Rolling Eyes at LDS

[piikki]

So we often read the stories how people buy gear on the internet, then happily go get their service at the LDS, and are surprised when they receive the cold shoulder as the people at LDS notice what is going on. Seems to be pretty common.

I am curious as to what else gives you the up turned nose and rolling eyeball at your local shop... and rolls your eyes in return. I have heard some pretty funny and crazy stories, and been surprised myself a few times too.

I’ll start. I get the Rolling Eyes at LDS if I try to get nitrox fills for another nitrox certified diver.

As in, I am nitrox certified but I cannot have another nitrox certified diver pick up and sign my nitrox tanks nor can I pick my buddies nitrox tanks. Not even if I inform beforehand that this will happen. They need to be signed by the owner of the tanks. I roll my eyes on that big time.

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

Why? I can see some legal responsibilities coming from that. A lot of shops want the owner to check their gas before they leave and acknowledge the MOD involved. That way the diver is responsible if he/she winds up dead from breaking the rules. Its sad it has to be that way. If it wasn't for that I would agree with you.

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

I’ll start. I get the Rolling Eyes at LDS if I try to get nitrox fills for another nitrox certified diver.

Thats ridiculous! We just require a Nitrox Certified diver to analyze and sign for them when they pick it up(filling out MOD on tank sticker
)....Thats a weird one....Do they not let other divers pick up your air fills? A son cant pick up dads tanks?

 

[deadly_risk]

I got the rolling eyes after explaining to my LDS that I wanted to try out a bp/w setup before buying anything from them or anyone else.

I was told it would be like test driving a car without knowing how to drive, I would not know any better and suck equally at both, so I should take their word that the zeagle gulf they sell is exactly what I want and need.

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

Come on, if you bring tanks in to our shop for a fill, do we demand to see your original receipt and then compare that against the tank serial number to verify it is, in fact, your tank? I think not.

A tank is a tank, maybe you put your name on it, maybe you don't. That is not a requirement. As long as the mix is verified and the tank is labeled with the mix, the shop has no more control over the tanks once it leaves the door. What if you lend your tank to someone else?

Sounds like a bit of overkill on the part of this LDS. Move on.

 

[SparticleBrane]

That is pretty ridiculous. It isn't a rare occurrence for me to go to my dive shop with a bunch of tanks from all my buddies and get them all filled.

I love my dive shop -- they do exactly as I ask, every time, and don't give me any crap or BS...

 

[piikki]

Why? I can see some legal responsibilities coming from that. A lot of shops want the owner to check their gas before they leave and acknowledge the MOD involved. That way the diver is responsible if he/she winds up dead from breaking the rules. Its sad it has to be that way. If it wasn't for that I would agree with you.

The ridiculousness comes from the part that how on earth do they think they can control who dives the tanks? I can sign my tanks and someone else, even non-certed, can dive them.

All they need for their liability is for nitrox certed diver to sign the fills. Ownership of the tanks has nothing to do with it.

I, on the other hand, might eg borrow other's tanks to try them (and take the risk that they aren't cleaned even etc). Even more so, it's seriously silly for a group of five people, who go diving together, to have to go pick their tanks together, rather than send one person to go pick the tanks from the shop.

I got the rolling eyes after explaining to my LDS that I wanted to try out a bp/w setup before buying anything from them or anyone else.

I was told it would be like test driving a car without knowing how to drive, I would not know any better and suck equally at both, so I should take their word that the zeagle gulf they sell is exactly what I want and need.

That's more like it!

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

Once you leave tho its on you... I can understand your point..We dont seem to have that problem down here. I like the one where they tell the customer they will suck LOL.. What encouragement LOL..

 

[Crowley]

I wouldn't give out nitrox fills on behalf of somebody else either. I need to see their card and have them analyse and sign for the tank. I'm a PADI instructor and standards require that if I am to rent out a nitrox tank it must be personally analysed by the diver who will use it. I'm also qualified to mix nitrox and trimix for tec divers and given the added risks involved in that I'm not going to let anybody walk out of my shop with a tank that hasn't been properly tested and signed for by the intended recipient. That's quite an easy way to kill people.

If a person decides to get two nitrox tanks and then gives one to their buddy without proper analysis or certification there is nothing I can do about that - however I'm not going to deliberatley put myself in a position of legal liability just because somebody starts rolling their eyes at me!

Why might dive shops roll their eyes about gear bought on the internet? Well - it's a bit like buying a car - has it got a service history? What do we know about this stuff? Does it work - has it got problems we don't know about?

Okay, some dive operators may be a tad snootier than others, but please understand that when it comes to issues like this, we have to place every precaution on what use that equipment or tank might be put to once it leaves the dive centre.

For the poster who had eyes rolled at him because they wanted to buy a bp/wing - I'd ask the same question - why so you want this? Is it cos a guy on the internet said it was the way to go or do you really undertand the pros and cons of owning that equipment. It's not difficult to establish the reasoning behind a customer's request and I see it as our responsibility to ensure the customer is getting what is right for them.

dive shops differ in their attitude and policy, and unfortunately customers are not always truthful. We have businesses and livelihoods to maintain and have to be cautious.

Hope evenybody understands those issues from the other side of the counter!

Happy eye rolling,

C.

 

[TSandM]

I roll my eyes at our one shop's adamant insistence that my "tech s*&%" (DIR setup) is inappropriate for local recreational diving. They don't quite come out and say that I am going to die, but they're thinking it . . .