Rolexor

I would buy from a private party rather than a wholesaler. The reason: A good used one is better than a bad new one.

I bought a used spa, and anyone who owns one that is more than a few years old now owns a used spa, if there was nothing wrong with it there is no reason to think that anything will go wrong with it. Especially if the manufacturer is willing to inspect it. The big question is how much they are asking for it. A spa of that vintage is only worth about 1000-1500 I would guess depending on the size and condition. I spent 1000 on mine delivered, but it needed the skirt redone just for aesthetics, that cost me about 150 or so. Delivery can get pricey so look into that. But I would say go for it. Greg

I think that sounds like a good deal. Compare it to a new one at what 5000? Go for it.

That will be fine.

I did something similar but I used 2X8 and mine were 16 on center, I also put blocks in to prevent any shifting. I have a spa that is 8' X 8'. I used no gravel and the ground has a slight drop to it so water does not accumulate under it. Mine is solid as a Rock. With that in mind I would also look into what the building code is for a floor of a house built similarly. It all comes down to load bearing, which I don't think will be a problem. The other thing is shearing, are you condfident your ouside corners are made strong enough to handle any sideways forces they would encounter, from people getting in and out or the water sloshing around.

For shippijng I would suggest Forward Air. They have terminals in most metropolitan areas, and offer rates that are similar to discount rates that other carriers offer customers with large accounts. The thing is you will need to take it to them and put it on a skid. They will usually help with that though if they are not too busy, at least around here. The consignee will need to pick up at a terminal also but you are talking about shipping going from well over a thousand for something like that to it being like 300-400 I would guess. You could probably hire a local mover to pick it up and put it on a skid for you I would think for about 100 bucks or so.

I say it all the time here, I bought a used spa for 1000.00 including delivery and haven't had a problem yet. It's not like the manufacturer in your case made some crappy spas for this dealer because he's going out of business or moving or whatever, you're getting the exact same product as Joe Blow is selling down the street. It is a commodity and only has as much value as consumers put in it. Any companies who lower their quality will feel the pain in loss of market share, which in a tight economy is something they can little afford to do. Retailers would drop their lines faster than a hot potato if they were dealing with upset customers all the time due to shoddy workmanship. Last I checked getting a new spa pack is pretty cheap anyway, compared to the savings you are looking at and that would be a worst case scenario. I am tired of hearing from the doomsdayers, if they feel that the product is that prone to failure they should find a different product to sell. The reality is that is their way of seeding doubt and fear in the community at large to keep them from exploring other options.

The only question I have is whether the route they were to take is on the contract. If so it sounds pretty cut and dry to me as well. If they try pulling some crap about a 30% fee I would tell them you'll see them in court. That is an unreasonable amount, it needs to be reasonable in accordance to what their damages (losses) are, and in this case they don't seem to have any damages. Particularly if it is in writing that they only are allowed a certain route to the backyard. Consulting a lawyer is typically free, and I would guess if you need their services it would only be an hour or two, if it even comes to that. You can also log on to Lawyers.com and they have a free chat session on different topics with prominent Lawyers. I participated in one once and they really give you great advice.

What was the regular retail price on this? As far as warranty goes, I would roll the dice if it is a big price difference anyway. I think you get a ton of people in here that are in the business and make these slanted comments. In your case you still have access to having work done under warranty anyway.

I don't know if there is a "Blue Book" for used spas, in fact so few are resold I doubt anyone would be able to answer that question for you properly. I can tell you this though, we got a large (8' X 8') spa that I would guess is the same vintage as yours for $1000.00. I think I got a very good deal, and would have expected to pay about $1500.00 - $2000.00 for it but the wood needed some TLC to make it more aesthetically pleasing. I would look in the Penny Saver, and the Newspaper, and even eBay to see what a fair value is. Hope that helps.

Can you post a picture of one?

