The Aqualung Discussion [ Moved ]

[redacted]

2.) They go to dealers and propositions them to buy a more of a product then they typically sell in a year and filter the gear to them at cost. His example was they got to Bob's dive-o-rama and ask bob how many Apeks regs he sells in a year. Bob says 20. they then asks Bob to buy 60 Apeks regs and they will take 35 of those regs but pay Bob for 40. They gets their inventory and Bob gets 5 extra regs that he can sell for pure profit.

Just to put that in prespective, a shop I do business with pick up an new major line of gear. A couple weeks later, he got a call from Leisurepro with a $1,000,000.00 offer. Yes, that's 6 zeros to the left of the decimal point. He would purchase and transfer to LP $900,000.00 over 3 years and pocket the other $100,000.00 for his trouble. That also would have made him a high volume dealer which would have got him the maximum wholesale discount for his own sales.

The smaller shops are telling the truth when they claim that some of LP's prices are lower than the wholesale price they pay for the gear they sell.

 

[cerich]

Just to put that in prespective, a shop I do business with pick up an new major line of gear. A couple weeks later, he got a call from Leisurepro with a $1,000,000.00 offer. Yes, that's 6 zeros to the left of the decimal point. He would purchase and transfer to LP $900,000.00 over 3 years and pocket the other $100,000.00 for his trouble. That also would have made him a high volume dealer which would have got him the maximum wholesale discount for his own sales.

The smaller shops are telling the truth when they claim that some of LP's prices are lower than the wholesale price they pay for the gear they sell.

and ya think that's not transparent to the manufs?

 

[Storm]

They say a fool and his money... I guess I'm that fool. I preferred to spend the extra hundred or so on each reg to get the warranty and support my LDS. It does suck that Apeks are part of Al if Al is the problem child in all of this, but I've got to be honest, I like my regs way too much to switch. If I have to buy more regs (stages etc down the line) they'll be the same regs regardless of Als stupidity...I prefer to standarize my gear...less variables that way.

It is an unfortunate situation though. Perhaps they'll wake up and smell the coffee.

Thanks for the clarification.

Peace to all.

 

[jpsexton]

I don't really see anything wrong with Leisure Pro. If they can make money at the prices they sell for then great! So can anybody else if they are allowed too. Phil proved that by going head to head with them. It's just wrong to tell someone what they can sell an item for after you have been paid for it. A good businessman will figure out how to make his business profitable without any price protection.

 

[jwdiverdude]

I don't really see anything wrong with Leisure Pro. If they can make money at the prices they sell for then great! So can anybody else if they are allowed too. Phil proved that by going head to head with them. It's just wrong to tell someone what they can sell an item for after you have been paid for it. A good businessman will figure out how to make his business profitable without any price protection.

but thats the Key JP

"if they are allowed too"

AL isn't allowing their AUTHORIZED dealer to lower to become competitive.

I said it before they are punishing the businesses that they are supposed to be supporting and in a sense that is rewarding the guys who are breaking the rules.

 

[cerich]

I don't really see anything wrong with Leisure Pro. If they can make money at the prices they sell for then great! So can anybody else if they are allowed too. Phil proved that by going head to head with them. It's just wrong to tell someone what they can sell an item for after you have been paid for it. A good businessman will figure out how to make his business profitable without any price protection.

It's not something "wrong" with LP, it's that AL does nothing to stop product from getting to LP where it is sold at prices that AL will (and has) punish dealers for being competetive. This places the AL LDS at a serious disadvantage while being told it puts them at an advantage. The only one at advantage here is AL and LP. LP is what LP is and good for them having been able to meet a market need. Shame on AL for setting their dealers up for failure, lying to their dealers and having policies that demand failure.

Oh, and as a by product the consumer gets hurt.

