Watch out for a Swindle

[saffa33]

If you are doing a Multiple Dive Course, make sure to get a Breakdown of the prices in Writing or Email - Thanks for the Swindle - Easy Divers - Cyprus. Paid up to MSDT and got OWSI

If this has happened to anybody else..... Let everybody know before they make the same mistake

[OldNSalty]

Don't you watch Judge Judy? Always get it in writting or an email.

[300bar]

Did you get intouch with the company afterwards.
Easy Divers is a reasonable good company in my book.

btw might have been nice if you 1st filled out your profile,before starting your "whine"

[300bar]

2 identical threads merged.
No double posting please.
Thank you

[TheScubaBOB]

As I understand it the difference is that MSDT can teach 5 specialties.

Being the consumer, did you make sure that you met the requirements for this?

Have you contacted the Dive Op and asked them why you don't have the desired rating?

[OldNSalty]

Curious - How much did you pay an dwhat did you understand that to include vs what you got. I would like to hear the details.

[saffa33]

Did you get intouch with the company afterwards.
Easy Divers is a reasonable good company in my book.

btw might have been nice if you 1st filled out your profile,before starting your "whine"

Just finished with that..... If the picture goes throught.... Cyprus has pretty slow internet

[saffa33]

Curious - How much did you pay an dwhat did you understand that to include vs what you got. I would like to hear the details.

Paid €3000 excluding IDC crew pack and was told everything else was included in the package. This was after I supplied a COMPLETE list of things I would be bringing with me

However when I got there..... low and behold, I had to buy manuals and items of kit if I wanted to complete my courses.

Outraged to say the least.... was informed a month into it that I would only get MSDT prep which was not completed either

[saffa33]

Don't you watch Judge Judy? Always get it in writting or an email.

I have this information on another laptop in England which I will be forwarding to PADI QA as soon as I get back that side.

I have read through all the requirements and have seen what I should have got

[saffa33]

As I understand it the difference is that MSDT can teach 5 specialties.

Being the consumer, did you make sure that you met the requirements for this?

Have you contacted the Dive Op and asked them why you don't have the desired rating?

MSDT has 5 specialities they can teach and have 25 Certs to their name

[300bar]

Easy Divers Cyprus has been invited to join this thread

[Joe-Diver]

Easy Divers Cyprus has been invited to join this thread

:popcorn:

[Easy Divers Cyprus]

[QUOTE=saffa33;4622877]

[Joe-Diver]

:popcorn::coke:

[MarineResearch]

Sounds like saffa33 needs to put another dollar in to complete his desired training on his own dime (or in his case shillings).

[saffa33]

More of the Story

I requested a price on an internship.

I was AOW and wanted to go EFR to MSDT. I gave them a complete list of the Equipment I would be bringing with me.

I asked for an all inclusive price for everything I needed.
I was given a price of €3000 excluding IDC Crew Pack and was told all other items would be included.... Manuals, equipment etc etc

I did not receive the manuals required by PADI nor the equipment

From The Padi Instructor Manual -
Candidates must have a current version
of these required materials:
• PADI Divemaster Manual*
• RDP – all versions (table and
eRDPML including associated
Instructions for Use booklets)
• The Encyclopedia of Recreational
Diving
• Diving Knowledge Workbook
• Divemaster Slates
• Instructor Guides for programs
PADI Divemasters may conduct:
a. Discover Scuba Diving
b. Discover Snorkeling/Skin
Diver Course
c. Scuba Review/Discover Local Diving

Of this lot I got the Manual and had to pay for an eRDPml and told to buy the rest. To which I refused, as I had paid upfront for all of the items required.

I ended up with OWSI. After I had paid the cash when I got there, I was informed a month into the programme that I would only be getting MSDT PREP. I did 6 specialities (Instructor Level), which are questionable in the way they were done. For example, I have done 1 drysuit dive and have been signed off for Dry Suit Instructor by Easy Divers Course Director who is the person that took me for that dive.

My understanding of it is.... If I request Zero to Hero or Start to Divemaster, I don't get a Preparation for Divemaster.... It includes divemaster.

