Beware of Leisure Pro - bad experience buying a regulator

[RaginCajun]

I suppose it's my fault for expecting too much from LP. I was ticked off to have received a product that failed quickly, but more disappointed that LP said ooops, its been more than 30 days since it left our shop so go see the manufacturer we've washed our hands. We are a cheap intermediate between a MFG and you. What you save from going to your LDS you pay in inconvenience and no support structure for "service".

Given that the failure was so quick the only thing that would have made me really happy was for LP to take it back and send me a new one.

As far as the item being used, I can see objecting to accept a return on an item was used and then returned for poor fit. But an item that fails within a short period of time feels different to me.

I'll be more careful from now on about what I buy online and be more vigilant about knowing exactly what the warranty, return and overall service policy is before I buy.

It is fair to say that one should not expect to get much more than a reference to a MFG's website or phone number from a warehouse distributor and this is what you sacrifice for lower prices.

 

[hypertech]

Your expectations are unrealistic. You had it for quite a while and used it several times. It needed warranty service and they got you warranty service by being an authorized dealer for that brand.

Had you bought it from a LDS, 2% of the time, the LDS would hand you a rental reg to use while they send it in for repair or fix it themselves. 98% of the time, they will send it in exactly like you did except that it would have sat in their office for a week before sending it out and you'll have to make a run to the store to pick it up instead of having it returned to your door step.

 

[Crush]

I suppose it's my fault for expecting too much from LP. I was ticked off to have received a product that failed quickly, but more disappointed that LP said ooops, its been more than 30 days since it left our shop so go see the manufacturer we've washed our hands. We are a cheap intermediate between a MFG and you. What you save from going to your LDS you pay in inconvenience and no support structure for "service".

Given that the failure was so quick the only thing that would have made me really happy was for LP to take it back and send me a new one.

As far as the item being used, I can see objecting to accept a return on an item was used and then returned for poor fit. But an item that fails within a short period of time feels different to me.

I'll be more careful from now on about what I buy online and be more vigilant about knowing exactly what the warranty, return and overall service policy is before I buy.

It is fair to say that one should not expect to get much more than a reference to a MFG's website or phone number from a warehouse distributor and this is what you sacrifice for lower prices.

Like you, RaginCajun, I have spent about $2000 at LP in the last while. However I have not had a single problem.

What I saved on a set of regs (at LP relative to LDS price) would have almost paid for a second set of regs.

I am curious - how much did you save on your regs buying them at LP rather than at your LDS? I bet that it more than made up for the inconvenience of shipping them to the manufacturer.

 

[Marek K]

disappointed that LP said ooops, its been more than 30 days since it left our shop so go see the manufacturer we've washed our hands.

What do you mean, "more than 30 days since it left our shop"?

I'm confused... You sent it back to LP... and what did they do then? Whom did they send it to for more than 30 days?

 

[Cougar281]

I agree that it sounds like a reasonable experience. You needed warranty work, and with most things, warranty work is handled by the mfg, not the reseller. If you buy something at WalMart and it breaks while in the mfg warranty, you generally send it back to the mfg.

With all due respect, and I have nothing against LP, this is why I purchase my major equipment from my LDS. If I have a problem, I drop it off and it gets dealt with. I don't have to worry about shipping it off anywhere. I'd buy "mickey mouse" stuff (mask, fins, snorkel, wetsuit, gloves, etc) from LP, *IF* a substansial savings can be had over my LDS, but anything major (Regs, BC, Computer) WILL be from my LDS, but then they treat me welll.

 

[vladimir]

duplicate post

 

[vladimir]

After spending over $2500 with Leisure Pro in the last few years I've finally had my first taste of disappointment.

I purchased an Aeris ION regulator and it developed a chatter after about 5 dives. Initial diagnosis from a dive shop buddy is that the IP pressure needs an adjustment. Simple enough right?

Leisure Pro is an authorized Aeris dealer and the equipment carries a full warranty, but after having the regulator in hand for less than 30 days, LP washed their hands clean and told me to take it up with Aeris.

