The Real Cost of
Owning Equipment
Think you can save money on dive equipment by shopping on the Internet? Think again.
The real cost of owning dive equipment isn’t what you pay for it up front. It’s what you have to pay to maintain it over time — and what you might lose if you don’t buy the right item to start with.
Here’s what the mail-order guys would prefer you didn’t know:
- Reputable manufacturers do not allow their products to be sold over the Internet. When you see a name-brand item advertised at a suspiciously low price, it’s either: a gray-market item brought in from overseas (can you read an owner’s manual in a foreign language?); a used item in what appears to be new packaging; or, stolen merchandise. The serial numbers will be missing and some of the parts may have been replaced with used or cheaper components.
- Regardless of where the mail-order item came from, it will not qualify for warranty coverage. This means you will pay up to $100 or more in additional charges every time you need service — and, if the item is ever subject to a manufacturer’s recall, you won’t find out about it. (Do you really want to dive with a BC, dive computer or regulator that’s been recalled for a safety-related problem?)
- The cheapest BC, regulator or dive computer won’t save you a penny if it’s not what you really need and you end up replacing it later. You save the most money when you get expert advice and buy the right thing the first time around.
Here’s an example of what it might cost over ten years to purchase a BC/regulator/dive computer package from an authorized dealer compared to what it might cost you to purchase what appears to be a comparable package on the Internet:
| Authorized Dealer |
I bought it on the Internet and “saved” |
|
| Package Price | $1,500 | $999 |
| Shipping | No Charge | $50 |
| Assembly and Bench Testing | No Charge | $100 |
| System Components |
All brand-name, first quality items |
No-name items substituted for many system components |
| Manufacturer’s Warranty on All Items? | Absolutely | Not Available |
| Annual Maintenance Costs for Ten Years |
$450 (Labor only; parts are covered under warranty) |
$1,200 (Parts and labor; no warranty coverage) |
|
Advice Given at Time of Purchase? |
Expert advice from knowledgeable instructors who care about this stuff and use it on a regular basis |
“You’ll have to look on our website. I don’t actually dive.” |
| And… |
Try it on in the store to make sure it fits; try it out in the pool to make certain it’s what you really want |
“Oh, it didn’t fit? That’s too bad. Returns are subject to a 15 percent re-stocking fee — plus return shipping.” |
| Total Cost of Ownership Over Ten Years | $1,950 | $2,349+ (Assuming you don’t have to replace any items because they broke or were not what you really wanted) |
Legitimate dealers respect their customers’ intelligence. They believe customers are smart enough to understand the difference between price and value.
Their prices are competitive, but, more importantly, buying from an authorized dealer helps ensure you will spend the least possible over time. Plus, you’ll get the right equipment to start with, and won’t need to replace it later on.
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