asharerin

Whenever you return an item to Costco then Costco receives a credit back for their cost of the unit from the manufacturer. Costco is out a bit of labor cost in originally processing and then returning your order but that is it. Most of the time the manufacturer does not want the item back so then the employees get to buy the returned item at a good discount. Everybody wins except the manufacturer of the inferior product (the way it should be). If you need to return a hot tub to Costco call them up and they will organize to pick it up for free. They have the resources to really take care of their members and staff which is why they are so successful. If you are going to buy a tub with the intent of returning it then I would advise purchasing from Costco. If you want a tub that lats more than 3 years then obviously look elsewhere. If you live in an area with high electricity costs then you will come out about even in buying and returning from Costco or buying a better quality brand from a dealer.

The return policy is not transferable. Having the receipt will not help (you do not even need a receipt to perform a return). The purchase is linked to your Costco account. Your only chance would be to have the private party return the spa for you. In the future purchase directly from Costco so you are covered by the lifetime satisfaction guarantee.

What size is your filter and how long are you filtering? I discovered with my parents tub that after heavy use the water would produce foam and leave a disgusting scum line around the tub and on the bromine floater the next day. It was nasty. We treated the water as per the directions and all the levels were fine. We couldn't figure it out. Then I did some reading and found out we did not have the filter cycles set long enough for heavy use. Their tub is a free flow 230 gallon and has a small 35 sq. foot filter. It was set to automatically filter every 12 hours for 4 hours. With 4 adults crammed in there for 1.5 hours it had no chance at removing the contaminants that produce scum and foam. So after heavy uses we set it to filter continuously and the next day no foam and no scum. We shock after each use as well. With lighter use we change the cycle to 6 hours every 12 hours and it manages fine. Also make sure to open your jets all the way so you agitate the water as much as possible when filtering. This will cause the contaminants that produce scum and foam to get filtered as much as possible and come in contact with your sanitizer as much as possible. We have found water agitation is the biggest key.....we tried filtering just as long with the jets open half way but it did not do as agood as job as having the jets open all the way for filtering. If your tub has the small circ. pump to filter it may no be strong enough to agitate the water effectively enough after heavy uses to get rid of all the scum and foam unfortunately.

Just got some more interesting info. Just for kicks I contacted the next closest Hot Springs dealer about 15 miles away. They told me they needed to move a 2007 Bengal and they would sell it for $5600. This was the same model as the one from the other dealer that wanted $6600. Long story short it turns out it would in fact be that exact same Bengal tub. This was all over the phone on the second try so maybe let your fingers do the walking and put in some calls and you may be able to negotiate a lower price for that Caspian. Good luck.

PJ that sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Last weekend we went to our local Hot Springs dealer and they were selling the 2007 Bengal (the model down from the Caspian) that they needed to move for $6600. This was their absolute bottom price.....surprisingly the sales person told me that their dealership was the most expensive in the area and to go check other Hot Springs dealers and I would get a better price for the same spa. So if you are indeed set on this model it would not hurt to go visit other Hot Springs dealers and see what their bottom price would be. Each dealership has different overhead costs and volume of sales so you may be able to score the same Caspian for $6500 somewhere close by. We are now set to purchase a 2005 Sumatran that the owner originally paid $6500 for (way too high I know) but it goes to show different locations and negotiations can yield wildly different pricing for the same product. Our sales guy told us there is no difference between the 2007s and 2008s except they where phasing out the Ocean Wave color as it hasn't proven to be very popular.

