LDS pricing

[Bill_PNW_Diver]

I buy some things on-line but most of my gear through my LDS. When I first got back into diving I would choke at the price difference between the on-line retailers and my LDS, but over time I have started to understand the value they play in diving.

Because my LDS is an Aqua Lung shop, they cannot meet or price match leisure pro, but I find I can negotiate other incentives when I purchase gear from them such as air fill cards, free classes, Trident trinkets, and gear service. If I were to add everything up I'm probably close to break even compared to what I would have paid at Leisure Pro.

Other benefits I get from my LDS that are tough to put a dollar value on but are extremely important:
- Free weekly local group dives
- Free use of the pool during their scheduled classes so that I can hone skills or try new gear. I can usually get an instructor to help me out if I have questions.
- If I have an equipment problem one of the shop techs will usually drop what they are doing and fix my gear while I wait.
- If I want to dive a site that I haven't done before or can't find a buddy I can usually call the shop and get one of their guys to go out with me (a beer charge may apply).

Your mileage may vary from LDS to LDS but if you find a good one their value over the long term will outweigh the short term cost savings. If not then they shouldn't be in business.

 

[Plumb bob]

LOL. No, I'm in information technologies (but would probably be happier running a LDS). I'm just a big fan of the disappearing breed that is the small "mom and pop" operation, The little hardware stores, your LDS etc, that are being displaced by the big box stores and on-line retailers. I mean honestly, if it weren't for training and air fills to actually bring people in the doors, how long do your think your average LDS would be able to stay afloat?

I gotta agree with ya here I go out of my way to frequent smaller businesses and will often pay a little more to spite the big box bastards but... I have all too often run into someone padding a lack of knowledge with gob****e at local LDSs to sell an item that is grossly overprice. Not 30% more than elsewhere (read online) but ore often than not 100% more... That's why I'm not a big fan of the retail side of the LDS, if only training wasn't such an undervalued commodity and treated as a retail lure... (whole other thread, tho done to death I think).

 

[szurlo]

Well, just to cap this thread off, I wound up buying a vyper 2 from my LDS. I only paid about $25 more than I would have from a .com, and I didn't even have to haggle to get that price.
However, I will say that when I dropped off my weekend rental gear yesterday and asked the guy at my LDS a question about my new computer, he couldn't answer it. No one there was really familiar with it

 

[mason417]

Well, just to cap this thread off, I wound up buying a vyper 2 from my LDS. I only paid about $25 more than I would have from a .com, and I didn't even have to haggle to get that price.
However, I will say that when I dropped off my weekend rental gear yesterday and asked the guy at my LDS a question about my new computer, he couldn't answer it. No one there was really familiar with it

Thats terrible in the fact that they could not answer your questions. I feel like before I buy anything I need to interview the LDS I am buying to make sure they know whats going on. I am sure there are some great LDS everywhere, but they are sure hard to find.

 

[NadMat]

Well, just to cap this thread off, I wound up buying a vyper 2 from my LDS. I only paid about $25 more than I would have from a .com, and I didn't even have to haggle to get that price.
However, I will say that when I dropped off my weekend rental gear yesterday and asked the guy at my LDS a question about my new computer, he couldn't answer it. No one there was really familiar with it

I just bought my Tusa IQ 800 at (one of) my LDS's, and none of them had yet dove that computer themselves and so they too could not answer all of my questions. They were glad to pull out manual and get manufacturer on phone as needed, told me about their IQ700's and satisfied my questions about the product.

While it is nice to have someone who knows it all about every piece of gear in shop, most will know a few models fairly well, and then only know the high points of other models.

The folks at the LDS were as interested as me in finding out some of the answers, and wanted to know what I thought about it when I got a few dives on it.

Some surprises for them - the 800 does not do multi gas dives, cannot switch gas mixtures mid dive like the 700, not a factor for me, I don't even currently use Nitrox, but for some doing more advanced dives the gas switching feature is needed. They were glad to find out about this so as to better inform there customers of the capabilities of the computer.

