News From Costco

[wesj53]

As I mentioned to you in another thread dlynn, I was also vey impressed with the Hydro Spa line and I was seriously considering buying their Omni, a model which is sold thru dealers and the internet. But after learning that both dealers in the Chicago area were dropping Hydro Spa due to terrible customer service and unreliable product, that combined with a poor BBB rating and many, many complaints on this forum about the company convinced me that it just wasn't worth taking a chance that I would get a "good" unit from them. You are fortunate that you bought it thru Costco and can get a money back return. For the life of me I cannot find the Hydro Spa on their website; only a Hot Springs unit and a few models from Keys. My store locally only sells spas thru "road shows" and no one knew when the next one was going to be held. Bottom line - I think we all look for bargains and I hope you have good luck with your unit. Then you can write us owners of much more expensive brand units and brag about your good fortune! Good luck.

[wesj53]

Let me add that the Omni's quoted price over the internet was around $7k. Now you state you got yours for $4k. What does that tell you about the Costco unit? Either a lot less features and jets than the Omni (see it on Hydro Spas website) or even less reliable components and overall construction than their "regular" product line. We've all heard the expression, "you get what you pay for". In most instances that's true. That's not to say you can't find bargains in the marketplace but when you look at an industry as a whole and the going rate per unit let's say is $8-12k (in the spa industry for example) and then you have a few mass marketed products in the $3-6k range, most everyone's conclusion is that the product has been compromised in ways unbeknownst to the consumer. That is of course, unless units are being produced in countries like Mexico or China where labor rates are far lower than in the states. But Hydro makes their product in FL where I believe they still have to pay at least minimum wage. Those are my additional thoughts.

[New NW tub owner]

As I mentioned to you in another thread dlynn, I was also vey impressed with the Hydro Spa line and I was seriously considering buying their Omni, a model which is sold thru dealers and the internet. But after learning that both dealers in the Chicago area were dropping Hydro Spa due to terrible customer service and unreliable product, that combined with a poor BBB rating and many, many complaints on this forum about the company convinced me that it just wasn't worth taking a chance that I would get a "good" unit from them. You are fortunate that you bought it thru Costco and can get a money back return. For the life of me I cannot find the Hydro Spa on their website; only a Hot Springs unit and a few models from Keys. My store locally only sells spas thru "road shows" and no one knew when the next one was going to be held. Bottom line - I think we all look for bargains and I hope you have good luck with your unit. Then you can write us owners of much more expensive brand units and brag about your good fortune! Good luck.

You made the same claim two weeks ago in the 'Costco Platinum Elite' thread in this forum and someone actually checked and found that Hydrospa does NOT have a poor BBB rating and that the complaints you referenced were for a different company. Then you posted this on 9/7/06:

"My apologies to the readers of this forum and to Hydro Spa. I was mistaken with the information I previously posted. (It belonged to another company which I had researched.) NightRyder is correct with his info. My opinion of Hydro Spa remains negative based upon the balance of my post."

Yet, now, you come back two weeks later and make the same false claim about an allegedly "poor BBB rating." The truth is that Hydrospa is a reputable company, sells a very large number of hot tubs, and does NOT have a bad BBB rating. The Platinum Elite II hot tub sold by Costco and made by Hydrospa was an outstanding value in 2006 and I am sure that whatever hot tub that Costco sells in 2007 will be an even better value.

BTW, my local Costco store must have sold a LOT of the Elite II hot tubs in 2006. When I first went in to buy mine, there were 3 in the back room. I didn't come with my trailer, though, and Costco insisted that the tub leave their store after being purchased so I had to come back two days later to buy and two of the 3 hot tubs were gone.

[dlynn]

Let me add that the Omni's quoted price over the internet was around $7k. Now you state you got yours for $4k. What does that tell you about the Costco unit? Either a lot less features and jets than the Omni (see it on Hydro Spas website) or even less reliable components and overall construction than their "regular" product line. We've all heard the expression, "you get what you pay for". In most instances that's true. That's not to say you can't find bargains in the marketplace but when you look at an industry as a whole and the going rate per unit let's say is $8-12k (in the spa industry for example) and then you have a few mass marketed products in the $3-6k range, most everyone's conclusion is that the product has been compromised in ways unbeknownst to the consumer. That is of course, unless units are being produced in countries like Mexico or China where labor rates are far lower than in the states. But Hydro makes their product in FL where I believe they still have to pay at least minimum wage. Those are my additional thoughts.

I can tell by your posts that you have not seen the Costco Elite spa, this is a model made just for Costco by Hydro Spa, you can find info about the spa with a Google search for elitespas.com. It is the spa they carry in the stores, not the ones they only sell online. Many of the stores are already sold out of this years line. The new line comes out soon, and I do not know if Hydro Spa will be making the new one. It is almost identical to the Hydro-Spa Sterling Leasure Prestine model if you were to add the top side stereo controller to it. Only one color is available, blue with artificial redwood skirting. They use a solid wood frame instead of the steel frame in the prestine (they still have the solid one piece base like the prestine) other than that I can not see any differences. It was a heck of a value for 4k.

And you are still mis-representing Hydro-Spas BBB rating.

