JohnF:
Is it ever possible for something to be just what it appears to be? You're imagining the bogyman behind every tree and that's just not realistic. Read back over some of your posts, like the one quoted here. You're essentially saying that it doesn't matter if the lds is selling at a bargain price, there's probably some sinister reason for it. That's a crock.
Did you actually read what was written? Of course not.
If a dealer is setting their own price, and not participating in a scheme to fix prices, then I have no issue with whatever
free and open negotiated price they reach between themselves and their customers.
It is
only when they participate in a scheme to artificially inflate the selling price by not only restraining their own price,
but also participating in a scheme to keep the price at OTHER shops artificially high, that there is a problem.
If those dealers were to do this via a conference phone call,
THEY WILL ALL BE IN PRISON, because that conduct is ILLEGAL.
Yet when they find some way aronud the black letter of the law, it suddenly becomes "ok" with you?
Its not for me.
Just because they're trying to earn a living doesn't make them dishonest or unscrupulous like you seem to want us to believe.
When they conspire to fix prices they are indeed dishonest and unscrupulous.
The worst thing most of them can be accused of is business naivete. They went into business either disregarding or unaware of the problems to be faced by a small businessman having to compete with the volume catalogue sellers and box shops. It's tough enough for them to compete without a vocal few like you shilling for the high volume competition.
I shill for nobody, except the consumer and fair dealing. If those who would conspire to do that which ought to land them in prison, and would land them in prison if the
exact same effect was reached by slightly different means, are unhappy about this, that's just too bad.
There is nothing wrong with inciting a consumer revolt against manufacturers and dealers who conspire to fix retail prices, even if they have found a loophole in the law that allows them to do so without all going to prison. There is also nothing wrong with advocating - loudly and noisily - that the loophole be closed and that all of these people
actually go to prison.
That an industry has found a way to evade the clear intent of the law doesn't make what they're doing right. It just means they're clever, and exploiting consumers. In this case it is my considered opinion that they're too clever by half, and they need to either suffer the consequences in the marketplace, the courthouse (if we can get the loopholes removed) or both.
I note (again) that Nine West (the woman's shoe maker) thought this law didn't apply to them too. Punch "Nine West Antitrust" into Google sometime. Or, for that matter, "Scuba Retailers Association Antitrust"; the latter was a trade assocaition to which many dive retailers belonged.
From the SRA complaint....
"The complaint further alleges that Scuba Retailers Association representatives told a popular diving magazine that its members would not carry the magazine in their stores if they accepted ads for scuba gear mail-order houses.Retail dive stores compete with mail-order vendors which often sell scuba diving equipment at a discount price. The Department alleges that as a result of the pressure from Scuba Retailers Association, the magazine decided not to accept mail-order ads.
Anne K. Bingaman, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division, said "This action seeks to ensure that consumers can get scuba equipment through the mail as well as from dive shops.Those who participate in this popular and challenging sport deserve the best prices and quality a competitive market can deliver."
SRA no longer exists - but their practices and threats look awfully similar to what's going on now.
It's fine for you that you have the werewithal to set up your own fill station, good for you. But that's not practical or even feasible for most folks. They haven't the time, money or space to do it, and frankly most of us don't use enough fills in our lifetime to justify the investment. For you to slam the shop operators who cater to the low volume divers like me is doing me no favour. The shop here in town has closed up. Last I heard he was still doing fills but rumour has it that might not be the case much longer. That means I'll need to drive 30 miles for air fills like I used to for Nitrox.
On the contrary. Fills can be profitably sold at close to the price you're paying now, if not for the price you're paying now.
If there is demand, there will be supply.
Instead of discouraging divers from supporting their lds, you'd actually be doing them a bigger favour by supporting lds's because in the end it may make the difference between having a local source for fills and not having it. Instead you choose to shill for the box shops and catalogue retailers at the expense of the lds who's actually working with the little guys in diving. Hopefully that helps you to understand why I don't appreciate your efforts.
JohnF
There is no reason for divers to support those who are evading the clear intent of the law - a law that exists for the sole reason of protecting consumers.
This is like saying that we should have all rallied around the car dealers when they were fighting
against the Mulroney stickers - because its oh so unfair to those poor car dealers that they should have to actually list the price of the car on the window!
