Leisure Pro now an authorized Zeagle dealer?

[ScottZeagle]

Scott,

let me ask a follow on question.

Will making LP an "authorized dealer" which includes a raised price help or hurt zeagle sales volume? (I don't mean just sales at LP, I mean other/all dealers).

I ask this as awap pointed out this price increase might make other brand more competitive.

thanks. -Mike

Time will tell....so far, so good.

Feel free to look me up a DEMA if you really want to discuss this in detail.

I will tell you this - when someone puts "LP" in a thread title it sure gets a lot of views!!!

:11:

 

[Standingbear56]

ah.... an employee of another shop that is a Zeagle dealer that has a low price guarentee to match any price. I'm betting this too was a point of frustration in this shop.

BestPrice[/QUOTE]

Hi Everyone,
While on the surface you are correct, it actually goes much deeper than that. Let me explain: Authorized dealers, as probably everyone knows, must follow the manufacturer's rules, including MAP pricing. By doing so, and doing everything according to the manufacturer's requirements, it is very hard to compete successfully with gray market pricing BECAUSE we are doing everything required of us. This hurts the authorized dealers, while the gray market dealer can do whatever they want. Now, I am not faulting LP for finding a nitch in the market and making the most of it, that's just good business. What hurts is is not being allowed to compete $ for $ BECAUSE we are an authorized dealer. I'm sure that not only Zeagle, but other manufacturers as well have found out that stopping the flow of their products to the gray market is about as successful as America's war on drugs - the stuff keeps getting through no matter what (Aqua Lung, do you hear me??). At least by having LP become authorized, the manufacturer is no longer allowing their dealers to be hurt by the gray market pricing. In this respect, I must commend both Zeagle AND LP for doing this. If any one's sales are going to be effected, it would be LP's, so this was a big step for them, as they now must follow the same rules as all the rest of us do. So, let the Retail Scuba Olympics Begin!!!!
Safe Diving,
George

 

[redacted]

So, let the Retail Scuba Olympics Begin!!!!

In Olympic terms, it's like cutting off Micheal Phelps little fingers so all the other swimmers could be more competitive. MAP should only restrict the advertised price, not the actual selling price. I like to find the advertisement that says "call for best price" when I'm shopping around.

 

[mike_s]

Hi Everyone,
While on the surface you are correct, it actually goes much deeper than that. Let me explain: Authorized dealers, as probably everyone knows, must follow the manufacturer's rules, including MAP pricing. By doing so, and doing everything according to the manufacturer's requirements, it is very hard to compete successfully with gray market pricing BECAUSE we are doing everything required of us.

You are correct that it's hard to complete with shops that can advertise below minimum advertised price set by manufacturers.

But thats the manufacturer that is ham-stringing you... not LP.


Now I'm not really "pro LeisurePro". My shop will beat/match their prices so I don't have to buy stuff from them. But a lot of shops won't and others have to buy from them as it makes no sense to give a LDS that won't work with you several hundred bucks more.

This hurts the authorized dealers, while the gray market dealer can do whatever they want. Now, I am not faulting LP for finding a nitch in the market and making the most of it, that's just good business. What hurts is is not being allowed to compete $ for $ BECAUSE we are an authorized dealer. I'm sure that not only Zeagle, but other manufacturers as well have found out that stopping the flow of their products to the gray market is about as successful as America's war on drugs - the stuff keeps getting through no matter what (Aqua Lung, do you hear me??).

uhhmmmm...... why would manufacturers want to stop the flow of gear/products to LP? It would cut too much into their sales....

Most of them are direct shipping it to LP. I mean LP sells more AL gear than any other dive shop around. They don't get that quantity by buying it through mom and pop scuba shops. THey get it direct.


Yes when dealer reps come around to the LDS's they give that song-and-dance that they are trying to stop these grey market dealers, but that's just them getting you to drink their kool-aid. The would never cut off shipments to their biggest dealer (LP). But they aren't going to admit it to their dealers either.

At least by having LP become authorized, the manufacturer is no longer allowing their dealers to be hurt by the gray market pricing. In this respect, I must commend both Zeagle AND LP for doing this. If any one's sales are going to be effected, it would be LP's, so this was a big step for them, as they now must follow the same rules as all the rest of us do. So, let the Retail Scuba Olympics Begin!!!!
Safe Diving,
George

This is true. It does keep from LP hurting their dealers. But I guarentee that before any manufacturer does this, they will run some estimated numbers to make sure that any reduction in sales from LP won't hurt their overall sales. ( but you can't blame manufacturers for that.... that's just business).