[fisrt timer]

I knew my post would pull out the critics that can't stand that there is a Hot Tub out here with all the features for half the price. Their only resort is name calling, saying everything is cheap and the speakers come from Radio Shack and no dealer to deliver or service it. Do your own research and look at the tub yourself, don't go by these hot shots that only discredit everything consumers say and call us dumb. Read the forums from Costco Elite owners and you will see a lot of people that think they got a great buy. I know the 10k tubs are better, but they are not 6k better and I have all the bells and whistles that those 10k tubs have. And the Parts are all industry standard, not sub par. And the speakers and stereo equiptment are not from Radio Shack they come from Aeware, one of the major makers of spa stereo equiptment. I know mine is not as well insulated as an Arctic, but for 6k less I can improve upon mine and live with it (I looked at the Arctic and the best thing they have going for them is their well insulated housing, I did not like the feel and layout however, my cheap Costco spa is much more comfortable and the jets are just as strong as the Arctic). And if you think this Costco Elite is the same quality as the Walmart and Home Depot spas that tells me you have not seen it and have no idea what you are talking about, I looked at all of them and the premium spas. The local dealers of the name brands have seen it and know of its value because after I bought it and went to them for chemicals they admit that I got a great buy for the money, and I have had 2 major dealers offer to service it if I ever need service, they have said there is no problem getting parts for the Hydro Spas because they use standard parts unlike some of the major brands or discounters. Sorry to ruffle you Know-It-Alls feathers, but I am satisfied with my purchase. I could not have got these features anywhere else for under $7000 and I looked alot. I had already priced out and decided to get a Cal Spa with less features for $7800 (and I know it is a better spa) when I read about the Costco spas here on these forums, so I went and looked at them and for the price savings, I was sold. And I understand all the down sides and took that into consideration when I bought it, I know it is not a premium spa, but it is a great value. And if you want to compare spas to Cars the Hydro Spa is more like a Ford (average) and no spa is as good as a Mercedes or a Lexus. And, yes I know you will call me more names, and that you think all consumers are stupid, so go ahead all wise one.

Well, you didnt ruffle any feathers, I own a very nice hot tub and I am very happy with it. I do not come her to bash people for buying a costco tub. I come her and bash people that are so ignorant as to come here and post these stupid claims that the costso tub is just as good as other spas or that its a stupendous deal. ITS NOT! I have seen the costco tub in real life. I was intrigued by the options and thought that I should go and see what this tub was all about. I did, and I spent about an hour playing with it in Costco. I can testify that this is one poorly made tub. I am also a Mechaincal Engineer if you need relavance to my criticism. My Costso seems to have 3 in stock at all time despite them being so called hard to find. Dont think I am jelous of your petty purchase. I had the same opportunity to buy one. I also know 2 people in my neighborhood that had so many problems with theirs, they got to use the great return policy. You babble on and on about throwing things like no delivery and cheep speakers at you as if I am name calling???? All these things are items not included or extremely sub par (ie. you are not comparing apples to apples, dont think the kragen stereo in a Elite is the same as the stereo in a hot springs). Open your eyes, you got a cheep generic 4000 dollar tub. There is no special good guy, thanks for buying from Costco super steal going on here. Its an illusion that places like Costco love. You call it a specail tub made for costco as well as it is. Its also a cheepend up version using only the most generic cheepest materials available to use. Ta-daaaaa, theere is the slide of hand magic trick. Enjoy your cheep tub and keep brainwashing yourself, costco loves morons!

[dlynn]

Well, you didnt ruffle any feathers, I own a very nice hot tub and I am very happy with it. I do not come her to bash people for buying a costco tub. I come her and bash people that are so ignorant as to come here and post these stupid claims that the costso tub is just as good as other spas or that its a stupendous deal. ITS NOT! I have seen the costco tub in real life. I was intrigued by the options and thought that I should go and see what this tub was all about. I did, and I spent about an hour playing with it in Costco. I can testify that this is one poorly made tub. I am also a Mechaincal Engineer if you need relavance to my criticism. My Costso seems to have 3 in stock at all time despite them being so called hard to find. Dont think I am jelous of your petty purchase. I had the same opportunity to buy one. I also know 2 people in my neighborhood that had so many problems with theirs, they got to use the great return policy. You babble on and on about throwing things like no delivery and cheep speakers at you as if I am name calling???? All these things are items not included or extremely sub par (ie. you are not comparing apples to apples, dont think the kragen stereo in a Elite is the same as the stereo in a hot springs). Open your eyes, you got a cheep generic 4000 dollar tub. There is no special good guy, thanks for buying from Costco super steal going on here. Its an illusion that places like Costco love. You call it a specail tub made for costco as well as it is. Its also a cheepend up version using only the most generic cheepest materials available to use. Ta-daaaaa, theere is the slide of hand magic trick. Enjoy your cheep tub and keep brainwashing yourself, costco loves morons!

I knew you couldn't respond without name calling. I am satisfied with what I bought it is a great Buy.

[Stevie]

I knew you couldn't respond without name calling. I am satisfied with what I bought it is a great Buy.

