Thermospa Giant Clearance Sale Coming To Atlanta

[TinyBubbles]

There have been many ads about Thermospas "the nation's largest retailer" and their gigantic clearance sale coming to the Atlanta area. If I'm not mistaken, I've seen horror stories about people being ripped off by this company. If there are people that might be quietly looking at this forum that might be going to this sale, does anyone have any advice for them? I think the ads say they have spas starting at $599. I'm curious how they can advertise being the nation's largest spa retailer. I had never heard of them before coming to spa forums.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

I'm curious how they can advertise being the nation's largest spa retailer. I had never heard of them before coming to spa forums.

They've always used that terminology because instead of a dealer network like most manufacturers have they typically sell direct to people in their homes. They probably manufacture 1/5 or 1/10 what Watkins or Sundance/Jacuzzi does but everyone else sells through dealers. Thermospa is the manufacturer but they are also basically one big dealer and use that twist to be technically correct though we know how some will perceive the wording.

[East TX Spa]

All people have to do is look at this:

http://ct.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site...p;firm=25002672

and this:

you must be one of the hired guns they use to respond to bad posts on the internet. let me tell you that thermospas is the best sales job anyone can get. salesman make $150,000 plus per year. they are given a price sheet where the par price(the rock bottom price thermospas can sell a spa for with the salesman making only a flat $100 commission)is listed in between the model numbers on the price sheet, it's hidden in between the front and last number on the fake serial number. the salesman can sell a spa for any number they want above par and than they split that amount 50/50 with the company! they usually start with showing the highly inflated "retail" (they don't have any dealers that sell thier spas anywhere close to the high prices they charge with thier in home program)price sheet and than offer you a first night discount called the "factory direct" price.they usually give thier pitch than at the end they do the classic "drop" where they call in and ask the sales manager for a better price if the customer buys that night! its the old tin man routine and it makes alot of money. the head of the outfit is andy tournas and he does extensive training with the salesman and teaches them how to alway make the sale that night, if they dont sell that night than a manager will call the customer a few days later and offer a "special" deal and sell it fot par, its called the rehash program. i found all this out the hard way, i paid way too much for my spa. my friend got the exact same spa for thousands less than me. dont fall for thier trade in scam either, all they do is raise the price of thier spa and reduce it by the supposed amount they offer you for your trade. its a laugh, as i said they have salesman making thousands in a single night, not bad if they can sleep with the guilty conscience. good luck but i would never buy from them again

Terminator

[Nat]

Therma Spa started a TV ad campaign recently in my area (Northern Virginia). Its a pretty slick ad. I think the ad offered a free DVD on their products. I would thuroughly research this company and its products before buying anything from them.

If you look at the BBB report posted, since this company sells nationally, serveral unresolved complaints does not seem like a lot.

As for the unfair sales tactics: BUYER BE WARE! Generally, a lot of companies price their products at what the market will bear. With that being said, it is up to the consumer to research what a fair price is, and pay no more. If you like the product, and if the manufactuer comes down to your price, then I see no reason to not buy it, IF YOU ARE SATISIFIED WITH THEIR SERVICE RECORD AND THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT.

The final item is, Is the spa made well and energy effecient? I have no idea. This is where your research should begin, and if you determine that it falls short here, move on to another brand. No matter how low the price, you most likely will not be happy!

--Nate

[B0Darc]

All people have to do is look at this:

http://ct.bbb.org/WWWRoot/Report.aspx?site...p;firm=25002672

and this:

<clipped> ...let me tell you that thermospas is the best sales job anyone can get. salesman make $150,000 plus per year. <snipped>

Terminator

OH MY GOD!?! Somebody makes $150,000 a year!?!? ...and they're running ads on TV in No. VA.? You guys are KILLING ME! Did you know a family of four that makes under $140,000 in Northern VA qualifies for housing assistance? SERIOUSLY. Everything ...no I mean EVERYTHING you buy is half price or LESS wholesale to the dealer/retailer (except food). The owners of W-mart are the richest people in America, and no one sells for less. Greed and profitability do not necessarily go hand in hand with unethical, conscience-free business practices.

