Parts for life policy

[beaverdivers]

I suspect that if you only serviced the regs when they needed service, that you would more than save the cost of the bag of parts. I own quite a bit of SCUBAPro stuff and my service interval is "when it leaks or misbehaves."

flots.

If you have your gear serviced annually ( Scubapro's recommendation ), then you get free parts. Let's use a Mk 25 first stage and S600 2nd stage ( one regulator system ) as an example. We charge $25/stage for labor = $50 per system. Over a two year period your cost is $100. Parts are Free!

If you service your gear every other year, your cost are labor $50 plus parts.
Mk25 service kit = $23, S600 service kit = $20. ( Price may vary depending on Scubapro dealer or black market )
Total cost = $93

Is it worth saving $7 not to have your gear serviced to the manufacture's specifications?


Do you wait to change the oil in you vehicle til it misbehaves?
Hopefully, you aren't doing Tec diving with gear that is destine to fail!

We require that our students use gear that has been serviced. It is mandatory that your gear is within it's service interval and bench checked before joining one of our trips.

 

[Heg]

If you have your gear serviced annually ( Scubapro's recommendation ), then you get free parts. Let's use a Mk 25 first stage and S600 2nd stage ( one regulator system ) as an example. We charge $25/stage for labor = $50 per system. Over a two year period your cost is $100. Parts are Free!

If you service your gear every other year, your cost are labor $50 plus parts.
Mk25 service kit = $23, S600 service kit = $20. ( Price may vary depending on Scubapro dealer or black market )
Total cost = $93

Is it worth saving $7 not to have your gear serviced to the manufacture's specifications?


Do you wait to change the oil in you vehicle til it misbehaves?
Hopefully, you aren't doing Tec diving with gear that is destine to fail!

We require that our students use gear that has been serviced. It is mandatory that your gear is within it's service interval and bench checked before joining one of our trips.

I paid $500 aud for two regs. Service was $90 per reg and the rest was parts. How come you reckon parts are only $20? Have the dive shop totally ripped us off?

 

[KATESCUBAPRO]

PARTS-FOR-LIFE PROGRAM (PFL) VS WARRANTY:
First, for clarification, our “warranty” (which is the term some confuse with the “Parts-for- Life” Program), remains exactly the same; it covers product defects. We feature a “limited lifetime” warranty on many products such as Regulators, BC Seams, and certain Fins. Our warranty is one or two years on all other products. The SCUBAPRO regulator limited lifetime warranty has NOT BEEN CHANGED OR ALTERED. We will continue to stand by our expert design and manufacturing of regulator products. Any manufacturing defects will be taken care of at no charge as always.

CHANGES TO PARTS-FOR-LIFE PROGRAM:
The SCUBAPRO Parts for Life Program has NOT BEEN DISCONTINUED.
We have, at various time periods in the past, had an informal and unwritten practice of “reinstatement”. As of October 15, 2011, any type of reinstatement will no longer be offered. All SCUBAPRO regulator owners currently on the PFL Program will continue to receive parts for life as long as they have their gear serviced WITHIN 12 MONTHS; we understand that exact dates are difficult and a reasonable grace period is necessary. A consumer who does not meet the requirement of having their regulator serviced annually at an Authorized SCUBAPRO retailer, will no longer be eligible for Parts-for-Life on that associated piece of equipment.
Starting January 1, 2012 one must purchase a new complete set of SCUBAPRO/SUBGEAR equipment: a SCUBAPRO regulator and SUBGEAR or SCUBAPRO BC and Computer from an Authorized Dealer to receive the PFL Program. Any Tech divers purchasing their set of XTEK gear will receive PFL for all of their newly purchased regulators. We have a simple registration form to be filled out, listing all components and serial numbers. They will then be on Parts-for-Life for their regulator (AIR2 or octopus if purchased) associated with that system.
All current regulators on Parts-for-Life and ones sold throughout calendar year 2011 will, of course, continue on the current program.

NOTE:
LABOR COSTS AND PARTS COSTS outside of the program, are solely at the Authorized Dealer’s discretion.

 

[beaverdivers]

Thanks Kate!

FYI, Scubapro Tech Services retail price on regulator repair for a !st $ 2nd Stage ( Mk 25/ S600 for example ) to Clean, Repair and Test ( annual service ) is $150 if regulator qualifies for Free Parts for Life,
otherwise parts are extra.

Maybe this price is more in line with what the true cost of servicing a regulator system is.

Of course, a Scubapro service center can charge any amount they choose.

I would bet the consumer has been getting a real bargain on service for decades from most Scubapro dealers!

Any thoughts?

 

[flots am]

If you service your gear every other year, your cost are labor $50 plus parts.
Mk25 service kit = $23, S600 service kit = $20. ( Price may vary depending on Scubapro dealer or black market )
Total cost = $93

Is it worth saving $7 not to have your gear serviced to the manufacture's specifications?

It's worth it for me to not have to track equipment purchase dates and service schedules for a half dozen regs that were all purchased at different times.

Hopefully, you aren't doing Tec diving with gear that is destine to fail!

Sure I do. All tech divers dive with gear that will fail. In fact, service is no guarantee of non-failure and in many instances is the cause of failure. If you're doing any sort of technical diving and don't have a solid, easily workable plan for handling the failure of any single piece of equipment, you're just begging for a Darwin award.