I hope you enjoy for it for may years dlynn! I didn't read the entire thread but I read enough to know that being a "Mechaincal Engineer" (you should at least learn how to spell what you do for a living...) doesn't necessarily make this individual a professional on spas and proper spa value comparison shopping. I know many that have purchased from Costco and have enjoyed their tub for many years so does that negate his comment about those unhappy customers he mentioned? Not a strong argument in my opinion as there are unhappy customers with every manufacturer out there.

Owning a spa is a wonderful thing! It beats the alternative!

Steve

[madbare]

From looking at Platinum's website, they updated the bottom and it says Platinum III coming soon. I think that means that Hydro Spa is going to continue to make these for Costco. I sure am loving mine. I have been using the Dupont Spa care system from Lowes and everything is stable and is staying in check. I highly recommend it.

[fisrt timer]

I hope you enjoy for it for may years dlynn! I didn't read the entire thread but I read enough to know that being a "Mechaincal Engineer" (you should at least learn how to spell what you do for a living...) doesn't necessarily make this individual a professional on spas and proper spa value comparison shopping.

Uhhh, I never said I was a spa proffesional. I only said that so Dlynn doesnt think that I am some redneck hick that just slammed a few beers and went over to the hot tub section at costco and decided to start bashing. Its only stating credibility. READ THE POST!!!!!!!!! I do also believe that since I studied mechanical design, thermal analysis, heat transfer and material science, I think I know more about this subject than the average person. (ohhh, and since my job is a mechanical engineer, I practice this everyday). I also wet tested well over 20 hot tubs and studied hot tubs for over 3 years before purchasing one if you want the relevance to hot tubs. I guess its the engineering geek in me. Nice slam on catching my typing mistake, if you hang around long enough you will get to see alot more. I never claimed to be a good typer but if you want to compare my mechanical knowledge then game on! You comment on finding happy and unhappy people with all products. I agree completely. Statistics can estimate the number of defects in any product, however that is not to say all products are created equel or with an equel number of defects. Please count how many people are on here complaining about their brand new elite costco tub and then do the same with a hot springs(new, 10- 15 year old tubs not valid since a costco tub probably wont see that lifetime). It wont be the same and I can garuntee you that there are alot more hot springs customers on here than those with the elite. Do the math, the results are right here in front of you. Yeah, there are few satisfied people, especially those going into it know that they arent getting everything they would from a spa dealer, knowing they need to work on it themselves, especting failures but there seem to be way too many unhappy people here given the number of spas they sell. Besides, if you read all my posts, I dont come here to bash the costco tub. I am sympathetic toward not being able to afford all the things I want. I have a 20 year old boat. I would love a new one but I cant afford one. I just laught at 2 things. One is that people are always on here trying to compare the costco wonder tub to premium units at dealers. They arent the same. "Well, I got a wonder tub that gives all these options for such a low price, costco loves me!" blah, blah, blah. Costco loves these people because they are making a fortune off the people that think they are getting something for nothing. The costco tub is a stripped down basic tub. If I were on an extremely tight budget, I may have considered one but I wouldnt be here trying to compare it to an Arctic. I am not that stupid. Two, the people that come here and say they saved soooooo much money. PAY NOW OR PAY LATER. Everyone on here knows that the cost of the spa is way more than the initial purchase. The cost to run it is alot higher than any quality tub. So what you think you saved, you are only paying the utlities with and in the end, all you have to show for it is a hot tub that will fall apart early and be worth nothing and most likely need to be replaced sooner while you could have been getting a better massage out of a quality tub. So who really saved money???????????? For all the costco tub owners, good for you. Enjoy your tub but dont come here and make moronic comparisons to tubs like an arctic becasue the insullation idea seems the same. Well, I am done

[New NW tub owner]

The costco tub is a stripped down basic tub.

That's just wrong. The Costco tub has a lot of features not found on most of the tubs that have been sold in the last few years including a very nice CD/radio/MP3 player with two pop-up speakers, ozonator, aromatherapy, a lot of great jets, a powerful heater, two jet pumps (one two-speed), large filter, nice computerized controls, etc. Calling the Costco tub a 'stripped down basic tub' is hilarious. If you want to criticize the Costco hot tub you might say that it only comes in one color, there are no optional features, it's too big/small, etc. but it's definitely NOT basic.

[wesj53]

One thing almost everyone on this site agrees with is that you should buy a product from a good dealer. Now the internet or Costco-type buyers may disagree with that, but most of them probably first find a local dealer anyway who will repair their units before purchasing one from a mass retailer. What type of person would buy a spa without knowing who is going to fix the darn thing if something goes wrong? Most of us are not mechanically inclined enough to pull out the tools and go at it!

With that being said, my opinion of this Platinum/Elite tub from HydroSpa (Clearwater, FL) was formed by the 2 dealers of HydroSpa in metro Chicago. Within the last 6 months, they BOTH have ended their marketing efforts on behalf of this mfg due to quality control problems and lack of customer service. That clearly told me that if I bought one of these units (from the internet), I would have to "hold my breath" that I would get a "good" unit as first timer stated (every unit can't be junk). But I also agree in all fairness with NW tub owner, this tub does have a lot of features, which is why I was attracted to this mfg in the first place. Had my dealers not discontinued this product line, I may very well have purchased a Hydro. But I think in the end, the dealer revelations were instrumental in my decision not to buy.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

That's just wrong. The Costco tub has a lot of features not found on most of the tubs that have been sold in the last few years including a very nice CD/radio/MP3 player with two pop-up speakers, ozonator, aromatherapy, a lot of great jets, a powerful heater, two jet pumps (one two-speed), large filter, nice computerized controls, etc. Calling the Costco tub a 'stripped down basic tub' is hilarious. If you want to criticize the Costco hot tub you might say that it only comes in one color, there are no optional features, it's too big/small, etc. but it's definitely NOT basic.

