MrSundance
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Posts posted by MrSundance
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You're lucky they're telling you not to buy their product. I wish that was the case for me as my tub has been nothing but a headache. And my calls for help from headquarters have gone unanswered. The guys I bought the tub from have been great at responding to my monthly service issues but I'm fed up as I can honestly say I have a lemon. Fromm day one I've had nothing but problems. Thank god for the warranty but that will run out eventually. The retailers I bought the tub from love me because I'm always in buying stuff after having to empty the tub for servicing.
Ok.. I live in Windsor Ontario, about 5 min from USA Border. I have decided on an Arctic Spa Tundra Legend Extreme. A pretty much loaded spa.
I call the closest dealer in Canada.. they quote $15,999.cnd. + tax = $18,078cnd(4 hour drive away.. but I am about 100km or 60 miles out of their service area).
So.. I call the USA's closest dealer. (1 hour away). They quote $10,500+NO tax as I am out of state. I get a -6% exchange.. pay 13% customs and thus can land it for $11,153.00cnd HUGE HUGE difference.
We start setting up the deal.. and they then say the headquarters wont let them sell to Canada.
I call the head quarters (780 area code) and they say... "if you buy from USA no warranty.. PARTS only, as they cannot come over and repair the tub"
I ask.. why cannot ANY arctic dealer fix it.. (assuming its a simple fix.. I can change jets etc.. so for little stuff I am ok with parts only).
They say NO.. other dealers cannot fix it.. and even if they could your still out of their area by 100km or 60 miles.
So they then say if I buy in Canada from Toronto area.. Its a PARTS ONLY warranty as well.
I ask them.. then why the heck is there a $7000+ difference on a tub made in canada purchased in canada.. why is it so much cheaper in USA?!?!?
No answer.
I ask didnt you have a Windsor dealer..
they reply yess.
Did anyone in Windsor buy the extended SE warranty ?
Yes...
How they heck do you repair their tubs??
they say.. "we hire local NON-ARCTIC spa places to fix the tubs'
Ok.. that will work for me...
they say "NO" Parts only warranty.
I ask then.. "Ok.. what discount do I get as I am now doing my own labour..."
they reply.." None.. what do you mean??"
I ask them.. "So your telling me this.. 1) you say I cannot buy from USA.. 2) I must buy this canadian made tub from a dealer in Canada thats 4+ hours away for $7000 more 3) Either way.. I get a PARTS ONLY warranty... 4) and I get no discount of any sort."
They reply
"Yes.. thats it.. and you would have to sign a letter and send it to the headquarters stating that your get a (no discount) parts only warranty"
I ask.. "if I lived in Toronto.. and bought the tub there.. then moved to Windsor.. would I have a full warranty"
They say "YES!!!"
So what the heck is going on here....
I can move my tub from Toronto to Windsor.. and still get warranty.. but cannot buy it out right.. or from usa saving $7000!!!
I ask them.. "well you dont seem too confident that your tub will go the warranty without a major repair then... as I am able to swap little stuff like jets etc"
They say. "we have a 6% major repair over the 5yr warranty.. so no.."
Crikies!!!
I then ask.. "so your not interested in selling me any spa of any sort"
they reply "No.. just incase you get a lemon or something.. its not worth you getting upset with us.. we had a dealer in Windsor, but not any more.. so we dont want to sell a tub in this Grey area.. nor warranty any tub bought in USA and brought back to Canada. Sorry.. we dont want to sell you a tub."
I thanked them for their honesty.. but wow.. what a crazy company... I was totally blown away...
<b><!--sizeo:5--><span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->
Now considering a Vita Spa Rendevouz.. any suggestions as to how it compairs to Arctic's Tundera Legend Extreme?</b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
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I tried the harness and didn't like it. I tried the jetted swim spas and they are OK.
I like the propeller from endless and Masters best. They have smoother water flow, no air in water that hinders sight under water.
The jets seem to push you to the right or left.
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WOW! I usually get $250 to $400 for attending a focus group and answering fewer questions.
Do you sell swim spas? If so, what is your advice on them?
Thanks
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In MA. You a rep?
