Which Scuba manufacturers do not restrict warranty to first time owners

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Craig66

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I was perusing eBay and came across a Oceanic GEO 2.0 that some poor guy had bought and never used. He was listing it as a new product. I realized that although he was correctly calling it new and never used that it would come to the new owner with a non existent warranty even though it was only purchased a few months prior. This is as Oceanic not only only applies the warranty to the first owner but makes you prove you are the first owner.

I came to the realization that not only is that ridiculous and patently unfair but that it seems that for the most part it is a policy that is practiced by most scuba manufacturers. The warranty is to protect the purchaser for defects in manufacture that might only come out after sale. If you purchase a car the warranty hold through multiple buyers. Why if I buy a geo from an individual after he bought it from a legitimate dealer, do I as the new owner lose out on the protection of a manufacturing defect.

Now we are not talking about grey market stuff here I am restricting my question to equipment bought by the original owners through an authorized dealer.

Can anyone tell me which manufacturers do not have this ridiculous rule and actually stand by their product. I think that going forward that is going to play a role in deciding purchases for myself.
 
I doubt if you will find a transferable warranty anywhere in scuba retail merchandise.

Why would an industry that does all it can to negate the value of used gear ever consider such a feature?
 
Awap, Why have we found this to be acceptable? Why has a diver friendly company not been able to rise and flourish. It would seem that with most of the dive manufacturers being "me too" manufacturers that one that showed it was consumer friendly would actually flourish so that outfits like scuba pro could silently die away.
 
If you purchase a car the warranty hold through multiple buyers. Why if I buy a geo from an individual after he bought it from a legitimate dealer, do I as the new owner lose out on the protection of a manufacturing defect.
You didn't pay $10K for the Geo...and if you bought certified pre-owned, you paid for that also, either up-front or hidden in the price.

I'm sure if divers were willing to pay $50 for secondary warranty coverage - and ship the product to the mfr. for re-certification - some of them might offer it...

How would the mfr. know what that individual did with it after he bought it. Maybe he left it in the trunk for a week. Maybe he lives here (Phoenix) where in the summer that can get to 150+ degrees. I wouldn't warranty that either.

I realized that although he was correctly calling it new and never used
I completely disagree. Once it left the shop/seller it's used. Their shop won't take it back as new since they can't legally re-sell it as such so wh a different expectation for the manufacturer?

As it is now, I know of no one that does. Even LeisurePro's non-factory warranty only applies to the original purchaser. In their case for Aqualung products only.

I have a never seen the water, never had a port plug removed - 1st stage that I bought from Scubatoys - it had sat in their display case and since it was a Rezort pony reg - likely not handled very much. Scubatoys sold it to me as used/demo correctly. Even though they also sent the paperwork so I could register it.
 
I doubt if you will find a transferable warranty anywhere in scuba retail merchandise.

My Bare drysuit has a seam warranty that goes with the owner. . .

We take our commitment to product quality seriously. Our drysuits in particular are legendary for their durability and longevity with many of our customers getting a full lifetime of use out of their BARE drysuit before passing it on to a friend or family member. This has allowed us to offer something that no other drysuit manufacturer has been able to do: a LIFETIME GUARANTEE on seams and workmanship. Much more than a warranty, BARE is the first and only drysuit manufacturer to offer a LIFETIME GUARANTEE. Except for normal wear and tear, misuse or negligence, BARE will honor all claims against seams and workmanship for the life of the drysuit worldwide. Even if you're not the original owner, you're covered.
 
The scuba market is very much a bizarre place. I have found that many times it is the shops that the companies rely on to help the customer and isolate the manufactures from dealing with the customers that use that if you didn't buy it from us we don't want to deal with you. So if you are going to buy from eBay or the swap meet or where ever be aware that it may be impossible to get any service not to mention once something like a computer is out of the factory most of the time there won't be any fixing it anyway even if you get the manufacturer to admit it has a problem under warranty it is cheaper to replace it than try to work it.
Case in point I recently sold a reg set to a friend this was a set I as the first owner bought at a dive shop legally following all the rules and sold in good faith to my friend. She took the regs in to the local dive shop for a service and tune up and before they had even longer at the regs the owner attempted to claim that he was going to have to charge her more than the reg was worth new just for the service kit for an annual service because she hadn't purchased gear from them until she got ready to tell him to pound sand then suddenly the tune changed.
 
You didn't pay $10K for the Geo...and if you bought certified pre-owned, you paid for that also, either up-front or hidden in the price.

I'm sure if divers were willing to pay $50 for secondary warranty coverage - and ship the product to the mfr. for re-certification - some of them might offer it...

How would the mfr. know what that individual did with it after he bought it. Maybe he left it in the trunk for a week. Maybe he lives here (Phoenix) where in the summer that can get to 150+ degrees. I wouldn't warranty that either.

