Scuba Schools of America/Rusty Berry

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Lina77

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Location
San Fernando Valley, CA
I'd like to know if anyone else has had any negative dealings with Rusty Berry or Scuba Schools of America?

I was interested in learning to scuba dive but had my hesitations, especially with the cost. I met Rusty at a Travel Show in LA and after his orientation and telling me that its only about $400-600 to get certified, I decided to give it a try. Of course, that's before all the equipment he has you buy promising his Total Diving System is completely refundable if you don't like diving. I fell for it and was charged over $8000 for everything and he refuses to honor his work or his guarantee. He just claims I didn't finish the program but won't tell me what I didn't finish, just says I need more time in the pool.

If you have had any negative dealings or similar experiences, please send me a message, I'd love to talk to hear your story and compare notes.

Lina
 
I had one dealing with Rusty and it will be my last (he somehow managed to make something as simple as buying a mask into a nightmare experience). Not someone I will have anything to do with ever again.
 
$8000 for gear a class, I could teach a whole family and outfit them and include a vacation in Japan for less than that. I hope you used a credit card and can dispute the charge this is a total scam.
 
Can you elaborate?
 
That 8000 may very well have included a rebreather...or at least rebreather training. I didn't get my cert through Rusty because he was very pushy/coercive/condescending. In our "interview" he talked about the varying degrees of certification I should pursue, the necessity of a drysuit, getting drysuit certified as part of OW and even getting rebreather certified. I've mentioned the name "Rusty Berry" at several LDS's and have yet to hear anything other than disdain. I've even heard a story of a girl coming into a particular LDS in tears because of a bad Rusty Berry interaction. Needless to say, he is not someone I recommend doing business with in the slightest.
 
contest it! thats terrible!
 
Thats sad gives Scuba Diving a bad name he should find a other line of work.Maybe a used car salesman
 

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