Is leisurepro.com the best place to buy?

[The Kraken]

I'm not trained by the Dodge/Plymouth/Chrysler automotive group as a service technician, but I service my own brakes. Brakes are "life support devices".
I can read. I can buy the correct parts. I can install them correctly.
So, does the argument stand that if I am not trained by the original equipment manufacturer I am incapable of repairing a product correctly?

 

[Marek K]

So, does the argument stand that if I am not trained by the original equipment manufacturer I am incapable of repairing a product correctly?

Kraken, I think you're right.

But let's narrow this discussion down a bit. If something electronic -- like a dive computer -- malfunctions, I don't anyone will actually take the circuitry apart and fix it with a soldering iron. (Right?) I assume if it couldn't just be re-set, that I'd get sent a new replacement computer, as long as the "warranty" (whoever was providing it) was still in force. If bought from an authorized dealer, the manufacturer should provide it. If from an unauthorized dealer like LP, LP would do whatever they needed to do to get me a replacement -- either from their stock, or from their "grey market" suppliers... it might take a bit longer, but it would get done.

So electronic repairs are kind of a moot point.

My concern is, what about repairs or even annual service on non-electronic equipment, like regulators? Because when you buy a regulator from LP, they'll do the annual service on it under the exact same terms as the manufacturer's warranty.

We know that LP has their own techs, who do that kind of work. The question is, relating to what The Kraken said, where do the LP techs learn their craft?

I just queried LP, and they wrote me -- in their usual trademark brief and to-the-point manner, but somewhat cryptically -- that their techs are trained by the same guys who train the U.S. Navy.

OK, what does that mean to you guys? Who does train the U.S. Navy in this kind of stuff? I'd assume it would be the manufacturers that provides Navy equipment... Would it make sense that they're the ones training LP? If not, why not?

Please, I'm not looking forward to replies flaming LP, with phrases written in all caps and with exclamation marks. I'm just trying to rationally find out.

--Marek

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Anyone who is willing to pony up the bucks can take a MFR's reg/bc repair class. I could cough up the dollars, take the class, buy all the necessary equipment, and do my own stuff.

That being said, since 90% of my gear is Scuba Pro, I would have a difficult time getting parts. Others have said I can get parts on E-Bay. I don't know. I have never looked. Anyone can get parts for Atomics (I think) direct from the MFR.

I can take just about anything apart and put it back together again. It gets frustrating when you need special tools to take things apart or get them back together again, like regs often do, but sometimes you can improvise.

TwoBit

 

[osujamesc]

Kraken, I think you're right.

But let's narrow this discussion down a bit. If something electronic -- like a dive computer -- malfunctions, I don't anyone will actually take the circuitry apart and fix it with a soldering iron. (Right?) I assume if it couldn't just be re-set, that I'd get sent a new replacement computer, as long as the "warranty" (whoever was providing it) was still in force. If bought from an authorized dealer, the manufacturer should provide it. If from an unauthorized dealer like LP, LP would do whatever they needed to do to get me a replacement -- either from their stock, or from their "grey market" suppliers... it might take a bit longer, but it would get done.

So electronic repairs are kind of a moot point.

My concern is, what about repairs or even annual service on non-electronic equipment, like regulators? Because when you buy a regulator from LP, they'll do the annual service on it under the exact same terms as the manufacturer's warranty.

We know that LP has their own techs, who do that kind of work. The question is, relating to what The Kraken said, where do the LP techs learn their craft?

I just queried LP, and they wrote me -- in their usual trademark brief and to-the-point manner, but somewhat cryptically -- that their techs are trained by the same guys who train the U.S. Navy.

OK, what does that mean to you guys? Who does train the U.S. Navy in this kind of stuff? I'd assume it would be the manufacturers that provides Navy equipment... Would it make sense that they're the ones training LP? If not, why not?

Please, I'm not looking forward to replies flaming LP, with phrases written in all caps and with exclamation marks. I'm just trying to rationally find out.

--Marek

Electronics come with part numbers labeled on the top of the chips/resistors/caps/etc. So a person confident with a soldering iron could repair electronics given they had enough knowledge to know which part needed repair. I do doubt that they have a Electrical Engineer on staff over there at LeisurePro! haha. I have also received those wierd email responses back from LeisurePro, that is about the only thing that makes me uncomfortable with this company. My guess is they have some deal set up with someone and they cannot disclose it or that someone would get into trouble. Perhaps a technician from ScubaPro does a little work on the side for LeisurePro or something like that. Or maybe there's something sketchy going on, who knows? Does anyone have an example of when they sent a part back to LeisurePro to be repaired and it didn't come back repaired? That's something I would be interested in, has LeisurePro ever failed to repair a product that they promised to warranty in place of the manufacturer's warranty?


