, gloves, safety sausages, etc., from online (scubatoys is great but for these things, even eBay worked fine) but like someone else says in an earlier post, if i have to ask my LDS for their input, then i'll likely buy from them if possible so they can continue to support the product after the purchase.

 

[Stormbringer]

I could not agree more!!!!

You will propably get flamed for this post at some point. My opinion is that it is not our responsibility to pay his mortgage and what not. If he wants my business, then earn it. Make me feel as if I got my moneys worth whether it be in the form of discount, extras, training, airfills....you get the idea. Did you suck up alot of his time trying this stuff on? Buying online is fine but make sure the LDS is not getting drilled for info before your do so. Sometimes the extra cost is paying for the time spent making sure your gear is correct, others is just greed.

 

[scubaaaronh]

I gotta say buy from either scubatoys, or dive tank.