I see both sides of the "store affiliation" debate. I am just finishing my DiveCon quals for a local SSI shop. Being from a cold water/ limited vis environment, the last thing that our instructors wish to do is to send someone not safe out with their C-Cards. So, while there is some pressure to pass students, they don't want to get sued (see where I am heading?) So, if I screw up or an instructor screws up, there doesn't have to be an injury or legal action. The LDS owner says "I don't have any classes/ dives for you to dm" and spreads the word to the other SSI shops in the area. It doesn't take long and the offending party is out of a job without anyone getting hurt (or should I say BEFORE the reputation of his shop is damaged as he has contracts to teach scuba for all the local colleges and universities).
Now, onto another side. I have no rush to certify instructor with SSI. Why is this? Why spend thousands of dollars in instructor certs to be guaranteed not to have a job locally? There are two (count 'em) SSI shops within any kind of workable area for me. They have hired their instructors. Seeing the limited number of instructor jobs for my certifying organization are already full, I will probably not ever try to become one. Maybe I would be a good one, maybe not, but this does keep down the number of certified instructors for them to watch as I am not alone in any of my thinking here.
I see the point about the pressure to pass students to sell gear with a shop. It also puts pressure on me to always reflect store standards (ie use store supplied gear) when I dive at my own expense. It is good gear, so I don't complain. But it would be annoying if I had preferences towards gear that the shop didn't carry. It is on the mark, but a long term minded instructor who owns the LDS in an area where everybody knows everybody won't stay in business long if he thinks about passing divers with safety issues will guarantee him sales. The first injury of a diver from this area would get back to the local paper and well..... (you have read the Gilboa posts). The customers would act as the quality control in this instance.
And Rick M., Al's statement is more to the point here. If I am not working with my LDS, I am not insured.... period. I have been informed that if I don't clear it with my LDS ahead of time, I don't even supervise a beach dive in 30 ft. maximum waters as a professional. And they may not like the risk and still say NO.
BTW, this is a back-handed favor, if some dive boat in the Caribbean discovers that I have a dive con card and asks me to "unofficially add" to their number of DM's by buddying with questionable divers, all that I have to say is "Sorry, not insured." And, then I smile as I take my camera and hunt down that blue parrotfish at 110 feet.