Posted by tleemay on July 24, 2000 at 01:45:22:
In Reply to: Re: Discount Brain Surgery posted by Jim info@DiversDiscount.com on July 23, 2000 at 18:53:47:
First of all, don't be so condescending - if reflects
poorly on you as a retailer in the dive community.
And I agree that not realizing who I am isn't really
an issue. My point is that I know who you are and
I know Melinda. Did you ask her to check my name and
the Japaneese divers gear requirements issue I dealt
with her in e-mail and phone discussions? Ask her to
check her e-mail archive between 3/97 and 11/98.
And don't be silly, I never at any time said or
implied "we have been hanging out together all year",
where this obfuscation (thank you Dr. Black) came
from I have no idea.
The reason why I never approached you or your org.
on my complaints on the products is because I had
moved on. A warranty only holds so much value to
me, and when I start having to miss dives because
the equip. that was out for repair was not available
to use - there is even less value. Aparrently Omar
had a similar situation wher he states he returned
something twice for repair and was eventually told,
in essence, he was abusing the gear and that was
what was causing the piece to require warranty repair.
The bottom line, until a few days ago anyway, was that
I learned my lesson concerning DDS and moved on - something
any consumer should do when they feel disatisfaction
in a service or product from any retailer, not just
DDS. Sometimes, we as consumers, are just tired of
putting up with the BS.
So Bill wasn't the manager of the Universal Store back
then? Bill represented himself to me as the manager, and I
believed him since he fit the role so well. Check your
employee records again and tell me you had no employee
there between late 1995 and early 1997 named Bill. I'll describe
him to you (allow me to help _you_ remember) well tanned,
dark hair, blue eyes, about 6' tall, big smile (no, not Mike).
A very smooth communicator - something that impressed me
since I am in the global communications and local
media business. Bill was very likable person, even though he did
try to bag me on buying another mask without credit for
the mask that kept cracking.
As far as you not remembering me - I honestly
thought you did because you stated when we saw
each other again at SCUBA-2000 that you remembered
me from the DEMA show. If you didn't really
remember me fine - you shouldn't have acted as if
you did.
The mask was referred to by Bill as being the moustache
mask. It came in an opaque Ocean Master logo molded
storage case (rather square and boxy in design) inside
a white cardboard sleeve carton. They were each a
three window clear framed mask with a clear silicone
strap and purge valve. If they were not Ocean Master
masks, then they were in Ocean Master packaging.
I don't recall ever looking at the brand molded or
printed in the frame or lens.
Considering my "track record" (to whatever point
you were trying to make) with the brands you pointed out,
how come Ocean Quest isn't in that group? Isn't that
your own store brand - the jewel of your lines carried?
Is that line of BCs and wetsuits & regs just as bullet
proof and last just as long as the others sold across the
country with names like ScubaPro, Apeks, Beuchat, Atomic,
Halcyon, Zeagle, Xcel, Mares, and O'Neil just to name a
few? You can argue the nat'l name brands cost more, but
my experience shows that dollars saved by buying the lower
priced items is lost in the item's service life. And I
do recognize you either do or have in the past sold some
of those name brand products at DDS, this a moot point
though.
This has been my experience - which is all I am relying
on to generate this now series of posts. With that
experience, I do not believe that the Ocean Quest
line of gear is as good as a national name brand.
Don't take that so hard - it's an honest opinion,
and one you will not change with this series of
public banters with me in the current way you want
to discuss the issue. In fact, as a retailer, I am
losing even more respect for you and DDS in general
after this exchange. I have a great relation with
many other shops in the Ventura/LA/OC areas, with
that kind of consideration from both sides, why
would I consider going back to DDS? The "Low Low
Prices" as plastered all over your banner ads?
Not hardly considering the typical retailer street
prices for the same quality gear I get elsewhere.
Funny thing, when you buy the right gear in the
first place, you end up saving money over time
by not having to replace it earlier than expected
due to either the gear losing it's servicability
or the diver out growing and demanding more
from gear's performance.
I have nothing to lose, I am not in the dive gear
business. Nor do I gain any money or other
compensation from what dive activities I do, either
on a boat in San Diego or in a club meeting in Eureka.
I have nothing to gain from making the statements I
have to date. On the other hand you and DDS do - you
are in the dive gear and dive training business -
you have much to lose and gain, all at the same
time.
I see hundreds of divers a month on various boats.
If you read the various newsgroups and diving lists,
you would know I travel up and down the West Coast
discussing gear and a very progressive dive phylosophy
with another few hundred divers each month. I am not an
instructor, but I bet I have a couple thousand dives
more than most any of your over the counter instructors
(pool dives don't count). I don't have an agenda - well
with the exception of one that really doesn't involve
you or DDS. I will give you a hint about it's nature
though; the 1.4 PPo2 question is one of the cornerstones.
And I will take you up on your offer to call Hal.
Better let him know in advance I'm going ask him
again if he yet has an opinion on why a 1.4 PPo2
is better that a 1.6. Given the current trends in
diving and the current wave of interest, he should
have no problem explaining it, after all everyone
behind the counter at DDS is a instructor (your
own marketing words).
If you wish to continue this discussion, e-mail me
privately - as a regular reader and contributor to
this, and many other groups/boards, I realize this
thread is already beaten to death to those that
have kept with it this long. If I were not
involved, I would have nuked the thread long ago.