If a spa dealer buys a spa for $3,000 and sells it to you for $6,000 and the "retail" sticker said $7,995 then he is running his business like EVERY other business on the PLANET EARTH....get over it, sheeesh. It's not 1978... it's 2008. The median price home in No. VA for a 2,000 Sq ft 3 bedroom is $425,000. How is anyone supposed to survive that makes LESS than $150,000 a year? ...especially in Metropolis.

The only thing that could be unethical would be to take peoples money and not give them any service after the sale... tons of people are guilty of that in every line of work... buyer beware, and never pay what's on the sticker, and choose your spa dealer carefully... and your car dealer ...and your dentist ...and

[TinyBubbles]

Now, Bo "panties-in-a-wad" Darc. Relax. You get so bent out of shape when money is mentioned. You need one of those nanatini thingies. I didn't start this post to judge anyone's income. I have seen posts where people, especially elderly people, have been bamboozled by this co. I hate to see it happen to anyone else. From what I understand they are famous for in-home high pressure sales. With any in-home purchase there is a 3 day right to recision period. Apparently, they trick people into signing things and convince them that they do not have a legal right to back out of the deal. I don't care if you make $1 a year or $1 million, that ain't right! If I can post something here that will prevent someone from being scammed, then I'm going to do it. According to the BBB they have well over a hundred complaints against them. They range from sales practices to delivery issues to service/repair issues, product complaints, warranty issues, etc. Once again, who cares what a salesman makes if he and his company are backing up their product. This company clearly is not. If someone wants to buy a spa from thermospa, good for them. I just hope if they are looking at this forum, they get the info. they need to make an educated decision. After that, it's just that, their decision.

Tiny, panty-unwadder, bubbles.

[B0Darc]

Golly, I confess, I'm a spa dealer in No. Va (not really heh) and I make over $150,000 a year selling these darn thangs. I just moved here with my wife and two kids and we're gonna buy a house... but wow the (fixer-upper!) house we want is $400,000 and they want an $80,000 (20%) down payment... looks like we're renting for a couple years... I sell a spa a week and make $3,000 a week before taxes. My rent for a 3 bedroom townhouse is $2,000 month... and I like cable TV internet, and things like electricity, phone and indoor plumbing, so that's an easy $2,500 total... got a nice car for the Mrs and family, and a big truck to deliver spas, insurance and gas, that's another $2,500 so we're up to 5 grand...

My store's pretty nice it's a (very) cozy 2500 sq feet so I don't have all of my spas on display, and it's out in the County so it's an affordable $2,500 month. I sell alot of chemicals and I have spas and parts, and accessories that I stock in the store, in inventory, but thats a separate storage rental space at about $800 month.

Out of my 4X$3+K= $14K a month I pay about 28% federal income tax, 7% VA state tax, and about 7% self employment tax (Self employed equivalent of your FICA). so out of my $168,000 (12 X $14K monthly) I take home about $100,000 after taxes. Oh and I like to eat food and go to an occasional restaurant and movie and that's $1,000 month. So let's recap my most basic budget... leaving off of course things like Dr. visits, nail and hair appointments for the Mrs. etc.

Annual income after taxes

$100,000 (I'm rich!)

12 X $5,000 for rental townhouse and 2 cars = $60,000 (!? I really need to drive a crappier car)

12 X $3,300 business overhead for storefront and inventory storage rental = $39,600

(please don't nitpick how much my taxes would actually be by deducting the store rent etc.)

Oh wait... what happened to my food budget? uhm my savings for that down payment? Kids going to college? ...dentist?

$150,000 used to be alot of money... and these are real figures, not exaggerated in the least. You wonder why spa guys want to do shows? It takes SO MUCH ($$) to stay in business in any business... and it's ALL money you RIPPED off from customers. Any one who doesn't understand how the world really works, here's the look behind the veil. Dealers probably have to sell 2-3 spas a week to scrape by... I mean a $425K 3 bedroom is very nice... and TV and Internet access and food and heat shouldn't be viewed as something the greedy wallow in... it's what we have all come to expect as middle class.

