Coming Soon – PADI® Certification Cards Transition to PADI eCards™

[Wookie]

Just a reminder, the certification cards were usually sent to the dive shop for customer pickup. It was a way for PADI and the dive shop to get their customers to come into the shop.

At one time (and I'm showing my age here) the dive shop was PADI's partner in providing dive certification. It seems it's getting harder and harder to have decent dive shops/instructors that follow PADI standards, and PADIs insurance company is who takes the hit.

I understand why PADI may throw the dive shop to the curb.

 

[BoltSnap]

I've often gone and dived on remote islands without internet or mobile phone service. The last one had a 19.2kb analog phone line connection on a shared line.
Thank God I have all the PADI cards that I could ever want, as physical cards.
One more reason to give PADI the cold shoulder, or should their attitude be extended to drivers licenses, passports and carry permits?
I can imagine the fun of the ticket sellers at the next DEMA, maybe I should take a camping chair and cooler along to the next DEMA so I can relax for the 2-3 hours it'll take to get inside.

How do we say to PADI, "Bad Dog, Bad Dog" while whipping them with a 40" Hose?

Michael

Not sure of why you object to eCards here. When you get your eCard, it is saved in your mobile or laptop and you don't need internet to view it (screen capture). I live in Libya with the slowest internet connection in the world and I still can access my eCard and I have saved it on my mobile and laptop no problem. eCards for me are far more reliable and much less expensive and have much less chance of getting lost in the mail as the plastic ones do often.

BTW, you can print a copy of your eCards and save them with your wallet if you need to have a physical card on you when you travel. Heck, if worse comes to worse, you only need to have one or two plastic cards, OW/AOW and Nitrox, and the rest can be eCards just in case a dive destination is living in prehistoric days and won't recognize eCards.

 

[dogbone]

I wonder if they are still going to charge for there's e cards they are swapping to...I know when I got my c card, I had the option of going e card as well, but it was a separate fee, and I feel like I had to maintain a membership to keep access to it... Maybe it was just one time... But I know it was extra on top of everything else...

 

[Bob DBF]

I wonder if they are still going to charge for there's e cards they are swapping to...

Of course they are, it is bad business practice to give away anything you normally charge for. If they are smart they will just bundle it in with something else so it seems free.

 

[dogbone]

Of course they are, it is bad business practice to give away anything you normally charge for. If they are smart they will just bundle it in with something else so it seems free.

True, but I don't think they were selling that great, people were more upset about the excess of plastic it's creating, and as mentioned elsewhere, it costs them zero... Plus you already paid for the class... Seems bad form to then charge for the card, be it virtual or physical... But this is PADI... So who knows... Fully expect them to come out with a "tub diver" what with the number of people looking for any diving they can get in these difficult times

 

[Ben_3]

Of course they are, it is bad business practice to give away anything you normally charge for. If they are smart they will just bundle it in with something else so it seems free.

I guess they might include the e card cost with the course price like the pics..

 

[oly5050user]

I guess they might include the e card cost with the course price like the pics..

PADI has nothing to do with price of any course, individual instructor and facilities do. Every location / area have different expenses and costs to conduct a class. Price of course is usually determined by what the customers are willing to pay in a given location. Price it too low and you go out of business, price it too high and customers may go elsewhere. It is up to the instructor or facility to determine what the market will bear while returning a profit. Courses are sold too low as it is . When I did my ow course 50 + years ago it cost $50 . I was a 18 year old kid making $87.50 a week. Today I do not get out of bed in the am for less than $1,800. Now with cost of living figured in a ow course should be around $1,000 +. That does not include the 4 ow certification dives.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Truth be told the card many places want to see is VISA/MasterCard.

 

[TMHeimer]

I have no opinion on e cards. Finished all the courses I'll ever take 10 years ago and have the plastic cards. You can lose your phone too...and your chip car key...just ask me.

 

[BoltSnap]

I have no opinion on e cards. Finished all the courses I'll ever take 10 years ago and have the plastic cards. You can lose your phone too...and your chip car key...just ask me.

You don't lose your eCard because you lost your mobile. It is part of your account with the certifying agency, it is permanent. It will cost you money to replace a lost plastic cad but it won't cost you anything for the eCard if you lost your mobile.