Padi Fees

[mdb]

I am reasonably confident that the sum of the per unit allocation of the fixed costs and variable costs associated with producing a physical C-card will reflect a total cost per unit that is less than what PADI (or another agency) charges. So what? Doing such a transactional analysis is absolutely meaningless. All businesses – and PADI and other training agencies are businesses – have centers of cost and centers of revenue. And, those centers often do not directly align. Maintenance of an IT infrastructure is just one good example of a business cost center that often is not directly aligned with a revenue stream. Many successful businesses make no attempt to directly align all costs and charges because they recognize that doing so is almost an exercise in futility. Rather, they look for the easiest, least painful (to the customer) ways to generate revenue to offset those non-allocatable costs. Hospitals have done this for years, with their charges for medications (the $12 aspirin tablet). Manufacturers (equipment, appliances, automobiles, etc.) do it with replacement parts charges. There is nothing wrong with it. And, it is often a ‘charge what the market will bear’ approach, because not infrequently the market for the original product only marginally bears the charge to cover the cost of production and distribution - the market for the original product is driven in part by competition. The aftermarket may not always be.

I have seen similar arguments in SB threads regarding the costs of airfills. And, some posters rant that they could go out and buy a compressor and do their own fills for much less than the awful, obscene $8 (or $10, or whatever) that their greedy LDS dares to charge for filling a cylinder . A few do. The majority don’t, because they quickly realize that the ‘cost’ of having their own compressor is more than the acquisition cost of the compressor, it also includes maintenance of the compressor (material AND time) and charges for essential ‘useful life-limited’ parts (e.g. filters), and it involves allocating space for housing the compressor, etc. So, many opt to pay for the ‘convenience’ of taking their cylinders to a shop for filling.

I opt to pay for the convenience of having a training agency maintain my certification records, just in case I need that record. That payment comes though fees I pay for course materials, and the original cost of certification, and other products. As for C-cards, I believe we are moving beyond the era of physical certification cards, and I am not willing to pay for replacing one – it is completely unnecessary (at least for me) and I have not lost one yet (color me silly, but I actually pay attention to where I put things, and file things, and I keep track of my logbook, etc.). I am certainly not willing to pay for an e-card. But, just as I am not willing to pay for those items, I am also not willing to gripe and whine about the fees an agency may charge others for them. If you really, really want that physical c-card, and you lose yours, you should be willing to pay for it. And, you will pay more than the simple variable costs associated with producing it. It is just business, nothing personal.

Long answer to a simple question.

PADI makes a ton of money-ie: their latest sale price.

It is nothing personal.

Just a very profitable business.

 

[TMHeimer]

"Charge what the market will bear". Absolutely--that's what I want the companies my mutual funds invest in to do.
I only got "picky" on the card thing because it seemed the OP and others are knocking PADI for doing just that. So I was curious as to what a card or eCard really costs. I too don't really care, as I'm retired and couldn't give a hoot. But it's fodder for spending time on SB. The specific costs for making a card is of interest though. Anyone from PADI management want to comment?

 

[Storker]

As for C-cards, I believe we are moving beyond the era of physical certification cards, and I am not willing to pay for replacing one – it is completely unnecessary (at least for me)

Diff'rent folks, diff'rent strokes. Despite being completely dependent on computers both professionally and privately, I have a deep distrust in storing anything vital only on electronic media. I'm old enough to have done serious work in e.g. WordPerfect or MacWrite, and storing my stuff on 5 1/4" floppy discs (you know, real floppy disks). None of that is accessible now. Just as a much else of my old work, stored on backup tapes in obsolete formats. OTOH, the pictures of my grandparents are still perfectly accessible, since they're physical.

I still get my photos printed on real photo paper, I still buy CDs and DVDs/BDs, and I still print out important documents that I want to be sure I'll have in the future. And I still want my C-cards to be physical. Yes, I know. I'm a Luddite. But OTOH, if I lose my C-card and have to pay for a replacement, I won't whine at the cost for the new card unless it's approaching the cost of a new course.

 

[boulderjohn]

Diff'rent folks, diff'rent strokes. Despite being completely dependent on computers both professionally and privately, I have a deep distrust in storing anything vital only on electronic media. I'm old enough to have done serious work in e.g. WordPerfect or MacWrite, and storing my stuff on 5 1/4" floppy discs (you know, real floppy disks). None of that is accessible now. Just as a much else of my old work, stored on backup tapes in obsolete formats. OTOH, the pictures of my grandparents are still perfectly accessible, since they're physical.

