Is leisurepro.com the best place to buy?

[boomx5]

But I can tell you, if someone is not a diver and tries to BS that he is, I think I could tell.

Someone who get's a c-card and then decides to get a job at a LDS that is "pimping" cheap gear, doesn't make them much of a diver or an expert IMHO. Any clown can get a c-card, pay a bunch of money, jump through a few "superficial" hoops and become an instructor. I've been to dive shops and asked for a specific product and I get a blank look from them...by these same type of instructors and divers. In fact, I called a shop just yesterday and asked them if they sell Trimix, and the lady on the other end of the phone had no idea what I was talking about. However if I was to ask for split fins and a Mares HUB bc, I would get all kinds of opinions why these are the greatest things since sliced cheese. Just becareful who you listen to out there, because if you don't you could be making a decision you'll regret down the road.

 

[osujamesc]

What dive computer did you buy, James? I'll see what I can find out for you.What you'd want to know, aside from warranty issues, which it seems are not a concern of yours, is if that unit was made in Europe, has European parts, and can be serviced here, if it ever needs to be. If it has non-interchangable Europena parts it might take you several months to get a repair, if ever you needed one. If your unit NEVER malfunctions, or has a warranty issue, you will have zero problems.

Safe diving

PilotFish,

I bought a Uwatec Smart Pro Wrist Computer. I paid $350 for it. My local dive shop sells it for $700. Even if I send my dive computer in and it takes two months to get back, I don't think I would have regretted my purchase. I saved $350 on this purchase. I make a decent salary at my job, but I can't afford a dive computer that costs $700. Some people have more money than time, and some have more time than money. I'm of the low money, high time persuasion. I can stand to wait two months for a product, especially since it cost literally half the price I would have paid at a shop that would make the same repair in several weeks. In addition, it is not clear that it would take two months to make any repairs on this product, once again, that is merely your speculation. So my question still stands, is there something about the products I purchased from LeisurePro that makes them unsafe? Are they more likely to fail at a critical time than the same product that an authorized dealer sells for twice the price? If you have factual evidence that proves this is true, please bring it to light for all of us who have purchased products from LeisurePro.

As for the warranty, LeisurePro has made a commitment to its customers, if they cannot extend the manufacturer's warranty on the products that they sell, they will personally extend their own warranty that matches the manufacturer's 100%. I just don't know what kind of argument can be made against this statement. You will receive the same service from LeisurePro that you receive from you local dive shop regarding products that they sell. This is what LeisurePro claims and promises, in writing, and I have no reason to doubt it.

Thanks,
James

 

[pilot fish]

PilotFish,

I bought a Uwatec Smart Pro Wrist Computer. I paid $350 for it. My local dive shop sells it for $700. Even if I send my dive computer in and it takes two months to get back, I don't think I would have regretted my purchase. I saved $350 on this purchase. I make a decent salary at my job, but I can't afford a dive computer that costs $700. Some people have more money than time, and some have more time than money. I'm of the low money, high time persuasion. I can stand to wait two months for a product, especially since it cost literally half the price I would have paid at a shop that would make the same repair in several weeks. In addition, it is not clear that it would take two months to make any repairs on this product, once again, that is merely your speculation. So my question still stands, is there something about the products I purchased from LeisurePro that makes them unsafe? Are they more likely to fail at a critical time than the same product that an authorized dealer sells for twice the price? If you have factual evidence that proves this is true, please bring it to light for all of us who have purchased products from LeisurePro.

As for the warranty, LeisurePro has made a commitment to its customers, if they cannot extend the manufacturer's warranty on the products that they sell, they will personally extend their own warranty that matches the manufacturer's 100%. I just don't know what kind of argument can be made against this statement. You will receive the same service from LeisurePro that you receive from you local dive shop regarding products that they sell. This is what LeisurePro claims and promises, in writing, and I have no reason to doubt it.