Maybe they print multiple versions of Consumer Reports????: " Consumer Reports magazine says that "bug-ridden redesigns" caused Toyota Motor of Japan to drop unexpectedly to third, from first, in its annual vehicle reliability rankings. Consumer Reports removed high-end versions of three Toyota models - the Camry and Lexus GS sedans and the Tundra pickup - from its list of recommended vehicles, released Tuesday, and said it would stop recommending new or redesigned Toyota vehicles without data showing that past years' versions were reliable. It is the first time since the current format of the ratings began in 1996 that a version of the Camry, which is the best-selling car in the United States, has not been recommended. The survey, published in the magazine's "Best & Worst New Cars 2008" issue that goes on sale in November, is the latest bump in the road for Toyota, whose sterling reputation for vehicle quality helped it surpass General Motors this year to become the world's largest automaker. The number of vehicle recalls by Toyota has surged, and several top executives have left its American operation in recent months for positions with the Detroit automakers." Hondas now rattle and roll just like their US counterparts as well. Our 1993 Civic owns the 2008 Civic without any major mods.....they don't make em like they used to. Anyway back to hot tubs......it's unfortunate Marquis is lowering their level of service for 2008. Luckily working on hot tubs seems very simple for the average Joe who is willing to do some reading and follow some rules. After a few hours on the net I was able to install an ozone sytem on my folks freeflow tub. It cost me $79 and the dealer wanted $399 for the same job! I don't know why everyone makes a huge deal over insulation it looks like a quick and cheap job to add your own or am I wrong?

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately our current house is ancient and it is going to cost north of $1500 to upgrade the electric and have the 230V installed. I prefer to soak without jets so that would not really be an issue.

We are thinking of purchasing a 2005 Tiger River Sumatran. The current owner had it converted to 230V. We do not have a 230V line but would like to use 110V. Can we convert the spa back to 110V? Can we do that ourselves or would we need an electrician? Will there be a huge hole in the side of the tub where the 230V wiring went? Apparently the spa is in like new condition but the warranty cannot be transferred. What would be a fair price for this spa?

We are thinking of purchasing a 2005 Tiger River Sumatran. The current owner had it converted to 230V. We do not have a 230V line but would like to use 110V. Can we convert the spa back to 110V? Can we do that ourselves or would we need an electrician? Will there be a huge hole in the side of the tub where the 230V wiring went? Apparently the spa is in like new condition but the warranty cannot be transferred. What would be a fair price for this spa?

We are thinking of purchasing a 2005 Tiger River Sumatran. The current owner had it converted to 230V. We do not have a 230V line but would like to use 110V. Can we convert the spa back to 110V? Can we do that ourselves or would we need an electrician? Will there be a huge hole in the side of the tub where the 230V wiring went? Apparently the spa is in like new condition but the warranty cannot be transferred. What would be a fair price for this spa?

In the northwest prices are $5 per sf for aggregate concrete. Pavers run around $7.50 per sf. I'd get some more quotes $10 sounds high to me even for the east.

Nice tub thanks for the pic! Hey if you ever need to return the tub to Costco call up custy service. You will pay upfront to freight it back but Costco will reimburse you for that cost once they receive it. Yes.....Costco rocks. That is all.

We decided to purchase the sunpeak from Costco as we will be returning it in a few years for a refund when it needs its first big repair not covered under warranty. Also electricity is very cheap in our city (its actually only 5 cents per kwh flat rate) and it never gets too cold in the Portland area. Now we are trying to find the best deal on getting a 220V circuit installed. So far the bids have been in excess of $1k. This extra cost blows the deal as we would be in the tub $4-$4.5k and from there we can go a Tiger River Bengal 110/220 convertible for $1k more and make it up on resale. 5-6 y.o. Bengals are going for ~ $3.5k in Portland. We have a few more local electricians coming out this week so we will know by this weekend.

Hi spamom we have also decided on the sunpeak from Costco. It seems from hard data on the east coast you are looking at 300-400kw hours per month for this tub. Check you cost per kw hour to estimate how much it is going to cost you per month. A few members have reported paying as high as 15 cents per kwH which is outrageous. Your electricity may be less if your city owns the electric utility....in Canby oregon we pay 6 cents per kwH which sounds more reasonable. To get it from the curb to your back yard ask the delivery drivers if they will move it for $100. I cannot believe they will not be willing to do this for that kind of money. If not hand out a few beers and get your neighbors to lend a hand. Before you sign the freight bill make sure the tub is unwrapped and inspect for any damage/missing parts. Make sure everything is documented. If it is not to your liking simply refuse delivery and sign nothing. Don't fret too much Costco takes care of its members so give custy service a call if you are unsure of anything. We are going to invest in a thermal blanket to save as much energy as possible. If your electric rates are high it might also pay to invest in a top quality spa cover. Oh and if you decide on this purchase make sure to checkout my other thread on how to get 5% cashback on this tub. That is $150 you can give to the drivers to place it for you. I would also checkout more energy efficient tubs to get a comparison since you guys have cold weather and high energy costs on the east coast.