I'd have to agree, I don't think the Costco tub is a "stripped down basic tub" at all. I'd consider it to be more of a dressed up basic tub that comes at a good price. Great deal? Not quite but a good deal nonetheless. As long as you uderstand what you're really getting and are ok with the very limited service (helps to be handy) you could do far worse out there. I see no need to tell Costco owners they got taken for a ride becuse they haven't. The didn't get a premium spa but they didn't pay a premium price either.

[Dr. Spa]

Now the internet or Costco-type buyers may disagree with that, but most of them probably first find a local dealer anyway who will repair their units before purchasing one from a mass retailer.

ummmmmmmmmmm, no

[dlynn]

The costco tub is a stripped down basic tub.

PlatinumII Elite Hot Tub (A stripped down basic tub for only $3999 available only at Costco)

It only has these stripped down basic tub features.

87"x87"x37" 900 lbs. dry weight.

Full one piece ABS base with high density foam insulation on the bottom.

Starry Night Blue Fiberglass shell with a 10 year surface warranty.

Molded Neck pillow seat with shoulder and neck jets.

Molded foot dome with 4 Volcano foot jets.

Cromed Jets, 65 total Jets.

Three seats have lower leg jets.

Four seats have upper leg air jets.

Seats for short and tall people.

Six seats have differnet combinations of back jets.

Solid wood frame construction with a Lifetime structural warranty.

1 high speed 56 frame motor with 220 gpm pump.

1 two speed 56 frame motor with 220 gpm pump.

1 30 gpm circulation pump operates 24 hours per day.

1 Air blower system.

Molded drink holder tray over the filter compartment.

5 Jet Air mix control valves and 1 diverter valve.

Manifold plumbing system with a Lifetime warranty.

2 50 sq foot Filters with 24 Hour Crystal-Clear Filtration 100 SQ Foot System.

Balboa Electronic Elite Control System.

240 Volt 50 Amp system with 240 Volt Heater 4kW.

2 year electrical system warranty.

Ultra-Pure Ozone System operates 24 hours per day.

Four Comfort Design Pillows.

Deluxe Cover 5"x 3" Tapered Foam Construction with Child Proof Safety Locks.

Custom Cover lifter included for easy cover removal.

Waterfall with seperate flow control.

Aromatherapy system.

Waterproof CD/AM/FM/Weather In.Tune Stereo System by Aeware.

Topside Stereo Control Panel.

Sub Woofer speaker system in the cabinet.

Pop Up Speakers in two corners.

Muti-Color LED lighting system with multiple color settings and rotating color settings.

7 total seats with 6 Jeted seats.

Outer walls lined with thermal pane Foam panels.

High density Foam sprayed on underside of shell.

Each jet is individually clamped with its own flexable tubing coming from a water manifold.

Maintenance free ABS cedar colored cabinet.

2 year parts and labor warranty on eveything else.

Made by Hydro-Spa exclusivly for COSTCO.

Hydro-Spa has only had 1 complaint of 14 in the past 3 years which has not been resolved to BBB satisfaction.

They are not a member of the fee for rating BBB.

Hydro-Spa has been making Hot tubs since 1975, over 30 years and has sold Hundreds of Thousands of spas.

They claim to be the worlds largest supplier of spa parts and accessories.

Lifetime satisfaction guarantee, return it any time for a full refund if not completly satisfied.

You can not compare this tub to any major brand tub because it is a "stripped down basic spa".

(because first timer says so) so only compare it to other $3999 tubs please.

See this stripped down thing at elitespas.com or at a Costco near you.

Look for the new PlatinumIII coming soon.

Now what features would we add if it were customizable like the other $3999 tubs we are comparing it to.

I ought to get a job at Costco.

PS There is no dealer support, no color choices, and you arrange for your own setup and delivery.

You also must work with Hydro-Spa over the phone to arrange for warrenty service.

[wesj53]

I think you've proven your point to first timer that the HydroSpa is NOT a stripped down unit. I believe, however, that first timer is the only one to make such an ignorant comment. I, like most others, have complemented the features this company built into their spa. I have previously offered my explanation in this thread as to why I ended up not buying the unit, but would love to hear from you after you begin using the spa as to your experience with both the reliability of the product and the service rendered by the company. If you are honest with us and the spa turns out to be a good one, then I like a lot of others, will wonder how they pack those amount of features into a tub at the price point they are evidently selling the units for. Maybe you can even negotiate a commission for the sales points you presented! Good luck.

[Joe241]

PlatinumII Elite Hot Tub (A stripped down basic tub for only $3999 available only at Costco)

It only has these stripped down basic tub features.

87"x87"x37" 900 lbs. dry weight.

Full one piece ABS base with high density foam insulation on the bottom.