I completely disagree. Once it left the shop/seller it's used. Their shop won't take it back as new since they can't legally re-sell it as such so wh a different expectation for the manufacturer?

As it is now, I know of no one that does. Even LeisurePro's non-factory warranty only applies to the original purchaser. In their case for Aqualung products only.

I have a never seen the water, never had a port plug removed - 1st stage that I bought from Scubatoys - it had sat in their display case and since it was a Rezort pony reg - likely not handled very much. Scubatoys sold it to me as used/demo correctly. Even though they also sent the paperwork so I could register it.

Steve there is a huge difference between buying a product in which the warranty has expired naturally and then a company offering a secondary warranty versus buying a product that is still under warranty and expecting the company to fullfill its obligations to any owner within the warranty period.

If I buy a toyota with a 3 year warranty and after a year I sell it to you, you will still have a full two year warranty on that toyota as the new and second owner. You do not have to pay for secondary coverage or worry that you won't have coverage at all.

As to your question as to what the diver did with it and whether they abused it or not that is irrelevant as far as a second owner is concerned. Firstly either owner could have abused it but more importantly all warrantees exclude willful damage and abuse. That has nothing to do with who the owner is and how many there have been.

As far as leaving the shop and becoming used that likewise is not correct. All stores will allow anything from a two week to 120 day return policy where if it is unused and unaltered it can be fully returned.

---------- Post added November 10th, 2014 at 10:14 PM ----------

The scuba market is very much a bizarre place. I have found that many times it is the shops that the companies rely on to help the customer and isolate the manufactures from dealing with the customers that use that if you didn't buy it from us we don't want to deal with you. So if you are going to buy from eBay or the swap meet or where ever be aware that it may be impossible to get any service not to mention once something like a computer is out of the factory most of the time there won't be any fixing it anyway even if you get the manufacturer to admit it has a problem under warranty it is cheaper to replace it than try to work it.
Case in point I recently sold a reg set to a friend this was a set I as the first owner bought at a dive shop legally following all the rules and sold in good faith to my friend. She took the regs in to the local dive shop for a service and tune up and before they had even longer at the regs the owner attempted to claim that he was going to have to charge her more than the reg was worth new just for the service kit for an annual service because she hadn't purchased gear from them until she got ready to tell him to pound sand then suddenly the tune changed.

Warren, your point very much speaks to another thread ongoing as to the future of LDS. I think that the typical LDS had a "you need us more than we need you" approach to their customers and most of us have had to put up with ****ty service and attitudes at some point in our hobby. Where stores like DRIS and LP excel is the fact that they are breaking out of those molds and as consumers we are starting to appreciate that we don't need to put up with poor attitudes. I do believe that like the retailers, that if a manufacturer would address some of the needs of the divers that it would win out as long as the quality was decent. I myself will not buy scuba pro based on their customer approach.
 
OK, you're right and I'm wrong...:shakehead:

This Toyota you're selling me after a year - is that a new car still? No it's a used car.

The reason I don't have to worry about the warranty is because you already paid for it - and also the right to transfer it to me.

That's not exactly the same thing as providing secondary warranty coverage on a $400 computer. Slight difference in the profit margin...:wink:

In this forever-declining competitive scuba market don't you think someone would be offering this if it made any financial sense?

I'm out, this conversation is too ridiculous to continue. Debating it here endlessly won't change a thing...
 
That's not exactly the same thing as providing secondary warranty coverage on a $400 computer. Slight difference in the profit margin...

I'm out, this conversation is too ridiculous to continue. Debating it here endlessly won't change a thing...

I think I understand what you are trying to say. For a $400 computer the profit margin allows me as the only user to make use of the warranty for a full two years but not me for one year and the next owner for one year. RIGHT ???? RIGHT !!!! RIGHT I GOT IT !!!!Okay that makes logical sense... Thanks for explaining it to me. I guess we are just lucky that $400 allows enough profit margin to allow any warranty.

And by the way it is not secondary coverage. It is completion of the original coverage.


Actually debating might change a thing. When the consumer gets fed up and starts looking elsewhere then the someone has to take notice...
 
Awap, Why have we found this to be acceptable? Why has a diver friendly company not been able to rise and flourish. It would seem that with most of the dive manufacturers being "me too" manufacturers that one that showed it was consumer friendly would actually flourish so that outfits like scuba pro could silently die away.

There are many things about scuba gear manufacturers and retailers that I dislike but their warranties are not one of them. It is good to have a warranty for a short time to catch manufacturing defects and errors. After that, the biggest problem is user errors which are not covered anyway. Since I buy mostly used gear, the lack of a transferable warranty just works to bring the price down. The used gear prices I typically pay are in the range of 10% to 50% of new prices. A transferable warranty would just cost me more. And it would reduce new gear sales for the mfgr/retailer. "Lifetime" warranties are more of a sales gimmick than a worthwhile feature.
 

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