DSS and Scubatoys good, Leisurepro not-so-good - Customer Service Experiences

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D_O_H

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Location
San Francisco, CA
I recently had almost all of my gear stolen and am trying to replace it all by this weekend. I bought a bunch of stuff earlier this week from a few different sources, which has provided me with a pretty good perspective on the different levels of customer service offered by several different places. I thought I'd share my experiences:

Deep Sea Supply:

Items bought: steel backplate, 30 lb. singles wing, hog harness.

The good: outstanding product, shipped immediately and arrived early, good prices.

The not-as-good: the guy I spoke to on the phone (not Tobin) wasn't super-friendly. I wanted to chat a bit about wing sizes and whether a plate weight would be a good idea and he didn't seem terribly enthusiastic to talk to me about these things. He was also pretty non-commital about his ability to meet my Friday deadline, though they certainly did meet the deadline (ordered on Monday and in my hands by Wednesday with no extra shipping charges). I get the feeling the less-than-friendly service is not the norm, given what I've heard about DSS on the board.

I would definitely order from these guys again.

Leisurepro

Items bought: fins, overpriced spring straps, booties, other miscellany.

The good: broad selection, good prices.

The not-as-good:

Guy who took my order was clearly not a diver. Was polite and businesslike, which is fine I guess, though I'd rather get a fellow diver's opinion on things that I've never seen in person.

I told them I needed my stuff by today (4 business days after I ordered) and they said I'd need to pay significantly more for expedited shipping. I did. I received a cryptic e-mail from their Order Verification Department on Wednesday stating that my order had been "completed", but never got tracking info. I'm sitting at my desk right now, waiting for my leisurepro box to show up so I can leave for my dive trip. I have no idea whether it's actually going to come today. Leisurepro closed for the weekend today at 9 AM pacific time, so I can't find out for sure. If my package doesn't show up in the next few hours, I'm going to leave without it, have my secretary return it to sender and buy locally the stuff I tried to buy from LP.

Also, this was only a minor annoyance, but the person who took my order was pushing the "upsell" angle pretty hard. I knew exactly what I wanted. I told him what I wanted. I then had to sit through a few minutes of: Are you sure you don't need a nice carrying case? How about some rectractors to clip to your buoyancy vest? Mask defog? Cheap plastic safety sausage? I'd rather not have to go through this or at least have them be a little bit more sophisticated in their approach.

I will probably not do business with these guys again.

My LDS

Items Bought: Lead (can you believe someone stole my lead?), weight belt, some save-a-dive kit contents and other odds and ends.

The good: about .25 miles from my office, can put hands on stuff before you buy it, satisfaction of supporting local business.

The bad: relatively expensive, limited selection, not geared toward my diving demographic.

I will probably continue to buy only things that don't make sense to buy online from these guys.

Divetank

Items bought: drysuit and undies.

The good: outstanding deal, great customer service, good selection. I was thinking a drysuit was something I'd have to buy locally, but talking to Richard changed my mind on that. He walked me through getting my measurements and talked knowledgeably about the pros, cons and likely fit of the suits I was considering. My suit isn't here yet, but I'm pretty confident it's going to fit well and be just what I want.

The bad: it's taking a few weeks to get my suit, but that's DUI's fault, not Divetank's (I think). They've had good communication about the delays, so I don't mind diving in my old wetsuit for a few weeks while I wait.

I hope I don't need another drysuit anytime soon, but I would gladly buy it from Divetank if I did.

Scubatoys

Items bought: regs, SPG and computer.

The good: great prices, great selection (a lot more than just what's on the website), the very best customer service, fast shipping. A few examples of the great customer service:

(1) I sat down to setup my regs and computer last night - Scubatoys had already done it, including setting the computer's date and time for my timezone. Not a huge deal, but very thoughtful.

(2) I wanted to see the difference in size between a couple of computers. Larry grabbed them, put them on his wrist and showed me the difference using their snazzy new webcam.

(3) My items were shipped and I had tracking info within an hour of my order. This wasn't due to a special request - it's just how they usually do it. I also was charged less than Larry had estimated for shipping (I think they just pass through actual shipping costs).

The not-so-good: I sometimes have a bit of trouble finding stuff on their website, but it's a minor gripe.

