Newly certified, looking for gear... abroad?

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this is non sense. they can sell their products for whatever amount they want. the only restriction would be on an "advertised" price.

btw.....i feel your pain on costs. up here in canada we deal with this BS all the time on many different products. when it comes to scuba gear in particular, it depends on the brand. some brands are very good at setting prices that are fair while others can be half the cost or less across the border in the u.s.

Canadian divers have it a lot easier as they can just waltz across the border - when it’s open.
 
And so far no luck on getting lower prices in the US, the couple resellers I talked to said Scubapro locked the prices.
That would be clearly illegal in the US. It's not even a question. If they are really doing this, they have only gotten away with it because no one has felt it is worth their time to prosecute or sue them.

It's far more likely that their dealer agreements contain standard wording that conforms to the law, but their reps have made it clear that they'll be punished if they actually assert their rights under the agreement.

This is SOP for ScubaPro. They invented the concept of high margin products sold only through full service dive shops and did their best to squash anyone who wouldn't go along. They made at least an arguably reasonable claim that this was good for the sport at the beginning of scuba when most gear was sold to uncertified divers through magazine adverts and sporting goods stores, but once certification became universally accepted it was just about protecting their margins.

Why reward this behavior? There is nothing they offer in new gear that can't be matched by other manufacturers.
 
That would be clearly illegal in the US. It's not even a question. If they are really doing this, they have only gotten away with it because no one has felt it is worth their time to prosecute or sue them.

It's far more likely that their dealer agreements contain standard wording that conforms to the law, but their reps have made it clear that they'll be punished if they actually assert their rights under the agreement.

This is SOP for ScubaPro. They invented the concept of high margin products sold only through full service dive shops and did their best to squash anyone who wouldn't go along. They made at least an arguably reasonable claim that this was good for the sport at the beginning of scuba when most gear was sold to uncertified divers through magazine adverts and sporting goods stores, but once certification became universally accepted it was just about protecting their margins.

Why reward this behavior? There is nothing they offer in new gear that can't be matched by other manufacturers.
I prefer much of their gear and they are now in direct competition with those same full retail shops, you can buy anything from SP at retail from the site and get free shipping.
 
I prefer much of their gear and they are now in direct competition with those same full retail shops, you can buy anything from SP at retail from the site and get free shipping.
So they are throwing the LDS under the bus after nearly 60 years of claiming their anticompetitive policies were in place only to support them? Dick Bonin had got to be spinning in his grave.
 
I frequently deal with European entities, for parts, and, occasionally even regulators, since some US distributors move like glaciers, to place orders; or, else, simply carry a piss-poor stock.

Taxes, for importing, provided that you're not a commercial enterprise, are nominal to non-existent, below US 800.00 -- no big whoop; and I've often received packages from, say, Germany or Estonia, well before a shop or distributor, has even bothered to place an order for parts.

The local dive shop, in part, has largely forgotten about the advent of the internet.

Since I service my own gear, I am not particularly interested or worried about country-specific warranties, which I have yet to experience; or useless grey-market warranties, for that matter. I'll roll the dice.

LeisurePro, of NYC, does have its devotees on Scubaboard; but I have noticed, lately, that there's not a list price that they do not like; and, frequently, anything that I had been interested in, involved special orders, which I can do myself, at a far better price . . .
 
Leisurepro, of NYC, does have its devotees on Scubaboard; but I have noticed that, lately, that there's not a list price that they do not like; and, frequently, anything that I had been interested in, involved special orders, which I can do myself, at a far better price . . .
LeisurePro has become an authorized reseller for a few of the more popular brands that they used to offer via the grey market, which means they have to live with advertised price restrictions on those brands. However, if you talk to them directly, they will often give you a better price on those items.

I want to mention the shop that I bought quite a bit of gear from at well below list price: Divers Discount Florida . It's been a few years since I purchased anything from them, but I see they are still listing prices with "MAP" in the description. The owner told me that's his way of letting his customers know when he isn't allowed to show his real price online. His disdain for MAP policies is probably why he isn't a ScubaPro dealer.
 
I had not realized this was a sensitive topic, but I guess it makes sense: it’s kinda like in the audio world and Hi-Fi brands trying to control the prices.

It seems I will be getting my gear from across the pond, the set I landed on is about 35% off compared to the cheapest I could find in the US (shipping included).
Can’t imagine the taxes will be a big portion of that so the savings will go towards a Shearwater computer I think (which I’ll buy in the US)!

Ok, it’s now been a week without diving, I need a fix.
But I’m also not ready to get in the water here with temperatures in the 40s... I need to find a diving spot with warmer water and not super far from here! :D
 
However, if you talk to them directly, they will often give you a better price on those items.

The primary advantage to the internet, as a whole, is that I don't have to deal with anyone, over the phone; and when last I did that, through LeisurePro, a smarmy salesman, who sounded a helluva lot like Jackie Mason, kept trying to up-sell and pressure me, to place a special order, due to the fact that they were to close for one of the high holidays.

I hung up . . .
 
Canadian divers have it a lot easier as they can just waltz across the border - when it’s open.

haha it is a big country. we don't all live along the border across from a major u.s. city. besides, travelling is tough when you can't get anyone to look after your igloo when you're gone.
 
we don't all live along the border across from a major u.s. city.

:rofl3: yeah, Aussies don't all live in major cities either... only 99% of us do.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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