Rerax

Thanks Roger - that was the clear explanation I couldn't find anywhere else!

Sorry, I should have been more clear. The Costco Newporter is delivered set up for "plug 'n play" with a 110v outlet running a 1kW heater. But, it includes an "equipment pack" that turns it into a 220v system with a 4kW heater. This sounded fishy to me and prompted my question to the AquaTerra representative. She said that it's basically the same system as their previous 220v models but with the ability to run it at 110v. She also said that they've found the "plug 'n play" feature to be a great marketing tool so they advertise the spa as a 110v spa that can be "converted" to 220v use. I agree with you about 110v systems and would probably do without a spa before I relied on a 110v heater (even though I live in a fairly warm climate). I'm still trying to find out more about the 110v-or-220v type of system. It sounds like it would be inherently inferior to a 220v-only system but the AquaTerra representative says it's definitely not.

Last night I ordered Costco's AquaTerra Newporter just in time to get the sales price of $2,500. An hour after I placed my order, they moved the price back up to $3,000. It's scheduled to be delivered in about three weeks. I'm not planning on canceling the order but I will spend the next couple of weeks doing more research. I don't think I'll find a better choice in this price range. It looks like Costco's AquaTerra line is made by FreeFlow, not Strong. I've found the round Newporter model I ordered sold under the model names of Legend, Sonoma, and Eternity. I wasn't able to find any valid customer complaints with this model (although I found plenty of people saying that more expensive brands are better, that Costco doesn't provide the assistance of a salesperson, and that I will have to arrange for installation. I'm okay with all of these issues.) A representative from AquaTerra called just a few minutes ago to see if I had any questions. I was wondering about the 110 to 220v "conversion" and she reassured me that the 220v system was able to be run at 110v but wasn't substandard in any way when compared to 220v-only systems. She also said that Costco's return/refund policy gives them great incentive to keep their customers happy. Sure, if I felt comfortable spending more, I'd love to walk into a Hot Springs dealer and be treated like a king. But, for me, just "good enough" is good enough. I'd be happy to read any comments or criticisms regarding my decision.

Funny, because those are pretty much my two choices; either try to fix my redwood hot tub "garbage can" or get a new spa from Costco.I started considering my spa choices last August but got sidetracked by some family stuff. Then, I just noticed that Costco has their "AquaTerra Newporter" (I can't figure out who the real manufacturer is) on sale for $2,500 plus tax, free shipping. From a consumer's point of view, here are my pros and cons... Pros With Costco, the purchase decision is reversible at any time, even five years from now. Costco's no-name spas apparently deliver 90% of the satisfaction at about 50% of the price. Absolutely no up-selling from Costco. Cons Installation not included. (Not a problem, I'd rather oversee it myself anyway). Slightly higher chance of maintenance issues (Offset by cost and Costco's excellent service). As a real estate analyst, I am painfully aware of how perceived value can be far different than actual value to the individual user. For example, why on earth would someone pay a $15,000/month mortgage for a house they could rent for $3,000/month? By the same token, why would someone (me) only be willing to pay an extra $10 per night extra for a hotel's hot tub and then even consider paying about $50 per use for my own hot tub? (YMMV, depending on frequency of use.) Also, it annoys me that spas seem to be like cars. Is there really $18,000 worth of extra enjoyment in going from the Audi A4 to the almost-identical but faster S4? Not for me. Is my spa experience going to be $8,000 better in the Hot Springs spa? I don't think so. My bottom line is that the price of the Costco spa is in line with the value I place on having a spa. Worst-case is that I have a slightly less fulfilling spa experience with the possibility that I return it for a full refund. Best case is that I enjoy a reasonably-priced spa and save a bunch of money. or

Hey Chas,The hot tub has once again fallen to the bottom of the priorities list. My Dad was nearing the end of his rehab from a stroke and getting ready to come back home when my Mom, who is in her eighties and still running her own business, was on such overload that she had a fake heart attack! (After the precautionary angiogram, her cardiologist said that her heart was in great shape and that the attack was probably caused by stress.) Now I've got a list of things to do at my parents' house; as if my to-do list had room for anything else. My lesson from all this - cherish those times when things like hot tubs are your biggest worries! I really enjoyed meeting you and am very appreciative for the time you spent with me. My brother was certainly right to recommend you and, for now, I'll just continue using the Hot Springs tub he purchased from you, even if I do have to walk four blocks in a wet bathing suit. Best regards.

