LDS vs. Internet

[fnfalman]

Thanks Cra, wanted to do that myself but I'm a big wuss. I know the online dealer is reputable (I asked Oceanic) but I'm worried I'll give up some local support. Will an LDS refuse to service equipment they haven't sold and will I lose the free parts replacements? i don't think so but I hate to give that up for a cheaper online sale.

Do you buy a car at sticker price or do you wuss out and not negotiate?

Buying dive gear isn't any different.

 

[munselln8]

As a respectful rebuttle to the folks "Hating" on the internet dealers and "flaming" those who use them: I am a new diver and a college student. Money is tight for everyone. I just recently bought a full set-up (minus tanks) and bought it all from internet dealers. In total for BC, regs, wetsuit and accessories I spent $759.00 online.
In the year that I have been diving I have spent, at my LDS, for mask, fin, snorkle, boots (first OW class), OW training, Misc. accessories (gloves, weights), AOW training, plus equipment rental prior to having my own gear: well over $1100.00 and I am scheduling my nitrox cert. classes soon.
In otherwords...the LDS offers certain things that I can't get elsewhere (or at least not a better deal) and I spend my money with them for those things. If LDS just "can never compete" with internet dealers for hardware, then the market will eventually force them oout of that side of the business.
That being said. I also agree with Firewalker that going into your LDS, spending hours trying on their gear, getting their advice, and taking up their time and then buying off of the internet (especially if you were planning to do that all along) is, IMO, kind of skeazy (that's college talk for Sneaky and shady .
Anyway, there are more ways to support your LDS than by buying hardware from them. If an LDS can't survive without selling harware at 40%-60% higher than the going (internet) rate, they might need to charge more for the services they can provide that has less competition (like classes, airfills, rentals, servicing, etc...)
Just my thoughts.
Good diving...

 

[Diver Dave 69]

It isn't just dive shops that have been hurt by the internet. Many mom and pop shops regardless of what services they provide have been hurt by the internet. I don't know the answer, but a solution has to be brought to the table. A previous post said that the online guys found a better business model, which they have!

AGAIN, I do not know the answer. LDS owners need to realize that the internet is here to stay and they need to find a business model that works for this day and age. The model of yesterday is not working anymore. Businesses are successful because they change with the times. Stagnant business models usually die.

Dive, Dive, Dive!

 

[fnfalman]

As a respectful rebuttle to the folks "Hating" on the internet dealers and "flaming" those who use them:

My LDS prices are damn close to online prices. AND when or if my equipment were to break down or not available (i.e. in for service), they'd lend me gears for free until the situation is rectified.

Let me know when an internet seller can do that for me or you.

 

[DayBob]

Thanks for all the input. I think I'll stick to my LDS because I like the idea of their supporting the products they sell me and I do want to support local businesses.

 

[TracysaCADiver]

I'm sure this has been discussed before but I couldn't find it so I apologize in advance.

I can save $500 or more buying online vs. my LDS. The sites I'm looking at are approved by the manufacturer for sales. Why shouldn't I buy online?

Thanks in advance.

I've done both... bought my Snorkel gear and one wetsuit at my LDS, but then also bought another suit from Scubatoys.

Both have been rewarding. Yet when it comes to gettng the other parts of the gear, I think I'll go to my LDS. Why? Because they have excellent customer service, and when it comes to repairs, I'd want them on it, even though at the beginning, it might be a little pricey.

I'd rather pay more for quality stuff tho.

 

[munselln8]

My LDS prices are damn close to online prices. AND when or if my equipment were to break down or not available (i.e. in for service), they'd lend me gears for free until the situation is rectified.

Let me know when an internet seller can do that for me or you.

Fnfal...I totally agree with you on that...and I should have posted it. There are definitely benefits other than I mentioned to using an LDS (especially if you have a good one and have developed a relationship with them). Yes, I should have presented that in my post. Thank you for bringing it up.
Unfortunately for me, my LDS prices are most often NOT close to internet pricing. Often prices are double or more. Why that is? I do not know. Honestly, if prices were close to internet prices (say 10% ish ) I would pay it because the convenience would make it worthwhile. As I said, I refuse (by mattter of principle) to waste their time by trying stuff on, etc. if I don't plan on buying from them.
Good diving...

 

[SeaHorse81]

It isn't just dive shops that have been hurt by the internet. Many mom and pop shops regardless of what services they provide have been hurt by the internet. I don't know the answer, but a solution has to be brought to the table. A previous post said that the online guys found a better business model, which they have!

AGAIN, I do not know the answer. LDS owners need to realize that the internet is here to stay and they need to find a business model that works for this day and age. The model of yesterday is not working anymore. Businesses are successful because they change with the times. Stagnant business models usually die.

I agree, many small, local businesses have been driven out of business by internet sales, or for that matter, by local big-box stores. We the consumers win these wars on price, but we lose badly in terms of knowledgable support. As long as you're just buying a straight-forward product that is unlikely to fail, and that you'll never have any questions about, losing your LDS won't matter much. It's when there are questions like, "What's this for?", "How does this work?", "Why did this happen?", "Is this supposed to look like that?", etc that you really start to miss the LDS that went out of business because it was cheaper to buy all your stuff on-line.

My personal approach is to buy on-line selectively, but try to spend most money locally so that my LDS will be there when I need to ask a question and get a useful answer. No matter how great tech support is on the other end of the phone, there's no substitute for your LDS actually seeing the object of your question and being able to address it directly. The fact is that it costs them more to run a business than it costs an on-line supplier, so their prices will reflect that. My experience is that each time I've walked into my LDS, I've ended up learning something or other, often in addition to whatever I went in with. I'm willing to pay a few extra bucks to keep that kind of free knowledge readily available.

As an avid cyclist, I've seen this exact scenario play out with bike shops, of which precious few remain. I miss being able to walk into the shop of a guy who's been selling and repairing bikes for 25 years and can do a tune-up that is PERFECT, as opposed to the probably-minimum-wage guy working at Dick's Sporting Goods who is just doing this job until he finds something better to do. I think that when all we have left is super-cheap stuff that's not as reliable and for which there is little live-human support, we're going to be sorry.

 

[Diver Dave 69]

Also don't forget the internet guys are working on very high volume sales, so they can price their gear a little above cost. LDS are working on low volume sales and have to also cover overhead costs. I think this is why most LDS can't and won't compete with the internet prices.

 

[fnfalman]

Unfortunately for me, my LDS prices are most often NOT close to internet pricing. Often prices are double or more. Why that is? I do not know. Honestly, if prices were close to internet prices (say 10% ish ) I would pay it because the convenience would make it worthwhile. As I said, I refuse (by mattter of principle) to waste their time by trying stuff on, etc. if I don't plan on buying from them.
Good diving...

Too bad for those LDSes then.

My LDS isn't one of those big ones that move lots of stuff, yet somehow they can give me good discounts AND great service.

I do encounter a local shop that sounds like yours. They kept asking me why I'm not buying high dollars stuff from them and I kept giving them the same reason and they kept asking me why I'm not...