*&^$ PADI PIC envelope!

[mstevens]

Last autumn we bought the PADI "Adventures in Diving Crew Pack" for our son. Since then he's done an "adventure dive" or two when we go on a trip. For our upcoming trip to Cozumel, he planned to do his deep dive and complete his AOW. While arranging this with the instructor in Coz, the instructor very helpfully pointed out that we'd need the hologram sticker from the book ("to prove you bought something" was his take) in order for PADI to accept the application and issue the card. Problem was, the "crew pack" didn't come with any stickers. My wife phoned PADI and was informed that we could pick up a "PIC envelope" from the shop before we left and they would accept the application using that. She drove to the "local" dive shop (about 40 miles away) and had to pay $25 for the envelope! This is the same shop from which we'd purchased the "crew pack" in the first place. PADI told us they couldn't mail us a sticker or "PIC envelope" or exchange the course materials we'd bought last autumn.

I can see no reason for all this rigamarole other than to force duplicate or unnecessary purchases. There was no time limit stated for completing the "adventure dives" toward AOW when we bought the silly kit in the first place, but it's only been 8 months. You'd think it would make sense to allow more time and more dives before issuing an AOW cert., anyway. My son certainly could have met all the requirements in a few days of diving last autumn if we'd so chosen, but we thought stretching it out made more sense.

We're grateful the instructor pointed this out when he did. He certainly could've let us arrive then forced us to purchase duplicate course materials. Does this whole thing sound bogus to anyone except me?

 

[hlsooner]

I am in complete and total shock that PADI would put the almighty dollar ahead of meeting the needs of their students.

 

[Doc]

....the instructor very helpfully pointed out that we'd need the hologram sticker from the book...... Problem was, the "crew pack" didn't come with any stickers.

I think that lengthy story could have been boiled down to the above.

So, at some point or the other, the hologram sticker (a proof of purchase device that you bought) disappeared. Is that what you are saying?

 

[deepblueme]

As far as I know a Crew Pack never came with a PIC those were always provided by the certifing Instructor and figured into the cost of his course.

 

[akscubainst]

It's my understanding that the only crew paks with stickers are those sold by PADI Central America?? I know that PADI US crew paks don't come with them. Why doesn't the Instructor in Coz do the Pic online?

DM

 

[Steve R]

I am in complete and total shock that PADI would put the almighty dollar ahead of meeting the needs of their students.

While I entirely agree with your analysis of the Padi system as you see it, I think to help the OP here we should state whether they knew it or not, whether it's bogus treatment or not, this is how Padi operates with respect to their material.

There is a time limit on courses (kinda sorta, I'll let others expand here), also as stated PIC cards don't come with any manuals I've ever purchased, athough they may be included when paying for the course in most cases. These holograms are a new-ish thing and is still being worked out in some areas. They came about because it was pretty evident that books sales vs. PIC cards weren't lining up, which equalled revenue loss.

Divers at first do not know to ask the relevent questions, nor should they be expected to, I make the call that the instructors and shops should make it clear what is and is not included up front so there's no issues after the fact, or be prepared to eat it to keep the clientelle happy.

I agree with the OP about a certain amount of rigamarole with respect to padi classes, books, stickers etc. It's all about money, and only about the money. When somebody starts with the notion that this is no different than buying books for college or university, remind them that this is neither and isn't even close to such, and borrowing a copy, or sharing a copy is really all that is truly necessary at best, but understand this is not allowed by Padi because of the previous mentioned motives, and only because of these motives. BTW, how good would a 2-3 day university course be anyway? They cost real money because they are real courses (Well except for those basket weaving ones )

Just so you know, other agencies do not have all these annoying, some would say bogus rigamarole activities such as expensive books, RDP tables, wheels and sticker requirements, and you do have a choice in the matter. As far as required material is concerned, for given courses across the board, I haven't seen much more expensive stuff than Padi's. (As well as mere quantity of material required, which only serves to increase the fees paid to padi even more.) I think you're starting to get the larger picture here.

 

[mike_s]

It's my understanding that the only crew paks with stickers are those sold by PADI Central America?? I know that PADI US crew paks don't come with them. Why doesn't the Instructor in Coz do the Pic online?

DM

I think this is right.

I think it has to do something with "quality control" according to PADI. In reality, what it was there was problem with central america dive shops printing the PIC Envelope on their own instead of paying the $25 fee to get it from PADI.

PADI figured it out and makes them add the sticker, which is harder to duplicate, to the envelope from countries "south of the border"

Like you heard the instructor say this is "to prove you bought something".
or to make sure PADI got its money.

This really screws any customer from the US that buys their "crew pack" here and then does their dives below the border.

There is another thread on Scubaboard about this somewhere with a lot more details.

 

[Hemlon]

It's just awful.

 

[akscubainst]

Just so you know, other agencies do not have all these annoying, some would say bogus rigamarole activities such as expensive books, RDP tables, wheels and sticker requirements, and you do have a choice in the matter. As far as required material is concerned, for given courses across the board, I haven't seen much more expensive stuff than Padi's. (As well as mere quantity of material required, which only serves to increase the fees paid to padi even more.) I think you're starting to get the larger picture here.

The bottom line is that it is PADI INC. PADI is a business just like all of the others. The last time I checked, the general premise behind being a business was to make money. Some might even try to make a profit. Are PADI's materials more expensive? probably. I haven't priced other agencies material recently but I would guess that they are a little more expensive.

Just out of curosity, have you looked at the quality of PADI's materials in comparison of some of the others? Maybe there is a reason for that added expense.

 

[Tollie]

First, It is really poor all around that the OP was put through this.

Now, there are some queer things about this. First, if this was a "referral" that is the last Instructor received this student from other shops... than all that would seem to be needed would be to indicate on the PIC that it was a referral and the original shop identified. Second, I have never heard of a customer asked to buy a PIC directly. They are purchased by the shops or instructors and included in the final price. That is the last instructor should have issued the PIC and the cost of the PIC passed on to the the OP.

In my experience there has never been a problem with PADI accepting a cert for a student who has materials from up north... but clearly, whatever went on it has left a black mark.