Local dive shops are really taking the pi$$!

[Dive Source]

Shaggy... I don't want to appear sensitive, just informative and hopefully give reason to stop and think. Sarcasm is very OK with me, but many other people don't care or don't know where the line is.

Since I have chosen to be completely up front and post under my own name and that of my business , I have to try extra hard to be clear and provide good clean discussion as well.

I can't say that all the discussion I read here are good or clean ( from either side of any thread on this board) and maybe that's because of the anonimity of the people involved or just the ease of typing down whatever comes into one's head and hitting enter.

Mr. Genesis...Do you seriously want a list of what I feel are the advantages of an LDS or are you baiting me from that nice looking fishing boat of yours? ( I say this not to be rude to you, but you can't blame me for being suspicious considering your sig line and website)

I did not take the time to list them as I did not want to blatantly sound like an advertisement for my shop or have one of those posts that are so long you skip over them.

Perhaps the advantages of an LDS would be a good topic for another thread if there hasn't already been one in the past.

Just another two cents..wow that's almost a nickel

 

[Genesis]

I was not being argumentative at all.

I frankly don't see the value in virtually all dive shops. Note I said "virtually all", not "all".

As for knowing the instructor, that's very important. Its also impossible for a student to evaluate an instructor prior to the class, as by definition if you know enough to judge, you don't need the class.

 

[captain]

The other day I was in the local auto parts store and I noticed a petition form on the counter. I asked what it was about and low and behold he told me the automobile manufactures want to go the way of the dive industry. If they get their way the only place you will be able to get parts or service is from authorized dealerships and we all know how great our experiences are at dealerships.
Seems the person who can work on his own cars or the local mechanic shop is taking too much money from manufactures and their dealerships. I guess its the wave of the furture.

Captain

 

[Genesis]

... and will be again.

Of course the dealerships aren't to blame for this, just like the LDSs aren't, right? Its all the manufacturers, right?

Yeah, right.

 

[DeepScuba]

Well Captain, here in our country, the move is the other way (with respect to the auto industry) Sure the Dealers want to keep it in house, but they are forced to divulge info.

Also, the dealers don't make the parts anyways, so they don't have a say!!!

That cat is out of the bag, and they ain't ever going to get it back in.

Besides, the industry is WAY TOO BIG for the dealers alone, to handle all the work.

Yes I'm in the business, and I know all about our "LDS" problems.

I make it work for me becuase I have no "agreements" to deal with.

 

[DeepScuba]

MikeF, buddy, I really feel for ya.

I don't know you from Adam, nor do I know your situation. But from what I have read, you seem to have gotten a gold plated screwing by the Mfg's.

First off, let's just get the facts straight. You and I BOTH know Leisure Pro is getting their stuff from the Mfg's. How on earth could they get the stuff any other way??

That being said, it's evident the Mfg's couldn't give a rats a$$ about the LDS's of a smaller variety out there. That being said, and I say this with some hesitation, as I was never in your shoes.....but here goes.

If it were me.....I THINK I would have sold my goods to whomever for whatever price I wanted.....period.

WHY??

First of all, the POSSIBILITY of them finding out isn't assured. Second of all, if I'm on THAT slim a margin, and bordering on going out of business at any given month....what would I have to lose??? SO they yank their business MAYBE. So what?? It's just putting me out of my misery sooner.

It's sad to see that you had to always be worried about THEM, and not about yourself. Easy for me to say for sure, but it should have been the other way around.

And as such, maybe going into the scuba business in the first place was a mistake. Albeit a costly one I would think.

Just seems like a sad state of affairs. Very sad.

I'm even seeing it now, in our "Region". We have 2 shops serving a community of about 200,000 people. Of them ???? are divers. Maybe 1000? If that?

What do you think of those numbers, Mike?

I can see our shop (The more successful of the two) starting to urt a bit too. Tihngs can occassionally get a little nasty, or posibbly I should say, negative, at times. I dunno, it's pretty cut throat, and it seems the best policy is to have no friends! I just wish the "seemed" "preferable buyer" READ: Discount given to those who've earned it" (Buy lots of gear, take lots of courses etc) wasn't such BS. AS we all are finding out, we're all being sold the same stuff at the same price anyways. Of all the things that bother me, lying, saying I'm getting a preferred price, when I'm absolutely NOT, is my biggest peeve.

I've said too much already. I may at a later date have to erase the above, as you can imagine the heat I would get for saying this, in this small community.

Good thing for me.....my training is almost complete, and I have 99% of the gear I will ever need, so I need an LDS less and less.

Sure, maybe I'll invest in a compressor one day. Not for the price, but for the convenience.

 

[Genesis]

Sure, maybe I'll invest in a compressor one day. Not for the price, but for the convenience.

You got it.

You know the mastercard commercial? It goes like this:

Tank of Nitrox: $10
Compressor and fill station: $4,000

Not having to listen to the dive shop B.S. and put up with the attitude: PRICELESS

 

[waterwraith]

DeepScuba once bubbled...
First off, let's just get the facts straight. You and I BOTH know Leisure Pro is getting their stuff from the Mfg's. How on earth could they get the stuff any other way??

I always wondered about that. Manufacturers like to complain about on-line dealers, yet they have no problem accepting the money that these dealers provide. And do not give me that line about LP buying stolen gear, they have too much to lose if they are caught.

I support my LDS whenever possible but for non life support gear I often have to go to on-line dealers so that I can afford life support gear at my LDS. As for the advatages of an LDS, the shop that I frequent have a fantastic staff who are always more than happy to answer questions and are always exceptionally polite. I have never left the shop unsatisfied.

 

[OneBrightGator]

waterwraith once bubbled...

DeepScuba once bubbled...
First off, let's just get the facts straight. You and I BOTH know Leisure Pro is getting their stuff from the Mfg's. How on earth could they get the stuff any other way??

I always wondered about that. Manufacturers like to complain about on-line dealers, yet they have no problem accepting the money that these dealers provide. And do not give me that line about LP buying stolen gear, they have too much to lose if they are caught.

LP only buys gear from manufacturers they are authorized dealers for, they buy gear they are not authorized dealers through other avenues.

Ben

 

[Freeflyer]

But if Apeks didn't want Leisurepro selling their stuff, then it wouldn't be hard to stop them.

LP must be one of the biggest dealers for Apeks worldwide, they can't be getting that much stuff through 'dodgy' channels. If I buy a reg from LP it will come in the same packaging, be the same model as if I buy it down the road at the LDS.

All the manufacturers are giving their tacit approval to the online retailers by doing nothing. Personally I don't see why they just don't go the whole way and 'officially' endorse these retailers. If someone's going to buy from an LDS they'll go there. I honestly don't see the warranty being the big issue.

I have relatives who just don't like buying online, they never will. So I pay about 2/3 what they pay for any major purchase. Can't see why myself.

J.