Haven't experienced any problem but my LDS actually has spare computers they will supply us should we need to send ours in for service. I think this would be rather rare, if any, via the internet.
Buying computers at LDS vs. internet
- Thread starter robbanks78
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bmaber
Registered
I think I would suggest for you to buy locally like the others have said, if I lived in the states -- but for people outside of the USA matters are different. I live in Western Canada, and our little city (under 1 million people) has 6+ dive shops. This is in an area that has only a few diveable lakes and a real small dive community. These shops sell at mfg List, and Mfg List in Canada includes excessive padding for exchange that goes into the manufactures pocket. I like my local dive shop, I even dive with the owners of two of them. However my Mares M1 I bought out of a dive shop in NYC cost under $150 delivered with a warrantee. The LDS wanted $600 and that was a sale price was because it was the old model with out RGBM. I show my support in other ways, like booking trips and classes -- but that price difference was just too crazy. We are going to loose some of our local dive shops, not because of my purchases elsewhere but because these guys are kidding themselves that we need that many LDS in this little town.
Some manufactures are now refusing to sell to dealers who resell on the web, I think that is a mistake. The Internet is shrinking the world and people worldwide need a competitive price not just in big city America -- but everywhere.
When I lived in the states I saw Wall Mart shut down the main street of many a little town in North Carolina, and it was unfortunate, but it is what happens. We had a union in Canada try to boycott Wall Mart till they let a union in. The head of the Union was caught by a news crew in a Wall Mart, he sheepishly grinned at the camera and said he could not resist the prices. US productivity in 2004 grew by 11% and almost half of that was attributed to Wall Mart. Controlled economies without market efficiency killed the USSR, and we must drive out inefficiency if we want our high standards of living. Do you recall the days of regulated long Distance and Airfares? Would you really pay a $1 a minute to call 1,000 miles away or pay $1,200 to fly to the coast? Even Wall Mart was pulling people away from local stores with only 20% discount, but 400% + that some dive shops ask is beyond reason, no matter how nice my local dive shop is.
I am a small business owner myself but I know the reality is that I must charge a price inline with the big guys and that I cannot stay in business by overcharging an uninformed consumer, or make a living in an overly crowded market just because I like the lifestyle. Yes local service, warrantee and support is valuable, very very valuable when your life depends on your gear, and I expect to pay more for that, I just say, please forgive me but there is a limit.
Some manufactures are now refusing to sell to dealers who resell on the web, I think that is a mistake. The Internet is shrinking the world and people worldwide need a competitive price not just in big city America -- but everywhere.
When I lived in the states I saw Wall Mart shut down the main street of many a little town in North Carolina, and it was unfortunate, but it is what happens. We had a union in Canada try to boycott Wall Mart till they let a union in. The head of the Union was caught by a news crew in a Wall Mart, he sheepishly grinned at the camera and said he could not resist the prices. US productivity in 2004 grew by 11% and almost half of that was attributed to Wall Mart. Controlled economies without market efficiency killed the USSR, and we must drive out inefficiency if we want our high standards of living. Do you recall the days of regulated long Distance and Airfares? Would you really pay a $1 a minute to call 1,000 miles away or pay $1,200 to fly to the coast? Even Wall Mart was pulling people away from local stores with only 20% discount, but 400% + that some dive shops ask is beyond reason, no matter how nice my local dive shop is.
I am a small business owner myself but I know the reality is that I must charge a price inline with the big guys and that I cannot stay in business by overcharging an uninformed consumer, or make a living in an overly crowded market just because I like the lifestyle. Yes local service, warrantee and support is valuable, very very valuable when your life depends on your gear, and I expect to pay more for that, I just say, please forgive me but there is a limit.
ffde31
Contributor
I recently bought a Suunto Cobra from the internet, I am quite happy with the $$ and I have yet to try out the warranty. They state that they will send me a new unit if my computer should have to go back to the factory. My LDS would teach me how to use the computer (if I bought from them) for $85.00. Not a real god deal in my book. Also, I ended up with a 10 year warranty on my Cobra. Try to get that at your LDS.
Crawl79
Contributor
I have a Suunto Geeko I bought from the LDS, nothing special so far in the line of sales service provided. I needed a computer to go on a boat to the Flower Gardens and they wanted to sell it. Just got a Aeris Atmos 2 from the Scubatoys. I haven't yet had a chance to use it but I'm sure if I have any problems Larry or his team at Scubatoys will be there to help me.
MB104
Contributor
Here it is in a nutshell.....
Support your local dive shop! The advantages of buying a higher priced item from them outweigh paying a few less dollars to some unknown (and you don't always pay more at your LDS).
Enough said.