First I have worked selling custom furniture so I know a little about how this can play out so you need to get your ducks in a row now before either you or your husband say anything more. I would talk to him and see what it is that you guys will accept from them whether that is for them to incurr whatever costs or for them to split it or whatever. Also find out exactly what your contract reads. My guess is that they have covered their ass and it was just an oral promise, in which case AMEX will side with the retailer, been through this several times, so I know they will go with what is in black and white, it may be a thorn in the side of the retailer but a letter is all they need to provide to keep your money. Next, I would find out from them (without showing your cards) what are they willing to do to make this right. If it lines up with what you wanted than you are all set, if it doesn't though, then I would serve them with papers for small claims court, usually an arbitrator will be assigned to talk to both parties and try to resolve the issue in a case like this. Courts will usually side with the Consumer in these instances, but you probably won't get back all of your money, because the contract I'm sure reads something like what the manager alluded to that your deposit is forfeit. So at that point you will need to decide if you want to go with what the arbitrator thinks is fair or if you want to continue in front of a judge. If it gets that far I would either find a way to inform the manager that you are recording the conversation and get her to repeat her thoughts on the phone about how they will lie to make a sale or get her to write a statement to that effect. I wouldn't hold my breath for either of those to happen, so you might want to check into a personal recording device, and the legality of wearing it and recording a conversation in a public place (like their showroom), where you might get her to say something like that. With anything like this you have an absolute winner, otherwise you have a little better than a 50/50 chance of coming out on top depending on the circumstances. But the biggest thing is not to lose your temper and don't say I'll see you in court or anything like that. You will get much further by being cooperative and pleasant than, by making people who may otherwise help you feel like they need to be on the defensive. Good Luck, Greg

I didn't want to put concrete in when we got our spa so I built a base out of pressure treated 2 X 6, with plywood covering it. That has worked well and it only took me a few hours to make it. I leveled it by putting some legs down to the ground and a good support in the middle to take the weight. That has worked well for over a year. The only thing is that the 2 X 6 frame raises it about 6" off the ground. But you can paint it and make a deck or whatever else strikes you. Good Luck, Greg

I would also take into consideration the expense to have it moved, this can run about 500 bucks. An Electrician will also run you about 800 for parts and labor if not more. Do you know why she is selling the spa? If it is something like they are selling the house, I would try to get a lower price, because the spa will not really add any value to the selling price of the home. We bought ours used and have not had any problems with it. I wouldn't worry about the warranty, just make sure you are getting a deal so that if something does go wrong with it you aren't back to where you would have been financially if you had bought a new one. Greg

I don't know about the Gunite, but on the plaster I believe that the water allows it to cure at a slower rate and is necessary to the process. I don't own a pool but a friend had a large water feature put in and that is what the contractor said. So someone else here should confirm that sentiment.

I was hoping someone would have something to say on this subject. I had the same question. Some pool companies are telling me to go with Pebble Tech and others are telling me that it will shred our bathing suits and is rough on the skin. So then another one was touting some other type of Pebble Tech that is much finer grained but someone else was knocking that as well. I think they all just push whatever they have and that they either don't know what is better or don't care what you have. After all they are never going to swim in it, as long as your money is good they'll try to get as much as possible.

I like that you made a website for your project. I think it's neat to see this coming together. Thanks.

Go to www.coverpools.com. An automatic cover is my only consideration. I know I won't go out there and wrestle with some bulky cover, and I don't want the eyesore of it when it is rolled up. I have a two year old and we plan on having more kids, so with that in mind I don't see it as a choice, my kids safety is worth more than the 7K or so that it costs. If all I need to do is press a button I know it will get done. So there are several reasons to go with an automatic cover, ease of use, safety for your family, and aesthetics. Good Luck.

I'm also here in Temecula (French Valley actually), I can recommend a couple of guys and also recommend that you avoid Blue Haven. Are you trying to do something elaborate or did you want a simple pool? What are your goals as far as time and budget? Not that I need to know this, it's just that you should have this all in your head, as well as a good idea of what you want the area to look like when done. We decided to do it as owner builders. I have a friend that is in the pool business who said he will help me stay on top of it, but that it is a simple thing. My situation is that I want my pool to be very custom and several pool companies told me they weren't even interested in the project (actually I had to track down the sales guys to get those responses). For what I want, if I could find someone to do the work I would be looking at well over 100K, or by going as an owner builder we are able to do the same project for about 50K. So in my mind there was not choice. I don't know how to do a PM, so if you do you can contact me and I will respond with who I recommend. I outed Blue Haven because I have already done so here.

