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Posted

Costco sells a new hot tub model every year and the new model arrives in mid-December. The prior year's model is usually sold out by mid-October or so. Last October, after a lot of research, I decided to buy the Costco Platinum Elite hot tub and trotted down to my local store. Unfortunately for me, the store had just sold its last Platinum Elite and there would be no more until the new model arrived. Costco checked their inventory and found only one left at a store in Utah. Shipping would have been prohibitive so we waited until the new model came this year. It turned out to be the Platinum Elite II and it was even better than last year's model with a better electrical controls (balboa controls) and the radio was now an AM/FM/CD/MP3 player whereas last year's was only AM/FM/CD. No idea what next year's model will be but since it's Costco I'm sure it will be an excellent value. It's probably gettin to be too late for this year's model. We love our Platinum Elite II and it has created a high standard for any other manufacturer to beat if they want to sell to Costco's buyer.

P.S. I can't imagine anyone actually returning one of these Platinum Elite II hot tubs to Costco but if anyone were dumb enough to do so, it would make a great deal for someone else to get a 'used' hot tub at an even better price. Probably a Costco employee would get first crack at it though.

This must have been written by someone who works for Hydrospa, the manufacturer of the spa. We bought and have had nothing but trouble. Hydrospa is hard to reach and unresponsive. Thank God for Costco's return policy.

Run far away from Platiunum Elite.

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Posted

This must have been written by someone who works for Hydrospa, the manufacturer of the spa. We bought and have had nothing but trouble. Hydrospa is hard to reach and unresponsive. Thank God for Costco's return policy.

Run far away from Platiunum Elite.

No, I don't work for Hydrospa or Costco. I just like the hot tub they sold me. I didn't have any trouble calling Hydrospa up a few weeks ago to order a spare set of filter cartridges. I called the 800 number. They answered their phone, took my credit card number and sent out the filter cartridges a few days later. We haven't had any trouble with our Platinum Elite II tub. It just sits there and runs. There isn't really all that much to a hot tub, any hot tub, anyway. A tub, some pumps, piping, a heater, and the controls. The tub and piping are all plastic so they aren't likely to corrode or anything. The pumps seem pretty solid and they look like typical hot tub pumps. The controls seem to do what they're supposed to. How much trouble can anyone really have with a new hot tub, anyway? A hot tub is definitely more complicated to operate than a new TV set or something like that. You have to check the water quality frequently, clean the filters, add chemicals as needed, add water to replace evaporation, and keep the cover on between uses.

Posted

1) No, I don't work for Hydrospa or Costco. I just like the hot tub they sold me. I didn't have any trouble calling Hydrospa up a few weeks ago to order a spare set of filter cartridges. I called the 800 number. They answered their phone, took my credit card number and sent out the filter cartridges a few days later. We haven't had any trouble with our Platinum Elite II tub.

2) How much trouble can anyone really have with a new hot tub, anyway?

3) A hot tub is definitely more complicated to operate than a new TV set or something like that. You have to check the water quality frequently, clean the filters, add chemicals as needed, add water to replace evaporation, and keep the cover on between uses.

1) No offense but there is a HUGE difference between getting a company to come out to do warranty work on your spa and getting them to take ytour credit card # so you can order filters (there should be no difference but with some companies there is a big one). I don't doubt you're happy with your spa but I don't think your expereince of having luck being able to purchase filters from them makes jmendoza17 feel better when he/she is having trouble getting them to call back to discuss getting their spa fixed.

2) No everyone is Mr Fix-it. People buy them with the understanding they'll work as expected and when there is a problem they expect the warranty to mean something and that someone will be out to fix the spa in a timely manner, no qeustions asked.

3) When the spa is operating properly then those are the issues to worry about. Unfortunately some owners do have issues from time to time requiring service and they have expectations that go along with it, starting with someone answering the phone to discuss their issue. Maybe you can PM the ph# you used to order filters over to jmendoza17 but somehow I think the person who helped you may say they can only help with purchases.

Posted

1) No offense but there is a HUGE difference between getting a company to come out to do warranty work on your spa and getting them to take ytour credit card # so you can order filters (there should be no difference but with some companies there is a big one). I don't doubt you're happy with your spa but I don't think your expereince of having luck being able to purchase filters from them makes jmendoza17 feel better when he/she is having trouble getting them to call back to discuss getting their spa fixed.

2) No everyone is Mr Fix-it. People buy them with the understanding they'll work as expected and when there is a problem they expect the warranty to mean something and that someone will be out to fix the spa in a timely manner, no qeustions asked.

3) When the spa is operating properly then those are the issues to worry about. Unfortunately some owners do have issues from time to time requiring service and they have expectations that go along with it, starting with someone answering the phone to discuss their issue. Maybe you can PM the ph# you used to order filters over to jmendoza17 but somehow I think the person who helped you may say they can only help with purchases.