I do sell Sundance but on the west coast. Check out New England Hot Tubs in Norwell,Auburn or Natick, MA. They sell Sundance.
or Check out Crocker Sales in Woburn, they sell them also.
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Hello all,
I purchased a house 2 yrs ago that has a hot tube. The tub is aging(over 10 yrs)and I would like to replace it. The water pressure is very low, it has an air blower that I don't like or use, and the specialty jets don't work well any more. What is the general opinion on this brand? They offer a trade in program. Would I be better with another brand. If so, what is the most reliable brand? Any help would be great.
Thanks,
Ted
Look at Sundance, forget the Thermo.
Where do you live?
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We have tried almost every cover lift out there. We are not 100% sold on any of them. Who do you feel makes the best Cover Lift and why?
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I'll make sure to tell Dan Schechner, the author of the article from Pool and Spa News, that you think he is a liar. At first he will probably be annoyed. But then he will probably say, "why do I care what this no-name wanker thinks!"
How do you feel the phelps swim spa introduction went? I have a few questions for you.
How many swim spas can a mid size Sundance dealer sell in 12 months? (We go to 3 home shows and 1 fair) we sell 100-200 spas a year.
Do they all require crane delivery? Have you always sold masters? do you sell anything else now besides masters?
How many do you need to display to be effective? Does masters send you a lot of leads? what % are swim spa leads?
Do they make you do spa shows? Is the swim spa market really growing? Our spas sales are flat.
Do swim spas take sales away from your spa sales? or do they take away from pool sales? Do you sell pools? or is it a different buyer?
Masters gets a bad rap on this forum, many are competitors, but do they deserve any of it? Do they help out with dealer support?
I'm on the west coast and we hate the Yankees, Celtics and Patriots because they are successful. The Balboa rep said that Masters was probably their biggest customer.
Do you know of a lot of dealers that have been burned by masters? Do they have a nice factory? They invited me out there. How are their lead times?
I have an open mind. Sundance has been good to me but they have no swim spa. We added saunas a few years back and they have kept us profitable.
You can send me a private email if you are concerned of any fallout from masters over your answers.
Thanks.
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I would go with HotSpring Grandee or Vista or Sundance Cameo or Optima. In my opinion the Sundance Spas are better on hydrotherapy and the HotSpring slightly better in longevity and energy efficiency.
Looking for a spa, outside, maybe 4-5-6 person. There are just so many choices out there and it seems incredibly difficult to narrow down the differences.
Looking to spend maybe 10K-12K, live in NJ.
I'd rather get high quality and spend a bit more and even get less 'fancy features' and just a real quality spa that will last.
I've looked at what I think are most of the major vendors.
Anybody want to tell me what they think are the top 2-3 quality spa makers out there?
Thanks a lot
Agree on the Sundance Cameo or Optima. Now is a good time to buy with dealers looking to thin their inventory. Sundance will have no major changes for 2011.
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The $5000 doesn't include the HDTV from what I've heard. It's basically a buy-in. I don't blame them. Can you imagine what they're paying Phelps?
The Paperwork I saw from them includes the HDTV and marketing kit in the opening order. They are also offering 60 days free flooring through GE.
I asked the rep about the posts highlighted in the previous posts. I read many of them. Half were positive, probably posted by happy customers and Masters dealers.
Half were negative, probably posted by some mad customers and competitors. I think Sundance builds a nice spa, I looked up our BBB and we have a A-, not bad.
Master has an A+, so does D1,Hot Springs, Caldera etc. The Sundance rep showed me that they had a 92% approval rating for quality from Spa Search. The rep from Masters
faxed me over their quality rating from Spa Search it was 95%. This is voted on by the recent spa owners that were delivered within the last year.
The rep called me back with 3 leads for swim spas in my area from the TV spots that are running and he encouraged me to call more of their dealers and ask what their experiences were. So I called a few more and they were all happy.
One dealer said they got 600 leads from Masters in the last year. I called the leads and 2 were decent. The rep explained swim spas are not for everyone, if we didn't do as well with swim spas as hot tubs, in our market that they'd take them back or send them to a show to be sold.
So far, the Phelps swim spa program looks pretty good. The say their lead time on swim spas is 3 weeks, I'll let you all know how it goes. We added saunas last year and they are doing well, hopefully the swim spas will add more to our bottom line. My Chemical rep and the Balboa rep said spa sales are up 5% this year, but swim spa sales are up 50-75%.