In fact, I'd argue that my method of servicing regs as needed is safer than bringing them all in at once, since it eliminates the possibility of a tech that consistently does something wrong, so you don't end up with all your regs failing at once.

We require that our students use gear that has been serviced. It is mandatory that your gear is within it's service interval and bench checked before joining one of our trips.

I check my gear before each dive, if it's OK before I splash, it will probably be OK during the dive. However I'll be sure to avoid your trips, so as not to scare you.

Also, I'd like to mention that in Open Water SCUBA diving, there is no point during the dive when a direct ascent to the surface is not possible, or is dangerous. Any OW diver who can't simply end the dive at any point and safely surface, with or without air, needs a refresher class and/or practice with a well trained buddy.

Recreational SCUBA uses no equipment that is "life support."

flots.

 

[jdcpa]

I completely understand the tightening up of the FPFL program to eliminate abuses by current owners not being able to catch up so to speak.

I am just trying to fugure this all out and I would like is comments regarding the current owners that would desire to change regulators only.

For example, I currently have a complete set up of Scubapro/Uwatec gear (actually four complete sets). I decide that I want to move from the MK25/S600 to some new and different Scubapro regulator, lets call it the MK30/750.

As I understand it the new MK30/750 regulator is not eligible for the free parts for life program, unless I buy a new BC and computer. As I understand it, the new regulator is not qualified solely because I did not buy a new computer and BC.

Do I understand that correctly?

If I understand that correctly, the effect is that in order to get FPFL on my new regulator, I have to spend an additional $1,500 to $2,000 on the new computer and BC.

Will someone please explain to me why I would want to spend an additional $1,500 to $2,000 to get the FPFL from Scubapro?

If I understand it correctly, except in infrequent situations, the only one eligible for the FPFL program would be new divers buying a complete set of new gear. I don't know about most other divers, but I replace my gear piece by piece as I either need a new piece of gear or I see something really cool that I want.

This change seems to have the practical effect of substantially reducing the FPFL program.

Why would a current owner of Scubapro gear consider getting any new Scubapro gear when the Scubapro parts program is more expensive than competitors?

Don't get me wrong I love my Scubapro gear and I willingly paid more to get it. I just think that Scubapro is turning their backs on existing customers. Who is the best referral source for a product? My guess would be current users.

So, unless I completely misunderstand the changes, I'm thinking that as the current owner of four complete sets of Scubapro gear, BC, regulator, fins, mask, wetsuits and computer, that Scubapro wants me to look at other products before I buy any new gear. That doesn't mean I would not buy more Scubapro gear, it just means that Scubapro gave me a reason to look around.

There are far greater business minds than I, but this change seems to have some questionable foundations.

If Scubapro wanted to get rid of the FPFL program, then why not annouce that as of X date the FPFL program is terminated on all new purchases. Or does this change have the practical effect of doing the same thing?

(Certainly this whole issue might be different if I had any idea what the parts cost.)

What say you?

 

[dmoore19]

PARTS-FOR-LIFE PROGRAM (PFL) VS WARRANTY:
First, for clarification, our “warranty” (which is the term some confuse with the “Parts-for- Life” Program), remains exactly the same; it covers product defects. We feature a “limited lifetime” warranty on many products such as Regulators, BC Seams, and certain Fins. Our warranty is one or two years on all other products. The SCUBAPRO regulator limited lifetime warranty has NOT BEEN CHANGED OR ALTERED. We will continue to stand by our expert design and manufacturing of regulator products. Any manufacturing defects will be taken care of at no charge as always.

CHANGES TO PARTS-FOR-LIFE PROGRAM:
The SCUBAPRO Parts for Life Program has NOT BEEN DISCONTINUED.
We have, at various time periods in the past, had an informal and unwritten practice of “reinstatement”. As of October 15, 2011, any type of reinstatement will no longer be offered. All SCUBAPRO regulator owners currently on the PFL Program will continue to receive parts for life as long as they have their gear serviced WITHIN 12 MONTHS; we understand that exact dates are difficult and a reasonable grace period is necessary. A consumer who does not meet the requirement of having their regulator serviced annually at an Authorized SCUBAPRO retailer, will no longer be eligible for Parts-for-Life on that associated piece of equipment.
Starting January 1, 2012 one must purchase a new complete set of SCUBAPRO/SUBGEAR equipment: a SCUBAPRO regulator and SUBGEAR or SCUBAPRO BC and Computer from an Authorized Dealer to receive the PFL Program. Any Tech divers purchasing their set of XTEK gear will receive PFL for all of their newly purchased regulators. We have a simple registration form to be filled out, listing all components and serial numbers. They will then be on Parts-for-Life for their regulator (AIR2 or octopus if purchased) associated with that system.
All current regulators on Parts-for-Life and ones sold throughout calendar year 2011 will, of course, continue on the current program.

NOTE:
LABOR COSTS AND PARTS COSTS outside of the program, are solely at the Authorized Dealer’s discretion.

Thank you very much for posting this. It may clear up some confusion.

 

[SCUBAPRO Harry]

I paid $500 aud for two regs. Service was $90 per reg and the rest was parts. How come you reckon parts are only $20? Have the dive shop totally ripped us off?

The Parts-For-Life Program was created only in the United States so would not apply elsewhere. However, it does appear that your regulator repair for parts was high. If you did not receive an itemized receipt, I suggest you ask your Dealer.