PADIReviews of padi.com

Buy the book for $50 with the slate or elearning for $172 with no access on iPads, iPhones, or iPods. Guess which one I chose.

I am a PADI certifcate diver. PADI asks you to pay €36 for each ecard, which is just online access to certificates you have already earned and dearly paid for. I have three certificates so, in order to be able to dive as I don't have the plastic cards with me, I paid €108 with my credit card. The process to get to pay for the eCards is simply a nightmare, as counterintuitive as possible. The information I need is readily available, just entering my name and date of birth, without any password or anything, they find my record, but it requires a hunt to get to order the "replacement cards" which again are just online access to that same data that is public in their branded app. I manage through the process. At the end of the payment, the system releases the following information: Username: N/A Password: N/A I get an email thanking me for paying, and, if I cannot access the site, to reset my password entering my email and clicking continue. I do so, and the system shows a blank page. I try from the app and I get a "student record not found error". I try several times, and I always the same useless error. So, I paid €108 to get online access to that data, and I cannot have an account to access that data. I tried calling customer service in the UK, nobody answered the phone. it's summer and divers are going all over the world, but apparently they don't work on Sundays. I sent an email, I received an auto-responder and then silence. As a result, despite paying €108, I am not able to access my certifications, and the diving center doesn't allow me to dive without them. With all the money they charge for each course and certification, including this absurd price for creating a fancy gif with my name on it, they should at least be able, in 2015, to create accounts for their users.

I wanted to learn scuba diving to get Open Water certification for my holiday, so I chose PADI eLearning to study the theory on my PC before the actual diving in the swimming pool and open water at diving centre, in order to save time and money. So I paid $120.00...... To tell the conclusion first, DO NOT APPLY FOR ELEARNING if you want to save money & time, or don't want to get ripped off by PADI. I believed myself if I took eLearning, I would get some sort of discount from the total course fee after the completion (Mind you, I'd already paid 120.00 beforehand - who wouldn't expect deduction?), but in fact THERE IS NO DISCOUNT AT ALL. It doesn't really matter if you take eLearning or studying in the classroom with other learners; you'll have to pay the full price one way or the other. I was gobsmacked so I wrote an email to PADI, and here's the reply. "Dear ***<snip!>*** Thank you for your email, and we are sorry to hear of your dissatisfaction with the PADI eLearning process. The instructors and dive centres that offer PADI courses are not agents of PADI, nor are they employed by PADI and as such PADI receives no monetary benefit from the courses run through these instructors or dive centres. PADI is therefore not a party to the pricing policy of dive centres, and we are unable to intervene in financial disputes. PADI cannot control our member's financial agreements with their customers. Further to this, as you have stated in your email, the PADI eLearning programme is designed soley to assist you in gaining the knowledge required to continue with your diving education in a timely manner and one which is convenient to yourself. Many students prefer to study at home, or during work breaks, or even whilst commuting by train, and the PADI eLearning programme provides for this method of leanring. Upon initial registration for the course the terms and conditions clearly state that an additional fee may be payable for the remainder section of the course: “In addition to the online knowledge development portion of the PADI Open Water Diver course, you'll need to complete inwater training. You can visit your chosen PADI Dive Center or Resort to begin your dives at any point after you complete the first section. When you visit the facility, be sure to bring your eLearning Record with you and remember, the $120 US nonrefundable fee is for the online portion of the course only. You will be required to pay an additional fee to your chosen facility for the inwater portion of your certification. You are also responsible for purchasing or renting any required equipment such as a mask, snorkel and pair of fins, as well as the scuba system. Your PADI Dive Center or Resort may suggest additional equipment along with the required purchase of a Recreational Dive Planner (Table or eRDP version) and a log book.” We are sorry to hear of your disappointment regarding the pricing structure at the dive centre you have chosen, however as previously stated, the PADI eLearning course is intended to provide convenience to yourself as a consumer, and may not be a suitably priced option for all consumers. With regards ****<snip!>***** Training and Quality Management Consultant PADI International Ltd The Way the World Learns to Dive®" Obviously he meant "we don't care and thanks for the cash!", didn't he? I understand many people choose PADI becasue it is one of the largest organisation worldwide, but I really don't like their business style and attitude towards learners. If you want to learn scuba diving, go for BSAC or CMAS.