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I spoke with Phelps and he did confirm that he swims in one and gave a lot of input to the Masters designers.
What would you expect him to say? I'm sure he has swam in one before and was happy to get one for free. I'm sure he had about 2 minutes of deign input like "yeah, I like it".
I asked some of the masters reps about the shady show program. They said that all manufactures do off site events.
BULL. No one travels around with a corporate run show like them. Its the SHADY tactics from that show that piss people off.
If they come to your area with that show they'll sell under your nose and then give the customers your name/address when the issues arise and the promises fall through, as they often do (see below):
http://www.rhtubs.com/cgi-bin/reviews/reviews.pl?md=read;id=9485
http://www.rhtubs.com/cgi-bin/reviews/reviews.pl?md=read;id=9493
http://www.rhtubs.com/cgi-bin/reviews/reviews.pl?rev=5625
http://www.rhtubs.com/cgi-bin/bbs/config.pl?md=read;id=96106
If you want to carry their swim spas because you think it will sell and want that niche in your store that I understand but please also understand you're not going to be able to change their image because they gave you a few good answers and had a few happy dealers there to tell a good story.
Check out this website that one of their corporate guys came up with and came here and posted the link trying to say it was some independent site. They actually cleaned up a few of the most over the top parts but its still a sham. This is what they're about, deception.
Thanks for sending me this. I'll see what the rep has to say about these.
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Looks nice. How do you like the swim spa? I met Michael Phelps, the USA Olympic swimmer last week in Las Vegas and he said he trains in one and worked with master spa to design some new ones.
I sell Sundance Spas but I'm considering selling the master spa swim spa,any thoughts?
This post stinks so bad of Master deception I have to plug my nose, and put on my boots.
What do you guys have against Masters? The Phelps opportunity seem likes a very good business move. There is a Masters dealer in my market. They are small and don't have the room to display the swim spas. So the territory is open for swim spas.
They have good things to say about Masters. I spoke to about 10 different Masters dealers last week at the show, and they were happy. I spoke with 3 other big, multi store, Sundance dealers that signed up to sell the swim spas.
There were 2 Jacuzzi dealers and 2 Hot Springs dealers that also signed up to sell them. Masters had a meet and greet party with Phelps at the house of blues and the place was packed. I spoke with Phelps and he did confirm that he swims in one and gave a lot of input to the Masters designers. He seemed very sincere about helping out the Boys and Girls clubs and about growing the sport of swimming. He took many pictures and signed autographs. While I don't agree with all of Masters marketing, they hit it out of the park with Phelps. I read about PR articles on Google and Yahoo. I must have seen 20 TV commercials on CNN & Fox news over last 2 weeks with Phelps. The $5000 license fee is to get all Point of Purchase stuff including a 3D 50" HD TV, Banners, TV, Newspaper and Radio commercials and for a share of the $ 1,000,000 in ads Masters is placing for their dealers. The $5000 is much cheaper than I can buy all that stuff. I love selling Sundance and I think that Masters has the best swim spa program that I've seen. I asked some of the masters reps about the shady show program. They said that all manufactures do off site events. They pointed out the masters delaers that did the events. They introduced me to them and said ask them anything you'd like. So I did. They explained that most all of them sold Hot Springs, Sundance, Jacuzzi, LA, D1,Coleman, Cal and Caldera years ago. Some still carry the other lines. Many of the dealers worked together on shows are shared ad costs, expenses and sales teams. I asked if Master dictates has business has to be done and they all said. No Master is pretty easy to get along with, they take care of their customers and their dealers. I got a follow up call from the territory rep yesterday. He was checking in. I was waiting for the high pressure close I always hear about. I didn't happen. I asked for a few dealers numbers so I could call to see how there treated. He gave me about 40 dealers, all in his territory. I called many of them. They were all happy, most had a good year last year. I'll let you all know if we join them.