Thanks,
James

Jim, what is your understanding of what will happen when Uwatec will not extend a warranty of your computer bought online from Leisure Pro, which they surely will not? DID YOU CALL UWATEC *FIRST* TO FIND THIS OUT? Is it your understanding that Leisure Pro will fix it with "techs"' on their staff, that were NOT trained by Uwatec? Do you think they were trained by the Mfg? I'm not clear on what YOU think will happen? They have assured you they will extend THEIR warranty on a product made by someone else? Is that about right? What does that mean, exactly? You will receive the same service that you would receive from the maker of the computer, Uwatec? Really? You think that? You'll have the same level of confidence that any repair will be as good, and done in as timely a fashion, as Uwatec?

They say, you say, that IF they cannot extend the mfg warranty, they will honor it. That sounds very vague and indefinite. Either they CAN or they CAN'T get a mfg warranty, but that is something they would know BEFORE they sold it you,right? But, more importantly, YOU should know that before hand, James.

I wish you well with this and hope you have many, many safe dives with your new puter. I hope it never needs repair. You might find your $350 "saving" disappear real fast if you do

be safe James

 

[pilot fish]

Someone who get's a c-card and then decides to get a job at a LDS that is "pimping" cheap gear, doesn't make them much of a diver or an expert IMHO. Any clown can get a c-card, pay a bunch of money, jump through a few "superficial" hoops and become an instructor. I've been to dive shops and asked for a specific product and I get a blank look from them...by these same type of instructors and divers. In fact, I called a shop just yesterday and asked them if they sell Trimix, and the lady on the other end of the phone had no idea what I was talking about. However if I was to ask for split fins and a Mares HUB bc, I would get all kinds of opinions why these are the greatest things since sliced cheese. Just becareful who you listen to out there, because if you don't you could be making a decision you'll regret down the road.

You make an excellent point, Boom. The car salesman usually knows squat about the car he is selling, but at least he drives. People selling dive gear should at least dive, right?

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Pilot,

Your thoughts about warranties and Leisure Pro don’t make sense to many people. It appears to be an argument you are enjoying so I’ll join in.

Warranties do not prevent bad gear from hitting the streets. Whether or not a reg or a BC has a warranty will not keep it from crapping out at 80 feet. The presence of a warranty gets the reg repaired or replaced without the additional cash outlay. To some people this peace of mind is worth it, to others it isn’t.

You can buy a car and you normally have a variety of warranty choices, from a full warranty at one price to no warranty for no additional cash outlay. MFRs want you to purchase the warranty. It’s insurance. That is all it is. For some pieces of equipment, it is very expensive insurance.

Many divers do not care if the sales people at LP know anything about or are divers. They don’t call the reps and say “Hey is this Apex reg a good reg?” Many people get on scubaboard and ask that question, or they go into their LDS and ask that question, or they ask their fellow dive buddies that question. People in retail very often do not know squat about the product they are selling. It is generally considered good customer service to train your sales reps in your products, but in LP’s case, it isn’t necessary.

LP does a tremendous amount of business. They are a very integral part of the dive industry.

TwoBit

 

[osujamesc]

Jim, what is your understanding of what will happen when Uwatec will not extend a warranty of your computer bought online from Leisure Pro, which they surely will not? DID YOU CALL UWATEC *FIRST* TO FIND THIS OUT? Is it your understanding that Leisure Pro will fix it with "techs"' on their staff, that were NOT trained by Uwatec? Do you think they were trained by the Mfg? I'm not clear on what YOU think will happen? They have assured you they will extend THEIR warranty on a product made by someone else? Is that about right? What does that mean, exactly? You will receive the same service that you would receive from the maker of the computer, Uwatec? Really? You think that? You'll have the same level of confidence that any repair will be as good, and done in as timely a fashion, as Uwatec?

They say, you say, that IF they cannot extend the mfg warranty, they will honor it. That sounds very vague and indefinite. Either they CAN or they CAN'T get a mfg warranty, but that is something they would know BEFORE they sold it you,right? But, more importantly, YOU should know that before hand, James.