I still get my photos printed on real photo paper, I still buy CDs and DVDs/BDs, and I still print out important documents that I want to be sure I'll have in the future. And I still want my C-cards to be physical. Yes, I know. I'm a Luddite. But OTOH, if I lose my C-card and have to pay for a replacement, I won't whine at the cost for the new card unless it's approaching the cost of a new course.

I am the same way. My first electronic dive log was a Suunto Cobra, accessed via a serial port connection. I abandoned that on some computer somewhere about 15 years ago. My SHearwaters can upload nicely, but I frankly don't bother. My dive log is a small three ring binder with blank pages I create by cutting sheets of paper in half.

 

[tridacna]

After all is said and done. it will be interesting to see if Mandarinfish gets rid of some of the accumulated dead wood that's around. My dealings with PADI suggest that there is a lot of that floating about Also, if they don't fix the antiquated system of paper sign ups using the Student File folders, I will not be happy. They must be the last big agency to do it the same way as was done in 1965.

 

[ljpm]

Profit of $40? Do you really think that the only cost is the plastic card?

Perhaps you should has asked if it was the only ADDITIONAL cost.

Landau stated that it includes the card blank, printer, printer ribbon, printer cleaning kits etc. They already have all the data on file. They do of course have to mail the card so add a couple dollars for that. Brings us up to what $6-10. Still a profit of over $40.

I had to get a replacement card for Costco on the week-end. Cost me a grand total of $0.00!
I also contacted SDI on the week-end asking if it was possible to transfer my certifications from Padi to SDI.

 

[Schwob]

I also contacted SDI on the week-end asking if it was possible to transfer my certifications from Padi to SDI.

That will be interesting. Let us know the outcome on that inquiry.

 

[TMHeimer]

Diff'rent folks, diff'rent strokes. Despite being completely dependent on computers both professionally and privately, I have a deep distrust in storing anything vital only on electronic media. I'm old enough to have done serious work in e.g. WordPerfect or MacWrite, and storing my stuff on 5 1/4" floppy discs (you know, real floppy disks). None of that is accessible now. Just as a much else of my old work, stored on backup tapes in obsolete formats. OTOH, the pictures of my grandparents are still perfectly accessible, since they're physical.

I still get my photos printed on real photo paper, I still buy CDs and DVDs/BDs, and I still print out important documents that I want to be sure I'll have in the future. And I still want my C-cards to be physical. Yes, I know. I'm a Luddite. But OTOH, if I lose my C-card and have to pay for a replacement, I won't whine at the cost for the new card unless it's approaching the cost of a new course.

Same here. I use paper log, Xerox each page and put the copies in the "fire box". House can burn down and I still got them. I've got suitcases full of audio cassettes, discs and drawers full of VHS tapes and even a big box of REEL To REEL tapes from the 70s. All of my band teacher concerts and my clarinet playing. I have machines to play all of this if I wish. Most of the tapes from the 80s and even 70s play like new (a few don't), so it's a myth that all tapes eventually degrade after a few years. I would imagine you could find something to play those floppy discs and other old stuff if you looked real hard and paid a fair bit. For Christmas I received some gadget (look like a Walkman) that you stick your audio cassette in and it records digitally to something else. Am waiting for the young folks to explain what I have to do....

 

[Colliam7]

Diff'rent folks, diff'rent strokes. . . . I still get my photos printed on real photo paper, I still buy CDs and DVDs/BDs, and I still print out important documents that I want to be sure I'll have in the future. And I still want my C-cards to be physical. Yes, I know. I'm a Luddite. But OTOH, if I lose my C-card and have to pay for a replacement, I won't whine at the cost for the new card unless it's approaching the cost of a new course.

Exactly!!! Thank you. It is a matter of personal choice. And, i suspect that you also do a good job of keeping track of important items, such as C-cards so the need to replace is rare.

And, I confess to being the Luddite in the wetsuit who still keeps a paper (only) logbook.

 

[Storker]

I confess to being the Luddite in the wetsuit

Luddite I can understand. Wetsuit? Not so much.