From: fstbab@ambrosia.lerc.nasa.gov (Theresa Babrauckas)
Subject: Dive shop problem
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center [Cleveland, Ohio]
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 14:18:39 GMT

My mother has been having a terrible time with someone at Island Dive Center
on St. Simon's Island in Georgia.  Here's the story without getting too long
winded.

During the week of June 22 of this year, my mom and stepdad were down in
Georgia looking at places to retire.  Well, they found a house on St. Simon's
Island and bought it.  Anyways, seeing as they love to scuba, they went to the
local dive shop (Island Dive Center) to check out the local diving situation.
While at the shop, my mother saw a Sea-n-Sea MX10 camera that she had ordered
from Performance but never received in time for her vacation to the Bahamas 
which was the next week (June 29).  The lady at the shop was very helpful and
sold the camera to her.  My mom canceled the order from Performance.  Mom
filled out the warranty card and the lady at the shop offered to fill in the
serial number and send the card in for her, since my mom was pressed for time.
My mother is a very friendly woman and easily gets along with anyone, and
unfortunately (?) quickly trusts people she meets under good circumstances.

While on a Blackbeard cruise the next week, we experienced a problem with the
camera.  The dial that keeps track of how many pictures were taken didn't work
at all.  There was no way to tell if you were at the end of the roll of film
unless you kept track of it yourself.  Mom tried to have someone look at it
while we were in port in the Bahamas, but wasn't able to get it fixed.

After the cruise, Mom had to go back to St. Simon's Island to sign some papers
for the house they put an offer on, and while there, decided to take the camera
back to the dive shop.  The shop sent it in to the manufacturer for a warranty
repair on or about July 6th (or so they say).  The woman at the shop claims
that Sea-n-Sea found nothing wrong with the camera, but when she got it back
she says she tested it and found the same problem, so she sent it back again at
the beginning of August.  At the end of August, my mother was wondering what
was going on because she hadn't received the camera back and called the dive
shop.  She left messages for the woman and received no answers back.  This went
on for two weeks.  Mom decided to call Sea-n-Sea and found out that there was
no record of an MX10 camera associated with Island Dive Center or in my mom's
name.  She talked with a guy named Julius.  When my mom finally spoke to the
woman from Island Dive Center, she claimed she was 'out of town' a lot and
couldn't return her calls, but she said she sent it to the manufacturer and a
guy named Julius was taking care of the repair.  Well, my mom was beginning to
get suspicious.  First she thought that Sea-n-Sea was at fault.  But as time
went by, my mom suspected Island Dive Center of foul play.  By the end of
September, my mother was starting to get furious.  She last talked with Island
Dive Center on Sept. 30.  She said that she either wanted her money or camera
back in two weeks.  Still nothing.  Last week my mom contacted Visa (the credit
card she bought the camera with) to see how she could get her money back.  She
sent them a copy of the bill of sales and the warranty repair form filled out
by Island Dive Center.  Unfortunately, there is a 60 day from date of purchase
to get her money back, so I don't know if this will help or not.

All I can say is that I suspect foul play from the dive shop and wonder if
anyone out there has experienced anything similar with this dive shop.  I don't
like the way the woman from Island Dive Center is handling this whole thing.
I don't like spreading around bad news about dive shops, but I believe this
is the only way to get the bad ones out there to straighten up or get out of
the business and stop ripping off divers.  I had a bad experience with a local
dive shop here in Cleveland that I will never patronize again.  It's a shame
when all us divers want is a good dive.

Thanks for any help anyone can give me.

Take care,
-- 
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*  Theresa L. Babrauckas		*	fstbab@lerc.nasa.gov          *
*  NASA Lewis Research Center           *  "Please remain seated until the    *
*  Cleveland, Ohio		        *    ride comes to a complete stop."  *
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