Starry Night Blue Fiberglass shell with a 10 year surface warranty.

lded Neck pillow seat with shoulder and neck jets.

Molded foot dome with 4 Volcano foot jets.

Cromed Jets, 65 total Jets.

Three seats have lower leg jets.

Four seats have upper leg air jets.

Seats for short and tall people.

Six seats have differnet combinations of back jets.

Solid wood frame construction with a Lifetime structural warranty.

1 high speed 56 frame motor with 220 gpm pump.

1 two speed 56 frame motor with 220 gpm pump.

1 30 gpm circulation pump operates 24 hours per day.

1 Air blower system.

Molded drink holder tray over the filter compartment.

5 Jet Air mix control valves and 1 diverter valve.

Manifold plumbing system with a Lifetime warranty.

2 50 sq foot Filters with 24 Hour Crystal-Clear Filtration 100 SQ Foot System.

Balboa Electronic Elite Control System.

240 Volt 50 Amp system with 240 Volt Heater 4kW.

2 year electrical system warranty.

Ultra-Pure Ozone System operates 24 hours per day.

Four Comfort Design Pillows.

Deluxe Cover 5"x 3" Tapered Foam Construction with Child Proof Safety Locks.

Custom Cover lifter included for easy cover removal.

Waterfall with seperate flow control.

Aromatherapy system.

Waterproof CD/AM/FM/Weather In.Tune Stereo System by Aeware.

Topside Stereo Control Panel.

Sub Woofer speaker system in the cabinet.

Pop Up Speakers in two corners.

Muti-Color LED lighting system with multiple color settings and rotating color settings.

7 total seats with 6 Jeted seats.

Outer walls lined with thermal pane Foam panels.

High density Foam sprayed on underside of shell.

Each jet is individually clamped with its own flexable tubing coming from a water manifold.

Maintenance free ABS cedar colored cabinet.

2 year parts and labor warranty on eveything else.

Made by Hydro-Spa exclusivly for COSTCO.

Hydro-Spa has only had 1 complaint of 14 in the past 3 years which has not been resolved to BBB satisfaction.

They are not a member of the fee for rating BBB.

Hydro-Spa has been making Hot tubs since 1975, over 30 years and has sold Hundreds of Thousands of spas.

They claim to be the worlds largest supplier of spa parts and accessories.

Lifetime satisfaction guarantee, return it any time for a full refund if not completly satisfied.

You can not compare this tub to any major brand tub because it is a "stripped down basic spa".

(because first timer says so) so only compare it to other $3999 tubs please.

See this stripped down thing at elitespas.com or at a Costco near you.

Look for the new PlatinumIII coming soon.

Now what features would we add if it were customizable like the other $3999 tubs we are comparing it to.

I ought to get a job at Costco.

PS There is no dealer support, no color choices, and you arrange for your own setup and delivery.

You also must work with Hydro-Spa over the phone to arrange for warrenty service.

I will make this short. I've been selling hot tubs for going on ten years now. I've sold every major brand out there. The first time I sold spas at Costco was with Caldera spas, right after Watkins had purchased them. The spas at Costco were not bad in quality, but were strip down versions of what you would buy in a showroom. Shorter warranty, cheaper controls, ETC.. I then went onto sell the ICON Brand (Weslo, Image, and who knows whatever other name) they were the worst built spa I had ever seen. At the same time they were a huge Corporation and I felt that they would at least take care of the customer looking for a budget spa. Too make a long story short, I've never received so many phone calls with angry customers in my career and after 6 months I said this is enough.

At the time, I was looking for a big screen TV. I thought what better place then Costco to get a T.V. and save money. After much research, talking to store employees, I chose to take my business elsewere. If I want to save money on toothpaste thats were I'll shop. Any big ticket items I'll choose the proffesionals, but thats just me.

Just real quick questions.....

220GPM?

I came from the pool service industry and even with the old Sta-rite Maxi-glas pumps (the best at the time). If you were to put a flow meter on it with optimal plumbing you were lucky to get 100GPM. I know pools are different blah blah. 220 GPM though give me a break. They lie to you from the very beginning.

You get what you pay for!

[Dr. Spa]

I don't know why I bother........ some people will fight to the death to justify their decision.

PlatinumII Elite Hot Tub (A stripped down basic tub for only $3999 available only at Costco)

It only has these stripped down basic tub features.

87"x87"x37" 900 lbs. dry weight.

Full one piece ABS base with high density foam insulation on the bottom.

ABS you say? How thick? How thick is the competition?

Starry Night Blue Fiberglass shell with a 10 year surface warranty.

Pretty color... What are the limitations of the warranty and how does that compare to the competition?

Molded Neck pillow seat with shoulder and neck jets.

Any shape of the shell is simply a product of the shape of the mold. It doesn't really mean anything, other than to appeal to you. Additionally, the more radical the shape and bends, the more likely failure will occur sometime down the road.

Molded foot dome with 4 Volcano foot jets.

Any shape of the shell is simply a product of the shape of the mold. It doesn't really mean anything, other than to appeal to you. Additionally, the more radical the shape and bends, the more likely failure will occur sometime down the road.

Cromed Jets, 65 total Jets.

