Using the YD Brand Name 'in vain' - Please Read

[TerryH]

Originally Posted by Dr Stevil

I have one issue with Terry's statement about dealing with the matter on this forum. I don't believe that a dive business ought to feel compelled to represent theirselves on YD if they are not already sufficiently interested to be part of it beforehand. Although there are many skippers and other commercial representatives on YD, and I'm sure it hasn't been a bad business move for most, this does not mean it is mandatory, it does however tend to emphasise Mark's statement

Err why take issue. That was pretty much the point I was making.
Read it again :-)

T.

[Jules]

Originally Posted by angleseydiver

Ahem,
In fairness, the first Anglesey YD fest Bren (and I think, Jay and Andy) all missed the wreck of the SS Dakota- somehow all the girls found the wreck, maybe due to the shot used being a permanent mooring tied into the wreck.
We didn't actually shot the wreck that day, so maybe the 100% still stands
Terry

[smug] As one the divers who did get the wreck that day.. can i say that the 100% record stands!!

I just think this was the day that the mix failed to do it's tricks for all of the boys.. oh well.

Karin and I pulled the same trick in Norway on the last dive. Somehow it is so satisfying to get back on the 30 mins after everyone else who did a desert dive. [/smug]

jules

[Angleseyskipper]

Originally Posted by Jules

[smug] As one the divers who did get the wreck that day.. can i say that the 100% record stands!!

I just think this was the day that the mix failed to do it's tricks for all of the boys.. oh well.

Karin and I pulled the same trick in Norway on the last dive. Somehow it is so satisfying to get back on the 30 mins after everyone else who did a desert dive. [/smug]

jules

cheers jule's ya money transfers on its way

[Dr Stevil]

Originally Posted by TerryH

Err why take issue. That was pretty much the point I was making.
Read it again :-)

T.

Ah... but I wasn't quoting you, I was quoting Terry aka "angleseydiver"

"Do not pass go, do not collect £200, go directly to the corner and face the wall... "

[garethwoodruff]

Hi All,

Perhaps its time I explained the other point of view, as it was me who 'used yorkshire divers name in vain'

Here's the story...

I had booked a weekends charter for 6 of us with a dive centre who will remain nameless, they can join in if they want, but I'm happy not to discuss specifics. I'd been planning this weekend for apprximately 3 months, 3 of the guys had done a nitrox course on the strength of the diving and 2 had bought computers especially for the trip.

We were due to dive submarine 'a' in the morning, there was already a dive boat on the wreck, but we arrived late on site, missed the start of slack (skipper admittded it as well) and we had no choice but to use another boats shot line. This line came up off wreck, and 2 out of 10 divers got to dive the wreck, the rest sand. Understandalbly we were all unhappy on the boat. When we got back, I overheard a discussion between 4 people that were on our boat and the dive centre's owner, it was a heated discussion and joined in, during this discussion, the centre owner stated that "we don't aim to get to the wreck at the start of slack water", I promptly said, are you happy to make that statement public, I will post it on yorkshire-divers, I was in shock that a reputable diving organisation would make a statement like that.

At this point the owner shouted and screamed at me, swore and offered to refund the dive onto everyones account, I had never seen such unprofessional behavior. The skipper admitted he did the job one day a month only and was a canoe instructor, I was not overly impressed by this.

Dive on Submarine B in afternoon, was ok, current was very strong, but diveable.

The next morning, we were sorting out our kit and a club RIB moored alongside their private pontoon with a 15 year old left holding it, one of this dive centres skippers then started shouting and swearing at the 15 year old in a threatening and abusive manner, I was distgusted, but took no action in complaining, our entire club was unimpressed by this.

The next morning, diving sub C, only me and my buddy dud to the depth, we did not check our air from the fill station, our fault admitadly, should have done, when checking it doing a buddy check and it stinks of a mustty / oily smell and made me feel sick, everyone elses air is also contaminated, as its a 44 meter dive, i decide not to do it, out of 8 of us on the boat, 2 dive.

