LP Equipment - Can I use it right away

[rcasey]

Man, good replies. Some people are fired up today I like that.

I'm not sure what the servicing cost is, I was just suprised at the response I got about using the pool. I didn't make a big thing of it at the time. I could probably walk in there and grab some air and hit the pool. I don't mindpaying a few bucks for air and use of the pool.

As far as the gear at the LDS. I didn't really like the selection at the time and the salesperson really sucked. So I went online. But the class was great. I don't have any problem with that.

I am going up there this weekend and will continue this and see what the story is. They are a block from me and I have friends that use them that I want to to trips with.

The root of my question was...Is my equipment OK to use. I am assuming that LP has a good service department and tested it under all the standards. If so, then I'm not an idiot that's going to pay to have them look over perfectly good/tested equipment.

Thanks for the input. They probable could have talked me into it, but I feel more confident reading your posts.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[jamiei]

its sad that things like this go on. Definately don't give this shop anymore of your money. It seems like for every good dive shop, there's 25 shops that spend their days thinking of new ways to rip people off. It's funny how the business attracts so many scam artists... I wonder if there's any stats on how many people have been turned off of scuba diving by such jerk-offs.

 

[yknot]

What do you all expect? 200 years ago piracy was an excellent source of income in a marine environment. It still is. Seriously, are there any issues with a set of regs assembled in NYC and UPS'ed to where ever? Can the handling affect them? I never expected anything mechanical to come from LP ready to go. Try and buy a tank from them. It'll come with valve out and still needing a visual prior to use. I'm really not intending to defend LDS but so many past opinions concerning "life support equipment" and LP come to mind. What does setup and assembled mean in regards to LP? Could mean we screwed it all together and rinsed it off. I believe most manufacturers recommend final adjustment of some things.

 

[Genesis]

TESTING on that invoice.

LP services what they sell. I'm willing to bet they have ALL the proper gear, since the volume of material that goes through their hands is sizeable, and they DO offer mail-in annuals.

 

[MechDiver]

yknot once bubbled...
What do you all expect? 200 years ago piracy was an excellent source of income in a marine environment. It still is. Seriously, are there any issues with a set of regs assembled in NYC and UPS'ed to where ever? Can the handling affect them? I never expected anything mechanical to come from LP ready to go. Try and buy a tank from them. It'll come with valve out and still needing a visual prior to use. I'm really not intending to defend LDS but so many past opinions concerning "life support equipment" and LP come to mind. What does setup and assembled mean in regards to LP? Could mean we screwed it all together and rinsed it off. I believe most manufacturers recommend final adjustment of some things.

Even with what you state, a "we will need to verify your equipment is okay due to liability" would be a much more reasonable response to the issue. It would take 5 or 10 minutes and cost nothing. The requirement to "service" the equipment is bs.

Phil

 

[redacted]

could easily carry a price tag of $50.00 to $100.00 per system. If they are talking something on the order of 1/10th that, then they are probably not trying to rip you off but are proposing a simple checkup (IP, cracking pressure, leaks, tightness). Maybe they actually believe all the bad stories many LDSs tell about LP. If they are talking the big $$$ "service", I would decline the offer, return their wetsuits for refund, and look elsewhere.

 

[matt t.]

My LDS charges a $10 "bench" fee. If you have any doubts, ask what they'll charge to look at your gear. What's peace of mind worth to you? If you KNOW the gear is cool, ask for their REAL motivation for the gear "check-up".

 

[Genesis]

we've established the "real motivation"

 

[Groundhog246]

rcasey once bubbled...
As far as the gear at the LDS. I didn't really like the selection at the time and the salesperson really sucked. So I went online. But the class was great. I don't have any problem with that.

If you bought brand(s) they don't carry, are they authorized to service the brand(s) you did buy? If not, don't even think of letting them "service" it. Sounds a bit like sour grapes to me.

To Genesis:
I know nothing about LP, but just because it's on the invoice, doesn't mean it happened. My in-laws borrowed my mini van a couple of years ago. Started making a noise so they stopped at a garage. It was an idler pulley bearing (I knew already, it was making noise occasionally) and the mechanic told them it was likely to fail any moment (not likely according to my regular mechanic) and the motor would overheat as soon as it did. He invoiced them for new idler assy (instead of just a bearing), new belt and inspecting the water pump. I'd have liked to see how he did that, since the water pump runs off the timing belt and it's 4 hours labour to remove/replace the belt and I'd like an explanation how the serpentine belt failing would cause an overheat, as the water pump would still run and the fan is electric and doesn't even come on at highway speeds. The serpentine belt runs the alternator and the power steering and I know from experience, unless you turn on the headlights, you can manage an hours driving with it broken. All told they paid almost $200 for a $15 dollar bearing and wouldn't let me re-imburse them. I didn't tell them they'd been had, just thanked them for repairing it. To top it all off, I had to replace it again in 6 months as it's hadn't been aligned properly.

 

[Genesis]

into the shop and "service" it, they may give you a wall job at the LDS too.

Why wouldn't they, in fact? After all, it IS brand new, if it passes a cursory sniff test it doesn't need to be torn down and I'll bet $500 they won't ACTUALLY tear all the regulator stages down and perform a full annual service on them - or on the BC (such as disassembling and checking all the OPVs, etc)

This kind of dishonest dealing (the original promise of free pool access to OW class participants, then reneging on it) sounds like exactly the same kind of dishonest dealing that would lead them to take this guy for a couple hundred bucks and do absolutely NOTHING, thereby effectively imposing a TAX on him for buying elsewhere.