I will definitely do business with them again.

And that's it! Feel free to add your experiences if you'd like.
 
Leisurepro drives me nuts. I had an order sent to my inlaw's house a couple summers ago, and I had to fax a copy of my driver's license to them as part of the "order verification".

Originally, they wanted a copy of my inlaw's driver's license, and a utility bill with their name and address on it.

Screw that! Talked them into just taking my info, no reason to harass the folks...

To their credit, I've only had to do this once... but still, I've never been hassled to that extent when placing an order, even with alternate shipping addresses.

-Brandon.
 
You've pretty much had the same experiences as I have. The only company that I haven't done business with is divetank.
 
DOH, sorry about your stolen gear. I hope you had insurance!

I bought a D9 from Divetank as did 2 of my buddies. Richard is great for customer service, only downside is the shipping. It takes a while due to the fact that it must clear US customs since Divetank is in Canada. Minor downside since their prices are very competitive.

Scubatoys and Larry in particular ROCK! Larry definitely has my business whenever I am in need of major gear purchases. Yes, shipping is not marked up and they are good at sending out your invoice and shipment tracking info. I bought a Zeagle ZX-Flathead VI and a set of Apollo fins with SS straps. Excellent communication throughout the purchase.

Hope your LP box shows up!!
 
jetfixer:
Richard is great for customer service, only downside is the shipping. It takes a while due to the fact that it must clear US customs since Divetank is in Canada. Minor downside since their prices are very competitive.

Stuff that's made in Canada (like Bare drysuits) has to be shipped from Canada, which sucks. Other things (like the DUI drysuit I ordered) can be shpped drectly from their store in Washington. I'll have my drysuit the day after DUI gets done making it - it's just taking a while for DUI to make it.

And no sign of my LP box as of 2:17 PST!
 
I am lucky enough to live within an hour of Scubatoys. Larry is great, but so are the other assistants working there. I agree that there are items on hand that are not on the website. Overall those guys are great!
 
Yeah Larry rocks, my friend and I are most likely gonna call tomorrow to order some BC's, computer, and a reg & octo. Speaking with Larry has always been Awesome! and I haven't even spent a dime yet!!
 
I'll echo the Leisurepro story. They are OK if you can wait and if you don't have to talk to them on the phone. I just had a bad experience with Divetank after 3 previous good experiences. I ordered a wetsuit for an upcoming trip and it has taken over a month to get here well it is not here yet but I was told that it finally shipped on Wednesday. Maybe it is Bare's fault since their customer service reputation is poor. So I guess 3 out of 4 isn't bad but I think next time I am going to give Scubatoys a try. YMMV.
 
As always Scubatoys is great, nothing but great things about them and the sales people. I recently purchased a Zeagle Escape BC and was worried about the fit. They asked me to do a couple of Measurments and it fits great. Plus with the new BC I dropped 6 lbs off(Previous Jacket Style BC). Love the BC also and it was delivered in three days. Can not say enough about ScubaToys I will continue to give them my business.

Rick
 
Leisure Pro: 4 or 5 assorted orders of accesories and a few non critical fit items like fins one size up in a style I owned to use with drysuit boots. All orders shipped as promissed. Needed to make 1 return. I had my original invoice but they automatically sent me a PDF of it to use. No hassel. Prompt credit. I will continue to use them. 1-2 day delivery NY to ME. Typical to very good prices for the items I've shopped there.

SCUBATOYS, 1 order, prompt, pleasant, SB discount, 4-5 days shipping from TX to ME. If it's a fit I'll go there.

DIVETANK, 1 order, 2 items, Bare reset delivery several times. Good service, good communication, great prices. They eased the pain of the delays a bit by including some premium shipping at N/C Vancouver BC to ME took a full week with premium shipping. Asside from logistics a good experience. PG Dive will compete and they are in driving distance or 1 day UPS.

DSS, 1 small order so far, OK service, nice premium stuff. Prompt.

DiveRite Express, 2 or 3 orders, has also been prompt and a good accessory source.

All in all no hassels with any of them. They make the LDSs work for their share. Biggest apeal is convenience, not price. After a weekend of diving I can decide I want something, find it and order during Monday breakfast and I have it for the next weekend, click, click, click.

Pete
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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