Beware Diver Emporium online retail site!!

[gecko3s]

This is directly on the diver emporium site, so it might explain things for you Dennis:

diveremporium.com is owned and operated by Diver Discount Catalog and Diver Emporium LLC, an organization of the Sea of Cortez Scuba Center a Scuba Shop and PADI/IDEA Training Facility. We have been in the Dive shop business since 1989. We have competitive pricing, Authorized Manufacture Sales/Service, full guarantees, repairs and maintenance all available through our website and in our store.

 

[sharpenu]

Let's be fair here. First, the OP is a first time poster. I am always suspicious of a poster who uses their first and only post to slam someone.

Second, the shop owner is not here to defend himself.

I don't want to rush to judgement. Not saying the OP is wrong, but I try to check facts before slamming people.

 

[JS1scuba]

The web site lists him as the Operational Manager. I wonder what the ownership setup is. Might have to query Joel at TDL on this since they're in the same neck of the woods. I've run into guys like that over the years. Hey - six billion people on the planet now so you have to expect a whole bunch of **** weasels like this.

Tom, Tuscon may be in the same state but it's on the South east part i'm in the more cosmopolitan North West (border Cali and Nevada) I met Dave a few years ago when we were visiting him with the Luxfer people. He seemed like a nice enough guy but then i was not there purchasing I was there as a supplier. It's a small shop. It's not a big op like TDL, Scuba Toys, or Scuba.com. And I can tell you for a fact he did not move a lot of tank product.(we were the supplier) All I can do is appologize globally for the poor treatment he gave those folks. Any professional retailer or on-line retailer should have better manners.

Caveat emptor.

 

[Blox]

The reply from Diver Emporium was certainly not what you would expect to be sent from a shop to a potential client. It was insulting and abusive.
On the other hand, at least a good part of the information that was asked for is on the website - I agree that the links were not very prominent (depending on what your browser settings are for link colors - mine is blue , but it was there. I personally would have resorted to writing an email only after I had tried to get the information I was looking for by searching the *entire* site and having failed.
Was reply rude? yes
Was it what you would have expected from a professional trying to sell to a potential customer? No, certainly not.
Was it a reason to register on a public forum and "warn" other divers (basically whining about the rought treatment? I don't think so.

This may just be a case of somebody caught on a bad day who is otherwise perfectly professional and giving divers a good deal and professional service.

Let your wallet/feet vote. Others will do the same if they experience something similar and nature (or business mechanics) will take its course.

 

[boomx5]

The Capt Dave story rang a bell form a thread about the real divers discount. I tried to find the thread but no luck. Someone else had a run in with this horse's patootie.

http://www.diverdiscount.com/aboutus.html

http://www.diveremporium.com/arizona.html

They seem to have 708 E Prince Rd in common
Check out the credentials of Capt Snorkel Bob Harbour at diverdiscount and your Capt Dave, dang they sure are similar

I also remember a thread here about Capt Dave quite a while back.

 

[diversteve]

I also remember a thread here about Capt Dave quite a while back.

That would be this one:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=94309&highlight=diveremporium

Dave was actually a pretty helpful guy when I called him last year about a tank.

OP, Joel's (JS1scuba) a Faber dealer also if you're still looking for tanks.

Since Joel lives in "cosmopolitan" Lake Havasu, where I live must be positively uber-Metropolitan.

 

[DennisS]

This is directly on the diver emporium site, so it might explain things for you Dennis:

diveremporium.com is owned and operated by Diver Discount Catalog and Diver Emporium LLC, an organization of the Sea of Cortez Scuba Center a Scuba Shop and PADI/IDEA Training Facility. We have been in the Dive shop business since 1989. We have competitive pricing, Authorized Manufacture Sales/Service, full guarantees, repairs and maintenance all available through our website and in our store.

I saw that, it was the similarities between Capt Snorkel Bob Harbour (Dave's not here) at DiverDiscount and the infamous Capt Dave at Divers Emporium that I got a laugh out of.

 

[shooter61]

I have done dealings with online sites who I am not going to disclose, and I found that it's just not worth it, if you can buy locally, do it. If you have to spend a couple extra bucks do it, cause in the long run it will pay off. At the shop I work at for example, it will cost you $55.00 yearly to have the equipment you buy from us (being a dealer) serviced. Where as if you buy it from others who are not dealers you have no warranty there for to ship it to someone pay for parts, service, and return shipping it's going to be around $150.00, (I know I just had to do it). All in all if possible, support your local dive shop as much as possible an don't buy somthing thats $100.00 cheaper with no service on the other end. I have found from experience that what goes around comes around.
Ryan

 

[marydiver]

Tucson has a lot of interesting business folks with tiny storefronts........this place would slay you guys....right out of a movie......the back rooms were a lot more interesting than the dive shop. The man manning the shop, no longer dives, the shop doesn't sponsor dives, and wanted 150.00 to replace a dump valve string and ball, which would take a month........
a real plus... they keep late night hours......for that emergency BC purchase.....

 

[Doc Harry]

Some of us do not have a local dive shop. Or if we do, they are seasonal or we've had nothing but bad experiences with them. We depend on e-commerce for our gear and equipment support.

I live in West Virginia but have found reliable on-line shopping through places like Dive Sports (www.divesports.com) and Leisure Pro.

I say spread the word loud and clear which on-line sites are reliable and which are not.

Maybe we need a separate forum in which we can vote "yea" or "nay" and keep score on each on-line site.