Purchasing own equipment online/lds?

[Al Mialkovsky]

Shops can't rely on other sources of services to bring more income than sales doesn. Sales is always going to be number one. The product lines the shop I instruct for carries items that they can not discount more than 10% and expect to keep that vendor. It's against the rules.

What the shop does is offer other services to be included in the cost of a complete system. You buy top of the line and they'll throw in things like a master diver program, club membership, free use of the pool, that sort of thing.

You buy middle of the road stuff and you'll get a couple of specialty courses and some other stuff, most around here buy top end stuff.

 

[retired]

Shops can't rely on other sources of services to bring more income than sales doesn. Sales is always going to be number one. The product lines the shop I instruct for carries items that they can not discount more than 10% and expect to keep that vendor. It's against the rules.

What the shop does is offer other services to be included in the cost of a complete system. You buy top of the line and they'll throw in things like a master diver program, club membership, free use of the pool, that sort of thing.

You buy middle of the road stuff and you'll get a couple of specialty courses and some other stuff, most around here buy top end stuff.

Very interesting. Didn't know that.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Or am I missing something here?

No you are not missing a thing. A lot of LDS's think that you OWE them your business and you are not loyal asking for good service and a fair price. Many think they can treat you however they want and you should be grateful for whatever maltreatment you get. Others do a fine job and are very helpful and should have your business.

Some LDS's give great service and fair pricing. They are just few and far between. When and if you find a good one, hold onto it and support them. When they don't deserve your business, find someone who does and support them. Today you can buy local or online, you can book trips local or online, you can get advice local or here online at SB. As far as SB goes, I dare you to ask just about any question and within a few minutes you will get great advice from people who just want to help and love diving.

Some might say that Scuba Board itself is bad for the LDS. You get great advice from many folks and you don't have to rely on the LDS for info. It frees people up from being totally dependent on the LDS for what the learn.

 

[60feet]

Shops can't rely on other sources of services to bring more income than sales doesn. Sales is always going to be number one...

Interestingly enough, the owner of the LDS I visit often and I recently had a friendly discussion. He told me that he started out teaching/training students for OW, AOW, and other classes and was happy doing just that. Then scuba gear manufacturers started to pressure him into stocking and selling their gears in his facility (he didn't tell me how they convinced him into that). But he did say that he makes more money from his training classes and from servicing gear and doesn't seem too enthused about selling gear. The times I've been to his store, I see relatively high prices and no customers actually buying anything. They actually come in to fill their tanks or drop off a reg set for service. This LDS has no pool on premise to offer free pool service.

Another LDS at Orange County dive sites pretty much has monopoly of that area. They have a very limited selection of gear for sale (perhaps dictated by lack of demand), and again, at pretty high prices. I never see anyone buying any new gear there. What I do see is dozens (probably more than 100 divers on a Sat or Sun) of divers coming to this LDS to refill their tank. At $6 per fill, the dollars add up pretty quick (not much on compressor operating cost, and air is free to the LDS). Many divers also come in to drop off regs and tanks for inspection/service. This LDS has a pool next to the store, and I've seen students practicing in the pool.

These are only two data points and are, by themselves, insufficient to support any generalization. And I am not familiar with the margin distribution of all products/services provided by all LDS. But I'm not sure that sales will always be the number one revenue/profit generator for any given LDS. There may be a spectrum or distribution of items (sales, training, or service - including air fills and gear service) of highest revenue/margin and variability from location to location, as well as LDS to LDS, depending on demand and other driving forces.

 

[shoupart]

No you are not missing a thing. A lot of LDS's think that you OWE them your business and you are not loyal asking for good service and a fair price. Many think they can treat you however they want and you should be grateful for whatever maltreatment you get. Others do a fine job and are very helpful and should have your business.

Some LDS's give great service and fair pricing. They are just few and far between. When and if you find a good one, hold onto it and support them. When they don't deserve your business, find someone who does and support them. Today you can buy local or online, you can book trips local or online, you can get advice local or here online at SB. As far as SB goes, I dare you to ask just about any question and within a few minutes you will get great advice from people who just want to help and love diving.

Some might say that Scuba Board itself is bad for the LDS. You get great advice from many folks and you don't have to rely on the LDS for info. It frees people up from being totally dependent on the LDS for what the learn.

Yes! I am always stunned at the number of stores who think their customers are somehow obligated to buy from them out of blind loyalty and owe them, like you pointed out. It's as if they have no idea about competition.

I think what Scubaboard is particularly bad for, in addition to some degree LDS's, is dive magazines. The majority of them get so repetitive so quickly, with the same dive site reviews (How many times have you read an interchangeablel article on Cozumel? Come on!) and gear reviews that you are never sure are unbiased.

I'm glad Scubaboard allows people to get as much info on just about any facet of scuba diving as they want to know about.

 

[H2Andy]

i walked into a shop here in town and i said to the owner:

i can get the Atmos 2 on line for X amount. can you sell it to me for anything close to that?

wherupon he launches into a schpiel about the gray market and how dangerous buying on line is and i'm like, "dude, it's a computer. it don't know it was bought in the gray market."

anyway... he gave me a very nice deal and i bought local.

(what was my point?)

 

[rakkis]

(not much on compressor operating cost, and air is free to the LDS)

Compressors actually use up a good amount of electricity. I don't know the actual numbers, but my understanding is that air at $5/fill is teetering on the edge of operating at a loss.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Compressors actually use up a good amount of electricity. I don't know the actual numbers, but my understanding is that air at $5/fill is teetering on the edge of operating at a loss.

I have heard that too from one LDS owner that has a shop a couple of hours from my house that I have become friends with. He says between the filters, electric, and other compressor maintenance isssues that it is pretty close to break even for him. I don't know if that is really true or not.

I don't fault anyone for wanting to make a profit off me. Just do something that is of value to me at a fair price and you will get my business.

 

[TheAquaticApe]

The LDS is giving me 20% off the BC, Reg, Octo, computer. They're also giving me 25% off the wetsuit. They also have a great deal on a 3 bag XS scuba set.

When all is said and done the LDS price is 20 cents cheaper (with tax) than the Leisure Pro price. Plus they're assembling and testing everything and filling out all the warranty paperwork.

Chris

 

[H2Andy]

sounds like a great deal

i'd take it too