Friendly before payment, disappointing afterwards. Cannot complain. Bad financial record.
Honestly, my experience with Dive Manchester has been incredibly frustrating and disappointing. At first, the owners. comes across as really friendly and welcoming, but unfortunately, once they have your money, the level of service seems to change completely. Trying to get things sorted or get proper responses afterwards can be ridiculously difficult. They also take much longer than other shops. Everything just feels disorganised. Even when you walk into the shop, the shop floor itself is often a complete mess, which pretty much sums up my experience of how things are run generally. The organisation of trips can also be chaotic. Communication is poor, things don't seem to be managed properly, and what should be an enjoyable experience ends up causing unnecessary stress and frustration. Weaker divers often are not paired on trips with John Anne but with other members. This causes frustration and unfairness to paying members. What I find particularly concerning is how difficult it feels to raise any criticism or complaint. In my experience, John can become very defensive when concerns are raised and somehow you can end up feeling like you're the problem for complaining in the first place. I've also spoken to other people in the club who have felt uncomfortable about raising negative concerns because of the reaction they expect to get. That's not how customers or club members should be made to feel. I would also strongly suggest that anyone thinking of handing over a significant amount of money does their own research first. There is publicly available information about DiveLife Limited (Companies House no. 08900364), which entered creditors' voluntary liquidation in 2017 and was later dissolved, as well as historical online discussions concerning unpaid creditors and customers' equipment. People can look into the records and discussions themselves and make up their own minds. After my experience, I personally would be extremely cautious about paying large deposits upfront or leaving expensive equipment with them. Keep absolutely everything in writing and keep records of every payment and conversation. It's genuinely frustrating because this could be a great club. It gives a very friendly impression when you first arrive, but my experience once money had changed hands was very different. Poor communication, chaotic organisation, disappointing service and an atmosphere where you feel you can't even complain without it being turned back on you. I certainly won't be recommending Dive Manchester.
