The Great local dive shop vs. online debate

[metridium]

yknot wrote...
What I've never seen is discounted Halcyon gear. Same price, internet or LDS.

Lloyd Bailey's rates were ~10% under their major competitors' on the occasions I bought Halcyon gear. Not sure if that has changed.

 

[yknot]

Metridium- thanks for the info. I did a quick check and these prices appear to be the same as everyone elses. I'm not trying to single out Halcyon or look for a deal on their stuff, merely using them as an example. I'm trying to point out that if we don't let emotion cloud our judgement we can deduce that maybe we have all been misled. Why would a manufacturer in this day and age restrict any method for marketing their products? I don't buy the liability concerns. If someone found a brand 'X' regulator and died using it someone would still sue the manufacturer. I bought a complete gear set from a LDS. Air fills at LDS. I have only been asked to show my 'C' card one time (Gilboa Quarry). Why do people forget the foundation of this sport? Did LDS's invent diving? Does anyone think the next big step in the evolution of diving equipment will be pioneered by a LDS? It seems they are the last to jump on the band wagon and then only when their customers provide that minimum first order.

 

[metridium]

yknot wrote...
Metridium- thanks for the info. I did a quick check and these prices appear to be the same as everyone elses.

That's a shame. I'd heard they'd been under pressure to raise their prices on gear.

 

[yknot]

I did see a statement by Halcyon about a fair pricing policy which I assume means the same prices to and from everyone. Whether this is legal or not aside, I do respect Halcyon for making that stand. As there would be no advantage in buying their gear online people would be better off going to an LDS (providing they have one that stocks Halcyon).

 

[DeanHayes]

There is a dive shop here in Orlando which doesn't like to service your equipment unless you bought it at that shop. If they find out that you bought the equipment mailorder, they will absolutely refuse to service it! Too bad, because with this attitude, they have lost all of my business.

I'm totally willing to pay for service and willing to pay for the added value for service which may come with dealing in person. But when I bought my BC 2 years ago, their was a $250.00 difference between the local shop (not the same one mentioned above) and a well known internet shop. In this case, I was bit of an a** to the shop owner (who had already received ~2000.00 in the form of equipment and certification classes for my entire family) and showed him a filled 'shopping cart' for the BC along with all shipping charges and asked him to meet the price + the equivalent of next day air.

The shop owner agreed. All said and done:
Local shop (retail) $450
Internet shop $200

We settled on $275 + sales tax (which wouldn't have been collected by the internet site. I figured we both one. I got the gear at a reasonable discount and the shop operator still made a profit off of me.

 

[Dr. Jay]

lol....Dean

I've had similar experiences with dive shops in Orlando. Lucky for us, most of the time there's another one right around the corner.

 

[Blue Space]

I agree with both sides of this deal. But fortunately my LDS has gotten a clue and matches any deal on the net within reason. I was just talking about this to one of the managers the other day and basically he told me there is plenty of mark up on items to match the net and still make money. They provide great service and always willing to answer questions. Does this mean I haven't purchased on-line? nope I have and wasn't happy but that wasn't the on-line shops fault I just picked the wrong item.(big ass rambo knife did look at size) newbie mistake. I have a dive bag and a hanger coming so we will see. Oh ya my LDS crushed the on-line deals on a Atomic Aquatics BI by $100 no lie.

 

[MikeFerrara]

We too have been forced to sell at lower markups however there are many online prices I cant touch. Selling at those lower prices has not increased volume so we just make less. A walk in market in many inland locations is just too small to get the volume no matter how low the price. Without access to a huge customer base like the net lower markups just represent a loss. Do the math. If you cut the markup in half you must sell twice the volume to make the same. We have cut further than that and we still cant compete with many online prices. For this to work we would have to increase volume 20 fold (or something rediculouse like that). That far surpasses the size of our market. We really need some of the manufacturers to turn us lose to sell online. Then we have a chance to compete.

 

[bedazzle410]

The manufacturers are without question puting the existance of the LDS in jeapordy as a result of their price restrictions. I fail to see why they have price controls in the USA and they let off shore stores price as they wish. It is hard to believe that you can buy goods made in the USA cheaper in England than at you LDS. The manufacturer gets his price no matter what why than control the retail price.

 

[MikeFerrara]

bedazzle410 once bubbled...
The manufacturers are without question puting the existance of the LDS in jeapordy as a result of their price restrictions. I fail to see why they have price controls in the USA and they let off shore stores price as they wish. It is hard to believe that you can buy goods made in the USA cheaper in England than at you LDS. The manufacturer gets his price no matter what why than control the retail price.

It's not just the pricing restrictions making things hard. In fact I only sell one line who enforces any pricing restricions at all. The problem is the marketing restrictions (limit market size) and minimum anual volumes with huge opening order requirements (reduce product veriety hence further reducing market size).