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I looked at spas extensively for some three months before settling on the Artic Spa Klondiker LSE. Liked the spa. Hated the price. The LSE models come with a ten year warrantee on most components. The nearest dealer is 95 miles from me. The fact that Artic was/is comfortable enough to offer such a warrantee convinced me of the quality/reliability Note they DO NOT OFFER the same warrantee on the other models. List was $15,900 with all the options (Northern Lights, steps etc). Paid $10,900. Now the fun part.....I'm a little guy at 315lbs!!! My esteemed spouse is 120lbs. We reside in North Carolina (summer daytime temps average in the low 90's). WE LOVE THIS TUB. Jet action is great. Electric consumption runs apx. $26/month. Had a great deal of "fun" with the owners manual as it seems almost every use instruction paragraph ends with the phrase..."better yet, get in the tub and try it for yourself"
Bad News is that spa lists for about $ 7,000 to $8,000 not $10,000-$15,000. But enjoy it.
I'd love to see where that spa is listed for $7,000 or even $8,000. The Klondiker LSE retails here for £15,000, that's almost $30,000 canadian. Please send me a link or information as to where I can purchase the Klondiker LSE for this extreemly cheap price of $7,000/$8,000
Most any dealer in the US would be happy with $8000 for that spa. Unfortunately there aren't many Arctic dealers in the US anymore. I used to sell them for about a year, there are not bad for just an average over-hyped, over marketed spa.
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Others have already given you a list of a half dozen reputable hot tub manufacturers, all of which make very good quality tubs. As you may have already determined, not all may be available in your vicinity.
A couple of things to keep in mind when searching for a hot tub...
The number of jets is not nearly as important as you might think. The type of jets (i.e., size and the ability to control the direction of the water flow, type of flow and amount of water pressure, introduction of air, etc.) and their placement in the tub are more important than simply the total number of jets. Therefore, don't be too concerned about total jet count.
The only real way to tell the difference between tubs is to wet-test the specific models that you are interested in. Wet-testing a different model from the same manufacturer is NOT the same as wet-testing the specific model you might purchase, and sitting in a dry tub will not provide any useful information to you as to the tub's hydrotherapy and the effect the swirling water has on your bouyancy.
BTW, I have a Sundance Optima. The manufacturer states its designed for 6-7 persons. It's a great tub and 4 adults can sit in it very comfortably. But with 5, 6, or 7 people, I guarantee if you weren't close friends before hand, you will be by the time you finish your soak.
Good luck in your search.
gman
2009 Sundance Optima
The Cameo and Maxxus are also nice.
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We just moved and left our old hot tub at the old house. Am looking at some used options and have found a 2007 Hot Springs Vanguard for sale. It doesn't have a stereo or any extra options exept a cover lift. Price is $5700 or best offer. Seems to be in nice shape. $5700 seems a bit high for a used tub that I'll have to move and set up, but I really don't have anything to base that off of. Any opinions out there of what might be a fair "best offer" to throw out there? Thank you in advance for any thoughts, opinion, advice, etc.....
You may better off buying new, Sundance has a Hawthorne Spa 44 jets, 7'8" x7'8" x36" for about $ 6000 to $ 8000 for a new tub. Invest the extra few thousand and finance it. You save money in the long run over inheriting someone else's problems. Even a new Tiger River is a good choice. Wet Test and see what feels better to you.
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Hi,
I have a Sundance Spas 2003 Marin hot tub which was recently setup. The electrician wired up the tub but did not have the tub filled with water before turning it on. The heater melted and now it needs to be replaced. Would the heater melt if there is no water filled in the tub? I was told that the hot tub comes with a flow sensor and the heater should not turn on if there is no water flow. Does the flow sensor need to be replaced as well? Did the electrian mess up and should not have turned on the hot tub without filling it with water?
If I replaced the heater, filled the tub with water and then turned it on, would that be ok or should i look into getting the flow sensor and tub checked out for other issues as well?
Any input is greatly appreciated.
I would call your areas sundance dealer and have a service call, just let them install the heater also since they will already charge the min, and likely will be able to replace it much faster. And yes, you need him to diagnose what else has failed. There are protections in place to prevent this from happening but i also suspect the heater relays are fused closed and all the sensors in the world wouldn't have helped. Always, always fully fill with water before turning the tub on. And turn off as soon as you start to drain.
