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Leisure pro gets Scubapro items from grey market sources and then sells them with a leisure pro warranty rather than a Scubapro warranty as they are not an authorized Scubapro dealer.
I still highly doubt Scubapro is going to allow authorized on-line sales as doing so would do serious damage to their dealer network even if they made major changes to allow local dealers to engage in on-line, mail order and internet sales with much deeper discounts than are now allowed.
I think there is a greater chance that Larry is just in the process of ending a Scubapro dealership and is liquidating stock.
Yes, I think they will be the last biggie to change -- but I also think the change is inevitable. Every time I look, I find new leaks in their system. Many are European sources which often require double shipping, aber Ich habe eine freund auf Deuchland. I think it is about time for SP USA to start selling the "part-for-life" agreement seperate from the basic reg and its warrenty. That might allow for price competition without undermining established authorized dealers.
I wish Larry would chime in here. I suspect he is doing well enough with other brands that don't limit his business model that he really doesn't need Scubapro any more. But I'll bet he has made arrangements to refer warrenty work to another area shop rather than just abandon his SP customers. I get the impression that the shops in the Dallas area are reasonably cooperative.
And I think you hit a bulls-eye on the MO service drivers. Reliable, reasonably priced, quality service that has the customer's confidence is the way to go.
Watching what is an ongoing movement, I am going to purchase my own compressor as I don't think the LDSs are going to last. If a Ranger costs a dealer $400, and LP forces them to sell for $449, how can they stay in business keeping stock and staff available on demand and the overhead of a store.
Think WalMart in a small town...
Watching what is an ongoing movement, I am going to purchase my own compressor as I don't think the LDSs are going to last. If a Ranger costs a dealer $400, and LP forces them to sell for $449, how can they stay in business keeping stock and staff available on demand and the overhead of a store.
Think WalMart in a small town...
That's the other side of the argument that most people don't mention.
Everybody wants low prices and bashes LDS's for charging more than large volume on-line retailers like Leisure pro, but then no one is going to want the lower level of customer service, lack of local repair options or a loss of the other shop associated services such as instruction, equipment rental, dive trips and the ability to try equipment on before buying it. Not to mention no available air.
Personally, my family is committed firmly enough to diving that we would invest the money in a comperssor and small casade system to meet our needs, but many divers would just cease all local diving.
ok .... how many of us have driven out of town to buy a new car ? If the same product (car or regulator) is cheaper down the road then most Americans are going to go find it .... maybe that's one reason so many American jobs have gone south due to low labor costs and Wal Mart sells so much stuff. I wouldn't be surprise to see a second or third rate scuba company selling equipment at your local Wal Mart store in the next couple of years ...
Leisure pro gets Scubapro items from grey market sources and then sells them with a leisure pro warranty rather than a Scubapro warranty as they are not an authorized Scubapro dealer.
I remember hearing/reading? that scubapro wa ssuing LP for selling a bcd that had a scubapro logo on it but was not scubapro..seems lp had a company make knockoffs..
I also did a annual on a supposedly Aqualung micra regulator and when I had it apart the parts looked funny..The pin in the 2nd stage that holds the demand lever in place was rusted/pitted almost gone..never happened before on any other aqualung regulator I've seen..maybe this is another knockoff..
guy came into the store with a broken bcd,broken at the fitting where the bcd is connected to the corrugated hose-was a sherwood..When i asked him where he got it he said LP..took the same model off the wall and showed him how thick the plastic is on a REAL bcd from the manufacturer and compared it to his very thin plastic one..again another knockoff?? He broke it by simply pulling the assembly to dump the air..good thing he was not in the water at the time..