And the quality of the chrome a lot of chrome I've seen is poorly plated plastic that will turn green and peal off in less than a year)? And the quality/variety of jets?

Three seats have lower leg jets.

Four seats have upper leg air jets.

Seats for short and tall people.

Any shape of the shell is simply a product of the shape of the mold. It doesn't really mean anything, other than to appeal to you. Additionally, the more radical the shape and bends, the more likely failure will occur sometime down the road.

Six seats have differnet combinations of back jets.

Solid wood frame construction with a Lifetime structural warranty.

A pine 2x2 is solid wood. So is a pressure treated 2x4. Again, limitation of this "lifetime" warranty?

1 high speed 56 frame motor with 220 gpm pump.

1 two speed 56 frame motor with 220 gpm pump.

Show me a pump curve! A low end pump can appear to have high flow, but it can be based on nothing being attached to it (I'm talking NO pipe). As soon as any piping is added, the longer the run, the less the flow. The flow can drop off MUCH quicker with a low end pump.

1 30 gpm circulation pump operates 24 hours per day.

1 Air blower system.

Is that the $10 air blower or the $150 air blower? There are different qualities.

Molded drink holder tray over the filter compartment.

Any shape of the shell is simply a product of the shape of the mold. It doesn't really mean anything, other than to appeal to you. Additionally, the more radical the shape and bends, the more likely failure will occur sometime down the road.

5 Jet Air mix control valves and 1 diverter valve.

Manifold plumbing system with a Lifetime warranty.

2 50 sq foot Filters with 24 Hour Crystal-Clear Filtration 100 SQ Foot System.

I can get 50 sq. ft. filters for $20 or as high as $70. Care to guess which will last longer and filter better?

Balboa Electronic Elite Control System.

240 Volt 50 Amp system with 240 Volt Heater 4kW.

Same as the filters. Only more of a price swing. $10 - $90

2 year electrical system warranty.

And it will probably last 2 years. Figure on replacing the whole thing at 4 years (HEY! I can be optimistic )

Ultra-Pure Ozone System operates 24 hours per day.

Four Comfort Design Pillows.

Deluxe Cover 5"x 3" Tapered Foam Construction with Child Proof Safety Locks.

I manufacture spa covers. I even make a 5x3 for a few different manufacturers. One pays almost 40% more, for a higher quality cover!

Custom Cover lifter included for easy cover removal.

I can show you 2 cover lifter that look EXACTLY the same. 1 is 1/3 the cost of the other. One will last 10 times as long as the other. Care to guess which?

I'm off to bed.......... Someone else can finish.Look, you want to justify your decision to buy this spa. That's understandable. But, please don't try fool those of us that have been in the business for many MANY years. We know. We see them. And we see them 3 or 4 years after being purchased. Come back in 3 or 4 years and tell us then all about it.. nighty night

Waterfall with seperate flow control.

Aromatherapy system.

Waterproof CD/AM/FM/Weather In.Tune Stereo System by Aeware.

Topside Stereo Control Panel.

Sub Woofer speaker system in the cabinet.

Pop Up Speakers in two corners.

Muti-Color LED lighting system with multiple color settings and rotating color settings.

7 total seats with 6 Jeted seats.

Outer walls lined with thermal pane Foam panels.

High density Foam sprayed on underside of shell.

Each jet is individually clamped with its own flexable tubing coming from a water manifold.

Maintenance free ABS cedar colored cabinet.

2 year parts and labor warranty on eveything else.

Made by Hydro-Spa exclusivly for COSTCO.

Hydro-Spa has only had 1 complaint of 14 in the past 3 years which has not been resolved to BBB satisfaction.

They are not a member of the fee for rating BBB.

Hydro-Spa has been making Hot tubs since 1975, over 30 years and has sold Hundreds of Thousands of spas.

They claim to be the worlds largest supplier of spa parts and accessories.

Lifetime satisfaction guarantee, return it any time for a full refund if not completly satisfied.

You can not compare this tub to any major brand tub because it is a "stripped down basic spa".

(because first timer says so) so only compare it to other $3999 tubs please.

See this stripped down thing at elitespas.com or at a Costco near you.

Look for the new PlatinumIII coming soon.

Now what features would we add if it were customizable like the other $3999 tubs we are comparing it to.

I ought to get a job at Costco.

PS There is no dealer support, no color choices, and you arrange for your own setup and delivery.

You also must work with Hydro-Spa over the phone to arrange for warrenty service.

[dlynn]

And I thought Dr Spa was a good guy, I guess everone here is just a basher. If you don't think my spa is worth 3999 and that it is a piece of junk, have your opinion. And you 5 or 6 regulars here have fun bashing all the visitors to your site. I am out of here. Bye have fun.

[Guzz]

And I thought Dr Spa was a good guy, I guess everone here is just a basher. If you don't think my spa is worth 3999 and that it is a piece of junk, have your opinion. And you 5 or 6 regulars here have fun bashing all the visitors to your site. I am out of here. Bye have fun.

I thought it was educational and enlightening. Spa shopping can be very confusing when you are being told so many differant things by so many dealers/ sales men. I have been selling spas for 10 years and it took me a couple of years to learn the differance between a good well made spa and a poorly made one. If I had read Docs post ten years ago I would have saved a lot of time.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

And I thought Dr Spa was a good guy, I guess everone here is just a basher. If you don't think my spa is worth 3999 and that it is a piece of junk, have your opinion. And you 5 or 6 regulars here have fun bashing all the visitors to your site. I am out of here. Bye have fun.