Haha, yeah, as I was leaving the Hot Springs dealer I was thinking about what I would tell my wife if she came home with a story about how she found a car she wanted but that the dealer wouldn't tell her how much it costs. I'd tell her she was being a wimp.Anyway, the technical representative from the Hot Springs dealer is coming over tomorrow to lay out my options. I'm going to be curious to see if he completely dismisses the idea of repairing my old tub and goes immediately into figuring out how the $10,000 spa can be fit into my yard. For now, he gets the benefit of the doubt. When my brother and his wife bought their Hot Springs spa, they said they got excellent service.

I'll dance to any song they're singing as long as it gets me a great deal! Based on the limited information I was able to gather in a short time (with Costco's prices being the only good hard data) I've decided that a price of $3,000 is worth a quick decision. The salesman reduced the price to $3,800 and then $3,700 before I even asked for his best price and then took another few hundred bucks off when I merely suggested that price will be a factor. When I said $3,000 was my limit (because I know that for $3,000 I can get a Costco spa that I can return at any time) he didn't tell me to get lost, he said he would check it out. I'm happy to keep dancing as long as we keep heading in the right direction. It seems like most spa buyers have a really hard time getting straight answers on prices. There are lots of opinions regarding the quality of spas at places like Costco and Sears but at least you know upfront exactly what the price is. The Marquis salesman at the County Fair was a really likable low-pressure but effective salesman. He was a younger guy but he had the wisdom to know that his job was to make it easy for people to buy one of his spas. I don't mind if he goes through the routine that his boss tells him to follow, and when he says he "has one left" we both know that he is really just saying that he is willing to continue negotiating. The local Hot Springs dealer has a nice showroom and the owner was very cordial and informative, except when it came to price. Even more than I dislike the harmless sales pitches from the guy at the fair, I really resent the manipulative and demeaning lines like, "We aren't going to tell you the price because it would just distract us from the goal of finding the best spa for you, personally." In so many ways they try to tell you that only complete idiots worry about the cost and that they're the only ones in the world who make a quality product and aren't out to cheat you out of your money. All the while, the prices seem to gravitate towards that $10,000 mark, and all for a plastic shell and some mysterious pumps, heaters, filter, and plumbing. I don't want to join anyone's religion; I just want to find out what choices are feasible and how much each choice will cost. The whole concealed price thing just makes me feel that it's one of those "scam industries" like home water filtration systems or designer fashions. It's just a spa! I make X amount of money, have Y amount of savings, and relative to the rest of my life, it's worth Z dollars to sit in bubbling hot water. For me, Z is a couple thousand bucks, maybe stretched to a few thousand if I really like the aesthetics. Any more than that and I'll just settle for sitting in my bathtub. No offense to those who like to make quick decisions, buy the best, and can justify the expense. I'm not saying that everyone should look at this the way I do. My decision might not be a good decision for you even if it is for me.

Well, it's been a busy week, with our older parents going through different stages of medical care. I visited Hot Springs Spas and they were friendly but unwilling to quote prices. They suggested that I have their technician take a look at our existing spa and figure out if a repair is affordable and/or what our alternatives are for replacement spas. He's coming over on Tuesday. The guy at the fair from Marquis called tonight. I apologized for not getting back to him and explained that we had been concentrating solely on our parents. He said that they were 1 sale short of their Fair quota and although the floor model had been sold, he could give me an even better deal on a brand new one - $3,495. I told him that the only way I would commit tonight was if he could match the Costco deal - $3,000. He said he would talk to his manager and call me back but I had to go to the hospital and I missed his call. So, tomorrow morning I'll either be looking forward to a new Marquis Envy or a visit from the Hot Springs tech.

I accidentally posted it three times because I kept loosing the connection.

Update coming...