Doing a QA will not get me anything back.... I will continuously warn people against this kind of practice so that they don't get swindled out of money for trying to join this very large industry.

Name and Shame "Easy Divers - Cyprus" and any others that rip people off.

[saffa33]

did you get intouch with the company afterwards.
Easy divers is a reasonable good company in my book.

Btw might have been nice if you 1st filled out your profile,before starting your "whine"

done....

[TheScubaBOB]

I don't know, you bought a Zero to Hero program and now are nit-picking it?

Seems to me if you really are in it for the Love of diving you'd preferred to have gone the long road which would have been at a normal pace and taken one step at a time.

[Aquapro Dive Services]

Not too sure exactly what happened to you, but sounds like you were not awre of materials required, and were under the impression that the dive centre would be supplying them.Correct?
If so, then maybe a lack of communication and worth persuing.
As a course director I always send out a package clearly explainig what materials are required for all teh courses.
Any materials you bought shoudl in fairness, been charged to you at members prices, as you can get them for virtually same price a a dive store.
as for the course exactly what did you do?
If you sat through a specialty course with a CD then you can teach that specialty without having 25 certifications. You still need 10 dives in that area as a pre requisite to start the course.

[D_B]

Easy Divers Cyprus has been invited to join this thread



Msdt prep
-

Last edited by Easy Divers Cyprus; August 11th, 2009 at 02:03 PM..
I find this kinda interesting

[Crowley]

My stock response to this sort of thing is: you spent 3000 euros and didn't know what you were getting?

On the other hand - I am aware this sort of thing happens - information is hidden in small print and terms and conditions. My stock response to that is - what - you didn't read them!?

I don't know Easy Divers so can't comment on them specifically - but if you have it in writing that they promised you x, y and z but you didn't even get a, b and c, then I think yes, you have been shortchanged and have a complaint to make.

The problem is: to whom do you complain? PADI/NAUI/SDI/SSI/PPP/Insert Agency Name Here? How individual shops market their courses is down to the individual shop. If they have violated standards in some way then a QA is worth looking at. But if you just feel you got ripped off by a dive centre in a foreign country, then that's a trading standards issue, in which case you need to file your complaint with the local version of "government".

I'm sorry the OP feels hard done by - and this may be the case - there are still, sadly, plenty of "cowboy" operators out there. Potential dive instructor interns: Research what you are doing, what you are getting yourself into, where you are going and what you are getting for your money.

Thanks for sharing the info - I have popcorn waiting for the follow ups!

C.

[saffa33]

My stock response to this sort of thing is: you spent 3000 euros and didn't know what you were getting?

On the other hand - I am aware this sort of thing happens - information is hidden in small print and terms and conditions. My stock response to that is - what - you didn't read them!?

I don't know Easy Divers so can't comment on them specifically - but if you have it in writing that they promised you x, y and z but you didn't even get a, b and c, then I think yes, you have been shortchanged and have a complaint to make.

The problem is: to whom do you complain? PADI/NAUI/SDI/SSI/PPP/Insert Agency Name Here? How individual shops market their courses is down to the individual shop. If they have violated standards in some way then a QA is worth looking at. But if you just feel you got ripped off by a dive centre in a foreign country, then that's a trading standards issue, in which case you need to file your complaint with the local version of "government".

I'm sorry the OP feels hard done by - and this may be the case - there are still, sadly, plenty of "cowboy" operators out there. Potential dive instructor interns: Research what you are doing, what you are getting yourself into, where you are going and what you are getting for your money.

Thanks for sharing the info - I have popcorn waiting for the follow ups!

C.

No small print to talk about. I was in direct conversation with the dive centre CD.
I have record of all of this but I have been told by a good few people now that doing a QA is not going to get anything done.

There was also no Foreign Language to confuse issues..... He is a Brit Expat working in Cyprus.

Standards/Requirements broken...... There are a few. Proof is there too.

What PADI will do about it..... Sadly, I don't think anything.
I have been on about 20 Forums with only bad results. They (Course Directors) pay a lot bigger money in every year than we do.... How could they fall fowl.

:popcorn: