What is a Divemaster discount?

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

Since DM's do not get paid, is there an industry norm as to what the gear discount will be when purchased by the DM? I was told by an LDS that they buy gear at "cost price" but I am not sure what that would come down to. Wouldn't the cost price of gear would vary from shop to shop? Bigger retailers getting gear at a lower whole sale price than those shops that stock smaller inventory?

 

[yle]

The manufacturers typically offer "keyman" deals to scuba professionals. The deals are priced below dealer cost (yes, you read that right.) The manufacturers know that if instructors are wearing their gear, students tend to buy that gear (and it's true... my students tend to look to the brands I'm wearing when they make purchasing decisions.) The deals are usually limited to one of each type of item (i.e. reg, BCD, wetsuit, etc) per year and the purchasing contract states the items are for the purchaser's personal use only.

I get the impression this kind of arrangement is pretty common in the sporting goods industry. Many years ago I worked at a bicycle shop and the manufacturers allowed us to purchase one bike a year directly from them for 30% below dealer cost.

I have had conversations with scuba dms and instructors that aren't aware of these deals, either because their shop is not aware of them or the shop doesn't want their employees participating. Doesn't make sense, but it is what it is.

It's worth noting that the keyman deal prices are set by the manufacturers and are not dependent on the size of the store. The prices are typically a certain discount off the manufacturer's standard dealer cost, not the actual cost for the particular store. I hope that makes sense...

 

[scoobydrew]

As far as I know, these discounts are not given out to divemasters across the board. so for example, if someone has a dm cert but is not actively working with it then I don't think they'll find a retailer who will hook them up with keyman prices on production of a DM card. When these things happen, the DM is only able to order through the store that they work for.

 

[Scott]

It also depends on the purchasing power of the store.
I've worked for stores that provided deals to any employee, manufactures that provided certain gear free and others that the manufacture only allowed one deal a year.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sevenrider860]

Since DM's do not get paid, is there an industry norm as to what the gear discount will be when purchased by the DM? I was told by an LDS that they buy gear at "cost price" but I am not sure what that would come down to. Wouldn't the cost price of gear would vary from shop to shop? Bigger retailers getting gear at a lower whole sale price than those shops that stock smaller inventory?

.

If a DM is not getting paid, it is an arrangement that DM has made with the shop/instructor. There is no rule that states that a DiveMaster works for free. The policy on discounts is also shop dependent. One shop I know of allows the purchase "at cost" (and dealer cost does adjust with volume through some vendors) and free exchange annually. Certain vendors have "keyman" pricing and the shop can request keyman pricing for DMs, Instructors, key employees, etc. As has been mentioned, keyman pricing is usually below dealer cost. I would be surprised that a shop is not aware of keyman type pricing as the dealer catalogs/price books of at least three major brands that I am aware of devote the first few pages of the catalog describing their policies of the program and how to apply.

If you are associated with a shop that sells Scubapro, it certainly makes sense for the shop to cut you a deal on Scubapro gear to stop wearing Mares or Atomic Aquatics in front of their students and customers.

There are also some vendors that will provide dive professional discounts directly. Alberto (eDiver) gives professional discounts on many of the DiveNav products.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Some dealers will also work with dive pro's no matter where they are. I have worked deals with pros as far away as Okinawa to get them set up with gear. If your shop won't cut you deals shoot me a message. If they are not providing you with gear they expect you to pimp for them, they should not be able to dictate what you use without paying you for it. I gave an assistant their reg. No charge. I have decided that if someone does want to work with me to get a pro rating they can use whatever they have. If I decide I want them in the gear I sell, it's only morally and ethically right to provide them with it. At my expense.

 

[scoobydrew]

Some dealers will also work with dive pro's no matter where they are. I have worked deals with pros as far away as Okinawa to get them set up with gear. If your shop won't cut you deals shoot me a message. If they are not providing you with gear they expect you to pimp for them, they should not be able to dictate what you use without paying you for it. I gave an assistant their reg. No charge. I have decided that if someone does want to work with me to get a pro rating they can use whatever they have. If I decide I want them in the gear I sell, it's only morally and ethically right to provide them with it. At my expense.

Of course this is fair and how things should be but this kind of behaviour is more the exception to the rule

 

[yle]

I probably should have been a little more specific with my first response, and I apologize for my lack of clarity. My experience with keyman deals has only been through a store that I've worked for, and the primary purpose of the deals was so that I (as an employee and instructor) could promote the gear sold by the store. So the keyman deals were between the manufacturer, the store and the employee.

I don't have any experience with how a manufacturer might deal directly with a scuba pro that is not associated with a retailer.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Most won't deal directly with them. It must be through a dealer. There are a couple that will sometimes work directly with a pro. Usually in an underserved area that the mfg would like to get into. In this way they get exposure for their line. They do risk pissing off their other dealers though so it's a very tricky area. The thing is smart shops will work with individual pros and perhaps even set them up as affiliates. This is a win, win, win for the dealer, the pro, and the student the pro sells to. The student gets gear they want at a fair price without shop politics. The pro makes a few dollars themselves. The dealer gets sales and customers they otherwise would have never seen.

---------- Post added November 9th, 2015 at 08:18 AM ----------

Plus the mfg may now have more exposure to their line and a greater presence overall. The only ones who don't make out are the shops that get cut out of the equation. Which if they really cared about gaining more business they would not give divers reasons to look elsewhere. Whether it's due to pricing, selection, poor service, or just a bad feeling they have somehow alienated the person they should be trying to serve in every way possible.

---------- Post added November 9th, 2015 at 05:31 PM ----------

One other thing. DM's usually don't get paid because they have been led to believe that it's ok to be taken advantage of. DM's should get paid.

 

[abyss_scuba]

As a dive shop owner this is a tricky situation. Manufacterers will not give you 10 key man deals to a shop with only 2 employees. Also it has to be fair, I had a young man who only dives with a shop in the Caribbean who insisted that there was a special DM code I could put in. Now think about it why would I reduce my profit for someone who is not actively promoting my shop? My dm's get free use of any gear in the shop, new gear is cost plus shipping and credit card fees. They can also get gear for their family members at reduced cost. of course I should mention that my DM program is an internship that last 6 months to a year. btw dm's don't get paid but their transportation, entry or boat fees, lodging and dinner are covered by the shop.