Making A Lifesaving Purchase
by Melinda Herndon –Scuba Instructor

Making a scuba equipment purchase via the Internet can be fun, convenient and even addictive, but there are special precautions to take when purchasing scuba gear online.

Like many industries, scuba has gray market dealers – those unauthorized by manufacturers to sell gear because they are unable or unwilling to abide by the guidelines set forth by manufacturers. Sometimes these dealers will buy gear from other countries and import it to sell. Sometimes they buy manufacturer closeouts (items no longer manufactured) under the cover of another retailer.

With most purchases, the consumer doesn’t care where a retailer gets their product. The worst-case scenario is often something merely inconvenient, such as being sent a remote control with Japanese symbols or not receiving a warranty card to accompany your new digital camera. This should not be the case with scuba gear purchases. Buying scuba gear, especially online, needs to be an informed choice that you make based on full disclosure by the retailer offering the gear. Unfortunately, this type of information is exactly the sort of thing that is usually not revealed by the gray market retailer.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, a major manufacturer of diving gear recently recalled over 20,000 pieces of scuba diving equipment that could leak air, possibly causing divers to drown; many of these products were sold by gray market dealers. This very real risk of death and injury is ever present as the result of a gray market purchase. Much of the problem stems from the fact that gray market dealers are unauthorized to sell gear and cannot provide a manufacturer’s warranty card. Filling out this warranty card with your vital contact information not only registers your product, but it connects your name with the serial number of the equipment, thus allowing the manufacturer to immediately inform you of any recalls or safety upgrades.

The good news is that it is easy to be an educated diver who buys from an authorized dealer. Before you click “add to cart,” here are a few tips that can assure you are buying from an authorized retailer:

1. Know the merchant’s warranty policy
   This should be prominently placed on their home and product pages. Even then, don’t take their word for it -- if a warranty is not provided in writing, or if you are given an “in-house” warranty, go to the web site of the manufacturer and find out exactly who they authorize to sell their gear. You can find typical examples of industry warranties as well as phone numbers and links to SCUBA manufacturers at: http://www.scuba.com/resources/warranty_info.asp.
2. Know the merchant’s return policy.
   Make sure that the return policy allows ample time to accommodate making exchanges or returns through the mail. Confirm that the merchant issues refunds for returned items.
3. Does the company have a telephone number?
   The harder it is to talk to live people, usually, the higher the risk that you are dealing with a gray market company.
4. Visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission at
   http://www.cpsc.gov.
   A quick search with the term “scuba” will reveal products that have been recalled. If you have purchased or plan to purchase scuba gear from a retailer whom you don’t know to be authorized, you would be well advised to check this website for possible recalls.
5. Inspect Your Merchandise
   Assess your purchase as soon as you receive it. If there is a problem with the item, contact the seller immediately. Find the Manufacturer’s Warranty Card in the box. If the warranty card is not issued directly from the Manufacturer, then your warranty will only be as good as the gray market retailer who issues it and you might want to consider returning the merchandise, if you can (see number 2).