English Speaking dive shop in Japan willing to ship an Item to the US

[Sadamune]

In a nutshell, it is much more complicated than you may think.

I am well aware that the complexity of such transactions and the annoyance they cause makes any dive shop reluctant to proceed with them. My post, sans smilies, was directed towards shops that don't respond to legitimate purchase inquiries. I'm the sort that gets a bit miffed when I politely say "hello" and don't get a response.

You are also forgetting that almost ALL dive shops sign agreements with scuba equipment manufacturers and are not permitted to sell outside their country.

No, I am not forgetting, I didn't know that all. Seems like an silly policy to me, but I'm just a diver, not a salesman.

Obviously, the best option for obtaining 'foreign' goods is to use a proxy agent to skirt the obnoxious red tape.

Cheers.

Sadamune

 

[Mar Scuba]

I see more and more web sites of Japanese shops that have notices in English saying, sorry, web site is only in Japanese and they cannot respond to inquires in English.

Actually, it is quite amazing how many dive shops, and especially manufacturers in the States do not respond to e-mail inquiries...

 

[Sadamune]

Actually, it is quite amazing how many dive shops, and especially manufacturers in the States do not respond to e-mail inquiries...

Yes, I've observed this as well and I find it quite aggravating. I consider e-mail as the best method of conducting research as it generates a record of the information communicated. Perhaps for that reason, and maybe due to the volume of e-mail they might receive, companies may simply ignore e-mail communications out of the fear that they are a liability. That is unfortunate as many people rely on e-mail as their primary means of communications, eschewing awkward, incovenient, and expensive methods such as tracking down a telephone number and struggling to reach someone knowledgable and courteous with whom to speak.

I wonder if the traditional dealer sales model that most dive equipment manufacturers still cling to is responsible for companies feeling uncomfortable communicating directly with consumers, expecting dealers to field questions and provide technical information. My experience is that companies that have embraced direct sales via the internet, e.g. Deep Sea Supply, offer excellent e-mail based support services. To them I raise my cup. As for those companies that are reluctant to use "elektrikity mail"; them I ignore as they have ignored me. My money goes elsewhere.

Sadamune