When you buy a Costco Spa you are not paying for a Dealer, I knew that when I bought my spa. Hydro-Spa does honor thier warranty, but you are on your own to figure out how to run the thing and to arrange with Hydro-Spa to get service when needed. But with that said, I only paid $3999 and don't expect the service I would from a spa costing $7000. But Hydro-Spa is no small spa company, they have been making spas longer than any other major spa mfg. except Jacuzzi. (Since 1975) And they have a good product. Yes, they make cheaper models for the big box stores but so does Hot Springs, you can get one of those online at Costco to. Hydro-Spa claims to be the 5th largest spa maker and sells spas all over the world.

Posted

Hey dlynn, haven't heard from you in a while. I thought you were gone for good. Look, I know we all defend our brand of spa that we bought. It's kind of strange because it is just a hot tub. It's not life or death, but I think we all want some reassurance that we made the right choice. Call it buyer's remorse or just questioning one's decision but I know when people start hammering Arctic, I want to put my two cents worth in. So just enjoy your tub and don't worry about what people say here, especially if it's unsubstantiated.

Nice to see you back. Keep us informed about your tub as I will do so with mine!

Posted

I have had an Elite tub from Costco for about six months now, and i can honestly say there hasnt been a single problem with it, coupled with the lifetime Costco warranty what more could u want, and lets face it if u can afford to buy a luxury item like a hot tub then u should be prepared for ur elec bills to rise.

Apart from anything else my tub cost me £3000 (Sterling), which is considerably less than than a secondhand tub here in the UK, so i could have got a better more featured tub for around £6000 to £8000.

The way i see it is if it costs me a a little more to run than a "better" brand so what it cost me a hell of a lot less (about £4000 less!!) and i can always sell it if i want to upgrade and probably get my money back!

Posted

1) No offense but there is a HUGE difference between getting a company to come out to do warranty work on your spa and getting them to take ytour credit card # so you can order filters (there should be no difference but with some companies there is a big one). I don't doubt you're happy with your spa but I don't think your expereince of having luck being able to purchase filters from them makes jmendoza17 feel better when he/she is having trouble getting them to call back to discuss getting their spa fixed.

2) No everyone is Mr Fix-it. People buy them with the understanding they'll work as expected and when there is a problem they expect the warranty to mean something and that someone will be out to fix the spa in a timely manner, no qeustions asked.

3) When the spa is operating properly then those are the issues to worry about. Unfortunately some owners do have issues from time to time requiring service and they have expectations that go along with it, starting with someone answering the phone to discuss their issue. Maybe you can PM the ph# you used to order filters over to jmendoza17 but somehow I think the person who helped you may say they can only help with purchases.

He was talking about returning a hot tub built with a great design, excellent components (balboa controls and heater, for example) that is covered with a blanket warranty from a large, reputable company. That's not very smart, in my opinion, if he really wants a hot tub. Any new hot tub he gets is going to have similar components and will cost quite a bit more. He claimed that the company was hard to reach and was trying to imply that their warranty wasn't therefore being honored which is completely false. There must have been thousands of the Elite II tubs sold this year and the warranty is certainly being honored when costco is doing the selling. The number you call to order filters, like I did, is the same number you call for anything else including warranty work.. I don't know what his problems were. Maybe he had a defective part or maybe something was broken during use. Either way, it's covered under warranty and his implication that the warranty was not being honored was just wrong.

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.

$7,000 didn't get you much at a spa dealer when I looked. The Costco spa seems to use components that are at least as good as those in the dealer models such as the controls, heater, pump, piping, jets, etc. The method and type of construction techniques seems to be about the same. The cover seems pretty good. The shell is very nice and the overall appearance is great. The only real drawbacks to the Costco spa is that it only comes in one color and one package of features and there is no handholding dealer support. I'd say to get what you get with the Costco spa from a dealer you'd have to spend closer to $10,000 than $7,000.

Posted

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.

B)

I'll address your innuendos about the costco hot tub component quality one by one. The Costco hot tub has one light that is very cool and is at least as good as anything being sold by a dealer. The costco tub shell thickness and material seem to be better than at least two of the dealer tubs that I looked at. The plant quality control, at least for my costco tub, must have been okay as my tub assembly quality was great. The hydrospa and costco financial reserves must be adequate since hydrospa has been in business for many years in a very competitive business and they were chosen by costco to be a vendor. I don't know about the 'ETL testing standards' you hint that you could go into but again, since costco is selling the product, they must be adequate to meet 50-state requirements. The costco spa is not a 'cheapy' spa in any way, shape, or form that I can see. You are like the local honda auto dealer claiming that the new honda I buy over the internet will somehow be of an inferior quality to the one I can buy off of his lot. Costco is offering a SERVICE by offering a quality product at a heavily discounted price as a result of their 'warehouse' distribution model. Buying a hot tub at a discount warehouse may not be the best thing for everyone but the quality of the product is the same or better than anything being sold at dealers.

