Newsgroup: it.hobby.scuba
Titolo: Bad dive shops

Need a really bad dive shop?  One that will take you for a ride and
not give anything back?  Need some company that will lie to you and
attempt to steal from you?  Need some who will say anything and then
turn on you?  We sure have he company for you.
Try Scuba Sciences in Phoenix, AZ.  If you want personal attention, I
suggest you call Tina at their 7st store.  
602-253-6622
 She'll promise
you anything just to get your money.  After she comes up short she'll
send you to talk with Paul.  He's supposively the general manager.
He'll pretend to listen to you, then he call you a liar.
Here's what happened:
I called Scuba Sciences and wanted to take scuba lessons. I told Tina
that I had some medical concerns and wondered if they would keep me
from diving.  She said that it shouldn't be a problem, and to come on
down.  Class had already met once, but she said I could join their
pool session that night and do a makeup class session later.  She also
said if the doctor says I can't dive that I could get my money back.
Tina really made me feel comfortable.  I went right down and paid in
full for the books and
course.  After reviewing my forms she said I must see a doctor to get
a release, but I could take the first pool lesson since it did not
involve compressed air or anything that could really harm me. The next
day I visited my doctor.  My doctor informed me that under no
condition would I be given permission to dive.  I spent several weeks
of trying to find documentation about my medical condidtion including
calling DAN's professionals, but  I couldn't find any supportive info
that says it would be ok to dive. 
Almost all doctors said there wasn't anything saying I couldn't
either.  My doctor continued to refuse signing off on my classes.
My doctor is a scuba diver; incase you are wondering.  Tina said to
come back with the note from the doctor and I would get a refund.
Upon doing so, she said I could have store credit only.  (Does it make
sense to get store credit from something I can't use?)  Didn't make
sense to me either.
I still wanted to dive.  I asked for help on finding a doctor that
would sign my release. Tina gave me several doctor's names and so did
DAN's.  All of the doctors I called refused to sign the release.
After sevarl weeks of trying to get a doctor's ok and calling every
possible resource, I called back again trying to get a refund.  Scuba
Sciences refused.  I put in a complaint with Visa and my bank.  The
bank withdrew the funds from them since I did not receive the services
I paid for.  At this point I thought all was well.  A few months later
I get a notice of an over draft on my checking account.  Seems that
Scuba Science attempted to enter in a second transaction to get the
funds.  They hadn't re-entered the original credit card form, they
made up a brand new one. I filed fraud charges with my bank, and the
funds were returned to me.  A month after that,  Visa re-released the
original funds back to Scuba Sciences.  
In the mean time I found some really good info in the news groups.  It
seems there was a doctor who worked at a different dive shop that was
willing to see me.  He expressed his concern, and said that most
likely he too would not sign the release for diving.  After meeting
with him, he felt they really wasn't enough concern over my medical
condition.  He signed a release for diving.  Because of the bad
experience I had at Scuba Sciences, I wasn't about to return there for
classes.  I went to the shop where this doctor is also an instructor
and took my classes.  It turned out that I had to have a different
instructor because of my work schedule, but I'm sure glad I went with
these professional people.  
Where are we at now?  Well I contacted Scuba Sciences about a store
credit now that I have been approved for diving.  Now they are
refusing that.  They want me to come up with all this paperwork that
shows I have a store credit, yet they never gave me any to begin with.
The only thing I have is the original receipt for full payment.  Tina
gave me a slip of paper stating she had the un-used books returned,
but there was nothing else given me.  
Paul now is calling me a liar since I took lessons from some place
other than them.  He won't listen to the fact that I tried to get a
signed release, but couldn't.  By the time I had gotten my release,
Scuba Sciences had made it very clear they had no intention being
ethical.  The fact he even suggested I come back after they treated me
so badly, is just one more of a long list of reasons to stay away from
their company.  They latest offer is $66.22 store credit for the books
only.  They say I have lied to them because I finally did take classes
somweher else.  Again, why would I ever want to do business with a
company that is so unethical?   Paul doesn't seem to get it.  I have
filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and will pursue
legal action if this fails.
All in all, if you want a really bad experience with an unethical
company, try Scuba Sciences in Phoenix, AZ.  They're sure to make you
very leary of ever doing business with any company again. 

Wow !!!
Really glad I don't live in AZ..
But you will probably find that they are the exception to the rule, in
that most dive shops are extremely competetive and will do anything to
maintain a client...
You should also file a complaint with (PADI - if that is there
affiliation)...
Good luck..
By the way, if it is not too personal, what was your medical condition
that all these doc's refused to sign you off ???
I am a Dive Reesort consultant (and Master Instructor) - I'm just
curious...
Best of luck with your quest, and welcome to the wonderful U/W world...
you're gonna love it...
Best
Clive
