Trouble with dive shop

[LUBOLD8431]

Thats good to hear...
Im glad it worked out...

 

[JPBECK]

You should make them wait for their books for as long as you waited for you refond check!

Oh the sweet smell of revenge! Is that wrong--I dont care-- It feels sooo Good!

 

[JPBECK]

refund that is...

 

[perpet1]

If a business wants to require an employee to own their own tools I guess that's ok. They might even be able to pull off requireing specific tools. The employee decides if the job is worth it or not and takes it or leaves it.

However, DM's aren't usually paid employees while assisting with training at inland shops. Also you're only talking about taking a class and aren't negotiating employment on any level.

Mike I 100% agree with you! I would go on to say (I hope this does not sound like a bash) that SSI is a tough call for your first instructor cert. If you think you are being held hostage now wait until you are certified and start teaching. Because SSI requires that you be associated with a shop they can make or break you and you have no choice.

I would recommend another agency for your initial certification any way. Then if you want to do SSI you can easily (and SSI makes it very easy) cross over to it. If you do it this way then you are at least not an indentured servent to the shop.

Also, you have to think what if the shop owner decides to switch to another agency in the future? Your SSI certification is worthless unless you have a local shop that is SSI.

Also, I have seen SSI shops really pressure instructors because the shop has all the control. At least if you are an independent you can tell the shop to "get bent" (in the diving sense) and go do your own thing if you do not agree with the methods.

Now there are a lot of good SSI shops out there but from the perspective of the instructor, it is better to have the option to fall back on another "more popular" agency if you do not agree with what is going on around you. If you are only an SSI instructor you do not have this option.

 

[perpet1]

Call SSI first - (970) 482-0883 - they've always been great to me when I call (but I've never called to complain about a dealer).

Small claims court is a hassle (I don't know how you value your time), plus, even if you win it could be hard to collect, depending on how above-board the shop is...

Definitely report them to the BBB too.

Yes but if you win then you can make it very public since it is on the record. If you start bashing the place before you win a court case then you risk them taking you to court.

 

[perpet1]

If you were having a problem with the PADI shop, this thread would have had 3 times the responses. They would all be slamming PADI and pointing to this as another example of why PADI is so bad, money hungry, have bad standards, blah blah blah. At times it's seems like this board should be renamed "Anti-PADI Board".

can you say hijack!

 

[perpet1]

Yeah, that's a good one too, and it can be EXTREMELY effective.

Just be sure you never want to do anything with them again, 'cause you'll probably be arrested if you show up at their door for trespassing after doing that

And make absolutly sure you can back up everything you can say.

 

[perpet1]

You should make them wait for their books for as long as you waited for you refond check!

Oh the sweet smell of revenge! Is that wrong--I dont care-- It feels sooo Good!

I would recommend the high road on this. Do not lower yourself to their level.

Pete