Shocking service from Divers Warehouse

[TrevorB]

So many 'shops' these days carry the bare minimum of stock, and only order things in on demand as they don't want capital tied up in stock which may or may not shift. These 'retailers' are really only brokers (though they will have real bills to pay!)

While this is understandable, all it takes is them to be an invoice or two behind and it stalls their business model as the suppliers (quite rightly) want their money for the last lot before they supply more gear.

This starts a vicious circle since they have pissed off customers who are waiting for things they've paid the shop for but aren't receiving, so business gets worse, bills are more difficult to pay, etc. etc.

Get a good rep for good quality service, efficient service, friendly service.... invest capital in things that will consistently shift sure, but you also need to consider smaller numbers of things that may not sell right away especially if you can get sale or return from the manufacturer/wholesaler so that if the stock becomes dead due to being superceeded THEY are taking the hit not you.

Good advice I fear it may have come too late,
Sale or return is good but never delivers the best price,
Somewhere in the formula must come a tipping point and it would seem that has been passed
So Divers Warehouse has become, Divers Portacabin,
On stop with suppliers and unable to shift the balance back again
Perhaps the end of an Era or should that be Error,
Pleased the suit business it grew will live on, just taken a selection of club dry suits for repair.

[TrevorB]

a) To browse between options
b) To get advice from a theoretically knowledgeable person
c) To physically 'touch' the item - check size, try on, check quality
d) To purchase 'there and then' at a reasonable price.

.

f) browse the suit side and equipment in the same place
g) sort any equipment problems at the same time
h) get an air fill
J) look in the bargain buckets or is that just me, (still using my £10 fins)

We still have equipment in our branch, that a team queued outside DW for for several hours waiting for the doors to be opened on sale day

[Bantam]

f) browse the suit side and equipment in the same place
g) sort any equipment problems at the same time
h) get an air fill
J) look in the bargain buckets or is that just me, (still using my £10 fins)

We still have equipment in our branch, that a team queued outside DW for for several hours waiting for the doors to be opened on sale day

Yep, agreed.

The lions share of my base kit was bought either from DW or Comdean in the midlands (remember them? ISTR The owner of Comdean moved to France and made all his staff redundant overnight with no notice).

I bought my OMS Wing, backplate and harness from DW when it was at Bowling Old Lane, much like my 2nd set of Apeks regs which used to be my wife's regs. (1st set were a birthday present from my folks in 1990 which were from Comdean).

I would say the leader into getting people into the shop was usually people going for a fill on a thursday night, and a browse waiting for a fill.

[TrevorB]

Yep, agreed.

I would say the leader into getting people into the shop was usually people going for a fill on a thursday night, and a browse waiting for a fill.

We were probably in the same queue
also looks like over 200 people learnt to dive in their used equipment sale of Cressi BCD's,

[iain/hsm]

SNIP Comdean in the midlands (remember them? ISTR The owner of Comdean moved to France and made all his staff redundant overnight with no notice).

You sure about that? I thought it was a chap called Peter Prince that owned Comdean. Not disputing the redundant overnight part but he went to work for Aqualung in Leicester drove them into the ground left and now runs a B&B in Isle of Harris Outer Hebrides.

[ScottyG]

Divers Warehouse strike again, advertised item 2-3 days delivery - 12 days later nothing and they are now fannying about with my refund.

Thankfully I used my credit card - I would avoid them at all costs in future!

[Bantam]

You sure about that? I thought it was a chap called Peter Prince that owned Comdean. Not disputing the redundant overnight part but he went to work for Aqualung in Leicester drove them into the ground left and now runs a B&B in Isle of Harris Outer Hebrides.

That was the story I was told by one of the ex staff members from the Old Hill branch who went off to open his own Dive Shop in Stourbridge I think?

[Bantam]

I eventually got my refund from DW after hassling them a while and them blaming Beaver. I had to raise a case with PayPal which they eventually sorted.

I'd definitely recommend not using DW any more now - I think we're counting the days here until they go pop, sadly.