A spa is a luxury item... like say a boat. No one needs a spa to survive and it's a market driven price. A great example might be a Z-06 Corvette. If you look at the recommended retail price they look relatively affordable, but they are always sold over the sticker price because they are in limited supply and the demand is high. The market will bear the price increase. Are Corvette dealers ripping off the customer? Some would say yes, but the real proof is in the pudding. If the guy in that BBB forum posting didn't think that spa he bought was a good deal he could have walked, but in truth he was happy to pay that price until he discovered he *could* have gotten it for less. He only had remorse when his buddy proved to be a better negotiator... tears on my pillow!

Psssst the real secret is that this is exactly the reason you never really get the unvarnished Truth about anything, or have the secrets of the retail/wholesale world revealed. It seems to me that you want Mr. SpaDealerMan's children to not go to college or the doctor. He should live in a trailer and drive a rusty truck to deliver spas. Sigh*** It's the new Millennium baby, and a thousand bucks is lunch money. As your punishment you must tip all restaurant staff 20% for the month of January... because they do live in a trailer and drive a rusty truck, and you must go into your Spa dealer's storefront and give the owner a big hug... ok ok you don't have to hug him, just buy some dichlor or something.... don't hate.

Bo "Can't we all just make a living?" Darc

[B0Darc]

Now, Bo "panties-in-a-wad" Darc. Relax. You get so bent out of shape when money is mentioned. You need one of those nanatini thingies. I didn't start this post to judge anyone's income. I have seen posts where people, especially elderly people, have been bamboozled by this co. I hate to see it happen to anyone else. From what I understand they are famous for in-home high pressure sales. With any in-home purchase there is a 3 day right to recision period. Apparently, they trick people into signing things and convince them that they do not have a legal right to back out of the deal. I don't care if you make $1 a year or $1 million, that ain't right! If I can post something here that will prevent someone from being scammed, then I'm going to do it. According to the BBB they have well over a hundred complaints against them. They range from sales practices to delivery issues to service/repair issues, product complaints, warranty issues, etc. Once again, who cares what a salesman makes if he and his company are backing up their product. This company clearly is not. If someone wants to buy a spa from thermospa, good for them. I just hope if they are looking at this forum, they get the info. they need to make an educated decision. After that, it's just that, their decision.

Tiny, panty-unwadder, bubbles.

Oh... ok

they do?

They are obviously bad then.

Thanks.

<breathing into paper bag>

Bo "I go Commando!" Darc

[itsallgood]

The owners of W-mart are the richest people in America, and no one sells for less. Greed and profitability do not necessarily go hand in hand with unethical, conscience-free business practices.

[Nightop]

I don't think comparing one person's income to what another person's income is is a way to say if one is un-ethical or not. However having said that at $150k anywhere in US is well above the average. For Virginia the median income is just over $50k a year. If you are providing the customers with what they expect in terms of levels of service and satisfaction then you can expect to make more. A cut of steak costs the same for resturant a and b but, if you are paying $20 bucks at one place and $50 at another, I would expect that you are paying for the more dining experience and preperation than that cut of meat.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2005-11-29-wage_x.htm

[Chas]

MOD warning:

The topic is Tspa. Not what you think a spa salesman should make or not make, and certainly not what your income is or isn't.

Feel free to start a thread about other topics, but please stay on topic in each thread.

Chas - I'll-kick-your-post-into-the-trash

[aquarius]

There have been many ads about Thermospas "the nation's largest retailer" and their gigantic clearance sale coming to the Atlanta area. If I'm not mistaken, I've seen horror stories about people being ripped off by this company. If there are people that might be quietly looking at this forum that might be going to this sale, does anyone have any advice for them? I think the ads say they have spas starting at $599. I'm curious how they can advertise being the nation's largest spa retailer. I had never heard of them before coming to spa forums.

I would never buy a spa from a company that doesn't have a rep in your area. By rep, I mean a dealer who will service your spa. Everything manmade breaks. Buy from a solid dealer with a good product. There are always problems that follow price shopping. On the other hand, don't buy as soon as you come to price. Go home and research if that price is a fair price for you area. For example, dealers are wanting to get some revenue in the winter and get rid rid of 07 spas.

If you are in a cold climate area, you will select a different tub that if you were in FL. Make a list of what is important to you. Insulation, price, dealer/service, looks, features....

Goood luck