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I never baught any thing on line. If I cannt touch it, try it on or look at it in front of me then I wont buy it! I am too much of a sceptic and do not trust advertisements enough to take their word on any thing. What if it is the wrong size? What if I change my mind? What if it is damamged in the wharehouse or during shipping? What if I need it quick? How do I know that there is no human error at the other end of the order? At the diveshop I can usually see what I am getting and I know if there is a problem the (good and decent) shop owner will do all he can to solve any problems that may come up. I try to support my local shop as much as I can!
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I have bought some non-life-support equipment on line. Mostly just odds and ends.
I appreciate the hands-on nature of in-store purchases as well as the product knowledge in the selection process (I am not going to mine info from my LDS to make a selection and then go online to make a purchase ...) as well as the service expertise of my LDS.
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Not to mention the nonexistant manufacturer’s warranty if you buy from Leisure Pro
Steve
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The only divers that I’ve talked to that have NOT bought any gear online have either worked for OR owned a dive shop. And many that have worked for a dive shop have admitted to buying gear online. It’s how shopping is done in the age of the Internet. Dive shops owned by smart people have found ways to adapt and still earn a living.
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Ive bought most of my gear online.Regs,Bc,ect. Its the only way pwt can afford to dive .lol. Bought our tanks at the lds and a few computers. Comp that I bought at the lds crapped out 2 mos after the warranty exp but the used one I bought online to replace it is still going and at a savings of more then 300.00. My lds gets all my fills,rebuilds and maint. but if I want to keep diving Ive got to buy online.
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I have no problem buying gear online. Any competent diver should know their gear and risks well enough to be able to make such purchases. LDS’s typically do not carry the technical gear that I use anyway. Warranties have not been an issue either, since I am just as discriminating choosing an online shop as I am with my personal gear.
The cost mark up at the local LDS’s make shopping there cost prohibitive. It does not make scense to me that I can purhcase my gear from a shop three states away and have it shipped cheaper than I can pick it up locally. Other dive related gear I purchase from DAN directly to support them. LDS’s here really like to mark those items up!
On a final note, since my local LDS would not fill tanks based on CF (cubic feet), I get my fills in the area I dive. There is no justification for charging full price for a 1000-2000psi top off on an X8-130 or any tank. They fill strictly based on tank size not amout added. So, in the case of my tank they charge a flat fee of $18.00 regardless of remaining pressure. The same fill at a shop near the dive location would only cost $10.40 if I needed 130 cubic feet! $18.00 flat fee or $0.08/cubic foot - do the math.
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I’ve heard from some manufactures that many dive shops are the "weakest link in the chain". All a manufacture wants is sell their products. And many manufactures feel they need the support of the dive shops to sell their gear. Dive shops are very competitive with one another and will refuse to sell a certain product if their neighboring dive shop already does. It’s going to be an interesting turn of events when manufactures start to sell their own gear online OR if more of them start to provide bulk discounts to companies that buy large quantities (ie: online gear companies).
Dive shops should align themselves with the major online gear companies and earn the commission from the referrals for the customers in their area that don’t buy from them due to price. If the dive shop is nice about it...I bet the customer would use the dive center as the referral so they get a cut (usually the commission sharing is between 5 and 10%). That way the customer remains happy and the dive center lives to sell another day with that client rather than lossing them forever with a bad attitude about online sales.
Dive shops can still sell air, sell training, sell repair service, sell group trips, sell coffee and sell some gear and accessories. Stop giving so much weight to gear sales and change your business plans to earn a living in other ways. The internet is here to stay, either jump on board or get run over.
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Been reading the forum and have a couple of questions. Who is Brion? When is the last time anyone has been shopping (dive gear or otherwise) and thought....Gee, these prices are just way too low? I am going elsewhere!
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Figured out who Brion is - sucks being color-blind trying to see hyperlinks!
Competition - that is what the free market is about.
"Lead, follow or get out of the way!" Lee Iacocca, revamping Chrysler.
Corollary - If you are unable to perform one of the above, join a union!
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I have purchased gear online, my BCD, regs and computer specifically. My LDS, who is also a major online vendor, could not or would not touch the price offered by another online (with store front) store. I purchased the equipment after verifying with the manufacturer they’re an authorized vendor and continue to support two LDSs in my area for other items (my wife’s gear, since she’s not "off the rack" as it were).
