Im done supporting my LDS (my money and I are gone)

[scubatoys]

speaking of scubatoys...i've emailed you larry 4-5 times over the past few months with various gear questions, and not once have i received a reply. ended up getting my answers, and spending my money, elsewhere.

I don't know how that happened... Sorry about that. I'm normally pretty good about emails - if I get them. Maybe my spam filter didn't like something in your address or signature.

Any time, just pick up the phone and call our toll free number and ask for me and I'll always try to help! I know it's a bit "old school technology" but it still normally works the best.

Again, my apologies.

 

[nyprrthd]

There's an old axiom that it costs much more to prospect for one new customer, than it does to keep several existing customers. Your LDS didn't lose anything by you keeping the tank an "extra" day, especially since he was closed. Not good business on his part. For the sake of sucking another $10-$15 out of you, he lost was at least one customer. Word-of-mouth is a powerful marketing tool (do a search on this forum for "scubatoys" to see one example), but negative word-of-mouth can be deadly for a business.

BTW, I've had nothing but good service from scubatoys.com. Don't cringe Larry, but I've also had good service from scuba.com. Why don't some of these LDS wise up??

 

[oly5050user]

Here is the history with me and my LDS. I purchased over $1500 dollers of equipment from them in about a years time, I know for some of you thats not alot but for me it is when I could have gotten a better deal over the net. So after purchasing all that gear one day I decide to rent a tank from him. So they are closed on the weekend so he tries to charge me for an extra day becuase he says that I am having it for 2 days. So I told hom that if I try to return it on time and he is closed that is not my problem, he seemed to dissagree so I so ok fine whatever, I rented 2 tanks that day and I payed for twice what I should have payed normaly, I decide im going to support my LDS. So when I return the tanks I dont expect to get me money back (I dont) I did not use one of the tanks because buddy did not have 1 so I ask if he can give me a store credit or something for next time, So I end up paying twice what I should have and giving him back a non used tank at about 3100 PSI. Thanks LDS You no longer have my cash, and I hope you go out of buisness

sorry that you feel the the lds did not satisfy you..sounds like they did not..
not to defend them but when did you pick up the rentals? was it on a friday afternoon?
Friday morning?if it was then rental due back saturday am or 24 based on a 24 hr rental..if they are closed sunday then that should be a no charge day.returning a tank rental full or empty does not matter because you rented it..you rent a video at blockbuster and not use it,or return it late(late fees) you still pay,same as dive gear..it was out of the facility and thats how the store makes its money,use it or not it costs the store the same $. We have a rental/purchase policy here that you can rent an item as many times as you like-3 of the rentals $ can go towards purchase of new item,talk to lds and see if they have a policy like that...renting is not as convient as owning own gear.

 

[ZzzKing]

speaking of scubatoys...i've emailed you larry 4-5 times over the past few months with various gear questions, and not once have i received a reply. ended up getting my answers, and spending my money, elsewhere.

This hasn't been my experience. In fact, on a number of occasions when posting questions on here, Larry has offered good advice unsolicited and has always answered any questions I have had and done it within a day or two.

 

[bcaderunr]

A couple years ago, in the dead of Winter (here in Colorado), I figured: "Hey, this would be a good time to sign up for Rescue Diver". I went to an LDS, which was quite empty, to inquire about the class for me and my son, grabbed a price sheet, and went home to check his schedule. After settling on a class date, I went back 3 DAYS later only to find that the shop had taken all the remaining fliers and had WHITED OUT the old price and had WRITTEN IN a higher one for the Rescue Class I had been asking about. My polite *** reaction was met with a smug take it or leave it response. Think I ever stepped foot in there again? NO WAY.

 

[Skyjunky]

Larry needs to open a shop in Houston!

 

[Chaseh]

I don't know how that happened... Sorry about that. I'm normally pretty good about emails - if I get them. Maybe my spam filter didn't like something in your address or signature.

Any time, just pick up the phone and call our toll free number and ask for me and I'll always try to help! I know it's a bit "old school technology" but it still normally works the best.

Again, my apologies.

Yeah, that's a surprise. He's always responded to any inquiries I've had about gear or orders on the same day.

 

[1fastcat]

It doesn't matter if you are dealing with a bad LDS or a bad on-line experience. No two shops or on-line stores are identical. FWIW its great to have the on-line option for those of you who live in an area where there are no LDS, or the only one is a poor excuse for a retailer. For my money, I would much rather spend a little extra at my LDS and help them keep in business - why?