 

[nyprrthd]

Can't remember if that was gone over perviously in this thread or the Thread that was canceled.
But the same LDS I used to moonlight at as a repair tech, ordered to regs from LP and then used a serial number tracking section on the AL website, for dealers only that stated that those regs originating from a dive shop in NYC, not LP, something stupid like Bob's aquarama. When AL was called about the serial number they told the shop owner they couldn't track those regs from the serial numbers provided but he was on website looking at the numbers when he called them on it they just tap danced around the issue saying that it wasn't accurate data in their data base. the owner went berzerk and paraded all the regulars who stopped by back to office to show them what he found. Pretty good indication that AL knows who is supplying grey marketers but are willing to turn a blind eye.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no dive shop in NYC that has Aquarama anywhere in its name. I had never heard of it, so I looked in the phone book (white and yellow pages), went to Verizon.com, and did a Google search online. No such listing. So, I just asked someone who's been involved in diving in NY for many years if he ever heard of Bob's Aquarama, or any other "Aquarama," thinking that maybe they went out of business, or changed their name. His theory is that "Aquarama" is just a shell that's owned by the same people who own....... are you ready for this one? ........ Leisure Pro.

NOTE: I'm not stating this as fact, because, as far as I'm concerned, it's only conjecture. It would add a new dimension to this conversation, wouldn't it?

If your dive shop owner (or anyone else on SB) can get me an address for "Bob's Aquarama" from the AL website, I would be happy to go check it out. There is a business in Manhattan called Aqua-Trax that is also known as Aqua-Lung School of New York. They offer scuba instruction & equipment, and are a travel agent.

 

[Storm]

To the best of my knowledge, there is no dive shop in NYC that has Aquarama anywhere in its name. I had never heard of it, so I looked in the phone book (white and yellow pages), went to Verizon.com, and did a Google search online. No such listing. So, I just asked someone who's been involved in diving in NY for many years if he ever heard of Bob's Aquarama, or any other "Aquarama," thinking that maybe they went out of business, or changed their name. His theory is that "Aquarama" is just a shell that's owned by the same people who own....... are you ready for this one? ........ Leisure Pro.

NOTE: I'm not stating this as fact, because, as far as I'm concerned, it's only conjecture. It would add a new dimension to this conversation, wouldn't it?

If your dive shop owner (or anyone else on SB) can get me an address for "Bob's Aquarama" from the AL website, I would be happy to go check it out. There is a business in Manhattan called Aqua-Trax that is also known as Aqua-Lung School of New York. They offer scuba instruction & equipment, and are a travel agent.

There doesn't appear to be any such name, or derivative thereof, listed in the AL dealer directory for New York state...at least from the Locate dealer tab.

 

[cerich]

To the best of my knowledge, there is no dive shop in NYC that has Aquarama anywhere in its name. I had never heard of it, so I looked in the phone book (white and yellow pages), went to Verizon.com, and did a Google search online. No such listing. So, I just asked someone who's been involved in diving in NY for many years if he ever heard of Bob's Aquarama, or any other "Aquarama," thinking that maybe they went out of business, or changed their name. His theory is that "Aquarama" is just a shell that's owned by the same people who own....... are you ready for this one? ........ Leisure Pro.

NOTE: I'm not stating this as fact, because, as far as I'm concerned, it's only conjecture. It would add a new dimension to this conversation, wouldn't it?

If your dive shop owner (or anyone else on SB) can get me an address for "Bob's Aquarama" from the AL website, I would be happy to go check it out. There is a business in Manhattan called Aqua-Trax that is also known as Aqua-Lung School of New York. They offer scuba instruction & equipment, and are a travel agent.

AL is smarter than that now, in 2001 they listed Creative Sports which is LP on AL's dealer finder however.

Search "Go BacK' web sites and you'll be amazed what info is out there!

I had a call today and this came up. The person I spoke to and I respect, made a comment on AL sales thru LP adding up to just under $19,000 at retail lost for every AL dealer based on 900 dealers. I have no idea if this is accurate but if it is the problem is bigger than I thought. If it is true(and I have no way to verify) then it's staggering!

 

[mdb]

AL is smarter than that now, in 2001 they listed Creative Sports which is LP on AL's dealer finder however.

Search "Go BacK' web sites and you'll be amazed what info is out there!

I had a call today and this came up. The person I spoke to and I respect, made a comment on AL sales thru LP adding up to just under $19,000 at retail lost for every AL dealer based on 900 dealers. I have no idea if this is accurate but if it is the problem is bigger than I thought. If it is true(and I have no way to verify) then it's staggering!

If this were true it would mean $17,100,000 in sales. I think your friend misplaced a zero or two.