Local Dive Shop is getting out of hand here

[teog]

I cant stand the LDS in my area. Over priced and the owners and employees are very rude.

[RoadRacer1978]

My LDS have never questioned any of my gear I have shown up with. When I first started going there my tank had a vis sticker from another shop and they didn't batt an eye before filling it. When it was time for a hydro and vis they even put on a tank boot free of charge because my tank went in without one on it. They have been very good to me and I haven't even spent that much money there. I just started going there and did my AOW and night diver course with them. The only things I've purchased so far have been just a few small things like o-rings and weights. When I went in to buy a new o-ring for my pelican king flashlight the owner just gave me the o-ring. Didn't even charge me. I would have to say that even though most of their prices on the larger items are kinda on the high side (everything is marked with the MSRP) they try to make up for it with good customer service. Just thougt I'd put up a post to remind everyone that not all LDS are bad, there are still some good ones out there.

[indatexas]

I keep thinkng that LDS around here have the Hawaii tax...soo many shops yet high prices on equipment = me buying online or from the mainland and bringing it back in my luggage.

[danielh03]

Originally Posted by RoadRacer1978

My LDS have never questioned any of my gear I have shown up with. When I first started going there my tank had a vis sticker from another shop and they didn't batt an eye before filling it. When it was time for a hydro and vis they even put on a tank boot free of charge because my tank went in without one on it. They have been very good to me and I haven't even spent that much money there. I just started going there and did my AOW and night diver course with them. The only things I've purchased so far have been just a few small things like o-rings and weights. When I went in to buy a new o-ring for my pelican king flashlight the owner just gave me the o-ring. Didn't even charge me. I would have to say that even though most of their prices on the larger items are kinda on the high side (everything is marked with the MSRP) they try to make up for it with good customer service. Just thougt I'd put up a post to remind everyone that not all LDS are bad, there are still some good ones out there.

I agree with you that not all LDS's are bad. I have delt with some in larger cities (Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville) and they were very nice. I would love to do more buisness with them, but it's 2 hours to Memphis, and 1.75 hour to Nashville. I think what irked me most is he flat out told me he wouldn't service a reg set that was not purchased from him.

[Lineman Larry]

Originally Posted by Splitlip

He is never rude about it, but he will tell customers if they buy their regs on line, they won't get the manufactures warranty. Is that bad to do? He is a USD-Aqualung-APEKS dealer. I don't think that is bad, I think it is marketing. "Buy from me. I can't quite match the price, but you will have a warranty."

To the best of my knowledge, you can not but any USD-Aqualung-APEKS equipment online from an authorized dealer. LP is not an authorized dealer but neither is ebay and you would be amazed how much more friendly a LDS can be with an ebay answer.

[CaptainRon]

When a LDS tells you they will not service equipment you did not buy from them, it seems to me what they are really saying is that they don't want your business unless they can have all of it. It seems to me this would not be the smartest way of doing business. They should be thankful you have chosen to give them some of your business. A few weeks back, after a weekend of diving, I took my tank (recently purchased from ST) to my local dive shop. After reading about how some LDS's react to tanks purchased elsewhere, I was dreading having to go in for that first fill. Of course they saw the ST VIP sticker on it. No problem, they seemed to be honestly thankful to have my business for the airfill. I even picked up a few weights and a replacement fin strap that I needed.

I think most LDS need to consider that even if you purchase your gear elsewhere, they still can earn your business supplying other things you need, and servicing that same gear could be profitable for them.

[kancho]

Many LDS, sell equipment at MSRP? My LDS will service my equipment which i bought at ST. But they charge a lot.. It might be cheaper sending my equipment in the mail..

My equipment has been pretty new so I will check next time..

[divedeeper]

My LDS claims that scubapro and aqualung(which are the only two brands he carries) are the best. He says that although his price is high, you are getting what you pay for. He runs decent deals (like a $500 dive comp with a $200 GC toward your reg setup. Still the whole thing costs over 700. Is that steep? I found some great closeout mares and others on ST and elsewhere for a lot cheaper by the piece. When I mention either the HUGE divers direct down the road or anything online, he jokingly says that anything he doesn't sell us will kill us. It's humorous, because DD sells the same reg he does among other items. He says that since reg is life support equipment I shouldn't buy it from the internet. He says that we trusted him with our lives at 60ft underwater for our cert class, why wouldn't we trust his advice on life support equip? He has yet to be rude and he cites warranty,frequency of replacing cheap equip, and free parts for life, all of which make sense, but I want to dive NOW and $50 apiece for my wife and I per day of rental diving gets a little steep, even though the rental price itself isn't bad. For 2 weeks diving, i could afford a decent mares reg setup and then upgrade each piece as I have money. The same story with BC's. What do you guys think? Do I support my LDS who certified us and we REALLY like? Or do we support (what he calls, again jokingly) the "Evil Empire" of large dive stores? He has never been rude about it, but I bet he'd be pretty upset if we did go somewhere else with any of our big investments. . .
Between a Rock and a Hard Place,

Dive Deeper

[ReefHound]

Don't be a schmuck, man. If you can't see through those phony self-serving lines, I feel sorry for you.

[divedeeper]

I didn't think I said I did buy into it, I was just asking your advice. I don't think being a kind person makes you a schmuck... I do see through it, but was asking where do you draw the line? We really like the guy otherwise and the shop also. Do you then say we should find a new LDS at that point?