[F.P.]

You sure about that? I thought it was a chap called Peter Prince that owned Comdean. Not disputing the redundant overnight part but he went to work for Aqualung in Leicester drove them into the ground left and now runs a B&B in Isle of Harris Outer Hebrides.

I understand Peter Prince and Geoff Caudwell bought Comdean off of Tony Dean in the mid 1970's. Didn't the partership split in the late '80s when Peter Prince went to MDE / Aqualung for whatever reason.
Think Comdean went upto 3 shops including one in Worcestershire before Geoff C and partner disappeared off to France.

And as for MDE / Aqualung UK didn't they suffer a loss of trade when Aqualung/USD moved to Apeks following the purchase of Apeks by the parent company of US Divers.

F.P.

[TrevorB]

I eventually got my refund from DW after hassling them a while and them blaming Beaver. I had to raise a case with PayPal which they eventually sorted.

I'd definitely recommend not using DW any more now - I think we're counting the days here until they go pop, sadly.

Never quite sure how the scuba industry deals with it suppliers. Roho seemed to offer deals on one set of brands and DW on others, but with little common ground. DW seemed to offer the very best prices on Buddy jackets, so I assume an exclusivity deal was struck, which probably took time and effort to build and is now dead. Shame these deals are the bread and butter of a good scuba shop and are probably now toast. The new look Logo was fine, but its all about the kit, the support, and the stock being there at the right price.

So I suspect the Pop will be sooner rather than later.

[ScottyG]

Paypal dispute launched on Sat, funds returned today- I will never deal with this Company again.

Morale of the story - stick to the suppliers you always deal with!

[Pearldiver]

More rubbish service from DW, and not much better from PayPal. I ordered 4 small items on 31st May, nothing by 19th June, so chased DW, no response. Took it up with PayPal, and got one item by the beginning of July, rest "to follow". Chased again, no response. PayPal now seem to have decided to close the case, so am having to nag them, too! Won't be trying DW again, and now thoughtful about using PayPal as a buyer....

[TrevorB]

More rubbish service from DW, and not much better from PayPal. I ordered 4 small items on 31st May, nothing by 19th June, so chased DW, no response. Took it up with PayPal, and got one item by the beginning of July, rest "to follow". Chased again, no response. PayPal now seem to have decided to close the case, so am having to nag them, too! Won't be trying DW again, and now thoughtful about using PayPal as a buyer....

I do find this sad, a respected name in scuba kit sales, being hammered into the ground, they need to stop trading and pass the business to someone else, I have fond memories from, the terraced house, the shop on bowling green lane and the final Otter/Divers Warehouse on Wakefield road... The staff from not only the Womacks (senior and Junior) to Ryan who I still see to get my O2 monitor cells changed and Bernard who does work at the portacabin from time to time, and all the other faces I cannot put names to, but they know who they are.

I completely understand selling a business as a going concern and passing the good name along..but this is painful

[Finless]

I would suggest to all 'on-line' buyers that IF you want the thing urgently then check with the vendor to see if it is in stock - they may well be buying-in to meet your order and if the manufacturer is out of stock then .......

With the high cost of dive kit (for example) the financial investment required to hold large volumes of stock (inc diff sizes and colours) is not financially viable and is also costly on the storage front. Not to mention trying to hold stock from all suppliers ......

Times are hard and no business will want to run high stock levels unless they know they are going to get fast turnover.

I'm not trying to defend poor customer service but 'just mentioning'.

[matt]

And if you are "out of credit" with the manufacturer if could also be difficult to get stock. Not saying they are, but could be part of the issue?

Matt.

I would suggest to all 'on-line' buyers that IF you want the thing urgently then check with the vendor to see if it is in stock - they may well be buying-in to meet your order and if the manufacturer is out of stock then .......

With the high cost of dive kit is the financial investment required to hold large volumes of stock (inc diff sizes and colours) is not financially viable and is also costly on the storage front.

Times are hard and no business will want to run high stock levels unless they know they are going to get fast turnover.