In December of 1999,I had decided to get back into diving after having
been away from the sport for apx. 20 years. I had a old Dacor Pacer
regulator, and two steel 80 tanks that I took into dive shop #1 and
told them I was getting back into the sport and asked them to overhaul
the reg and hydro/vip the tanks. About a week later I get a call from
the shop saying my equipment is ready. When I get to the shop, I ask
what kind of shape my regulator was in after such a long layoff. I was
told they had rebuilt it and that it was ready to go. I was curious
about what the old parts looked like and asked to see them. I was told
they were thrown away. The alarm bells sounded at this time so I asked
if policy/state law required them to give the old parts to the customer
if asked. I was told there was no such law. I payed the bill and took
the equipment back to my residence. A note here: I live in a small
rural area, the closest dive shop is four hours away. I had since found
a instructor in my area with his own pool and we would start a C-Class
in April. I figured I would start to get my equipment together
beforehand. OK, back to my sad story. Since it's near the end of March,
I get ahold of my future instructor and ask him a few equipment
questions(BC's, fins, etc.) and through our conversation, I ask him
about the parts question on my regulator. He's not sure if there is a
state law requiring dive shops to produce the old parts at the
customers request or not. He gave me the name of the shop he uses (same
city, different shop). He told me that he used this shop for all his
gear and his prior students. He stated it might not be a bad idea to
have this shop look at the regulaor just to be safe. So I take the
regulator to shop#2. About a week lator, I get a call letting me know
it's ready to be picked up. According to shop #2, the reg had not been
overhauled, and they showed me a bag of old parts that they say had
come out of my regulator. Shop #2 states they have a policy to always
give the old parts back to the customer. The bill I get from this shop
is about double the one from shop#1. Needless to say, I'm a little
upset at this point. Shop #2 takes about 90 minutes explaining to me
how I could tell the old parts from the new parts they put in. After
they get done, I ask them what's to stop them from taking some old
parts, throwing them in a bag and telling me they came from my reg?
(I'm starting to "vent" at this point). The owner goes to the back room
and gives me two rebuid kits(one for the 1st, one for 2nd stage) and
tells me to take the reg and parts kit to shop #1 along with the old
parts from my regulator and request my money back from them. They tell
me when I get a chance, I can send the rebuild kits back to them. So I
do. I get to shop #1 and ask to talk to the owner-of course, he's not
in. I talk to the 2nd in command and it is agreed we better go into the
back room as my veins are starting to stickout from my forehead and I
can't stop slobbering on their carpet. I'm at shop #1 for about 30
minutes explaing how extremely irrated I am. Shop #1 tells me that if
the old parts look good, they don't replace them-hence, the lower bill.
In the end, they stated they wanted me to be happy and they refund my
money.
Is there a state law(Washington State) that requires dive shops to
produce the old parts they replace?
Anyway to tell who's telling me the straight scoop here?
Again, I'm a lay person here, but common sence tells me that when you
rebuild something, you use new parts-right?
Any opinions/comments?
Thanks!!


* Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network *