I almost did what Doc did but figured it would take too long and be taken the wrong way, as his was. He merely stated facts just as you merely copy/pasted what are mostly standard items.

For $3999 the Costco spa is arguably a pretty decent buy as long as you understand what you're getting and it's limitations (delivery, service, unknown quality IMO, etc.). What they've done is meet a lower price point and dress it up as best they can to give it the impression of a premium spa and that's all fine. I don't think anyone is predicting gloom and doom for the purchasers. We really only take exception to people who try to convince us that it's a $7000 spa being sold for $4000.

[Chas]

We really only take exception to people who try to convince us that it's a $7000 spa being sold for $4000.

For what it's worth, I completely agree with SpaTech.

I have a couple of examples, just tiny ones.

A competitor in town - now gone - started to put ozone on all the tubs he sold. Said it was 'free.' I was selling the HotSpring Freshwater II system at the time, for close to $400. I had tons of people ask me why they should pay that kind of money when the guy down the street gave it away for free.

The unit he was including was the JED unit - it has a small chip which goes for about one year. As a retailer, if I buy a bunch of them I can get them cheap enough to sell for about $90. That's the whole unit, not the chip. Also, just about half the time, the unit would go bad and people would come in to get a chip, only to find out the little power supply was dead. Better to buy a new unit.

So - if you just look at a brochure and it says, "Free ozone" you are not getting even half of the story.

Further - a local competitor decided to offer a free step. He went to the local lumber yard and picked up all the scrap. Yes, I said scrap. It was 'redwood' technically, but most of us would refer to it as 'sunwood' or even 'whitewood' or 'sapwood.' It had some areas with bark showing, lots of splits, checks and most of it hadn't even been flat as it came off the saw.

He hired some temps, handed them an air nailer and a table saw, and they built him a bunch of steps. He had enough to get him through the whole year. If you looked at the underside of the steps, you could see the bark, the cracks, the patches and the gaping holes, but the tops didn't really look too bad. He set them up on the parking lot one day and stained them all with a hudson sprayer. The city gave him a ticket. That part was funny.

So the rest of the year, I had people asking me why I wouldn't give them a free step with their spa when the guy down the street would. My steps were select lumber, clear, clean, straight grain, all-heart real redwood or cedar, and cost close to $300 retail. I have some plastic steps made from the same material as the siding of the spas I sell - close to $400. I noticed that as the year progressed, I heard it less. I asked about it - seems this guys steps all began to warp and split, so as the peole picked out the better ones, all he had left was the real trash. I'm not saying they fell apart in the customer's backyard - they did that for sure - I'm saying they were falling apart as they sat in storage waiting to be delivered with a new spa.

But once again, if you just look for 'free step' on the brochure, you are getting less than half the story.

I could go on talking about the spa lights, the type/number/style of filter, quality of the insulating cover material foam and it's thickness, the thickness of the plastic sheet the shell is pulled from, the level of quality control in the plant building the spa, the financial reserves which the company has to assure that they will be there after a couple of slow years to take care of your warranty. I could go into the ETL testing standards and whether or not the add-on ozone or other extras are even covered in the testing/listing -

Suffice to say that a cursory exam will NOT give you an adequate look into the quality of a product like a spa.

Not to say that people don't love their cheapy spas. They do. It shows. But please don't consider a $3900 spa to somehow be the equal in quality to a more expensive, higher-end unit.

[Dr. Spa]

And I thought Dr Spa was a good guy, I guess everone here is just a basher. If you don't think my spa is worth 3999 and that it is a piece of junk, have your opinion. And you 5 or 6 regulars here have fun bashing all the visitors to your site. I am out of here. Bye have fun.

I'm realistic. in a good way . I'm not saying your spa isn't worth 4 grand. It quite probably is.......... It's just not worth 5 grand, or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9. You got a 4 thousands dollar spa. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's NOT the same quality as an 8K or 10K (not that all $8k are of the same quality either). I have no doubt you'll get as much enjoyment from your spa as anyone else. Maybe even more as you feel you you saved thousands. But I also have little doubt that in the lifetime of the spa you'll pay more in terms of maintenance and general costs. I also think you'l see a shorter lifespan.

There' are a lot of "high end" spas out there that are 15 to 20 years old and still going strong. Will yours last that long? Maybe, maybe not. If you have to replace your spa in 10 years (and many low end spas don't last this long), you still got a good deal over a $9k spa, assumming you can get a similar spa in 10 years for $4k, and you've paid for minimul repairs.

I have a friend that bought one of the first Hundi's that came out. She loved that car. It had everything a more expensive car had! But it pretty much fell appart in 3 years. Was it a good deal? At the time she thought it was a good deal, and was afordable. Had she spent twice as much, she may have gotten something that would have lasted 3 or 4 times as long.