OK we have finally decided to go for the Infinity Sun Peak from costco.com after much debating. We should have our mastercard in a few days making this purchase $2850 delivered (costco takes all credit cards online unlike their instore policy of only accepting debit/amex). I am guessing the saved $150 will go to the delivery guys to set it on our deck in the backyard. Will be transferring to a 0% offer on another card and stretch out the payments as long as possible in US pesos. I am guessing we will have to take advantage of their satisfaction guarantee if it requires a labor intensive repair between years 1 and 5. Now to find a deal on a thermal blanket!

OK we have finally decided to go for the Infinity Sun Peak from costco.com after much debating. We should have our mastercard in a few days making this purchase $2850 delivered (costco takes all credit cards online unlike their instore policy of only accepting debit/amex). I am guessing the saved $150 will go to the delivery guys to set it on our deck in the backyard. Will be transferring to a 0% offer on another card and stretch out the payments as long as possible in US pesos. I am guessing we will have to take advantage of their satisfaction guarantee if it requires a labor intensive repair between years 1 and 5. Now to find a deal on a thermal blanket!

I am in the market for a new spa. I have been looking around for cashback credit cards to maximise savings when purchasing this spa. I came across the Citi CashReturns Mastercard that gives unlimited 5% cashback on purchases for 3 months. You can apply here: https://www.citicards.com/cards/wv/cardDeta...do?screenID=946 Basically gives you back $250 on every $5k you spend. Purchase the spa on this card and then balance transfer at 0% for the next few years and save a bundle on that new spa purchase. Apply online and get approved automatically. They will also disclose your credit line automatically. If you only get approved for a meager line but have other citi cards call customer service when activating the card and ask to move your existing lines to this card to maximise your spending power to earn 5% back. This card will arrive in a week after approval. Enjoy

By gathering electricity costs from other sunpeak users on this board the average rate seems to be around $20 a month more for the infinity over other name brand tubs. Obviously it may be more or less depending on climate, local electricity costs and usage but $20 is the average extra cost from what I have read. This is set to increase as the price of energy increases. I would encourage everyone to try and be as efficient with energy as possible....not just with hot tubs but across the board. Definitely look at purchasing a thermal blanket and a good quality cover that will not absorb moisture. I have read a few posts regarding the infinity having problems from the get go. It seems Infinity is happy to send parts and you are on your own to fix it. I agree the Infinity is a good choice if you don't mind the downtime and trying to fix it yourself and if you intend to return for a full refund from Costco in a few years. We have to be honest any tub is going to need repairs after a few years and the Infinity warranty does not cover labor after only 1 year. Obviously labor is probably going to be one of the most expensive components in the repair. If you want a tub that is going to last 7 years with a minimum of expense and repairs then the Infinity is not going to be a good fit IMO. Just the extra energy costs over 7 years is going to more than eat any initial savings over a name brand tub. From what I have read after a few years you are most likely either going to sell the tub because you don't use it or you are going to sell it to upgrade to a newer/bigger tub. In both cases you will want good resale value.

I would not say Hot Springs is the gold standard. I am sure the quality of Hot Springs is superior to this Infinity model, however, a custom spa I am sure is better value and potentially longer lasting than Hot Springs. That being said Hot Springs or the bigger names will have the best resale value and good quality. Well known brand names hold their value and sell.....plain and simple. Also I wanted to add that we have to expect the price of electricity to double over the next 5-7 years as demand for energy is soaring and the production of electricity becomes more costly. So that extra $20/30 a month now could start becoming $40/$60 per month quite quickly. An energy efficient tub is definitely the way to go. Glad you went with the CF light bulbs. That is in fact saving you that extra $$$ per month the Infinity is eating over a more efficient tub. We tried CF bulbs for a few months but the light on them was so harsh I felt like I was living in an office building and it was driving me nuts.....ended up returning them to Costco....I figured what is left of my sanity is worth the $250 a year.

