the last straw!

[trymixdiver]

I have posted about my dissatisfaction with my LDS before. Today it got worse and i am really pissed now. I wanted to go down there and confront the owner, but that would have ended up with me kicking his butt. I consulted my Instructor and he says to just dont go there anymore but Dont confront him. Heres the story:

I changed SPG hose and thru the old one out. It still had the swivel in it ( little tube with an o ring at each end that i beleive seals the HP hose to the spg) so i went to buy a new one. Its a small item that i needed and this particular LDS was the closest. Long story short... i was charged $13 dollars for the part ( which after $6k worth of gear there pissed me off big time). I was looking at the part after i left and noticed it looks used. I happen to be going over to DiversDiscount.com ( located close to my house) to pick up my new AL 40 and showed it to them. They cleary said its a used part. he showed me the markings / scratches on it and explained theres no doute in his mind it was a used.

I didnt tell DiversDiscount the story i just asked how much do u seel these for ( showing him the part) and he said hang on. He came back and gave me one. No charge. Now i havent shopped here very much at all, and for this shop to give me the freebee versus the $13 dollars i was charged by the shop that i spent 6K at was frustrating.

I have personnally witnessed the shop owner taking a battery from a computer and selling it to a customer as new. Far as i am concerned, hes at the top of my **** list.

Andy

Regulators: can i post the shop name, or would that be in bad taste?

 

[buff]

That is just bad sales technique. If I owned a shop and you gave me 6K worth of sales I would give you a dozen free O rings.

I "wouldn't sweat the little stuff" as my dad likes to say. It probably took more time and money to ring up the sale than to give you a free(used in particular) O ring.

 

[Spectre]

Originally posted by trymixdiver
I consulted my Instructor and he says to just dont go there anymore but Dont confront him.

My $0.02. If you don't think you can confront him pleasantly, don't. However I would say that you should explain why you won't be frequenting his shop anymore. If you don't trust yourself, then do it in a letter. It sounds to me that he wouldn't even notice that you weren't coming around anymore, so it might be best to make sure he knows _why_ you won't be coming around anymore. With a little luck, he might learn something and stop screwing people. You noticed, but what about those that don't? At least explaining why might prompt him to clean up his act which would benefit those that don't notice they got swindled and they'll be safer for it.

Once again... that's just my opinion....

 

[Fishkiller]

Funky Monks as to letting the owner know why you are no longer going to spend your money.


it is a shame that a dive shop can be such a henderance to enjoying diving

 

[Dee]

Originally posted by trymixdiver
...Regulators: can i post the shop name, or would that be in bad taste?

No, I wouldn't post the name of the shop, it would serve no purpose here. If you really want to help your fellow divers avoid the same treatment, HONEST word of mouth in your area will accomplish that.

Sorry you had the trouble but unfortunately it's nothing new.

 

[otter-cat]

I agree that you should definitely send a letter! Although I am not a lawyer or any kind of expert in the law, I am fairly certain that selling used gear as new constitutes some kind of fraud, and would be illegal. If you've got a friend or family member who's a lawyer, maybe you could ask her or him to help you write it, or even write and send one on your behalf. I can't even imagine what the liability implications would be if one of the things he sold like that failed in a diving situation, which could potentially contribute to a diver's serious injury!

I recommend that you also file a complaint with your area's Better Business Bureau, or some similar official agency that deals with consumer complaints, and maybe also mention THAT in your letter to the shop.

For the benefit of others, definitely make the actions you witnessed known in some official capacity. Again, I'm not a lawyer, but I'm guessing that that sort of behavior could get him into a lot of trouble.

otter-cat

 

[ebbtide]

i know how ya feal ive been treated that way befor in other places and ive got quite a temper so i have to stop myself from going back for a while till i cool off. then i walk in there and poiltly tell him that the 6K you gave him will be the last for a long time ,
and what new LDS will get the next 6Khe has a bad tast in coustmer service and i dought if he will be in busness long ,
no need to mention the name of the shop on here as it might be considerded slander and you dont need that your a better person for standing up for what you believe in !

 

[jbd]

I agree with Dee. Don't mention the name here but honsetly and politely let the local dive community know what you have experienced there. What you have to be very careful about is that what you say must be true and irrefutable in court. Keep in mind that the guy who gave you the o-ring may not be willing to state in court that the part you showed him was used or damaged by the other LDS.

 

[trymixdiver]

you all seam to agree with monk

My instructor, and good friend, said not to confront him. he reasoning was that in case i do need the shop for something i shouldnt burn the bridge.

This particular LDS has argon and trimix fills. So unless i can find another shop with such services i am screwed. I am looking into who has mix and argon besides this shop that feels it can screw me. If i find one then im set. After getting screwd a feww times by the shop i have now been making all my big purchases elsewhere. The shop doesnt know this so i know there not sticking it to me because of my shopping else where.

I know there are quite alot of ppl that dont like this guy, and i now know why he is still in business. overcharging and reselling used parts and equipment as new is the only thing keeping his shop open.

thankx for all the comments, i will chill out a few days and figure out what, if anything i should do.

Andy

 

[Tavi]

Someday you'll need a fill, or something small and this will be the place to stop.

There is a shop that I don't like. I haven't told them what I really think of their business. Why? I get little things there occasionaly, It's convienient.
My major purchases get made elsewhere, at a shop that appreciates my business and doesn't take advantage of me. They usually give us the little things, they've even repaired some things for free, parts incuded!