Posted by Wayne on September 10, 2002 at 08:04:25:
In Reply to: Re: Calling All Divers! posted by Marc on September 10, 2002 at 06:23:17:
I disagree about the assertion that it is just fine to buy from leisure pro or a local dive shop. If you are taking advantage of the local dive shop's inventory and paid staff while you make up your mind, then buy via mail order, you have done a disservice to the store. We often think we are paying too much when we buy from an outlet that provides services such as knowledgeable personnel and a well stocked facility. But somebody has to pay and it ought to be the customers. Otherwise we are stealing from the diveshop.
They have the overhead of a retail facility, staff, inventory. They must amortise this over their sales. If a mail order company does not have these expenses, they can make a profit with a lower markup on the goods. If you want to try the equipment and ask the advice, it is only appropriate that you buy it there and pay for the services rendered. It is, or should be, common courtesy.
In the long run we all suffer when low cost/service routes are taken for gear. If we were talking about long term effects of nearshore commerical overfishing, we would be all excited. But as divers we need to prevent the extinction of the full service dive shops or we will not see the fish anyway. When we lose the shops, we lose the instruction, we lose the newbies, and the industry goes into recession. As the volume falls, suppliers consolidate and we lose choices. This drives prices up in the long term.
Buy local from shops you like to deal with. If they are not nice to you, leave and find one where you are welcome and well served.
Wayne