Posted

I'll address your innuendos about the costco hot tub component quality one by one. The Costco hot tub has one light that is very cool and is at least as good as anything being sold by a dealer. The costco tub shell thickness and material seem to be better than at least two of the dealer tubs that I looked at. The plant quality control, at least for my costco tub, must have been okay as my tub assembly quality was great. The hydrospa and costco financial reserves must be adequate since hydrospa has been in business for many years in a very competitive business and they were chosen by costco to be a vendor. I don't know about the 'ETL testing standards' you hint that you could go into but again, since costco is selling the product, they must be adequate to meet 50-state requirements. The costco spa is not a 'cheapy' spa in any way, shape, or form that I can see. You are like the local honda auto dealer claiming that the new honda I buy over the internet will somehow be of an inferior quality to the one I can buy off of his lot. Costco is offering a SERVICE by offering a quality product at a heavily discounted price as a result of their 'warehouse' distribution model. Buying a hot tub at a discount warehouse may not be the best thing for everyone but the quality of the product is the same or better than anything being sold at dealers.

New NW tub owner, can you tell what your electric bill was in the winter? I have a neighbor with one of these who is paying $100 plus per month. They are not as happy as you are.

Posted

New NW tub owner, can you tell what your electric bill was in the winter? I have a neighbor with one of these who is paying $100 plus per month. They are not as happy as you are.

I haven't had the tub through a winter yet but in my most recent monthly billling period it looks as though the tub used about 300 kwh (which costs me about $25) based on a comparison with the same period a year ago. The weather has been cool but not as cold as in the middle of winter. I don't see any way that anyone could have a $100 a month cost unless they use the tub for hours every day and have the cover off of it a lot...which would be true for any hot tub. I did add a 5/8" diameter tubular foam insert (that I bought at Home Depot in a 25' roll) around the top of the side panels between the panels and the shell. It cost me about $6 for two rolls and took about 5 minutes to add in. I might have to take it out next summer, though, if it gets too hot in the cabinet with the pumps.

Posted

New NW tub owner, can you tell what your electric bill was in the winter? I have a neighbor with one of these who is paying $100 plus per month. They are not as happy as you are.

I have added insulation to mine, I did not check the power usage before adding the insulation, last month my power bill was $18 more than last year during the same period, it said on the bill the average temp in Sep was 2 degrees colder than last year (I do not know how much that colder temp affected the bill). The coldest night I remember last month was 39, most nights were in the 40's. The added insulation was just poked in up under where the shell goes over the cabinet. With the added insulation the inside cabinet temp never dropped below 80 in all of Sep with an average low night time temp inside the cabinet of 84 (avg high inside temp 103).

On Sep 30, I added that metalic refelective insulation on 3/4 of the outer walls just under the siding, outside the styrofoam panels, my inside cabinet temp hasn't dropped below 99 since adding, with the average low night time temp inside the cabinet of 101 (avg high inside temp 111). I plan to finish the rest as soon as I can get to it.

Posted

I'll address your innuendos about the costco hot tub component quality one by one. The Costco hot tub has one light that is very cool and is at least as good as anything being sold by a dealer. The costco tub shell thickness and material seem to be better than at least two of the dealer tubs that I looked at. The plant quality control, at least for my costco tub, must have been okay as my tub assembly quality was great. The hydrospa and costco financial reserves must be adequate since hydrospa has been in business for many years in a very competitive business and they were chosen by costco to be a vendor. I don't know about the 'ETL testing standards' you hint that you could go into but again, since costco is selling the product, they must be adequate to meet 50-state requirements. The costco spa is not a 'cheapy' spa in any way, shape, or form that I can see. You are like the local honda auto dealer claiming that the new honda I buy over the internet will somehow be of an inferior quality to the one I can buy off of his lot. Costco is offering a SERVICE by offering a quality product at a heavily discounted price as a result of their 'warehouse' distribution model. Buying a hot tub at a discount warehouse may not be the best thing for everyone but the quality of the product is the same or better than anything being sold at dealers.

After reading NW's ongoing posts and replies, I am convinved this person works for HydroSpa or an affilliate. Not too many products have such loyalty brand-user that a "consumer" will go out of the way to defend them against "innuendo." In an earlier post, NW even questioned my troubles with Hydrospa writing "There isn't really all that much to a hot tub, any hot tub, anyway...How much trouble can anyone really have with a new hot tub, anyway?"

Well, here are some facts from a my experience with a poorly manufactured product that began giving us trouble the day we brought it home.

-- There was an issue with surging pumps that forced us to shut the breaker off to reset the unit, and basically made it unusable. This issue has been written about in these forum repeatedly.

