In Reply to: My LDS Experience posted by Empty V on July 07, 2006 at 14:32:08:

<< I would like to get the opinions of my fellow divers. >>

I'll give you a response as a shop owner: I would fire any of my employees who dealt with any customer that way.

The amount of money you spent or where you spent it is irrelevant. Part of our job is to give you good service. I don't have a huge problem with them charging you for the airfill if they normally charge for fills. (We don't, but that's another story.)

However, telling you you need a VIP on a brand new tank is at best incompetent and at worst a blatant rip-off. A tank with a hydro less than one year old does not need a VIP sticker, since it can't pass hydro without also passing VIP. However, it's prudent to have a VIP sticker on it as some fill operators don't understand this distinction. By the same token, the LDS should take a quick peek inside the tank when they get it and slap a sticker on it for you. Good advertising for them, good service for you.

I am amazed that with the problems you say you had from start to finish that they so readily agreed to a refund.

Now, with all of that of that said, I'd also like to hear the shop's side of all of this. I'd be willing to bet that their version is slightly different than yours and it would be interesting to hear. The truth probably lies somewehre in-between.

Ken Kurtis
NAUI Instr. #5936
Co-owner, Reef Seekers Dive Co.
Beverly Hills, CA