WHY Dive shops make you Feel GUILTY ???

[pilot fish]

Since the standard warranty is free it's nice to know it's there. Better to have it than not to have it.

 

[cyklon_300]

is over-emphasized.

In 26 years of diving and $14,000+ worth of gear, I've used a warranty zero times. The only piece that ever went back to the mfg was due to a recall.

Maybe if you buy cheap, low-end stuff it might be useful, but that's not what I buy.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

is over-emphasized.

In 26 years of diving and $14,000+ worth of gear, I've used a warranty zero times. The only piece that ever went back to the mfg was due to a recall.

Maybe if you buy cheap, low-end stuff it might be useful, but that's not what I buy.

Sometimes it comes in handy ...

My first BCD purchase was a TUSA Imprex Pro. After putting over 200 dives on it, I broke it in a way that made it impossible to secure the cylinder. Sent it back to TUSA and they said it was still under warranty and couldn't be repaired ... so they sent me a brand new BCD.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Dive-aholic]

...I guess we should all complain to the shops OWNERS and explain why you feel or how you feel they could improve. Maybe like the silters if explained in a proper way they might just make some changes. Or we could all just complain on the board and hope they read it.

Unless the shop OWNER is the problem. I know a shop where most of the employees are great and it's the owner that needs to focus. At that shop if you want something ordered or done, ask the employees, not the owner. :11:

 

[Dive-aholic]

Where do you folks who buy regs and bcs on line get them serviced? How do the warranties work on the stuff the manufacturer won't cover because it was sold on line?
Those who have mentioned the expectation of experts in a dive shop are correct. My son is a shop monkey in a local LDS and when he wanders out of the back carrying things customers will often quiz him as though he is an expert on equipment, foreign and domestic dive sites and so on....

I just bought a bunch of gear from ScubaToys and all of it is covered. The manufacturer will only not cover stuff sold by dealers that are not authorized to sell their stuff. You just need to make sure you're dealing with an authorized dealer or buying something that doesn't need the warranty.

As far as servicing, either send it back to the LDS you bought it from or bring it to a local one. I've read that some LDSs won't service equipment bought online. How do they know where it was bought unless you tell them? If it's a shop you never dealt with, for all they know you could have bought it at your old LDS in another state. If it's a shop you regularly deal with, then maybe you bought it while on your last dive trip. There are a lot of possibilities out there and LDSs that refuse to service gear not bought at their shop are just turning away a lot of experienced divers who already own their gear and may buy more gear if the service is good.

 

[wolf eel]

Unless the shop OWNER is the problem. I know a shop where most of the employees are great and it's the owner that needs to focus. At that shop if you want something ordered or done, ask the employees, not the owner. :11:

Thats not so cool. All I ment was to light a fire under the owners to get them motivated to get better information thats all.

 

[adurso]

I just bought a bunch of gear from ScubaToys and all of it is covered. The manufacturer will only not cover stuff sold by dealers that are not authorized to sell their stuff. You just need to make sure you're dealing with an authorized dealer or buying something that doesn't need the warranty.

As far as servicing, either send it back to the LDS you bought it from or bring it to a local one.

So for annual service on a BC or reg you would mail it back to the on line store? Aqua Lung and Suunto will not warranty anything sold on line so stores will not honor the warranty. Of course as you mentioned you may bring the item to an authorized dealer and claim it was a gift or something.....Suunto comes to mind because a person I know purchased a Suunto computer, at a good price, on line. The computer malfunctioned in some fashion and he brought it to a LDS and when asked where he had gotten it he told them on line. Suunto did repair it, but not as a warranty, I forget what it cost him, but it was not pretty...

 

[lairdb]

So for annual service on a BC or reg you would mail it back to the on line store?

Sure, why not? It's quicker, cheaper, and more dependable than the LDS.

Aqua Lung and Suunto will not warranty anything sold on line so stores will not honor the warranty.

That's their prerogative, as it's the informed buyer's prerogative to decide the warranty is worth less than the savings, or to decide to buy a more customer-friendly brand. (Your statements are only true for the U.S., incidentally, and in Suunto's case also only for dive instruments, but that's another matter.)

 

[Hoosier]

I agree with him. Why not?

How much do you know your LDS technician? Do you actually see their working on your gear? Most Rec. divers just used to leave the gear at the shop for the service. Could you figure out who actually worked on your gear? Don’t you imagine that it can be a sale person or uncertified DM or instructor and your LDS send your gear to somewhere you have never heard?

If you live in the small town in Mid-West where most residents even don't see the ocean (Scuba is considered as a odd sport), if your LDS sells at most one SP regulator every two month, if the local police guy works as a part time technician, if that technician makes boast of himself by arguing, “I am certified in nine brands' regulator service,” if your LDS technicians are confident of being skilled upgraded by simply attending on DEMA technical class, WILL YOU LET THEM TOUCH YOUR REGULATOR?


I am not sure why I want to send my SP regulator to DA Aquamaster.
I am not sure why I want to send my Apeks regulator to Joel Silverstein, TDL.
I am not sure why I want to send my all regulators to Larry/Joe, Scubatoys
I am not sure why I want to send my all regulators to the specialized technicians who I am introduced in CA, WA, NJ, or FL.

My point is, when you need an annual service/warranty service, most divers pick up the shop based on the reputation and experiences.

Please go figure!

Sure, why not? It's quicker, cheaper, and more dependable than the LDS.

That's their prerogative, as it's the informed buyer's prerogative to decide the warranty is worth less than the savings, or to decide to buy a more customer-friendly brand. (Your statements are only true for the U.S., incidentally, and in Suunto's case also only for dive instruments, but that's another matter.)

 

[kent_1848]

Unless the shop OWNER is the problem. I know a shop where most of the employees are great and it's the owner that needs to focus. At that shop if you want something ordered or done, ask the employees, not the owner. :11:

Same here, only at my LDS, there is only one employee to ask. The owner is in a bad position, if he is there, his mind is always on how to make more money. The employee knows the value of repeat customers much better than the owner!