D_O_H
Contributor
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.
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.