I wish you well with this and hope you have many, many safe dives with your new puter. I hope it never needs repair. You might find your $350 "saving" disappear real fast if you do

be safe James

PilotFish,

Let's be very clear about this, as it seems to be a crucial part of your crusade against LeisurePro. Here is a direct quote from the LeisurePro website about their warranty...

Warranty Information
We are not authorized dealers of some Manufacturers, and some of the products may not be accompanied by the manufactures Warranty valid in the United States and/or with an English manual, However we provide in such instances our own Warranty, which offers equal or greater protection, For a Copy of our Warranty Card, Click here.

Here is the link from LeisurePro's Website for the info in the quote above...

So as you see above, they offer their own Warranty which offers equal or greater protection then that of the Manufacturer. So when you say the following....

They say, you say, that IF they cannot extend the mfg warranty, they will honor it.

Once again, I ask you to please stop passing off your information as fact, when it actually is not a fact. What I have done above is given you proof that what you have said is not true. I would ask that in the future, when you make a statement about LeisurePro, make sure it is a fact or that you label it as your opinion. The information that you are adding to your posts is misleading to people relying on ScubaBoard for their research on products and vendors. I have called LeisurePro and they have said that they will replace the battery and when the computer needs recalibration, they will send it back to the manufacturer. I believe them, because I have no reason not too. If you don't believe them, that is fine, spend the extra money at your local dive shop. I'm not trying to convince you to do otherwise.

Jim, what is your understanding of what will happen when Uwatec will not extend a warranty of your computer bought online from Leisure Pro, which they surely will not?

My understanding is that I will send my computer back to LeisurePro and it will come back to me either replaced or repaired. That is the warranty that was promised to me in writing from LeisurePro.

DID YOU CALL UWATEC *FIRST* TO FIND THIS OUT?

No, I'm aware that they will not extend their Manufacturer's Warranty on products purchased at LeisurePro, I have no problem with that. Why else would I need to call Uwatec?

Is it your understanding that Leisure Pro will fix it with "techs"' on their staff, that were NOT trained by Uwatec?

What makes you believe that they were not trained by Uwatec? Is this another "fact" you know from your intimate personal experience with the entire staff at LeisurePro? My understanding is that my computer will return to me in a fixed state. Do you always take your car to the dealer to get it repaired? Once again, some people have money to burn, I am not one of those people.

They have assured you they will extend THEIR warranty on a product made by someone else? Is that about right? What does that mean, exactly?

That is exactly right, and as you see from the text on their website, it means that if ever there is an instance that I would send my product back to Uwatec, whether it be a problem with the computer that needs repairing, or perhaps the battery needs replacing or perhaps the case leaks, I would instead send it back to LeisurePro. They would inturn decided if it needs to be repaired or replaced and then take the proper actions. To be clear about manufacturer's warranties, they don't cover your computer in the case of accident, if you run over it with a car, Uwatec will not replace your computer. You will have to buy another one. The warranty is to cover any malfunctions caused by the manufacturer or malfunctions that occur during operation that the manufacturer claims it will operate under. LeisurePro has promised in writing to do the same in this case. That includes the batteries for life program that Uwatec offers on computers purchased at authorized dealers. That is what they mean when they extend their own warranty on a product that is equal to, or greater than the manufacturer.

You will receive the same service that you would receive from the maker of the computer, Uwatec? Really? You think that? You'll have the same level of confidence that any repair will be as good, and done in as timely a fashion, as Uwatec?

I have no reason to doubt LeisurePro, they have never given me reason to doubt them. I have enough confidence that I purchased a $350 dive computer. And as I said in the past, I don't mind waiting if it saves me $350 over the local dive shop. I would also like to ask what evidence you have that makes you beleive that LeisurePro would take any longer than your local dive shop in getting repairs done? I feel that you are once again speculating about how long it will take. Is that true? Or have you done a large study with multiple products from multiple dive shops including LeisurePro to declare that they will indeed take longer? Please make sure you have facts to back up your statements, I am getting tired of writing long posts in response to your endless questions.