Thanks for the good post Marek,
James

 

[Marek K]

Electronics come with part numbers labeled on the top of the chips/resistors/caps/etc. So a person confident with a soldering iron could repair electronics given they had enough knowledge to know which part needed repair. I do doubt that they have a Electrical Engineer on staff over there at LeisurePro! haha.

Yeah... though it might be theoretically possible, I'm pretty confident no retail operation is going to be screwing around with electronics repairs. I wonder to what it would pay off even for a manufacturer to repair electronics, vice just replacement.

My guess is they have some deal set up with someone and they cannot disclose it or that someone would get into trouble. Perhaps a technician from ScubaPro does a little work on the side for LeisurePro or something like that. Or maybe there's something sketchy going on, who knows?

I'd bet, for electronics, LP would just send a new item out of their stock. Or beat the bushes to find one, which is why it maybe takes longer. On the other hand, I would bet they do their own regulator servicing; hopefully having been trained properly, and being able to get service kits from the same sources they get equipment.

Does anyone have an example of when they sent a part back to LeisurePro to be repaired and it didn't come back repaired? That's something I would be interested in, has LeisurePro ever failed to repair a product that they promised to warranty in place of the manufacturer's warranty?

Ditto.

 

[osujamesc]

Yeah... though it might be theoretically possible, I'm pretty confident no retail operation is going to be screwing around with electronics repairs. I wonder to what it would pay off even for a manufacturer to repair electronics, vice just replacement.

I'd bet, for electronics, LP would just send a new item out of their stock. Or beat the bushes to find one, which is why it maybe takes longer. On the other hand, I would bet they do their own regulator servicing; hopefully having been trained properly, and being able to get service kits from the same sources they get equipment.

Ditto.

The one thing I forgot to mention was that the computers undoubtably come with programmable chips built in. This is not something that just anyone can replace. Quite a task acutally, just getting the bad boys soldered onto the boards, let alone, properly programmed. I think it is quite unlikely that they are doing their own electronics in house. I really do believe that they have some sort of deal going on with either the manufacturer or some guy. Replacing a computer that comes in with electronics failure can get expensive. Maybe not though, maybe they are getting them so cheap, it's better to just replace the whole darn thing. Who knows how much they are paying for them. Maybe they buy them by the thousands and so they get them at just above factory costs, which in my experience is so much lower than the MSRP that it's amazing.

Can anyone comment on either the length of time that a repair took, or the quality of a repair on a product purchased at LeisurePro and inturn sent back to them for servicing? I have their 2004 catalog and they offer reg and BC servicing. Their reg service is $39.95 and their BC service is $9.95. I can imagine that they have service guys inhouse to do those sorts of things, especially if they are advertising it.

James

 

[Marek K]

Can anyone comment on either the length of time that a repair took, or the quality of a repair on a product purchased at LeisurePro and inturn sent back to them for servicing? I have their 2004 catalog and they offer reg and BC servicing. Their reg service is $39.95 and their BC service is $9.95. I can imagine that they have service guys inhouse to do those sorts of things, especially if they are advertising it.

Well, I'll be able to tell you in a month or so. I just sent the Sherwood regulator that I ordered from them last summer in to them for its first annual service.

The Sherwood factory warranty says that parts are free for each of the first two annual services; customer just has to pay for labor. And if I understand LP correctly -- I checked with them via e-mail -- they're going to match that warranty... just charge me the $39.95 service charge, and the parts will be free. And octopus labor should be included in that, though not parts (that's an Oceanic).

We'll see how the reg comes back, how long it takes, and how much they charge total. I've heard that LP returns all the replaced pieces-parts back in a baggie; we'll see that, too.

I'm just not sure how to judge whether they've done a quality servicing. Trust, I guess...

--Marek

 

[osujamesc]

I'm just not sure how to judge whether they've done a quality servicing. Trust, I guess...

--Marek

I sent my reg back to Sherwood for it's annual servicing. It came back and it didn't seem to have anything wrong with it. I'm not a sensitive enough breather that I would notice a crappy job as opposed to a good job. So as long as you are not breathing H20 when it returns, I would say success! haha. Also, my local dive shop charged me $60 for the labor.

Keep us posted,
James

 

[Marek K]

Well, I'll be able to tell you in a month or so. I just sent the Sherwood regulator that I ordered from them last summer in to them for its first annual service.
...
I'm just not sure how to judge whether they've done a quality servicing. Trust, I guess...

--Marek

You know, when the reg comes back I guess an indicator might be whether LP knows enough to cut off one of the two plastic rings on the second stage hose protector, that Sherwood uses to keep track of how many annual warranty servicings the reg has had.

If the first ring is gone, that would show that... well... the LP techs at least knew enough to read the Sherwood user's manual.

If it's still there, though, I'm not sure what that will indicate...

--Marek

 

[ScoobieDooo]

I have been buying dive gear from LP for years - never had a problem yet with anything that I have purchased - and thats BC's, regs, wetsuits, fins, masks - you name it.