LDS Bashers

[Puffer Fish]

If you care about supporting your Local Dive Shope, or local coffee shops, or local eateries, or local clothing shops, SUPPORT them! I understand that there are many many many items available for WAY cheaper online, but c'mon people! Don't we CARE about more than the cash anymore? It is wise for a shop these days to also sell online, but it sucks that they'd even have to just to pay bills. It's worth the extra bit of cash (that most people are spending on a hobby anyway) to support their neighborhoods and neighbors, to have the peace of mind in knowing you did something valuable today, in knowing that you paid someone to grow your community for you. It's about helping eachother out! So what, call it a nieghborly tax and hand over the cash for the good of all wo-mankind!!

There is a value in have a good lds, and if we had one here, would gladly pay more than on-line. But without that, I will get most of my gear from people like Larry - good guys, who just happen to be on the internet.

 

[lairdb]

If you care about supporting your Local Dive Shope, or local coffee shops, or local eateries, or local clothing shops, SUPPORT them! I understand that there are many many many items available for WAY cheaper online, but c'mon people! Don't we CARE about more than the cash anymore? It is wise for a shop these days to also sell online, but it sucks that they'd even have to just to pay bills. It's worth the extra bit of cash (that most people are spending on a hobby anyway) to support their neighborhoods and neighbors, to have the peace of mind in knowing you did something valuable today, in knowing that you paid someone to grow your community for you. It's about helping eachother out! So what, call it a nieghborly tax and hand over the cash for the good of all wo-mankind!!

My community is the group of people that do good business; that earn my dollars through total value, including cost, service, education, good humor, convenience, etc. My communities are not artificially limited by zip code or time zone.

My community of dive stores is physically in Texas, Spain, and Canada. (I think. Actually, I'm not sure where a couple of them are. Does it really matter? They're members of my community.)

 

[waynne fowler]

See, My point to this is if you can buy a reg and sell it at MSRP of say $300 but I can find the same reg from the same source (not grey market) for $200 then trust me, the LDS didn't pay more for that reg from the same manufacurer than LeisurePro, ScubaToys, etc. did.

That may not be entirely accurtate.. the more one can buy the better price that you get from most manufacturer's....

Lets say LP, ST etc.. spend $60.000 per year with a spacific mfg they will get a FAR better price on the same products then a shop that can only spend $10.000 in that same year.. The playing field is not as even as your post may imply.

The trick for the small LDS's is how to cut overhead enough so that they can sell the product at a competative rate LP & ST and the like.

 

[xiSkiGuy]

It is no secret that the industry is in trouble... and bigtime trouble at that. I was just talking with a senior executive for a major training agency that goes to the RSTC meetings... according to her, much of the industry is shutting down. Shops are being lost left and right and in Europe, some government agencies are looking at pulling the training licenses of PADI & SSI because their new dumbed down programs do not meet safety standards required by the governments - in particular Germany has put them on notice.

The industry and in particular SSI and PADI executives have turned a once proud sport into a money making capitalist disgrace... short on standards and long on profits.
While this may seem to be off subject... I argue it is point on. Far too many dive shops have been opened to support the industry as it should be. They were opened by capitalist looking to exploit an industry. The shame is that many people were duped by the major agencies into believing this was a big-time profit opportunity right near the dawning of the internet taking off. The agencies pushed people and supported people opening shops because this would allow them to sell, sell, sell their training materials and make off with the real money... all the while leaving the shops to struggle as pawns in the game.

I suspect that shops that have been established for a long time and have continued to offer exceptional service and value will survive... but all the newer shops that burgeoned up in recent years and do not have strong client bases and long term vision will go the way of the dinosaurs.

While I do not ever favor government intervention, I see it coming... not so much because the industry as a sport needs it... but because the greed of the major agencies and their disrespect for the tradition of the sport will force the governments hand. Lucky for Scuba in this country - that our goverment currently has far bigger fish to fry.

Who is John Galt?

 

[daniel f aleman]

John Galt

 

[xiSkiGuy]

John Galt

Yep.

 

[divinginn]

cant even get my lds to do a vip inspection in under two months,luckily theres four more within 15 miles

 

[mdb]

That may not be entirely accurtate.. the more one can buy the better price that you get from most manufacturer's....

Lets say LP, ST etc.. spend $60.000 per year with a spacific mfg they will get a FAR better price on the same products then a shop that can only spend $10.000 in that same year.. The playing field is not as even as your post may imply..

Most of the "majors" have 3-4 levels of buying programs.-They also, many times, have the "inside" 15-20%" for the "really big" dealers. The local LDS never plays on a smooth table. A clean price list, a fair MAP/MSP program would actually help the local stores.

 

[divinginn]

just wondering if we get college credit for reading through all this

 

[mdb]

just wondering if we get college credit for reading through all this

You should, DIVE ECO-1.