On return, speaking to the manager, i was offered free air fills I explanined that was unsatisfactory and she said well post it on yorkshire divers or words to that effect.

I was expecting an offer of a refund on the 2 dives that day and have my kit checked over for contamination, re 02 clean of twin set, with a guneuine apology.

She admitted that there was a contamintion problem, and said it was not an issue as its just a taint. Her attitude was one of annoyance rather than concren for a customer. I threatened the HSE on her, for failure to maintain her equipment properly as i was seeing red at this stage, and wanted to fill in her accident book as I was still feeling sick from breathing out of a cotaminated reg.

At this point she said you can have a refund on your booking and not book again. I said, I would prefer a compromise and we agreed to a 50% refund on the weekend.

Afterwards in the pub, everyone my group decided they did not want to dive with the dive centre again, so they asked me to go back to get a full refund as we won't go there again. I then went back and explained we will take the refund.

This was rather a shame as I normally spend £500 ish a year with them over the last 5 years and was impressed by their operation previously.

The refund she gave included a proportion for another trip later that month, it was £650 and not £700, the refund was approx £500.

I reported the dive centre to trading standards who did an inspection.

We had to have a large number of kit clean checked, some cleaned. 2 twinsets dismantled.

I f the dive centre owner would like to discuss this via a private message, then I would like to try them again, but not without an apology

Sorry about the long post.

Gareth.

[resting rifleman]

well that's certainly the other side of the story! respect for putting yer hand up and yer head above the parapet,...... pssst! take cover!

[Mr T.]

Originally Posted by garethwoodruff

I f the dive centre owner would like to discuss this via a private message, then I would like to try them again, but not without an apology

Sorry about the long post.

Gareth.

No need to apologise Gareth - you had every right of redress in the matter.

Can we ask that this matter now be taken up via PM and email offboard so that it doesn't run the risk of turning into a series of claim and counter-claim "he said, she said" type norz?

Whilst not wanting to close this thread - at this time - I'm loathe to see it deteriorate into a potential slanging match. But then again, I know both halves/protagonists in this issue are reasonalble and won't allow it to come to that, right?.

I truly hope that a resolution can be found which suits both parties and that both decide to do business with each other again future.

[turbanator]

Maybe YD is not really the place for this if it's still 'in dispute'.
The trip was not booked via YD, so YD has no interest as such. Obviously we as memebrs do as we may use the same boat, but it's not as if YD is a travel agent or even if this was a trip arranged over the forum.

Gareth said that he'd be happy to use them again, so it may be that this was a one-off, or a clash of personalities, in which case Gareth may be able to specify not having that particular skipper.

Reading between the lines, it looks like it was the dive centre that brought this to Jay's attention.

They know Gareth and vice versa, so in either of their positions, I'd see if we could not reach some sort of agreement privately.

YD is getting onto a sticky wicket here.
Trading standards had a similar thing when programs like watchdog started.
If you rang them up, they could not tell you who bad traders were, nor could they recommend a good one. All that they could do was say that they'd not had any complaints (if this were true) about particular traders that you asked them about.

They've now wisedup/cashed-in or whatever and have a scheme where traders can register, have their work inspected and go onto an 'approved' list.

YD does not fulfil this function, I would expect that if I asked about a skipper, I maight get several public replies saying how good the were and possibly some PMs saying that they were not so good.

As none (or very few) of us are libel lawers, this is, IMHO, the only way it will work on a list such as YD.

r
Paul

[turbanator]

Originally Posted by Mr T.

No need to apologise Gareth - you had every right of redress in the matter.

<snip>

Bugger, beaten to it and far more eloquently

[Diving Dude]

Gareth, l for one, would like to know which dive center it is.
Please PM me.

We should feel free to praise good and criticize bad service on YD.