You Can also just call the Sundance Customer Service Dept. at 1-(800)883-7727
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I looked at spas extensively for some three months before settling on the Artic Spa Klondiker LSE. Liked the spa. Hated the price. The LSE models come with a ten year warrantee on most components. The nearest dealer is 95 miles from me. The fact that Artic was/is comfortable enough to offer such a warrantee convinced me of the quality/reliability Note they DO NOT OFFER the same warrantee on the other models. List was $15,900 with all the options (Northern Lights, steps etc). Paid $10,900. Now the fun part.....I'm a little guy at 315lbs!!! My esteemed spouse is 120lbs. We reside in North Carolina (summer daytime temps average in the low 90's). WE LOVE THIS TUB. Jet action is great. Electric consumption runs apx. $26/month. Had a great deal of "fun" with the owners manual as it seems almost every use instruction paragraph ends with the phrase..."better yet, get in the tub and try it for yourself"
Bad News is that spa lists for about $ 7,000 to $8,000 not $10,000-$15,000. But enjoy it.
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New to the forum. Great information source!
About to purchase a new Sundance Cameo, and am trying to make the right decision on the tub's water purification and maintenance methodology.
Choosing between the dealer's suggested standard 3-step 'Baqua Spa' (sp?) treatment, or going with their CD Ozinator (also recommended).
Looking for the solution that will do the best job in keeping our annual water maintenance cost down, while at the same time, not having us have to 'manage' the tub water quality on an 'every time you turn around' basis. I don't mind keeping an eye on the water quality, but I don't want to make it an every day thing.
My wire has sensitive skin, so would also be interested if (for her skin) one of the above-mentioned maintenance programs would be better than another.
We live in a dry high desert climate. Temperatures up to 110 in the Summer, lows down to 25 in the Winter.
Any advice would be very much appreciated!
Stay away from Bacqua. Ozone and chlorine or bromine works better in a sundance spa.
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Please let me add a pic of my own home built steps for our MasterSpa H2X. The tub is 50 inches tall and the only available steps looked like you were approaching the Supreme Court Building, and had no handrails (which I thought useful for kids and grandparents). These are 24 inches wide, 72 inches tall with lots of hooks for towels and robes (on the side you see plus the back you don't see). We've used them two years. I though I might need to tie them to the spa side but they are perfectly stable as they sit.
Looks nice. How do you like the swim spa? I met Michael Phelps, the USA Olympic swimmer last week in Las Vegas and he said he trains in one and worked with master spa to design some new ones.
I sell Sundance Spas but I'm considering selling the master spa swim spa,any thoughts?
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Hello everyone and thanks for all the information I have been able to glean from this board. I am pretty much a newbie to the spa world since I only inherited a 10 yr old built-in spa on its last legs when we purchased our home 10 years ago. Now its a 20 yr old place keeper in our solarium which is being torn down (another nightmare for another forum). We had a budget of about 6-7k and I think the Hawthorne best suites our families needs since I wanted a solid entry level spa with a lounger that will be outdoors in New Jersey winters. Much of the info in making this decision is due to the expert advice available on these boards. I was able to put a deposit on a 2010 Hawthorne with LED lighting, ozone, steps, cover, lift and delivery/placement for 6500.00 out the door or 6049.00 pre tax. I think I did pretty well and was honestly leaning in the Costco direction for around 5K, but with my limited level of experience and a reputable dealer, I think it warranted the extra 1K. Couple of questions...
I did not opt for the circulation pump, nor was it pushed on me at the dealer. It is relatively inexpensive, but is there real value in getting it? I will be the first to say I am not that sure of its purpose, other then increasing the filter time of the water and I guess yielding "cleaner" water. Opinions???
There are two types of shells with the sundance, one very smooth and what I am accustomed to, but a second in their Sahara and Coppersand variety that is a bit more "textured" for lack of a better word. I kind of like the texture although the dealer said many people do not. Does it feel different long term in the water? Opinions?
Thanks to all and any other suggestions or opinions are most welcome.
That's good price.
Arctic Spa Wont Sell Me A Spa Where I Live.
in Portable Hot Tubs & Spas
Posted
Stay away from VITA, they went BK last year. If you can't get Arctic there. Check out Bluewater Pools or Atlantis Pools in Windsor.