- Messages
- 704
- Reaction score
- 61
- Location
- Winston, Georgia, United States
- # of dives
- I just don't log dives
Today I had one of the worst customer service experiences I have ever had with DSS. Several months ago I purchased 4 wings from DSS. 2 singles and 2 doubles. While on a trip to Turks and Caicos, I noticed that the wing was leaking. I opened the zipper and discovered that the bladder had a tear in it. Not sure how that occurred since it was simply packed and shipped but I needed it repaired. Two months ago, I shipped the bladder to them and paid for a replacement bladder. I had not used the wing until I took another trip to Cozumel at the end of July. This time, I noticed that the area of the wing near the OPV would not remain inflated. I sent it back to DSS for the 2nd time in 2 months. Today I was told there are 2 small tears in the bladder near the OPV and that I would have to purchase a 2nd bladder to make the wing functional. The 2nd one in 2 weeks. I have never had this occur with any wing I have purchased in the past. I have used Halycon and OMS wings without failure. This is the first time I have used wings made by DSS. I am realistic enough to know that things fail. That's just the nature of things. But 2 failures in 2 months on a wing that was only used on one trip since the original repair seems to be beyond coincidental. But I cannot keep buying bladders after every trip I take. I paid to ship the wings to California and to have them shipped back to me twice now. As an avid diver, I am know how properly care for scuba gear, including a wing.
I am disappointed in the fact that the staff chose not to simply replace what I believe to be a faulty bladder. Either the material the bladder is made of is simply to thin to withstand basic transport in a suitcase, or the decision was made to simply not exchange a bad bladder for a good one. This may all just be a bad coincidence. That bladders somehow become damaged without warning by simply moving them into a suitcase. I don't know. But for those seeking to purchase items from DSS in the future, I wanted to share my experience. Perhaps it won't happen to someone else, and prior to this incident, it had not happened to me. But I cannot justify continuing to ship and replace bladders after each dive trip.
I am disappointed in the fact that the staff chose not to simply replace what I believe to be a faulty bladder. Either the material the bladder is made of is simply to thin to withstand basic transport in a suitcase, or the decision was made to simply not exchange a bad bladder for a good one. This may all just be a bad coincidence. That bladders somehow become damaged without warning by simply moving them into a suitcase. I don't know. But for those seeking to purchase items from DSS in the future, I wanted to share my experience. Perhaps it won't happen to someone else, and prior to this incident, it had not happened to me. But I cannot justify continuing to ship and replace bladders after each dive trip.