Comparison of the buying online vs local LDS argument

[BRT]

As a member of a long established club I am well aware of the benefits but with today's busy lifestyle for so many it is harder and harder to find people to help organise and run them. Somewhat ironic when we were told 30 years ago that the advances in technology would mean that in the future we would have so much free time for recreation and travel. Well the future is here, what the hell happened.

I sure have a lot more time for recreation and travel than I did back then.

 

[grf88]

I sure have a lot more time for recreation and travel than I did back then.

Would I be right in suspecting that is more the result of the advancement of age rather than technology.

 

[BRT]

Would I be right in suspecting that is more the result of the advancement of age rather than technology.

I wonder about that. Obviously I have more money now but I think dive gear is cheaper now and I know airplane tickets are cheaper. By buying used and online I can outfit a diver for much less than 35 years ago when I started diving. Back then without Craigslist, Ebay and online retailers this was impossible. In 1996 when I first visited Q. Roo the tickets were $600 and we bought the cheap ones with long travel times. My tickets this time are $450, for the best and shortest travel times available. I can shop for lodging now with a hundred times as many options than in 1996 and while the same places on the beach have doubled I don't think that is much more than inflation and certainly the places I am talking about are much nicer now. I think it has more to do with technology than age.

 

[grf88]

I was referring more to the time portion, everybody's lives seem much more hectic than they were 30 years ago.

 

[BRT]

I was referring more to the time portion, everybody's lives seem much more hectic than they were 30 years ago.

I work lots of hours but I take a lot more time off than 30 years ago.

 

[Parklander]

You can negotiate the price at your LDS. So many good reasons to patronize them.

 

[Geobound]

Everybody complained when Walmart set up shop as it would drive the mom and pop shops out of business with its lower pricing, yet everyday the stores are jammed packed with people and the mom and pop shops are all but gone.

Online retailers are going to wipe out the remaining specialty shops that we love and care about, yet we still order things online every day.

As more and more of these places close down, the more people join the unemployment line.

The more people unemployed means our taxes increase to help support them.

The less money we have the more shopping we do at Walmart and online retailers to stretch our dollars further.

Soon enough there will be next to no manufacturing left in North America, and all of our products will come in from off shore.

At some point the penny has to drop doesn't it?

So yes I paid a few more bucks for my new dive kit through my local dive store, but at least I know I am helping to keep them in business, and their staff gainfully employed.

Yes the above is a stripped down version of how our economy works and I realize its simplistic in nature, but simplistic does sometimes help get the point across.

 

[rjack321]

Everybody complained when Walmart set up shop as it would drive the mom and pop shops out of business with its lower pricing, yet everyday the stores are jammed packed with people and the mom and pop shops are all but gone.

Online retailers are going to wipe out the remaining specialty shops that we love and care about, yet we still order things online every day.

As more and more of these places close down, the more people join the unemployment line.

The more people unemployed means our taxes increase to help support them.

The less money we have the more shopping we do at Walmart and online retailers to stretch our dollars further.

Soon enough there will be next to no manufacturing left in North America, and all of our products will come in from off shore.

At some point the penny has to drop doesn't it?

So yes I paid a few more bucks for my new dive kit through my local dive store, but at least I know I am helping to keep them in business, and their staff gainfully employed.

Yes the above is a stripped down version of how our economy works and I realize its simplistic in nature, but simplistic does sometimes help get the point across.

My LDS is clueless

They dont carry the products I want, aren't even dealers for the products I am looking for, and have no idea how they work or what they do.

What would you propose I do? I order online from vendors I like and have what I am looking for. Some of those are small family run businesses too. Just because they aren't near me doesn't mean they are "Walmart".

 

[Kharon]

I recently wanted a small bladder for my backpack/harness. I asked my LDS what their price would be. They came back with a price that matched LeisurePro (I think they know I shop there). I bought from my LDS even though it took a while longer to get the bladder through them. I was happy they could price match. I would always rather spend my money in the local economy.

 

[Hoag]

As others have mentioned, an LDS will likely have a higher price, but with that higher price, usually come several "intangibles". My LDS also organizes trips. Not only does this mean that I will be traveling with friends that I have met through the LDS. It also means that once when I was on a Live Aboard and had minor gear issues, because I was traveling with the LDS where I bought that gear from, he borrowed some tools from the boat and fixed my problem on the spot. If I had bought that same piece of gear online, he would have had no incentive to do a quick on the spot repair for me. (Knowing him, he probably would have, but he would have had no obligation to.)

Another intangible is when the LDS is able to provide advice that you would not get from an online vendor. More than once, the owner of my LDS has "shifted" me from an expensive purchase to a more economical model that would actually meet my needs better. The online vendor will simply ship out your purchase (even if it won't meet your needs) as soon as your credit card is authorized.

Make no mistake, I also shop online. This especially applies to "niche items" such as underwater photo gear. There is no way that an LDS can carry housings to fit every camera, and the time lag between ordering and delivery can be pretty long. For most items, however, I will look at the price of the item online (factoring in the shipping cost, exchange rate, duty & taxes), and then go into the LDS and say here is what the cost will be if I order it online. What is the best that you can do. More often than not, my LDS will come up with a solution that will make it worth it for me to support him rather than buy online. Does he meet (or beat) the online price? No, he usually doesn't, but that is where those intangibles come into play.