Hi Biz, I am also in the market for a hot tub and have considered the Infinity from Costco. Personally I have decided against it after much research. The Infinity is cheap up front but you have to realize in 3 years it will be worth basically zero on the used market and with the dinky 1 year labor warranty it is pretty much useless. Also it is going to eat about $20 more a month in electricity which after 3 years is around $750. Compare to say a Tiger River Bengal for just over $5k. In 3 years the Bengal will be worth about $3k used and still have plenty of life left in the warranty and the tub. So the Infinity is actually costing you more in just 3 years by quite a big margin. Of course you may return the Infinity at any time to Costco for a full refund. But if you are a serious outdoor soaker I would rather have a better tub running reliably than experience the downtime and frustration with Infinity. With the US dollar getting trashed, pathetic rates of return on cash, and inflation about to explode you may as well spend now while you can and you may find a good quality tub will actually hold its value pretty well in nominal terms over the next 5-7 years. Something to consider.

I have to disagree on your point concerning the cars. My family has been in the car business for 3 generations and I assure you Honda peaked 89-99. These years are legendary and are why they hold there value so well and are sought after so much by tuner enthusiasts. Unfortunately they stopped importing the cars from Japan in 2000 and like Toyota their current crop is plagued with problems and recalls are plenty. But image is everything no? Who wants to be seen in a Kia? A dealer wont give you much as they know they will rot on the lot....straight to the wholesaler baby. But if Kia offered a lifetime satisfaction guarantee........ So any links to a reliable website that lists values for used tubs? I have done a lot of research and it seems the only brand name manufacturer that offers transferable warranties for hot tubs is Marquis. Any reason why the other so called quality manufacturers with a history of longevity wont stand behind their product?

Oh ya no question this tub will not provide as good as therapy as a more expensive model. I just soak with no jets and self medicate with alcohol so jets are not an issue for me. I would prefer no jets and a cheaper price. But I do believe the hot tub dealers are going the way of travel agents....pretty much extinct and from what I have read the major brands are not as good as they used to be....but that is to be expected with increased competition and transparency they must cut costs somewhere. From hundreds of reviews I have read the major names have plenty of their own problems with quality control to deal with now. Personally the extra service is not worth $4-5k for me. One thing I haven't really considered in the equation is resale value tho. If the major brands offer a transferable warranty then they will certainly be worth more in 5 years....I wonder if there is a site that lists resale values of used spas similar to kelly blue book for autos? Of course the option to return for a full refund in 5 years is clearly worth something. So it seems the decision would be similar to either paying more upfront and driving a Toyota/Honda that are not as good as they used to be but still on top or purchasing a Kia/Hyundai which in reality are close in quality but still suffer horrible resale. Yes I think you are correct in buying a greater quality tub with the higher purchase price upfront and greater resale down the road unless you are specifically intending to return the costco tub for the full refund ina few years. Well thats one to ponder over a stiff drink I guess

So you musta found some folks that have owned these tubs for many years? A good value tub is one that lasts for 6-8 years. I need to talk to these people who have owned these tubs for more than 4-5 years. Can you give me any e-mail addresses or information in a PM so I can talk to them? I would expect at this price point to get 5 years......if not costco will happily take it back for a full refund. I would expect a quality custom spa to get you 10-15 years. The major brands would get 6-8 years. As I said this looks to be an excellent cheap tub you can replace every 5 years for a new one and still be ahead of the major brand names i.e. a good value. Just giving a heads up on the forthcoming sale.

Just wanted to give a heads up....costco will be selling the sun peak again for the great price of $2999.00 delivered after coupon starting 4/4 and going all month. I have done a mountain of research and have found after talking to many reputable folks (not dealers/sales people) if you want value you should either go a decent cheaper tub or a custom made tub. I believe the sun peak at this price fits the bill for decent cheap tub.

My wife, son and I have enjoyed our parents Freeflow Vision hot tub for the past year and have decided to purchase a hot tub to place on our deck. We would prefer 120V and the Marquis Everyday line seems promising. We have the opportunity to purchase a 2 year old Marquis Everyday 415 for $2k even. One owner, non transferable warranty unfortunately but owner says no leaks and no problems.....we would verify this with an inspection and wet test before purchasing. Is this a reasonable deal pricewise? Is there an easy way to determine the year of a hot tub (faceplate maybe) on inspection? Also does anybody know what a good price would be for a new 418 model from a dealer? This may be an option for us as long as it is not way out of our budget. Thanks in advance for any input.