Dive industry BS

[ScoobyDave]

Scywin, I agree completely with you. However, when the price differential is an additional 50% on a set of regs, for example, is when I have to go somewhere else to buy.

I chose not to skimp on my life support equipment, so the differential is considerable. I'm proud of my gear, but not at manufacturer-dictated-to-the-LDS retail price.

 

[Snowbear]

.... There are 2 LDS's w/in an hour of me and I work in the city where they are, so it's convenient. One of them is owned and staffed by a bunch of egomaniac jerks. I won't buy from them if they are the only shop on the planet that sells what I want!! The other one I've spent over $10K in gear, gas, training, service and boat rides. I've received brainfulls of advice and recommendations from them. They know I've purchased some items on line and are generally not thrilled, but since the items/brands are not what they sell, they live with it and are still friendly and helpful when I come in. I recently bought a second Apeks 1st stage. It had to be ordered since they didn't have that one in stock. I also bought a long hose to go with it, but held off on getting another 2nd stage. I was given a discount which brought the price within $25 of what I would have paid online with shipping and it arrived in 2 days. The owner assembled my primary 1st stage to the long hose and the new 1st stage and swapped out the hose on my octo (ATX40) so I can use it for my secondary until I can afford another ATX50. All this was at no charge. I also have the piece of mind that if I EVER have a problem with any of the gear I've bought, it will get taken care of. Now THAT is worth a few extra $$.

Believe it or not, this same shop uses Apeks regs, quality BC's (sorry - forget the brand) and steel tanks for rentals because they want people to have confidence in their stuff and they found out that using the quality gear for rentals gets people to buy the quality gear when they're ready!They've also told me it gives them credibility in their advice when they do (or have already done) online research before they make the decision to buy. Hey - worked for me...

 

[Ron Brandt]

Rick Murchison once bubbled...
My experience with Dive-Rite has been nothing at all like what Ron and Genesis have described.
I've been dealing with Dive-Rite as a customer (through my local Dive Shop) for about six years now. I have a Transpac, manifold, bands, lift bag, hood, odd & ends and am lusting after a 905 drysuit. They have been responsive and quick to solve any little nit of a problem I've had. When I was contemplating a Transpac and the shop didn't have any in stock, they shipped one up for me to try out before buying.
I am quite happy with Dive-Rite and will continue to use them for any tech gear that I need and they carry.
Rick

Great !

Now,start (or try to) start a dive shop and see how the picture changes.Just try to get the"privilage"of stocking their products.
Or having to place a $10,000 opening order when you only require a few items

Ron

 

[PhotoTJ]

You're not going to convience me that the LDS is 'in cahoots', as it were, with the manufacturers. And you would never get all the LDS' to band together and force the manufacturers hands. Why? Because all it would take would be one or two not joining the line. 95% of LDS' are SMALL businesses, with razor thin margins as it is, because of the manufactures, how long would they be able to last in a stand-off?

Plus, we have a chain in California, Sport Chalet, they have 32 stores, so you can imagine the volume that they do. They are still held to the same standards that the 'mom & pop' store are held to. They tried to force Oceanic to give them a better deal, and Oceanic said no. Even with the effective power of 32 LDS', Oceanic walked. (I was working at Sport Chalet at the time.)

Now, does anyone really think that there will arise a situation where every LDS will team up against the manufacturers? They will slowly get picked off, one by one, and only the chains will be left. (If that, most major sporting goods chains #1 profit margins are shoes and clothes. They don't need to carry dive gear.)

Guess we had better hope they keep offering air fills as a loss leader!

 

[HammerNoMore]

Ron Brandt once bubbled...


Great !

Now,start (or try to) start a dive shop and see how the picture changes.Just try to get the"privilage"of stocking their products.
Or having to place a $10,000 opening order when you only require a few items

Ron

I understand you have trouble with your Canadian rep, but that can't be a standard problem for Dive Rite. Here in STL we have 7 dive shops. 4 of them carry Dive Rite. I just don't see that many putting up with the stuff you described before.

James

 

[MikeFerrara]

Ron Brandt once bubbled...


Great !

Now,start (or try to) start a dive shop and see how the picture changes.Just try to get the"privilage"of stocking their products.
Or having to place a $10,000 opening order when you only require a few items

Ron

Actually my opening order with Diverite (just a few months ago) was only $1500. For the last couple years we have had a few people want something from them and the rep agreed to sell me what we needed.

Compare that to scuba pro who wanted $18,000 for an opening order and aqualung who wanted $13,000.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Ron Brandt once bubbled...


Great !

Now,start (or try to) start a dive shop and see how the picture changes.Just try to get the"privilage"of stocking their products.
Or having to place a $10,000 opening order when you only require a few items

Ron

I owned my own retail business for a decade. Sold it, too. Nothing y'all are whinin' about is unique to the dive industry - stocking levels, exclusive territories, pricing agreements etc etc etc are the remnants of a business structure whose time has passed. The entire house of cards is caving in under the pressure of the internet, real-time delivery, drop-ships &c.
The days of the LDS as we know it are numbered.
Rick

 

[Ron Brandt]

Rick Murchison once bubbled...
[

I owned my own retail business for a decade. Sold it, too. Nothing y'all are whinin' about is unique to the dive industry - stocking levels, exclusive territories, pricing agreements etc etc etc are the remnants of a business structure whose time has passed. The entire house of cards is caving in under the pressure of the internet, real-time delivery, drop-ships &c.

Rick , I could not agree more!

As for Dive Rite.......Mike, I guess the rules are different for everybody.
Did they make you pay $25 for a "dealer Kit"? Did they lose your credit card info on a missplaced fax?

As an upfront business(that's one that's registered with the state or province and country,pays tax ,etc),even extreamly small ones running on a shoestring and limited hours of operation
should be given the oportunity to buy and sell one or two items.

Personally,if I were district rep,would have no problem with this.
Ron

 

[Lead_carrier]

MikeFerrara once bubbled...


Actually my opening order with Diverite (just a few months ago) was only $1500. For the last couple years we have had a few people want something from them and the rep agreed to sell me what we needed.

Compare that to scuba pro who wanted $18,000 for an opening order and aqualung who wanted $13,000.

The kicker with ScubaPro is that once you make that order you are expected to increase it every year. If you miss a year or so the rep will finally show up and tell you that you will be required to purchase $$$$ or your franchise will be pulled. It doesn't matter to him since he will open another shop just up the road and meet HIS numbers.

Mike our shop may soon be following yours and unfortunately that isn't another shop within 100 miles that I trust. I guess I'll be doing a lot of driving to find a new hangout joint.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Lead_carrier once bubbled...


The kicker with ScubaPro is that once you make that order you are expected to increase it every year. If you miss a year or so the rep will finally show up and tell you that you will be required to purchase $$$$ or your franchise will be pulled. It doesn't matter to him since he will open another shop just up the road and meet HIS numbers.

Mike our shop may soon be following yours and unfortunately that isn't another shop within 100 miles that I trust. I guess I'll be doing a lot of driving to find a new hangout joint.

Yes, and them boy do you ever have to pump throught the OW students to sell all that junk!

And then if you don't make the numbers they'll be glad to send their non-diving idiot non-teaching sales rep in to conel you on how to teach in a way that sells more equipment to students.