 

[fireflock]

I see why other Dealers think they like it when LP becomes authorized for brands they carry.

I don't see any reason for customers to be excited about it.

The scuba price mafia wins another around, but how does it benefit their customers?

I'm not trying to pick on Zeagle...a bunch of big names have gone the same route lately.

For all the actual customers out there, there have been some reports that the price LP actually charges for items is quite a bit less than the prices they advertise. They've kept the lower sales prices, neutralized the gray market charges, _AND_ removed the incentive for customers to take the LP price to another dealer.

All the dealers who were tired of matching price competition might want to be careful what they wish for .

 

[hypertech]

I don't see any reason for customers to be excited about it.

The scuba price mafia wins another around, but how does it benefit their customers?

Well, one benefit is that you don't have to argue with the shops who service the gear. Most here will refuse to work on it if you didn't buy it from an authorized dealer. So, that stops that problem right there. If I bring in a part and my money to pay for their labor to work on it, they should do the servicing.

Although, there is one shop in town who refuses to service any gear bought over the internet. How they would find out where you bought it, I don't know, but that's part of their sales pitch - buy it in town or we won't service you.

Still another shop refuses to work on anything you didn't buy directly from them ....

Anything that works towards stopping this ridiculous behavior at the LDS is a positive in my book. Sooner or later, the LDS will realize that to survive they need to offer quality training, servicing, and air fills and that they will have to charge the rates they need to charge given that the internet wholesalers are here to stay. Having them all be authorized dealers is a step in the direction the industry need to be going.

 

[mike_s]

Well, one benefit is that you don't have to argue with the shops who service the gear. Most here will refuse to work on it if you didn't buy it from an authorized dealer. So, that stops that problem right there. If I bring in a part and my money to pay for their labor to work on it, they should do the servicing.

Although, there is one shop in town who refuses to service any gear bought over the internet. How they would find out where you bought it, I don't know, but that's part of their sales pitch - buy it in town or we won't service you.

Still another shop refuses to work on anything you didn't buy directly from them ....

Anything that works towards stopping this ridiculous behavior at the LDS is a positive in my book. Sooner or later, the LDS will realize that to survive they need to offer quality training, servicing, and air fills and that they will have to charge the rates they need to charge given that the internet wholesalers are here to stay. Having them all be authorized dealers is a step in the direction the industry need to be going.

wow.... that's "short minded" of any shop not to service gear that was bought at LP, other internet stores, or even any other authorized store. I mean refusing work only pisses off the customer and looses them money in the short and long run. In the short run because they just lost out on service labor and parts. IN the long run because likely the customer won't buy other gear there either.

I mean why should the LDS punish the customer when it won't compete for their business....

wow..... You would think that a dive shop wouldn't shoot itself in the foot like that, but you hear about it all too often. In Reality, they are justifying the existance of other online shops with their poor customer service, because people get fed up with crap like that and go elsewhere, and for many, elsewhere includes the internet.

If all the dive shops in the US gave competitive pricing, good customer service, etc, then none of them would have to worry about internet sales. (through authorized online shops or LP).

 

[daniel f aleman]

The one good thing about a gray market is that it prices reflects more of the actual value of a piece of equipment. Now Zeagle is just as over-priced as any other MAP required company.

 

[shoturtle]

The one good thing about a gray market is that it prices reflects more of the actual value of a piece of equipment. Now Zeagle is just as over-priced as any other MAP required company.

I have to agree, the Map price for Zeagle makes it not worth the money. It really is not better then other big brands out there. And they really do not have much of a present out of North America. The scuba mofia is trying to make all pay an arm and a leg, for things that really worth the extra money.

 

[DiveMaven]

But MAP is just the "minimum ADVERTISED price", not necessarily the actual price. Heck, when we bought my Zena, my Envoy Regs, my husband's Ranger LTD, and his Flathead/Envoy combo we simply called ScubaToys and asked for their best price...it wasn't anywhere close to MAP.

The irony of the flow of grey market goods to LP is that quite a bit of the equipment has serial numbers that could be tracked by the manufacturer IF they wanted to know where it was coming from.