My LDS answers my tireless questions for weeks or months before I buy. Researches to make sure that a "redesigned model" is not in the offing (my one rule for them is don't sell me a major piece of equipment when you should have known that an upgrade was around the corner). He also is there to answer my questions after the purchase and trouble shoot issues (like when my new Mares IRIS reader wouldn't function). Fortunately since I bought locally I took the equipment and my laptop to the shop and we figured it out in no time. Sure glad I didn't have to try to figure that one out with an online retailer.

He also offers top notch certification courses (kinda hard to take those online), two charter boat dives a month (kinda hard to do that "virtual dive" thing), and a monthly club meeting of approx 25 - 30 local area divers. The meeting is the single best place to talk to divers face-to-face and really get the indepth skinny on equipment issues, diving experiences and travel tips. (no offense to the online forums but I can get alot more information during a face-to-face than via snipits of keystrokes). It also makes diving locally a lot more enticing as it offers the chance to hook up with a couple of different dive buddies so that someone is always ready to go out for the weekend that I want to dive.

As for the tank rental issue - do yourself a huge favor and buy a steel tank. You will enjoy the freedom of having it ready when you are, getting more air time, and carrying less weight. The only time I rent is when I am traveling via air.

Hopefully you can find a good LDS locally. Makes it really hard to get your tank fills on-line if you don't have a local LDS. (course I guess you could just go and buy your own compressor and fill equipment). Sometimes even a bad customer service LDS is a better option than none at all.

 

[Creed]

Sounds like you have a good LDS. Great. But crappy LDS's survive on exactly your attitude. There is NOTHING you can't do for yourself that an LDS can do. You can get regs online. Those same sources will rebuild them for you. You can either buy a small air compressor, or make buddies with your local fire department. People like Larry from scubatoys will answer damned near any question you can pose. The LDS has no claim on your money. If they can't provide good service, they don't deserve it. I'd like to run a DS someday, but I'll be damned if I am going to fleece my customers.

It doesn't matter if you are dealing with a bad LDS or a bad on-line experience. No two shops or on-line stores are identical. FWIW its great to have the on-line option for those of you who live in an area where there are no LDS, or the only one is a poor excuse for a retailer. For my money, I would much rather spend a little extra at my LDS and help them keep in business - why?

My LDS answers my tireless questions for weeks or months before I buy. Researches to make sure that a "redesigned model" is not in the offing (my one rule for them is don't sell me a major piece of equipment when you should have known that an upgrade was around the corner). He also is there to answer my questions after the purchase and trouble shoot issues (like when my new Mares IRIS reader wouldn't function). Fortunately since I bought locally I took the equipment and my laptop to the shop and we figured it out in no time. Sure glad I didn't have to try to figure that one out with an online retailer.

He also offers top notch certification courses (kinda hard to take those online), two charter boat dives a month (kinda hard to do that "virtual dive" thing), and a monthly club meeting of approx 25 - 30 local area divers. The meeting is the single best place to talk to divers face-to-face and really get the indepth skinny on equipment issues, diving experiences and travel tips. (no offense to the online forums but I can get alot more information during a face-to-face than via snipits of keystrokes). It also makes diving locally a lot more enticing as it offers the chance to hook up with a couple of different dive buddies so that someone is always ready to go out for the weekend that I want to dive.

As for the tank rental issue - do yourself a huge favor and buy a steel tank. You will enjoy the freedom of having it ready when you are, getting more air time, and carrying less weight. The only time I rent is when I am traveling via air.

Hopefully you can find a good LDS locally. Makes it really hard to get your tank fills on-line if you don't have a local LDS. (course I guess you could just go and buy your own compressor and fill equipment). Sometimes even a bad customer service LDS is a better option than none at all.

 

[tangfish]

Here is the history with me and my LDS. I purchased over $1500 dollers of equipment from them in about a years time, I know for some of you thats not alot but for me it is when I could have gotten a better deal over the net. So after purchasing all that gear one day I decide to rent a tank from him. So they are closed on the weekend so he tries to charge me for an extra day becuase he says that I am having it for 2 days. So I told hom that if I try to return it on time and he is closed that is not my problem, he seemed to dissagree so I so ok fine whatever, I rented 2 tanks that day and I payed for twice what I should have payed normaly, I decide im going to support my LDS. So when I return the tanks I dont expect to get me money back (I dont) I did not use one of the tanks because buddy did not have 1 so I ask if he can give me a store credit or something for next time, So I end up paying twice what I should have and giving him back a non used tank at about 3100 PSI. Thanks LDS You no longer have my cash, and I hope you go out of buisness

To the credit of the LDS, even though you didn't use the air in the tank, they weren't able to rent that tank out during the time that you had it (opportunity cost). But, I do have to say that this doesn't sound like a very flexible dive shop. My LDS is terrific and very flexible, on top of that they consistently beat the e-tailers on price. I guess I'm just fortunate to live close to a great shop.