Would I do it again? In a heart beat. Do both LDSs price match online? Nope. One, who I like quite a lot, gives the hackneyed line that "our prices are the best you’re going to find, so we don’t need to." Needless to say, they’re wrong on that count, but something can be said for extremely friendly service, and remembering someone who was in for 15 minutes three weeks prior, by name. The other shop? They will match in a heart beat, but they can be a bit harried at times and don’t always remember you unless you make a lot of purchases from them. Doesn’t matter though, as I said, I still prefer to shop at either of them but will shop online on occasion.
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Most of my equipment was purchased at my LDS, because like several others, I want to see it, touch it, and try it on. However, I have bought a few non-life supporting things on-line - like my equipment bag.
I also bought my UW camera equipment on-line, because I couldn’t find a LDS qualified to help me make decisions. I am very disappointed with what I bought!
Chuck
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I have bought most of my gear from LeisurePro. Although the gear does not come with manufacturer warranty, LeisurePro matches with their own warranty. I believe in buying quality gear at the lowest price. I have found 3 LDS in my area that now match onlince pricing as a way to stay competitive. Given this, I will surely buy my gear at these shops, provided they carry the vendors that supply the specific gear I am looking for.
Another thing I have found about most LDS...they carry a very limited amount of gear...usually only a few vendors. This can get frustrating when I get focused on a specific product. Online shipping is more of a one stop shop. I want to have a large selection of what is available to me...call me crazy...but that’s just me.
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Right now I’m putting together an online scuba shop for a friend of mine. He is a local dive shop owner here in Ocala, Florida. I would most definitely buy from a place like this. His products are from Oceanic, Sherwood, Akona and several others. He is an AquaLung dealer, however, those products cannot be sold online.
Personally, I’ve bought from DiversDirect. I’ve been to their store in Orlando and know what they have. Never had a problem with them, either.
So, I guess the point is, support your local dive shops and if they have are trying to expand their sales online, I don’t see a problem with that.
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First let me say I do support my local dive shops. I make every attempts to let them have my business. I have purchased my wifes BCD, regs, weights and PDC from local shops along with my own regs, training and travel.
I also support online vendors and have purchased wetsuits, knives, floats, fins, lights, training materials, and regs.
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One of the problems that I have found with "on-line" stores is that some of them are NOT owned by actual divers. Thus, the dive gear that they sell is little more than merchandise to them. And you, the customer, are really nothing more than a customer and not a "fellow diver".
Now, from a purely :Marketing" point of view, I suppose this is not a real issue.
However, to me, it’s a little like buying a sports car from someone who doesn’t drive, or a racing bycicle from somebody who never rode in a race...! Something about it just doesn’t seem right.
Am I the only one who feels this way?
Hey, I always wanted a jet airplane. Think I’ll go online to jets-are-us & order one...!
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Hey, I always wanted a jet airplane. Think I’ll go online to jets-are-us & order one...!
I tried that...they’re all on back order :-)
I understand where you are coming from. However, I do a lot of research before I buy new gear. I ask many divers who own and use the equipment...far more importnat to me than a diver who works in a LDS that is well informed on the products their shop carries. Just because someone is a diver, it does not make them an expert, or knowledgeable for that matter, on all gear. My belief is that regardless what Johnny-Joe at the LDS says about the gear, I’m checking with dive buddies, other divers I met, and reviews on equipment. I want to make an informed decision...
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I don’t have a problem buying diving equipment on line and saving money, been doing so for a very long time and will be doing it in the future, I do take my tanks to local dive shops for service/air fills small stuff and that is all!. For repairs/service on regulators and BC I send it out to the manufacture and all others I just replace when they get too small or need new. The key to buying on line is know what you’re buying and buy the best equipment you can afford. You get what you pay for!
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I buy from whoever has the item I want at the best price, taking into account tax, shipping cost, and lead time. This includes as many as 4 or 5 different LDSs (1 near home, 2 near work, 1 or 2 an hour away), and numerous online vendors (several eBay sellers, the online arm of 2 of the above LDSs, AllThingsScuba.com, LeisurePro (which is a LDS in NYC, BTW), JoeDiverAmerica, DiveRite Express, and a few others.
I don’t bother with the "price matching" policies. IF they want my business, they will have a competitive price to begin with. I do not haggle for anything. I just go to someone who already has the item at the right price. The same goes for online vendors who advertise items for sale with the price marked "$$CALL FOR PRICE" If I wanted to call for the price, I would not be shopping online, I’d be calling random dive shops asking about prices. I will not buy that item from that vendor.
One of my favorite ways to shop is to go to one of the LDSs that also sell online, order up everything I want, wait for them to confirm that they have everything I’ve ordered and then pick it up myself to save shipping. This method allows me to stop in on my way home from work and be in and out in 5 minutes (or have time to hang out and talk diving instead of gathering all the items myself).
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