How does your LDS react to online purchases?

[frankc420]

With Scubatoys beating the mess out of most places, price and customer service wise, I tend to buy from them on a regular basis.

I'm curious to know your experiences with ANY dive shop you've been in to where you mentioned something about online purchases, mentioned that you 'saw this online', or 'online it's cheaper', type of deal. I especially want to hear from those who have actually bought something off the net and wanted to get it serviced, how did your LDS respond?

For the products that come with the lifetime free parts plan, how many people have had their LDS tell them they will not honor this because they were purchased off the net? Are the LDS owners that ignorant that they don't realize most internet scuba shops also have a brick and mortar?

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So far, I haven't had to get anything serviced that I have bought from ST, but when the time comes I doubt I'll even consider letting my LDS service my gear. I'll most likely ship it to ST! For one, if I want to go purchase a small item locally because I'm in a crunch, I don't want to get glared at because of a purchase I made online. If I take a reg setup in, I'm sure he'd get pissed!

Back when ST offered Scubapro and before I even bought my first scuba item, I mentioned to my LDS owner that ST had the BC I wanted for $100 less than what he was selling it for... Oh lord, the bashing began!

He even threatened to turn ST in to Scubapro for selling below retail.

[awap]

On bigger purchases, I always give my LDS a shot. When he can't get close, he'll tell me to take advantage of the online price. But we have talked aboujt this and found we both buyour cars at the same place - the one with the bestdeal.

[MEL-DC Diver]

You want see some propaganda, check this out - a one size fits all online retailers approach (I guess they were talking about leisure pro).

http://www.scubava.com/equipment/start/real_cost.html

[lucidblue]

I tried to give one LDS a chance. They couldn't come close. I also got the whole "ST is violating pricing guidelines and your warranty could be in jeopardy" talking to. This LDS also has an online store, but they just didn't want put together a discounted package. Said they had to call the mfr and get permission to seel at a lower price due to ST's actions, blah blah blah. Not sure what I'll do when it comes time to service. There are many LDS(s) in my area, but might just send the stuff back to ST for service. Honestly, the whole bashing ST thing just left me with a bad feeling about the LDS. I would've respected them if they had done what awap's did and said I just can't match it, you should go with ST.

I'm also a fan of the shop just giving their best price right up front, which is what ST did. There wasn't any "well what other prices have you been given and we'll see if we can match." They just made their best offer, which tells me a lot about the business.

[frankc420]

Originally Posted by lucidblue

I tried to give one LDS a chance. They couldn't come close. I also got the whole "ST is violating pricing guidelines and your warranty could be in jeopardy" talking to. This LDS also has an online store, but they just didn't want put together a discounted package. Said they had to call the mfr and get permission to seel at a lower price due to ST's actions, blah blah blah. Not sure what I'll do when it comes time to service. There are many LDS(s) in my area, but might just send the stuff back to ST for service. Honestly, the whole bashing ST thing just left me with a bad feeling about the LDS. I would've respected them if they had done what awap's did and said I just can't match it, you should go with ST.

I'm also a fan of the shop just giving their best price right up front, which is what ST did. There wasn't any "well what other prices have you been given and we'll see if we can match." They just made their best offer, which tells me a lot about the business.

That's exactly what happened to me and I'm sure if I were to mention ST to my LDS again, I would get the same exact reaction. It seems their whole staff is anti-online and surely anti-ST.

I believe ST and my LDS got into a bidding war one time for some government equipment, LDS lost.

[cyclical]

ahh the good ol MAPP...

I used to be a warehouse/distributor for Nitrous Express (yes I know it has nothing to do with diving, but it does with the conversation). I got items at a given price, and I was prevented from pricing things below MAPP (minimum advertised pricing plan/policy). I could have my distributorship "canceled" if I did.

So what did I do?

I provided an automated work around online, "price too low to list, click here to request a quote". They can't keep you from selling it for X amount, just couldn't advertise it at that amount.

It's retarded... I had people online get mad at me because they didn't turn 50% profit on items because I was selling it for a lower profit.

My response was, well, streamline your sales so that your operating expenses are decreased and you can afford to sell to people at lower prices. You will get more business.

[frankc420]

Originally Posted by MEL-DC Diver

You want see some propaganda, check this out - a one size fits all online retailers approach (I guess they were talking about leisure pro).

http://www.scubava.com/equipment/start/real_cost.html

Another example of an anti-online LDS. Sad. The bad thing is they make it sound like all online purchases are bad.

[Diver Dennis]

My LDS is fine with it. They know I buy from ST but I always give them a chance to match or get close to the ST price. They understand that I'm a good customer and they do get close sometimes in price. No threats about not servicing something I bought from ST or giving me grief. If they did I would not be in there any more.

I've only bought online from ST so I don't know what kind of service the other guys have. I'll have to try ordering from the Philippines which is where I live most of the time. I'm in Canada right now and the service to here has been less than 24 hours in some cases. How can you beat that?

[cyclical]

Originally Posted by frankc420

Another example of an anti-online LDS. Sad. The bad thing is they make it sound like all online purchases are bad.

That is a very funny reasoning of "why we charge you more".

[medic001918]

I always get a laugh when a dealer will refuse to service a piece of equipment because it wasn't bought from them. I wonder how manufacturers would feel if they knew a dealer for their gear was refusing service because it wasn't bought in their store? It doesn't matter if I bought it online or at another shop. For all they know, I've recently moved to the area and my "LDS" might be on the other side of the country now. I'm not asking for a warranty repair. I'm asking to pay to have my gear serviced. Car dealerships don't care where you bought your car, they'll be happy to provide any service matter that's needed. Most will even handle warranty work as well without question.
<DIV></DIV>LDS's need to stop trying to intimdate people into buying gear in their store. Put less effort into intimidation and more effort into customer service and you'd see many more store's thriving and increasing their sales numbers.
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>We have a local store here that I went into when I was shopping for a drysuit. I asked what they had and was told that they only sell the "DUI TLS350 Signature (custom) suit." They said it was the best suit on the market and the "only way to go." They followed it up with "it'll probably run you around $3000 total." Well, I'm in the middle of planning and paying for my wedding, so I didn't have that much to spend on my suit. They didn't want to hear about my wants, needs or budget. Only what they prequalified EVERY drysuit shopping customer to need. I went home and called divetank.com. A couple of phone calls and $1050 later and I had a Bare XCD2 Pro drysuit with hood, gloves and underwear delivered to my house...complete with having the boots changed to the proper size for me. They were willing to take the time to talk to me to see what my diving needs were, what I was willing to spend and to guarantee that my suit would fit me. All told, it was far less painful then going to the shop. I went to another shop and signed up for a drysuit class and they were quite pleased to sell me the drysuit course. They never even asked where I got my suit. They only cared that I was willing to take the course through them. Now, I only go to that original LDS for Argon fills since the next closest shop for that is about 30-35 minutes away (and I do get my argon from them when going that way). Otherwise, I'd never step foot in their shop again.
<DIV>
Shane</DIV>