July 2009    Download the Entire Issue (PDF)

Vol. 24, No. 7   What's this?

Dive Gear Warranties: Always Honored?

generally satisfactory, with some annoying quirks

from the July, 2009 issue of Undercurrent  

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Is it true that if you buy a regulator over the Internet, the manufacturer will not warranty the product? That’s a question we often receive, most recently asked by subscriber CJ Zulaica (Sacramento, CA).

It can be trickier when you buy dive gear online rather than from a dive shop, but the first question to ask is whether the seller is an authorized dealer of the product. If so, your gear gets the required servicing for a specific period, and you’ll be notified by the manufacturer if there is a safety recall. Many online equipment sources are authorized dealers (we know of no source falsely claiming to be an authorized dealer), which will send you an official warranty registration card with a product serial number that matches the one appearing on the product you’re buying.

But there is a caveat. Aqua Lung, for example, fights online sales of its products, even by authorized dealers. On its Web site, Aqua Lung states, “Beware of any retailer that offers to sell and ship our products for orders placed by phone or the Internet. These retailers are NOT authorized Aqua Lung Dealers. All authorized dealers must execute an agreement that does not allow the sale of our products except ‘in-store.’ Many Aqua Lung dealers advertise on the Internet, but they are not allowed to deliver our products other than ‘over-the counter.’” If they do, Aqua Lung won’t consider your warranty valid. ...