Support your local dive shop! The advantages of buying a higher priced item from them outweigh paying a few less dollars to some unknown (and you don't always pay more at your LDS).
Enough said.
MB104:
I totally agree on this one.
BigWhiteSquare
Contributor
I bought my computer at my LDS, and I'm glad I did, even though I paid more. When I had a problem with it, they handled it. That, to me, is worth a lot.
That said, I do make them compete with the internet guys on price. When I was shopping for tanks recently, I saved $200 by getting them from Larry at Scubatoys.
I don't buy into this notion that we should all buy from our LDS "just because". It's like any other business that exists in a competitive marketplace. They have to earn our business. My LDS earned mine through a combination of great service and competitive prices. If they fail in this respect, I go elsewhere.
___
That said, I do make them compete with the internet guys on price. When I was shopping for tanks recently, I saved $200 by getting them from Larry at Scubatoys.
I don't buy into this notion that we should all buy from our LDS "just because". It's like any other business that exists in a competitive marketplace. They have to earn our business. My LDS earned mine through a combination of great service and competitive prices. If they fail in this respect, I go elsewhere.
___
Divmstr223
Contributor
I'm 100% in favor of supporting your LDS whenever possible, but sometimes the difference in price on a certain item will push me to buy it online. Case in point:
I bought the GNS2000 Reg from Leisure pro which was $179, my LDS sells this same setup for $400. LP, not an authorized dealer, my LDS is an authorized dealer. Could cost me in the long run for warranty issues, but for what I saved I could just buy another one......
This won't always be the case (the prices aren't always that far apart) and I love to support my LDS's but sometimes I just have to go with the better price.
I bought the GNS2000 Reg from Leisure pro which was $179, my LDS sells this same setup for $400. LP, not an authorized dealer, my LDS is an authorized dealer. Could cost me in the long run for warranty issues, but for what I saved I could just buy another one......
This won't always be the case (the prices aren't always that far apart) and I love to support my LDS's but sometimes I just have to go with the better price.
A question comes to mind. How many of you are writing these posts on computers purchased from an actual bricks and mortar computer store v. over the internet (such as Dell)? All of these same arguments can and have been made for just about any item with the advent of internet sales. Will the LDS survive? Certainly. But the poorly run operations will not. Just like poorly run bookstores no longer exist. The only ones that can compete with Amazon and Buy.com are Borders and B&N. I believe that the same thing is happening with diving equipment.
I personally am planning on purchasing virtually all of my dive equipment online. I already make the vast majority of my purchases online. However, every purchase is thoroughly investigated. I have rarely been burned. Actually, no more so than the number of times I've been burned by purchasing from a "regular" store. Almost all of the dive gear I will be purchasing is warrantied. The gear that isn't is not critical to my diving (i.e. bags for example) and I feel safe given the size of the vendor. This is not an endorsement nor am I calling into question those who purchase only from the LDS. If that works for you, great. I've simply come to realize that I can get either the same gear or gear just as good, that is warrantied and supported, at 20-40% less than the LDS. It's simple economics. That kind of money adds up very quickly. The internet has revolutionized the buying dynamics of our economy, and it shouldn't be suprising that it is occuring with the dive industry as well.
Just my 2 cents. I'm not an expert, so take my opinions as just that.
Oh, and I just purchased an in-warranty Aeris Atmos 2 from ScubaToys.com at an AWESOME price. It's due to arrive Tuesday and I do not expect any problems whatsoever. However, since Larry is a regular on SB, I know where to find him him I need him. After all, as is the case with most of the online stores, he's an LDS also!
I personally am planning on purchasing virtually all of my dive equipment online. I already make the vast majority of my purchases online. However, every purchase is thoroughly investigated. I have rarely been burned. Actually, no more so than the number of times I've been burned by purchasing from a "regular" store. Almost all of the dive gear I will be purchasing is warrantied. The gear that isn't is not critical to my diving (i.e. bags for example) and I feel safe given the size of the vendor. This is not an endorsement nor am I calling into question those who purchase only from the LDS. If that works for you, great. I've simply come to realize that I can get either the same gear or gear just as good, that is warrantied and supported, at 20-40% less than the LDS. It's simple economics. That kind of money adds up very quickly. The internet has revolutionized the buying dynamics of our economy, and it shouldn't be suprising that it is occuring with the dive industry as well.
Just my 2 cents. I'm not an expert, so take my opinions as just that.
Oh, and I just purchased an in-warranty Aeris Atmos 2 from ScubaToys.com at an AWESOME price. It's due to arrive Tuesday and I do not expect any problems whatsoever. However, since Larry is a regular on SB, I know where to find him him I need him. After all, as is the case with most of the online stores, he's an LDS also!
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