scubasean
Contributor
My bad.
Holy cow! Were it me, I might be a tad upset also...
Is my LDS getting too Greedy?
- Thread starter jdb
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My bad.
Holy cow! Were it me, I might be a tad upset also...
oooops
norcaldiver
Guest
Man I hate that extra cost stuff.
My last LDS had 1 price. Something like 225 +books +equip.
If you owned you gear (tanks, reg) then that was taken off the price because you didn't have to rent it.
If you were doing a referal, it was cheaper - they took off money for not going to the ocean.
That way it sounds like a bargain, not "well, $x for the class, and $x / hr in the pool, and $x for going to the ocean...oh you want to do another pool session....pay up.
I just found a LDS down here that has an all inclusinve IDC package. Books, tests, you name it. They even include the cost of HOTEL while you're doing the IE. The ONLY thing they don't cover is your food. If you don't want to stay at that hotel or go home at night, then they subtract that ammount from the price.
But back to the topic. When your buddy signed up, they should have had a schedule in place for him. Everyone should have known WHAT weekend the check out was to take place.
My last LDS had 1 price. Something like 225 +books +equip.
If you owned you gear (tanks, reg) then that was taken off the price because you didn't have to rent it.
If you were doing a referal, it was cheaper - they took off money for not going to the ocean.
That way it sounds like a bargain, not "well, $x for the class, and $x / hr in the pool, and $x for going to the ocean...oh you want to do another pool session....pay up.
I just found a LDS down here that has an all inclusinve IDC package. Books, tests, you name it. They even include the cost of HOTEL while you're doing the IE. The ONLY thing they don't cover is your food. If you don't want to stay at that hotel or go home at night, then they subtract that ammount from the price.
But back to the topic. When your buddy signed up, they should have had a schedule in place for him. Everyone should have known WHAT weekend the check out was to take place.
That sounds like a lot of money. Especially the extra costs for the checkout dives not included with the general costs. I agree with the others, as long as the cost were known upfront then its mute. Now they are changing things, which is not professional and will bite them in the but later....
Just PM a regulator and they will make it happen. I did the same thing when I first registered. I later realized my screen name was one letter away from another on the boards.
The pricing is about what I paid for my open water course, except the Scuba II was $100.00 or $150.00 less simply because I had my own gear by then so they didn't have to charge me for the equipment rental (which was technically included in the price, but discounted for me the moment that I bought my own gear).
Our minimum for BOW Scuba II is also four. As a matter of fact, my LDS cancelled a couple of people and moved them out a month as they didn't have enough people sign up. (Which screwed up my DiveCon quals as well because it will be another two months before I have an available class to assist for my cert in the open water.) Our shop doesn't offer "special sessions" unless the student (1) pays through the nose for the instructors time one on one or (2) the student can round up four friends to take it with him in which case the student won't have to pay the extra money (just what they put down for the Scuba II course in the first place).
The other option would be a referral as Mike F. suggests. That may be your best bet if you want your friend to retain enough skills from Scuba I to do effectively do Scuba II.
As far as the extra charge at the last minute, the phrase "willing to work with the schedule" can mean many things. You are correct. It would have been nice if they would have mentioned the possibility of the extra charge up front (their mistake) and if that wasn't mentioned, they should work with your friend's schedule. But if the possibility was mentioned that it would COST to work within your friend's schedule, then your friend is running short on options.
Our minimum for BOW Scuba II is also four. As a matter of fact, my LDS cancelled a couple of people and moved them out a month as they didn't have enough people sign up. (Which screwed up my DiveCon quals as well because it will be another two months before I have an available class to assist for my cert in the open water.) Our shop doesn't offer "special sessions" unless the student (1) pays through the nose for the instructors time one on one or (2) the student can round up four friends to take it with him in which case the student won't have to pay the extra money (just what they put down for the Scuba II course in the first place).
The other option would be a referral as Mike F. suggests. That may be your best bet if you want your friend to retain enough skills from Scuba I to do effectively do Scuba II.
As far as the extra charge at the last minute, the phrase "willing to work with the schedule" can mean many things. You are correct. It would have been nice if they would have mentioned the possibility of the extra charge up front (their mistake) and if that wasn't mentioned, they should work with your friend's schedule. But if the possibility was mentioned that it would COST to work within your friend's schedule, then your friend is running short on options.
R
redacted
Guest
LDS here in Central TX charges $150.00 for the PADI BOW course. Add books and Lk Travis entry fees and the total is $210.00. That SSI course must really be good!
scubasean
Contributor
Does the BOW course in Tx include rental gear?
My LDS charges $250, including the rental scuba gear (less personals), not including books, table, etc.
R
redacted
Guest
I'm pretty sure that includes rental gear. Student supplies mask, fins, & snorkle.
The course is really good. It includes all rental equipment needed and unlimited use of pool. I don't even really have a problem with the price of the course, I feel it is worth it. My problem is that I feel that they are trying to take advantage of this person. I talked him into useing this shop because I know the owner and instructors, I know that they care about how their students perform and if he received his C-Card from them that he would be a worthy buddy. But.. now that they have his money and his courses are finished they have cast him aside, unwilling to bend any to help accomodate his schedule. The bad part is, they probably don't even realize that they have lost the rest of his business.
MarcusCarr
Guest
The SSI course that I just started is $225, period. You may use your own equipment or theirs, still $225. You can used the 30ft tank for your open water cert or do the lake dive, still $225.
All the way through the course the spout "keep it simple, keep it safe" I am glad their pricing relfects the same policy.
Marcus
All the way through the course the spout "keep it simple, keep it safe" I am glad their pricing relfects the same policy.
Marcus
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