BTW, I've been in (brief) negotiations with some of the big box stores to carry a product. I was absolutely astounded by their profit margins. Guess there's a reason they're so profitable

Within the last 12 months, Costco's stock is up about 20%,

[Chas]

And I thought Dr Spa was a good guy, I guess everone here is just a basher. If you don't think my spa is worth 3999 and that it is a piece of junk, have your opinion. And you 5 or 6 regulars here have fun bashing all the visitors to your site.

Two points:

1. Nobody said your spa wasn't worth what you paid for it.

2. When you come here and try to make it look like the people who bought a $10,000 spa somehow could have gotten the 'same thing' for $4,000, you are 'bashing' them. Think about that.

[wesj53]

BTW, I've been in (brief) negotiations with some of the big box stores to carry a product. I was absolutely astounded by their profit margins. Guess there's a reason they're so profitable

Within the last 12 months, Costco's stock is up about 20%,

As some of you may remember, I recently purchased a brand new Arctic Tundra. I am fortunate to be able to afford the unit, one of the higher priced items my wife and I looked at. As I mentioned to dynn, I had been quite impressed with the features that HydroSpa put into it's units. As a novice, I did not know anything about this industry and I agree with others who have stated there is a lot information out there, much of which is highly conflicting (especially when dealer biases enter into the debate).

It was VERY tempting to purchase the HydroSpa (I would have had to purchase over the internet the Omni model since no Costcos around me inventroy spas - by road shows only by Keys Backyard), but when I began investigating the company and the thread on this site about the Costco Elite Platinum, and 2 dealers in metro Chicago dropping the line - quite honestly I was scared off in buying a unit sight unseen. Yes, I could have used the rationale that I could buy 3 of them for what I paid for my Arctic, but how much more would I have paid for energy, parts, service, etc over the course of those years? It was my choice not to deal with those issues and it was dlynn's choice to take a chance. I don't blame him/her at all. Not everyone can afford $10k for a box of water!

So I really do wish dlynn the best of luck. If he/she has reliable service with his spa, then one would begin to wonder how HydroSpa can build a product for that price. Maybe they do use some cheaper components, but they probably also save the consumer a lot of money by eliminating full dealer markup. Dr. Spa commented about profit margins at Costco, but it would be my guess that dealer markups on name brand spas are probably considerably higher than those of the big box stores, thus part of the reason for their lower prices.

Two points:

1. Nobody said your spa wasn't worth what you paid for it.

2. When you come here and try to make it look like the people who bought a $10,000 spa somehow could have gotten the 'same thing' for $4,000, you are 'bashing' them. Think about that.

I agree with you wholeheartedly Chas (as usual). At times, dlynn did get pretty aggressive in not only defending the purchase but also wanting to rub salt in the wound of those who paid for dealer-distributed products. But I will admit that once you purchase a unit, you really take ownership of that brand. I recognize that dlynn probably felt defensive about his/her purchase when people starting slamming the company and the product. Heck, when people critique Arctic products, I sometimes feel like writing in and defending my purchase and denegrating the poster, but I think first and recognize, IT'S ONLY A HOT TUB!! Let's just all be grateful we live in the greatest country on God's green earth and that we have the resources to have a computer to communicate with each other, the time and the freedom to do so, and the money to purchase such a luxury item. Much of the world is happy just to have clean water to drink, to say nothing about water to soak in! Blessings to all and have a great weekend of R&R!!!

[New NW tub owner]

I could go on talking about the spa lights, the type/number/style of filter, quality of the insulating cover material foam and it's thickness, the thickness of the plastic sheet the shell is pulled from, the level of quality control in the plant building the spa, the financial reserves which the company has to assure that they will be there after a couple of slow years to take care of your warranty. I could go into the ETL testing standards and whether or not the add-on ozone or other extras are even covered in the testing/listing -

Suffice to say that a cursory exam will NOT give you an adequate look into the quality of a product like a spa.

Not to say that people don't love their cheapy spas. They do. It shows. But please don't consider a $3900 spa to somehow be the equal in quality to a more expensive, higher-end unit.

I looked at spas being sold by dealers in my area before deciding on the Costco Platinum Elite II. The equipment in the Costco spa was generally of better quality and features than the equipment in the other spas. In fact, I was originally prejudiced against the Costco spa before I actually looked around because I assumed that the non-Costco spas would be better, even if slightly more expensive. The disparity that I actually found was the opposite. The non-Costco spas did not measure up in the quality of shell, cover, side panelling, bottom, controls, or in the value of the features. The differences were so extreme that we literally raced back to the Costco store to pick up the Costco spa but...alas...they were all gone. We waited a year and got the Platinum II and have been extremely happy with it.

It looks to me like Costco has gotten a VERY competitive high-quality package by offering a high volume to the spa supplier (Hydrospa in this case) and by making everything 'Standard' with no options, not even for color choice, unlike a traditional dealer. It also looks like a very sizable portion of the purchase price from a 'dealer' is for the commission. There are some drawbacks to buying a hot tub from Costco. The major one is that it wiill be a do-it-yourself project that may be beyond many buyers. If that 's not a problem, the Costco option is an extremely good one.

You've got to realize that Costco has been doing the discount thing for a long time with stuff like appliances, audio equipment, computer systems, furniture, tires, etc. In every case, you don't get a dealer or handholding but you do get a very good price. There are still dealers for those people who need that kind of support and that's great too.