Leisure Pro & Aqua Lung

[PTAaron]

Originally Posted by dawnvip

Just so I am clear on this... ST dropped the Aqualung and Scubapro lines because you can't sell them on-line, and not because there's something wrong with these manufacuters and their warranties, correct?

My LDS has a great deal on a slightly used reg setup (Aqualung Titan LX) including octo and console for $550 that I'm seriously eyeing. I want to be sure this reg will live up to my needs and expectations.

Dawn

I can't answer the ST part of the question... but Aqualung is a great company with great customer support from what I have seen. I have dealt with them because the cumberbund on my BC turned out to be too big (should have ordered smaller size at the start) - and right now they are mailing me a different size for free.
I have a Titan LX, octo, and console from them... and it is great.

[navyhmc]

Aqualung does indeed produce a great product. Even in the 80's they had sturdy stuff and didn't bend to the planned obsolesence business plan. BTW: Aqualung (1959)= U.S. Divers (1971) = Aqualung (2001?)

[PvtStash]

Originally Posted by dawnvip

My LDS has a great deal on a slightly used reg setup (Aqualung Titan LX) including octo and console for $550 that I'm seriously eyeing. I want to be sure this reg will live up to my needs and expectations.

Dawn

That doesnt sound like a "Deal" to me... you can buy an LX brand spankin' new for around $225 ... an LX Supreme for under $300 which leaves the console for $250? I think you can do Much better...

And this is the "deal" for Used gear? I think you could get a better price buying New... wonder what his New price is? (highway robbery)

[dawnvip]

Originally Posted by PvtStash

That doesnt sound like a "Deal" to me... you can buy an LX brand spankin' new for around $225 ... an LX Supreme for under $300 which leaves the console for $250? I think you can do Much better...

And this is the "deal" for Used gear? I think you could get a better price buying New... wonder what his New price is? (highway robbery)

I'm not sure what the duty is on bringing this item into Canada, but I have checked around with on-line and LDS and found new TitanLX Supreme (which the "deal" is BTW) runs about $650 CAD and oct at $299 CAD, so for me, the whole set-up is still a deal. Where did you find one for under $300?

My other option is to talk the hubby into a weekender in Dallas and a special trip to ScubaToys. They'd have to give me a pretty smoking deal though to offset the cost of flights!

[PvtStash]

If I'm payin' $650 for an AquaLung reg it'd better say "Legend ACD Supreme" or "Apeks" on it...

jus' looked at LP and they have the non-LX Titan for $225...

I paid $300 at my LDS for the Titan LX Supreme last year...

[HelenOster]

Originally Posted by Odie21

I found AL items on LP's site for sale online. That brings me to my dilemma/problem:

Why is it that LP can sell an item online when the manf. states no? Does a full manf warranty come with the item?

I'm delighted to be able to answer your question.

In order to offer you the extremely competitive prices that we do, we have chosen to remain an independent dealer. While Aqualung dictates higher prices to its authorized dealers, we are able to sell at much lower prices and thus pass on significant savings to you our customer - and thereby save you a lot of money.

Paying less, however, in no way gets you less! You receive the identical product with an equally good warranty from us, a company that has proven itself for 18 years. Our customers trust us not only for great prices but also for responsiveness should they ever need to exercise their warranty. For further assurance, may we suggest that you check feedback about Leisure Pro on BBBonline.com, BizRate.com, Shopping.com, and PriceGrabber.com. Nothing speaks more effectively than the voices of our satisfied customers.

The warranty we give for the brands for which we are an independent dealer is identical to the one given by the manufacturer, it is just provided through us.

On reg services, if we do the service then we will give you free parts;our service is very reasonably priced and with the free parts it's a real deal!

Let me know if I can be of further help. I hope you will choose, as have many thousands of others, to select your Scuba necessities from Leisure Pro.

Helen Oster
[Acting] LeisurePro Customer Service Ambassador

helen.oster@adoramacamera.com
www.leisurepro.com

[oddbod]

Thanks Helen.
That seems to support that two tier marketing is supported/promoted by Aqualung and Scubapro and seems to throw doubt on their statements concerning on-line marketing.

[TJDiver]

Originally Posted by oddbod

Thanks Helen.
That seems to support that two tier marketing is supported/promoted by Aqualung and Scubapro and seems to throw doubt on their statements concerning on-line marketing.

Actually, Helen didn't really answer your question as to "how" they come by the equipment. I don't know about Aqualung, but Scubapro does not have a two tiered marketing scheme. Ask Helen that question directly. From what I know of Scubapro, anyone selling their gear online, acquired it thru some flavor of the grey market. This isn't always overseas sources however. Dive shops are born and die on quite a regular basis. Some of the online resellers buy out inventory, and resell it online at great discounts because they acquired the gear for pennies on the dollar from a dying business. So yes, the gear might be the same exact thing and quality, but it's not thru authorized channels if that makes any diff to you as a consumer. I'm not knocking LP, as I don't have any experience with them...just shedding some possible light on a somewhat misleading answer.

[ScubaToys Larry]

Originally Posted by TJDiver

So yes, the gear might be the same exact thing and quality, but it's not thru authorized channels if that makes any diff to you as a consumer.

And obviously the big difference it does make to a consumer, is if you have a gray market item without a manufactures warranty, you cannot walk it into any authorized dealer for your free parts, warranty work, etc. It has to be shipped back to NY and back for any warranty service. Then you are hoping that they still have access to that gray market channel for parts, replacements, etc. And since the item is not registered with the manufacturer, you are not contacted by them in any case of a recall, upgrade offer, etc.

I personally feel that the entire gray market industry, while not illegal, is a bit too slimy feeling for me. I prefer to buy my products from a manufacturer, and sell them to a consumer. To have the ability to say everything we carry has a full manufactures warranty on it. To have that support and place in this industry actually means a lot to us.

That is why we dropped some of the lines we did... I would much rather deal with a company like Zeagle for a reg than Aqua Lung... Some very close in style and design, but Zeagle has always come off as a more upstanding company in my dealings... Besides.. I like supporting US companies a bit more anyway.

I prefer Atomic Regs to Scubapro, or Oceanic regs, or Oceanic computers to Suunto or Uwatec... I like the features, the customer support from the manufacturers, etc.

Everyone has their choice on what companies to support with their spending, and I know some will support us, some will support others - just in my situation, I refuse to support companies that don't support their stores and dealers they way I feel they should... so we will continue to skip a few manufacturers, and promote others unless and until some companies change their policies and philosophies. Obviously we have the size and buying power to go off shore and purchase large quantities of gray market goods... We have been contacted several times to do just that, but it's just not the way I want this company to be viewed. It's not the reputation I choose for Scubatoys...

[HelenOster]

Originally Posted by ScubaToys Larry

.....if you have a gray market item without a manufactures warranty.... It has to be shipped back to NY and back for any warranty service.

We are looking to introduce an insurance policy which will allow you to have the repair carried out anywhere, and reclaim the cost back from us - which in most cases will still cost you less overall than the cost of buying from a non-independent retailer

Originally Posted by ScubaToys Larry

....since the item is not registered with the manufacturer, you are not contacted by them in any case of a recall, upgrade offer, etc.

We actually do that as we keep detailed records of all our customers and their purchases.[/quote]