LDS Support or Mfg's strike back at online sales

[Genesis]

The crammer and decker sales rep is the first rep who tried lecture me on how to teach to sell more of his equipment. He also threatened to pull our dealership every time he was in the store because he saw too much stuff from other companies.

I have some interesting words to describe what I think of the folks from there that I talked to... but they're not for polite company.

Get a beer in me if you ever come down here to dive (that boat trip's still on me if 'ya show up here sometime) though, and I bet you get to hear all of them, unedited.

 

[truva]

I don’t know if they know it or not yet but the Internet is here to stay. Right now I think it is once again against the law to buy drugs and have them shipped into the states from Canada but it happens everyday and they are hard pressed to stop it. And these are Drug companies trying to get the government to stop it. Think the Dive Industry stands a chance of continuing to control the market here?

Once enough people figure out how simple this stuff is to service then it becomes a matter of price and there isn’t a large tax like the UK has to import this stuff. The importers\wholesalers and LDS’s only argument right now is “you have no warranty if you didn’t buy from whoever” is weak and only gets weaker as the information get out there. These guys need to change their business model quick but the only thing it looks like they are doing is trying to pick up extra dollars through making you believe you need more training, which is pretty annoying to say the least.

I have no idea what the LDS will look like in 5 years but I think the ones that do not take divers diving are screwed.


Truva

 

[quimby]

I don’t know if they know it or not yet but the Internet is here to stay

These guys need to change their business model quick but the only thing it looks like they are doing is trying to pick up extra dollars through making you believe you need more training, which is pretty annoying to say the least

I don't think I've read two truer statements on this board. Its obvious that #1 is not accepted otherwise #2 would have to take on some well organized and dramatic response other than the wine and cheese being served regularly

 

[ElectricZombie]

To be fair, the April issue should feature a picture of an angry diver who was burned by the LDS repeatedly.

If anything, the ad in Roadale's makes me want buy exclusively via the Internet. Instead of trying to concentrate on service and competitive pricing, the LDS would rather lay a guilt trip on you because you bought online. (The manufacturers could care less where you buy the gear; who do you think supplies the gear for online vendors?) Wouldn't it be easier for the LDS to offer solutions rather than point fingers? The LDS's are combating Internet sales in a totally backwards manner. If they don't get their act together, there won't be a whole lot of them left. LDS's are the only business model I can think of in which the customer is expected to bow down and be grateful that the shop is willing to do business with them. The Internet has opened up other options and the LDS no longer has the control it did in the past. The LDS can either evolve...or fade away. With ads like the one in Roadale's, the latter seems more likely.

 

[firedogut]

Ok i have an idea.

I say that every member on scuba board buys only from 1 LDS that sells online. there are a bunch of them so we would have to pick the one that sells the most. this will send a message to the Mfg's and other LDS's. I mean hell there is what 21,000 members here.

so any want to open a scuba store with me..... :54:

 

[Bob3]

RODALES got burned in an anti-trust suit because they caved in to the "anti-mailorder" faction.
I doubt if they'd be too keen to get in the middle of things again.

Here's the complaint where they got left holding the bag: http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/f0800/0891.htm

 

[MikeFerrara]

I especially like the part where they point out that authorized dealers are the only ones who can get parts. Did they think that I would take that as anything but a threat?

I won't buy equipment that I can't get parts and manuals for. I AM going to do my own service. They can't stop me and they might as well get used to the idea. If they won't sell me parts and manuals the won't sell me regulators either.
Since I keep 15 or 20 regulators around the house I'm a good guy to sell regulators to.

 

[Genesis]

I'm with Mike on this.

Note that this complaint, which by the way, is what drove the SRA out of business, alleges exactly what goes on all the time right now, just in a different format.

"Do it this way or we'll cut you off."

Where have you heard THAT one before?

Like Mike, I have a whole lot of brass in my closet. And none of it will see an LDS until they stop doing the same thing that got the SRA into trouble - whether they've figured out how to evade the law or not.

 

[GeekDiver]

I don't maintain my regs yet but someday I hope to.

What makes me mad is the small simple stuff. I had an o-ring go out where the HP hose goes into my Cobra and my LDS won't let me buy it, says I have to bring it in for repair and that the o-ring is only aval in a repair kit. Luckly when the problem occured I had a dive buddy that actualy had a o-ring that would fit, couple of mins later was back in the water and diving. I don't understand why they can't let me buy a couple of spare o-ring's for somthing so simple to fix. If I have a problem with my dive computer other than a minor air leak what kind of repair is the LDS going to do there just going to send it in to Sunnto.

I wish the dive industry had a national chain store like Bestbuy or Wal-mart that could push back on dive mfg's and drive the prices down. I think the more mainstream scuba gets the less control the Mfg's will be able to get away with. I think the LDS's don't complain due to the higher markup on gear by complying with the Mfg's.

I don't think LP is going away any time soon and if enough small owners get hurt the MFG's will have to change the way things are done cuz there won't be any small owners left to hawk there products.

 

[truva]

RODALES got burned in an anti-trust suit because they caved in to the "anti-mailorder" faction.
I doubt if they'd be too keen to get in the middle of things again.

Here's the complaint where they got left holding the bag: http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/f0800/0891.htm

I knew this industry was really ****** up but that looks like the mafia runs it.

Truva