Aeris on the other hand have been very nice to deal with and readily gave me an RMA number and said they'd take care of it. The reg is in the mail and I expect a better experience from Aeris than Leisure Pro. Hopefully I'm right.

Moral of the story - read the fine print and don't buy from LP if you need top notch service & support. Not bad for pulling items off the shelf in the warehouse quickly, but not much service beyond that.

What's the difference to you between mailiing it to Aeris or mailing it to LeisurePro? Or is it a question of attitude? I would be a little peeved if they said, "Not our problem," but I'd be okay with, "Mail it to Aeris."

Whenever we have LeisurePro-bashing threads here we get a bevy of posts cautioning us that "you only get a LeisurePro warranty, not a manufacturer's warranty." Now it seems you're upset that you got a manufacturer's warranty, rather than LeisurePro's.

I agree that it sounds like a reasonable experience. You needed warranty work, and with most things, warranty work is handled by the mfg, not the reseller. If you buy something at WalMart and it breaks while in the mfg warranty, you generally send it back to the mfg.

With all due respect, and I have nothing against LP, this is why I purchase my major equipment from my LDS. If I have a problem, I drop it off and it gets dealt with. I don't have to worry about shipping it off anywhere.

If warranty work gets done by the manufacturer, what are you paying the LDS premium for? To do the shippping for you?

 

[RaginCajun]

What do you mean, "more than 30 days since it left our shop"?

I'm confused... You sent it back to LP... and what did they do then? Whom did they send it to for more than 30 days?

About the 30 days. Sorry I should have clarified. The regulators were in hand <30 days, although the invoice date was ~32 days at the time of the call (transit time). Being nit-picky about this detail was annoying. Never sent it in to LP, called for RMA and they refused to take it back.

Bottom line is not to expect much from LP in terms of service & support other than being able to exchange a pair of booties, a wetsuit or mask because it didn't fit.

The savings were appreciable. I think it was at least $100 cheaper than at an LDS, but don't quote me because my LDS really only reps Scuba Pro.

 

[Cougar281]

What's the difference to you between mailiing it to Aeris or mailing it to LeisurePro? Or is it a question of attitude? I would be a little peeved if they said, "Not our problem," but I'd be okay with, "Mail it to Aeris."

Whenever we have LeisurePro-bashing threads here we get a bevy of posts cautioning us that "you only get a LeisurePro warranty, not a manufacturer's warranty." Now it seems you're upset that you got a manufacturer's warranty, rather than LeisurePro's.

If warranty work gets done by the manufacturer, what are you paying the LDS premium for? To do the shippping for you?

Couple of points: as one person posted, they can give me a loaner to use while my equipment is being serviced, and in the case of regs and BC's, since they're an authorized service center for Scubapro, they can fix or adjust regs or BC's onsite, or order me a new one if needed. With my Mk17/A700 regs, LP's price difference would not have saved me enough to justify getting the regs from them over my LDS. The same goes for the Luna I'm looking to purchase next.

 

[vladimir]

Couple of points: as one person posted, they can give me a loaner to use while my equipment is being serviced, and in the case of regs and BC's, since they're authorized service centers for Scubapro, they can fix or adjust regs or BC's onsite, or order me a new one if needed. With my Mk17/A700 regs, LP's price difference would not have saved me enough to justify getting the regs from them over my LDS. The same goes for the Luna I'm looking to purchase next.

Yeah, there's nothing wrong with paying for extra service. It's like flying business class: coach will get you there a lot cheaper, but if you have the money to burn, why not make life easy on yourself? I assume your profile is not correct (0-24 dives). I don't dive frequently enough for a couple of weeks without a reg to be a problem, and since they get serviced every two years it's easy to schedule servicing wtihout any inconvenience. I have never needed to adjust my regulators or BCs, apart from the bi-annual service, but if you need those services, great. I actually did purchase my regulators from local dive shops in NYC, Pan Aqua and Village Divers, because they weren't available at LP at the time. If I'd been a little bit more patient, I could have bought three Atomic M1s for the price I paid for two, and then I'd have my own loaner regulator in case I ever needed it.