LDS -vs- Online purchases

[jjufon]

ST's prices are clearly marked... on their website. In print, publicly accessible to everyone. Would be hard to play pricing games. Been awhile since I've been in the store but I don't remember prices being unmarked.

i know the prices are on the web. that's the point!
but i just went there and they do not mark their items. (sure, there are a few itmes listed on speical, but that is it).
my point is a new diver or anyone who doesn't know they have a web site or just doesn't shop on line COULD get taken advantage of.

 

[TMHeimer]

Touchy subject. Akin to all of us musicians being out of work due to downloading. Easy to see both sides of it.

 

[ScubaSteve]

i know the prices are on the web. that's the point!
but i just went there and they do not mark their items. (sure, there are a few itmes listed on speical, but that is it).
my point is a new diver or anyone who doesn't know they have a web site or just doesn't shop on line COULD get taken advantage of.

That argument is based on someone not knowing what something is worth and if that is the case, they could easily print a TAG that says $325 and sell it for $275 to the person with the nice face. when it is worth $200 elsewhere.

Games are Games and if someone is not a smart shopper then they are going to get taken by some and not others....THAT will happen whether it is online or in person. Bottom line is, the BUYER MUST KNOW what they are looking for and at before they pay (in person OR online).

 

[rollerboi]

Touchy subject. Akin to all of us musicians being out of work due to downloading. Easy to see both sides of it.

I fail to see the analogy between putting a musician out of work by stealing their music online. It doesn't translate to the situation with scuba gear.

For one, the manufacturer gets their money. The scuba shop is not being robbed, they're just not making the sale.

 

[Firefyter]

I've found most items I've gone in for to be marked. If not, all I had to do was ask to see it in their online catalogue (yup, they'll show you the computer screen), and verify the price. And they do this with a smile. In my opinion, those guys know the meaning of the term "customer service" much better than a whole lotta folks in the retail business, both in and out of the scuba market.

I'm in there a LOT, and I can't remember ever seeing a price marked. With that said, I usually know what it costs before I go, and if I don't, they're happy to show you.

There have been a couple of times when I went in, and they couldn't find the price of the item I wanted. The last time this happened I was buying some 1/8" bungee. I won't name the salesman, but he just made up a price and was gonna charge me $1.50 per foot for it. I objected, and told him that I knew it was well under $1.00 per foot at REI. We finally settled at .50 per foot, with me knowing it should have been cheaper. (It's actually .15 per foot at REI.)

I don't think he was doing this out of malice, just ignorance. He was going to charge me $15 for something that should have cost $1.50.

I love the place and they do have good customer service, but they really need to mark the prices, at least on the shelves, just to avoid these situations.

 

[Guba]

Thomas, I'm in no way disputing your point or doubting your word. I still stand by my statement that most of the items I went in there for were marked (at least on the shelves, if not the individual item), but I could very well have gotten lucky that what I wanted was included in the "marked" category (camera's, lights, strobe, etc...). I suppose they could do much better at making sure more of their inventory was priced, though. I just haven't found it to be a nuisance.

 

[ReefHound]

i know the prices are on the web. that's the point!
but i just went there and they do not mark their items. (sure, there are a few itmes listed on speical, but that is it).
my point is a new diver or anyone who doesn't know they have a web site or just doesn't shop on line COULD get taken advantage of.

How is this any better at other LDS's? In my experience, most big ticket items are not marked at the typical LDS either, only difference is they don't have a published price on the web to verify against, even if after the fact.

If ST were to mark the prices, I think there would be more not less cases where a customer pays a different price than what is published on the website. Keeping the two in sync would be difficult.

 

[rstofer]

The prices should be marked for comparison purposes. Look at one BC and it has some features and a price. Look at a different BC and is has features and a different price. If the prices aren't marked then you can only comparison shop with a salesperson in tow. Not the way I like to do things.

Richard

 

[segundo3000gt]

This seems to be a sore subject on this board. LDS owners losing a sale and being P.Oed at customers finding better deals online, Not honoring warranties etc. This is just bad all arround for our sport. I think all the animosity could be avoided if we as customers give our LDS's the opportunity to match the online price! In my experience I have found if my LDS couldn't match the price, They would make other deals where they could Con. Ed, Trips etc. Put the ball in their court if they won't work with their local customers, They have no one to blame but themselves when their store is empty.

I tried what you describe and I temporarily burned bridges. I went to my LDS to talk to them about a Dive Rite BP/W setup and they had me try one on to get a feel for the difference between the BP/W and a jacket style BC. We talked about everything required to build a complete system and they quoted me a price. I went online to read into the options and differences between the harnesses and wings and checked ST and divegearexpress.com and found a package deal for about $150 cheaper. I e-mailed my LDS the links and asked if I was misunderstanding anything or if there was a reason why I was finding things cheaper online. My question was based on the assumption that Dive Rite limits the minimum price that an authorized dealer can sell their gear. I got an angry e-mail back basically saying that the LDS didn't appreciate that I would come in and get questions answered and get to try gear on and then go online and buy for a cheaper price. While I completely understand their concern it was not my intention. My point is that the scuba industry is very personal. I have no quarrels checking an electronics item on buy.com, amazon.com, bestbuy.com, etc. and ordering from whoever turns out to be cheapest. It seems like a simple proposition to give the LDS the option to match online pricing but understand that it becomes personal and the LDS will most likely try to explain that the slightly higher prices on their gear is only to subsidize the services they do provide such as tank rentals and gear advice. Just my $.02.

As it turned out, divegearexpress.com was not following authorized dealer pricing from Dive Rite and as of the time of my purchase had their status revoked. My LDS actually went the extra mile to work with Dive Rite to allow the authorization of a lower price that matched the unauthorized divegearexpress.com price.

 

[MarKon]

Yes! How dare you go to a store, peruse their goods, and not buy their products! This happens nowhere else in life. People always buy hte first home they see, the first car they drive, the first pair of shoes they try on, right? Honestly, that this issue even exists blows me away. Shops are mad that internet retailers have figured out how to cut their prices, and shops harass the CUSTOMERS? Just reading these posts makes me want to never enter a LDS again. An LDS is a store with goods. You have every right to ask questions, examine their gear, etc, and you owe them nothing. THEY need to earn YOUR business, not vice-versa. I may have offically sworn off the LDS (my 2 locals both have their issues, which have been posted by others elsewhere). But maybe not, because I like to walk in and look at stuff. As far as AIR, if it comes to it, compressors will start to sell better, or air fills will become available at other places, because there is a need. I don't see air fills ever becoming a serious issue.