I hope you continue to look into LeisurePro, you may find yourself a customer before the end of this post. I once again, have no problem with local dive shops. I shop there often, but if I have the option of spending $350 at LeisurePro and $700 at my local dive shop, I just can't afford to "support" my local dive shop. And with supporters like you, they don't need me anyways.

Keep it coming,
James

 

[blakh2o]

I think what Pilot is trying to express, and correct me if I'm wrong, is that LP is just bad for the industry.... plain and simple.... those of you who don't realize this are just as bad as the LDS's that supply LP with product that they ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO.... everyone wants the dive industry to thrive, they all want prices to stay up so they can make a living.... there's not a huge markup in hardware, and I'm sure Larry from ScubaToys can attest to that. Factor in the cost of keeping the lights on and it's hard to make a decent living in the dive industry without getting pretty creative.

The manufacturers publish their MSRP in the hopes that the dealers will want to keep the items that they sell VALUABLE... how valuable is that UWATEC computer you just bought now?? Pretty INvaluable in my eyes... so, all these dealers want the other guy to play by the rules so prices will stay up and then they turn around and back-door merchandise to LP to make a buck hoping that they're the only ones cashing in on the scheme.... everyone's out for number one....

As for the gear that LP buys, some of it is genuine and some is grey market... next time you buy a serialized piece of equipment from LP, call the manufacture and have them check the serial number, they'll be happy to do that for you.... for those items that are genuine, you WONT

 

[blakh2o]

get it serviced by LP... they will either send it back to the shop that they purchased it from, or swap out a new item... either way, you'll be satisfied... it's the industry that suffers.... LP is a great retail establishment... cashing in on the american dream... but, Pilot's opinion is valid, they are not good for the Scuba industry as a whole... what happens when all the LDS's go out of business??? To the person who said that he gets his air from the fire dept... and someone is going to fill the need and go buy a compressor.... right... someone is going to pony up $10k so that they can charge you $5 to fill your tank... not likely... if you want to buy gear at great deals, by all means, patronize LP.... if you want to support THE INDUSTRY OF SCUBA DIVING, keep your businesses in the local shops... when LP takes over the world, who's gonna teach all the other people to dive??

 

[TwoBitTxn]

but, Pilot's opinion is valid, they are not good for the Scuba industry as a whole... what happens when all the LDS's go out of business??? if you want to support THE INDUSTRY OF SCUBA DIVING, keep your businesses in the local shops... when LP takes over the world, who's gonna teach all the other people to dive??

This will never happen. LP is not going to drive all of the LDS's out of business. The Leisure Pro's, Scuba Toy's, and other online retailers have found a way to expand their market. Part of business survival is finding ways to expand your market into under utilized areas and essentailly create a nich business. Once you do this, your odds of survival increase until someone comes along that can do it better, cheeper, or more efficiently than you. Scuba Toys has a shop that provides instruction, air, and all other amenities of an LDS. They are doing just fine.

There will always be people who can write a business plan well enough to get the funding to open a shop. These shops may not last long, but they will be around for a very long time.

TwoBit

 

[teknitroxdiver]

if you want to support THE INDUSTRY OF SCUBA DIVING, keep your businesses in the local shops... when LP takes over the world, who's gonna teach all the other people to dive??

Nice speech. But you countered your own argument with that last sentence. That's exactly the reason LDSs will not go out of business. LP can't teach you how to dive, or put together a trip package, or give you an air fill. So, there's a market niche there that LP is incapable of filling, which leaves a large amount of profit for LDSs to take in. And, there will always be people who buy most or all of their gear at a shop, maybe because it's their first set, or they may just like talking to a real person about it. Any way you cut it, there will always be LDSs around.