I'm in Ventura, California; only an hour north of Los Angeles. There is no shortage of spa dealers in the area.The deal at the fair tempted me because I'm the type to spend a year shopping for something like this (or four years procrastinating at fixing up our old wooden hot tub). I was hoping that the price would be so good that the decision would be a no-brainer. Of course, I'm just now realizing that there really are no second chances when it comes to a hot tub decision (except at Costco, but that's another topic altogether). Seems to me that since it's almost impossible to get one's money back by selling a used spa, I'd better be right the first time around. That doesn't mean I'm going to break down and spend $10,000 though. A spa is definitely worth $3,000 to me but anything more than that is tough (for me, not necessarily someone else) to justify. My wife just helped me come up with a good plan for installing the new spa. We could cut the redwood hot tub off at deck level and then (structurally) cover the bottom part so that it's level with the deck. Coincidentally, the Envy is exactly the same height as the above-deck part of our old tub, so we could just slide the new hot tube right into it's spot and start enjoying it immediately.

One other thing. I've called the local Marquis store several times now during business hours. The calls go straight to voicemail. If I'm not able to talk to someone about buying one of their spas, how hard is it going to be to get service after the sale?

Thanks, that's more really helpful information. Well, the salesman from the fair hasn't shown up yet after promising to be here an hour ago. His cell phone goes straight to voicemail. I'm thinking that he's less excited after hearing that I was ready to make a deal just as soon as I verified that his price was as good as he claimed. (Who would have guessed that an out of state county fair spa salesman would be slightly less than responsible?) ) A friend just came by and told me that the crane would be no problem but that I would need the $600 crane, not the $300 one. So, based on everything I know so far, I'm going to set my limit at about $3,100 delivered to my driveway. That would be a 25% discount for a less-than-brand-new one, which feels about right to me. It will probably all boil down to whether they still have it available on the last day of the fair.

Thanks, I'm the same height so that's valuable information. I assume you're happy with your Envy (that sounds funny, huh?) or you would have said something.Next concern is the urgency and the price. The guy from the fair is coming over in about 10 minutes to check out the delivery situation. So, I need to decide whether $3,750 plus $300 crane is such a great price that I should abandon the idea of repairing the old spa and get this one right away. Again, thanks for any help.

We have an old redwood hot tub built into a deck in the rear corner of our property. It hasn't been used in about four years. We always talk about getting the hot tub going again; we loved it. Today I was at the county fair and saw a Marquis Envoy (round and about the same size as our hot tub). The salesman offered me a "floor model" deal of $3,750 delivered, or $300 extra for a crane delivery. If I could just put $3,750 on the American Express and have a working, comfortable hot tub - I'd be all over it. But, money's tight at the moment and I want to make the right decision. So, I'm trying to do this logically and figure out what I need to know. The Old Tub: Redwood, deep, nice looking, and built into a small redwood deck. Working gas Teledyne heater and functional pump. (Looks more like a pool heater.) It's about 18 years old and last time it needed repairs (about six years ago), it was because two air jet supplies (flexible PVC) came unglued. Two years later it started leaking again, and I'm not even sure if the pipes needing repair are easily accessible. Should I 1) take a stab at repairing this tub again, 2) call an expert, or 3) give up on it because of its age? The New Tub: Shape: I figured a round one would be best because it's the same shape of our old one. But, the Envy is more than a foot shallower. I'm wondering if we're going to be happy with a shallower round tub. Access: Side yard access is 31" maximum, or about $1,000 to remove and replace fencing and plants. A crane would have to go back about 75' at a 30 degree angle. Is that even possible? Or, the new tub could come through the house, the smallest door is 35.5" wide but has an arched top with a 73" minimum height (just got up to measure). Crud, there goes that idea. I guess the first step is to see if a crane is possible and then get a better idea of the cost to remove/replace yard improvements. Okay, that's a start. If it would make it easier to evaluate, I can post some photos and elevation diagrams (for the crane); that is if anyone is willing to help me sort all this out. (I feel kind of bad coming on here for the first time with a bunch of questions, but I'm not sure where else to start.) Okay, I guess I'm going to be dreaming of hot tubs tonight. Good Night all.