Offer to give them a good review of the computer and its capabilities for a few free fills Get a little help putting some bottom time on it

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

I am just a diver guy and not involved in any LDS operation, but my experience with another business taught me not to "assume" the profit margin of the LDS is excessive. I built a recreational boat marina in my hometown in the 1970's, not a "huge" operation but what would be described as a mom & pop business. I purchased my fuel and diesel from the
Amoco bulk plant. They also maintained a series of Penny Wise self service stations in town. I know folks at the marina thought I was gouging them on fuel cost because of the price. They thought I was charging what the traffic would bear because of a captive customer base. Truth is the bulk operator charged me 9 cents per gallon more than it sold it at it's self service filing stations. The explantion to me, well if you buy tanker truck loads we could sell to you for a lower price but the price you pay is based on the delivery cost( I only had 4,000 gal. tanks). So don't "assume" that just because the LDS can't match the price of world's Wal-Marts they are trying to make an excessive profit margin off of you.

 

[ReefHound]

Don't assume that we are assuming. Some of us have seen the invoices.

 

[jacksatlanta]

All I want to add here, is that I find the policy of Minimum Advertised and Resale Pricing offensive in a free market. I find it wholly un-american and counter to free trade when a manufacturer (as more and more are doing) can come into a business and dictate what we have to sell product a for or how much we can give you a discount of. The mfg's say its to make it a level playing field for all parties, nobody promised a level playing field when I invested my money or decided to take the risk, and how is it fair that you as customer's should be forced to pay higher market prices to support poorly run small shops? This is a growing problem for some of us, even if we want to give you a better deal, the shops down the street run and cry to the mfg's that then threaten to pull our dealership if we don't support the MSRP or MARP. Price fixing used to be illegal.

 

[RowingMunkeyCU]

I buy some things on-line but most of my gear through my LDS. When I first got back into diving I would choke at the price difference between the on-line retailers and my LDS, but over time I have started to understand the value they play in diving.

Because my LDS is an Aqua Lung shop, they cannot meet or price match leisure pro, but I find I can negotiate other incentives when I purchase gear from them such as air fill cards, free classes, Trident trinkets, and gear service. If I were to add everything up I'm probably close to break even compared to what I would have paid at Leisure Pro.

Other benefits I get from my LDS that are tough to put a dollar value on but are extremely important:
- Free weekly local group dives
- Free use of the pool during their scheduled classes so that I can hone skills or try new gear. I can usually get an instructor to help me out if I have questions.
- If I have an equipment problem one of the shop techs will usually drop what they are doing and fix my gear while I wait.
- If I want to dive a site that I haven't done before or can't find a buddy I can usually call the shop and get one of their guys to go out with me (a beer charge may apply).

Your mileage may vary from LDS to LDS but if you find a good one their value over the long term will outweigh the short term cost savings. If not then they shouldn't be in business.

Agreed. My LDS is almost the same, even allowing us to sit in on classes for free if we need a refresher. I'm currently looking at my first major equipment purchase, and even though the LDS will charge a fair bit more for the gear than LP, I really trust them. As tough as it is to spend more (I love to save a dollar), if spending a bit more means that my LDS stays in business and I can continue to learn and gain experience from some really excellent divers, it is more than worth the price in my book.

I first certified OW through PADI when I was around 14 (or whatever the full OW minimum age was) and really had a miserable time, even though I was really looking forward to it. The instructor was bad, didn't really care to make sure we enjoyed our diving. I didn't dive for almost 10 years after.

I recertified through NAUI last year, at my 'LDS' (almost 1.5 hours away) because it was highly recommended (even though there are others within 10 minutes). Even with gas prices the way they are, you couldn't PAY me to go anywhere but there now. Having instructors that really care, and are in it for the love of teaching the sport is priceless.

 

[redacted]

I am just a diver guy and not involved in any LDS operation, but my experience with another business taught me not to "assume" the profit margin of the LDS is excessive. I built a recreational boat marina in my hometown in the 1970's, not a "huge" operation but what would be described as a mom & pop business. I purchased my fuel and diesel from the
Amoco bulk plant. They also maintained a series of Penny Wise self service stations in town. I know folks at the marina thought I was gouging them on fuel cost because of the price. They thought I was charging what the traffic would bear because of a captive customer base. Truth is the bulk operator charged me 9 cents per gallon more than it sold it at it's self service filing stations. The explantion to me, well if you buy tanker truck loads we could sell to you for a lower price but the price you pay is based on the delivery cost( I only had 4,000 gal. tanks). So don't "assume" that just because the LDS can't match the price of world's Wal-Marts they are trying to make an excessive profit margin off of you.

I take it that this customer irritant pricing situation was a surprise that was not discovered during the research and planning stage. That is unfortunate.

There are reasons so many small businesses get themselves into trouble.