The "downside" of not buying your reg from the LDS

[paulwall]

I bought a Zeagle Envoy from ST when I was "Relocated" Dallas by that one-eyed bitch named Katrina. (I lost confidence in my 18-year old Sherwood on a shallowish spring dive)

I'd looked around a lot and done my research. The purchase was great, and the reg worked perfectly. I absolutely love Scuba Toys.

Then, I sent it in for annual service. ST turned it around in under a week! I was shocked. My local LDS had my other two (sherwood) regs for 6 weeks (2 weeks longer than promised).

Generally, when I get a reg back from service, they let me breathe on it, and check all the functions. My regs are pretty basic, entry-level regs, so I don't expect any real problems.

Get the Zeagle back, check it on a tank, all seems good. Go to dive it and it seems to want to free-flow when out of my mouth. No biggie, It works well enough when it's in my mouth.

On subsequent dives, I can hear air running through the hose, even on exhale. I wouldn't call it a free-flow, more like a leak through the second stage. A tap, it would stop. Next inhale it would start again, and get progressively worse through a dive.

Took it to a Zeagle Dealer in Boca Raton for adjustment ($27). Better, but not fixed. So, when I get home, I send it back to ST for re-adjustment ($12 shipping, at least).

Now, stuff happens, and this is the first time I've had to send or take a reg back for re-adjustment after picking it up from maintenance. Maybe it's something I got into the second stage on a beach dive. Maybe it's the HP air I'm pumping through the first stage. I don't know. But this first annual service has now cost me over $100 (with shipping). ST got it back on Friday, and I hope to hear from them this week.

I'm not faulting ST's service. Just be aware, that if you don't have a local dealer for that brand of reg, shipping it back and forth to TX might be an issue for you "cost-conscious" shoppers out there.

BTW, I'm considering another Zeagle Envoy. I'll buy it from ST, and I'll ship it back for service every year.

[tc_rain]

I prefer to buy my regs local just because of the service aspect. If I have a problem, I can go talk face to face with the service tech. If the tech tells me it will take two weeks and it takes longer, he can provide me with another set of regs to use (free of cost) until mine are done. I am also not reliant on the USPS for delivery.

[tc_rain]

I am not saying anything is wrong with anyone buying their regulators over the internet. I just presented the reasons why I chose not to. I have a great relationship with my LDS and consider him a friend. I take all of my classes through his store and buy some equipment there but I have also bought numerous items through Scuba Toys and other internet business. Some of the items I wanted could not be purchased at my LDS so I had to go to another DS out of town. As far as the face to face, I wasn’t implying that in a threatening manner. I meant that I could show and tell him exactly what the problem was. If it was not fixed, I could return the very next day and explain what it was doing without waiting to ship the regs off again. Like I said I consider him a friend and as a friend, I know without a doubt if I need my regs that he was still working on, he would give me a loaner set free of charge. Now as far as the USPS comment, I don’t have to worry about packaging them, paying postage, insurance, or them sitting outside by my front door waiting for me to get off work to get them.

[paulwall]

Originally Posted by ReefHound

The 5 minutes it takes me to box up the reg and print a postage paid label from paypal is a fraction of the time to drive to my LDS. I don't "worry" about it at all.

Agreed. I have 3 regs, so it's no big deal for me. I trust ST to do it right. At the time I was considering the Zeagle, I had an authorized service shop in my area. No more.

Considering how much I paid the other shop to service my sherwood regs ($25/stage), I am still ahead on this service call with ST.

[tc_rain]

Originally Posted by ReefHound

Nor was I saying is anything wrong with buying and servicing local. I'm just presenting the other side because I frequently see the unchallenged implications out there that local service is better and faster.

I often see LDS proponents speak of postage costs while ignoring local transportation costs. It depends on your situation. Some people pass by their LDS every day and some have to make a special 50 mile RT. You might be able to return the next day or you might not.

I'm curious why he doesn't give you the loaner regs from the get go? In any event, I wouldn't need them. With the money saved buying online, I can afford a backup reg set of my own.

The 5 minutes it takes me to box up the reg and print a postage paid label from paypal is a fraction of the time to drive to my LDS. I don't "worry" about it at all.

<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
If I asked for a loaner set while my regulators were being serviced I know he would give me a set. I usually have my regulators serviced during the winter months so it doesn’t interfere with diving unless a vacation is scheduled, then I will work around it.
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I also got a great price on my regs at the time; however, now with the breath free program I paid more then then I would now. Oh well, what are you going to do.. </DIV>

[tc_rain]

Originally Posted by paulwall

Agreed. I have 3 regs, so it's no big deal for me. I trust ST to do it right. At the time I was considering the Zeagle, I had an authorized service shop in my area. No more.

Considering how much I paid the other shop to service my sherwood regs ($25/stage), I am still ahead on this service call with ST.

<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>I also trust ST to do it right and I will add quick. I have placed several orders through them and have always received the items with lighting speed. Their shipping seems to surpass many others. I believe when the order is placed it is shipped the same day, unlike other companies who get to the order in the next day or so. </DIV>

[awap]

Originally Posted by paulwall

Took it to a Zeagle Dealer in Boca Raton for adjustment ($27). Better, but not fixed. So, when I get home, I send it back to ST for re-adjustment ($12 shipping, at least).

<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>You are $39 into what may well be a simple 5 minute adjustment. This is the kind of thing many divers should seek to be able to handle themselves. Do you change your own flat tire or call road service?</DIV>

[paulwall]

Originally Posted by awap

<div></div>
<div>You are $39 into what may well be a simple 5 minute adjustment. This is the kind of thing many divers should seek to be able to handle themselves. Do you change your own flat tire or call road service?</div>

Duh, call road services. That's what owning a Bentley is all about![img]smileys/smiley4.gif[/img]

Actually, I was shown how to adjust it by the shop in Boca. I wouldn't trust my greasy car allen wrench inside my second stage, I'm not certain that was the problem, since the shop didn't fix it the first time.

[JahJahwarrior]

If a shop told me it would take four weeks even, I'd tell them I'll drop it off in three weeks, 6 days. It shouldn't take more than an hour or two per set of regs, if they are behind, I'll drop off the regs when they can actually look at them. I'll use them until then.


Of course, I'm going to service my own gear or die trying. There is only one guy who services regs for allof the local shops. First dive after service, second stage seems to freeflow easy, lets air out of the exhaust when I'm not breathing in, like a quasi freeflow. I paid $20 for another shop to bench test it and drop it in water and test it, they told me it was in fine shape. Second dive, I had to get out of the water and change out that particular second stage with a backup set of regs in order to dive, becuase I couldn't get it to stop freeflowing. NOT HAPPY. I'm never trusting that guy again with my gear. $100 to service both seconds and a first....with gear that really doesn't need to be looked at yearly, and I'll fix it myself if/when it breaks. I ended up adjusting it so it stopped freeflowing, something apparently no shop in town could do. "We don't have the tools, we'll have to send it out." Forget that, all you need is a screwdriver and needlenose pliers!!

If I lived near ST, it might be different. I'd probably trust them. But the local shops all hate each other and no one really wants to be helpful. Only one shop does, and they don't service regs in house, they send them to the same guy, unfortunately. If they serviced in-house, I'd have them fix them.

Oh, and it took 1 week and $100.

[downunder]

Or you can be like me and pour all of your money at a LDS just to have them close up shop! Yeah, I'm sure that's rare... BUT IT SUCKS!