-- Hydrospa's customer service was hard to find and unresponsive. When I finally got them, they tried to blame me, questioned my lack of understanding and dismiss the issued. Sounds just like NW.

-- Hydrospa did send parts, but we didn't get simple cartridge filters. Ours were the touchpad electronics that -- for warranty purposes-- required a tech to install them. Regardless, the replacement failed to fix the issue.

-- Got a hold of Hydrospa another time and got more parts replaced, but still no fix.

-- Because of the surging issue, our $4000 spa sits in backyard and is unusable

-- Thanks to Costco's return policy, we will replace it and not buy anything made by Hydrospa.

Nothing is complicated if it works as its supposed to, but the rubber really meets the road when things go wrong. It's then that we find out what companies are made of. My experience is that Costco keeps their word and Hydrospa should be avoided. I am believe that Hydrospa will not be affilliated with Costco for long.

A suggestion to NW. If you're happy with your spa, great for you. But if you really are just a consumer, then don't dismiss the posts of others based on your experience. I hope this information helps other consumers who are looking to make informed decisions when they spend hard earned money.

Posted

-- There was an issue with surging pumps that forced us to shut the breaker off to reset the unit, and basically made it unusable. This issue has been written about in these forum repeatedly.

-- Hydrospa's customer service was hard to find and unresponsive. When I finally got them, they tried to blame me, questioned my lack of understanding and dismiss the issued. Sounds just like NW.

-- Hydrospa did send parts, but we didn't get simple cartridge filters. Ours were the touchpad electronics that -- for warranty purposes-- required a tech to install them. Regardless, the replacement failed to fix the issue.

-- Got a hold of Hydrospa another time and got more parts replaced, but still no fix.

-- Because of the surging issue, our $4000 spa sits in backyard and is unusable

-- Thanks to Costco's return policy, we will replace it and not buy anything made by Hydrospa.

Nothing is complicated if it works as its supposed to, but the rubber really meets the road when things go wrong. It's then that we find out what companies are made of. My experience is that Costco keeps their word and Hydrospa should be avoided. I am believe that Hydrospa will not be affilliated with Costco for long.

No, I don't work for Hydrospa or Costco or with anyone connected with the hot tub business but don't let facts get in your way. I don't know what your numerous problems that you have posted about here were caused by but I do know for a fact that the tub has a good warranty and that the design and overall quality of the unit is great. If your unit has a defective part it should be replaced under warranty, even if you broke it. The hot tub is simple enough that any real tech should be able to diagnose and identify what is needed to correct the problem in a few minutes.

You may not be pleased to hear that Costco will be selling the "Platinum Elite III" but it's great news for people who want to get a hot tub. Here's more info:

http://www.platinumhottubs.com//index.htm

Posted

:wub::wub::wub:

No, I don't work for Hydrospa or Costco or with anyone connected with the hot tub business but don't let facts get in your way. I don't know what your numerous problems that you have posted about here were caused by but I do know for a fact that the tub has a good warranty and that the design and overall quality of the unit is great. If your unit has a defective part it should be replaced under warranty, even if you broke it. The hot tub is simple enough that any real tech should be able to diagnose and identify what is needed to correct the problem in a few minutes.

You may not be pleased to hear that Costco will be selling the "Platinum Elite III" but it's great news for people who want to get a hot tub. Here's more info:

http://www.platinumhottubs.com//index.htm

There you go again with the argumentim ad hominem--that is a big word for false personal attacks against a position I do not hold.

If you don't work in the industry or for Hydrospa, what the heck gives you any expertise as a Spa design or quality analyst? Furthermore, contrary to your subtle inferences, I did not break any parts on the spa and it is not my job diagnose trouble on a brand new spa. As a dollar-dropping consumer, I should have been enjoying it, not figuring out what the heck was wrong with the piece of Hydrospa junk.

You're right about one thing: a real tech would have quickly solved the problem, but then I guess the guy the Hydrospa factory sent twice must have been really dumb or something. As for the warranty, what good is a warranty when Hydrospa is very hard to get in touch with, virtually unresponsive, tries to blame the customer and then just does a terrible job of customer service.

I still am curious why someone without a vested interest would attack another forum member just for printing negative facts about a recurring Hydrospa problem and a really lousy experience. If anyone is interested, just search the other posts on the Platinum elite's problems and Hydrospa's customer service --an oxymoron.

As for me, I will stick to the facts that I got a Hydrospa lemon, poor customer service and that if not for the Costco return policy, I might be stuck with a 900 pound decoration in my back yard. Thank goodness for Costco. That leads me back to more big words. Caveat Emptor, which means Let the Buyer Beware.

Here is the link so people know what to beware of: http://www.platinumhottubs.com//index.htm]

:wub:B)

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