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Ask Joe & Larry

Is it safe to order scuba equipment on line? Will I get a warranty??

This is a very interesting question, without a simple answer. It all depends on which on-line store you are shopping at, and which equipment you are buying.

All major manufacturers have specific rules on what is needed from the dealer to become a dealer, and now with the Internet, they have addressed many Internet issues in their dealer agreements. Over all, the manufacturers have split into 3 very distinct camps concerning dealers selling on the Internet.

1. No Internet Sales.
Some manufacturers such as Cressi Sub, Atomic, Suunto, Aqua Lung / US Divers. SeaQuest and a few others have a very strict No Internet Sales policy. That means that any of their equipment purchased on the net will have no warranty and you are not buying it from an authorized dealer... it is gray market goods. Gray market means the equipment was obtained by the seller by some method other than through an authorized dealer.

How is that possible?? Let's look at an example. Let's suppose Rip_Off_Scuba.com wants to pop up a web site and sell some gear. It is easy to copy and paste photos and put up a web site saying you have millions of dollars of inventory... even if you are a 16 year old kid working on your moms computer. Now our kid in the story has an uncle who owns a little dive shop - Small Town Divers. When the kid get's your credit card number, he runs the sale, then calls his uncle and tells him he needs a BC, since he's got one sold over the Internet. Small Town Divers sells him the BC at cost (he is a nephew...) and the kid sends it to you... if Small Town Divers had it in stock. If not, Rip_Off_Scuba.com sends you a comparable piece of equipment (you did read the fine print didn't you? Where it said substitutions are made at the sole discretion of Rip_Off_Scuba.com?), or gets the uncle to order one in and you'll get it in a bit... if the manufacturer has it in stock.

Most all manufacturers warranties are valid only if the equipment is purchased from an authorized dealer, and only to the original purchaser. In our above scenario, the original purchaser is Rip_Off_Scuba.com, and the end consumer is actually the second owner. And when you send in a warranty card (if one even comes with the unit), when it asks you to fill in where you purchased your product, Rip_Off_Scuba.com will be listed, and since they are not a dealer, the warranty will not be valid.

Beware of sites that claim they will give you their warranty, which is "just as good as the original manufacturers". This is normally done so serial numbers will not get forwarded to the manufacturer since they would then cut off the dealer who originally purchased the equipment for breaking the terms of their dealer agreement. The manufacturers are actively working to break the chain of gray market goods.

With no information of your purchase getting back to the manufacturer, you can have a serious and potential dangerous or deadly problem. Keep in mind in just the last couple of years, Aeries had a major computer recall due to a problem that could have the computer forget about the nitrogen accumulated during previous dives, resulting in a dangerous decompression situation. Atomic had a recall on a large number of regulators due to potential spring failure in the first stage that could cut off the air supply at depth. Registered owners of these items were notified - tracked by their warranty information on file with the original manufacturer, and problems corrected. If purchased from other than authorized dealers... the unit may never get the proper maintenance to correct these problems.

2. Internet sales are OK at MAP or MARP Pricing.
Several manufacturers like Mares, Dacor and Apollo to name a few, have what is known as a MAP or MARP Pricing policy. MAP stands for Minimum Advertised Price, while MARP stands for Minimum Advertised and Retail Price. For example, a manufacturer may set a policy that their new fin cannot be advertised or sold for less than $99.00. So as you're looking around the net, you see this fin at 5 different sites advertising it from $99 to $109... then you stumble across a site that has it listed for $79.00. If it seems too good to be true... it probably is. The one listing it too cheap is not a dealer, and they may not have it in stock, and even if they did get some product from somewhere, there will be no warranty.

To some, this might seem like price fixing... and in a way it is. But this is not the illegal form of price fixing that you have heard about in some other industries. Any manufacturer is allowed to set pricing for their products. It only becomes illegal if they work with other manufacturers and price fix between 2 different companies. There is a difference between a manufacturer saying our new fin has to sell for $100, vs calling up another manufacturer and saying, "Let's both raise the price of our new fins to $120.00."

3. Anything goes.
While this is the exception, not the rule, there are a few manufacturers that allow any dealer to sell at any price they want. This is very rare for quality products however.

Sales from Overseas

While the Internet can make international commerce seem no more difficult than clicking your mouse, international sales have their own set of issues. Most international companies have distributors set up for each country, and all warranties are handled by the company in that country. So for example, if you buy a regulator from Europe, even though it is a popular brand that is also sold in the US, any warranty work and service would only be honored in the country in which it was sold... not received. Before making a purchase of life support equipment that might need to go back to the manufacturer for service or due to a recall, you may want to calculate the cost of shipping the unit back across the pond!

Actually, since there are very strict international agreements with US distributors, products coming in from overseas are illegal and can be seized by the customs department as they enter the country. Several manufacturers that I know of have petitioned the US Customs department and equipment will start be held as contraband as it hits this country. Of course the overseas sellers don't really care too much as the sale is considered legally final when the product is handed off to the international carrier, and your credit has already been charged.

Other warning signs.
There are very few manufacturers that allow the sale of their products on auction sites. This is many times an instant red flag that you will not be receiving new, warranted items.

Also, check to see if there is a physical address, and phone number to the web site you are dealing with. Let's be honest... If I told you to give me a credit card number, but you can't reach me, and I have no address, you wouldn't do it for can of coffee.... why would you ever do it for life support equipment?!

Summary

Here at ScubaToys.com, we appreciate the stance that the different manufactures have taken concerning their products. We are proud of the reputation we have in the industry with all the manufacturers we represent. We have grown to be one of the largest dealers for top brands like Tusa, Mares, Dacor, Genesis, Sherwood, Apollo and more. We also are just as proud to carry top brands like Atomic that we have as in store sales only.

If you are looking to make a purchase, you are more than welcome to call us toll free at (877) 728-2243 and we can answer any questions you might have concerning warranties, or any other concerns. We also invite you to contact the manufacturer of the products you are interested in so you can rest assured that you are dealing with an authorized dealer and you will get full warranty on all purchases.

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