LDS gear is expensive

[NickPhillips]

I am curious on your guys/gals opinions on this. I work with my LDS quite often and notice that all their prices on gear is msrp.unfortunately they do not budge causing customers (including me) to go online to shop. I would love to support my LDS but I can't justify wasting hundreds if dollars on a computer or regs when I can order the same thing online for much less. What are your thoughts?

 

[oly5050user]

Many store are willing to price match if asked. We do. If the online retailer is an authorized dealer for the product there should be no issues for the LDS to price match.

 

[tbone1004]

that's why dive shops don't like this forum. If they won't price match, then take your business elsewhere. that simple

 

[Lorenzoid]

The prices at my local dive shop, a branch of Divers Supply, are exactly the same as the prices on their popular online store.

If a local dive shop is too mom-and-pop to compete with dive gear retailers that do the bulk of their gear sales online, they will suffer the same fate as brick-and-mortar stores in general. It's just the way of the world. We need local dive shops, but to survive they need to rely more on selling what the online stores are not good at selling, such as service, training, pool time, travel, and gas fills.

 

[northernone]

Evolve or die...

 

[Blasto]

I'm usually OK with overpaying a little. Especially so if I feel that I get something in return, say, a chance to try that mask on and make sure it's a fit. But there's always a limit to how much I'll pay over online prices.

Never feel compelled to "buy local" if you're not comfortable with the premium - a dive shop is not a charity and you're not supporting any noble cause by paying through the nose, only out-of-date retail practices.

 

[victorzamora]

I will gladly pay up (some, of course) for a dive shop with good service, stock, and convenience. I used to live literally across the street from a dive shop. Assuming competence, I would've been happy to pay ~10% more than online for plenty of things from them. it would've built a good relationship with the shop, which would mean that any parts or toys/tools I needed were available that day instead of waiting a few. It would've been a convenient place for fills before long trips. It would've been a great way of meeting divers.

I first visited that shop right after I got my Intro to Cave Cert, and I've spent an upsettingly large amount of money on dive gear since then. That shop could've earned nearly all of it had they been reasonable. They weren't, though. I found another shop that's gotten the vast majority of my business since then. That shop is 7 hours away. I've been to that shop more times this year than I visited the local shop in the 4 years I've lived here.

Just remember that if you go online only, you'll only have online. That means air fills and that-day deliveries aren't going to be an option. Support local if having a local shop matters to you, but figure out what it's worth. After my second interaction with my local shop's owner, I doubt I would've given them any of my business regardless of their pricing. After my first interaction with my currently preferred shop's owner, I figured they deserved a chance to earn my business.

 

[outofofficebrb]

My LDS price matches online if you ask them to. It obviously has to be the same product and is matched to the delivered-to-your-door price (including taxes, shipping, etc.

I would be willing to pay MSRP on an item at my LDS that is cheaper online if I wanted the touch and feel experience with the service, knowledge, and support of the staff at my LDS. In your case, unfortunately, their unwillingness to match will just hurt them in the long run.....

 

[Lorenzoid]

I'm usually OK with overpaying a little. Especially so if I feel that I get something in return, say, a chance to try that mask on and make sure it's a fit. But there's always a limit to how much I'll pay over online prices.

If only the LDS had in stock as many masks for me to try on as the online retailer. I'd rather ask a few people on SB what they recommend, order three or four masks from LeisurePro, and return the ones that didn't fit. They make returns easy, as a savvy online retailer should.

 

[TulsaTime]

Pretty much agree with what others have posted. I'm willing to pay extra for the ability to see merchandise firsthand before buying, try it out first, ensure that I have that option in the future by supporting a local store, etc. How much extra depends on you and the diveshop but there absolutely is a limit.

I'm fortunate in that my LDS (or at least the LDS that I use) is very reasonable with their prices. In fact, when I bought most of my equipment last year, they were having a 20% off sale to celebrate 20 years in business and that made the prices cheaper than I could find online anywhere.