I was in a similar situation with mine. I went to Home Depot bought some 4 x 8 wood panels that looked similar to wainscoating (I think they were 15 bucks each), they are actually plywood. I also got some trim pieces to finish off the look for the corners and such. It took me (and I'm not too handy) a half a day to make my cuts and nail them in place. After that I primered and painted. It looks as good as new. The only tools I needed were a circular saw (table saw would be better), and a finish nailer or brad nailer. Before I did that my wife wanted to sell it, now she loves it again. The whole project cost me about $100.00, and a day and a half of my time. Good Luck

I would recommend looking into a Professional Spa Moving Company, though you want to make sure they are insured and that your purchase is covered. You might be surprised to find that it may be the same guys that deliver spas for the company you want to buy from. Due to contracts for what they are expected to do for their fee or scheduling etc they may have different policies for you than for the spa dealer. An empty spa is heavy but it is not overly heavy, I think that with some money thrown at them and enough muscle they can get it done. Look at what the Egyptians did with no powered equipment. It can be done.

First I would check your contract and see where you stand. I would document EVERYTHING, I would even go as far as recording conversations (though you will want to check on the legality where you are, here in CA you just need to inform them that you are recording). If this ends up where you want to return it chances are you will need all of this to make a case, which will probably go in front of an Arbitrator. Secondly, to me there seems to be an awful lot of your time that will be wasted running down their problems and following up on getting this resolved, because many businesses will deal with things at a slow pace, (not that that is their aim, they just deal with vendors and outside delivery companies ect) and should you stop bugging them they won't want to stir up a hornets nest that isn't buzzing. So to me it is the time involved with all of this that is the issue. I would tell them to send out the people to replace the skirt to make it as it should have been, if that is just a couple of pieces no problem for them, if it's the whole skirt, bummer for them. I would get them to agree to pay for the damage to the valve, and have it repaired. Under the law you are required to mitigate your damages, so you can't get anything from them if you don't water your lawn while it is getting repaired and your lawn dies, or rather it would be unlikely. Then I would figure out what your time is worth to you, then decide how much time you will need to dedicate to all of this. Again I would document all of this. Without telling them that your time is worth XXX and how long you figure you will spend on their problem I would let them know that you expect that much in refund, goods or services, above and beyond them fixing their mistakes. That is the only way that you come out even in the deal. The reason I say I wouldn't tell them about your time is valued at XXX etc, is that from working in retail and hearing that, it almost comes off as an insult as though you are telling that person that their time is not as valuable as your own. I also know that it would be somewhat of an inside joke about that person, I guess it just puts people in a defensive position. Good Luck

Move

Ouch!! Normally I don't like to post on items like this because it would usually only make someone feel ripped off, but if you have some recourse through the group you belong to I would say you need to take that. I paid 800 to have power ran from the main box to a sub box just for the backyard. That included all the materials, the burying of the wire and the hook up. The sub box even is set up for extra power and breakers to run other electrical for the backyard. I got two quotes from two electricians the one I didn't choose was 850 for the same work. FYI I am in So Cal where these guys are getting ALL the MONEY.

I used to sell cars (Toyotas) and I know this from experience. Everyone gets a good deal, because it is all relative. As long as you are happy that is all that matters. I am So Cal and I grew up in Arizona. My sister bought a new 4Runner years ago, and she never bothered to call me prior to the purchase. They took $100.00 off of the price and she felt lucky that she was able to get the one they were offering her so she took the deal and was happy about it. Shortly thereafter I was visiting and she told me the story and asked if she got a good deal. I thought about it for a moment and I could have told her that she could have saved several thousand dollars had she talked to me, but then she would be bitter and feel that she had been taken, or I could tell her that she got a good deal and that 4Runners are a precious commodity and she was lucky to get a $100.00 discount. I chose the latter and she was beaming very proud of her purchase. So there is my little story and I wanted to congratulate you on the spa.