Thermospas Buyer Beware/ Terrible Product And Customer Service

[goodsamaritan]

I made the terrible mistake of purchasing a Thermospas hot tub and if sharing my experience will spare only one other person from making the same mistake then it's worth my time and effort to write this post.

This company had an answer for every question and concern I presented. They told me exactly what I needed to hear and presented themselves as being low pressure and trustworthy.

The problem is that I was sold a bunch of lies and they did not deliver the product I believed I was purchasing.

I did my research before having a sales person come to my home and was willing to pay top dollar for the best product and service available.

I suffer from debilitating physical pain and needed the best therapeutic hydrotherapy tub available.

They delivered a hot tub that does not work and has too many problems to list and there is no identifying insignia on the hot tub to show if, in fact, it is the model I paid for. It looks completely generic.

This is not, in any way, the highest quality spa available. In fact, it doesn't even work. The control panel, the heater, the cover lifter and more are all not functioning.

The customer service is absolutely terrible. I left messages for over 6 months with absolutely no response. When I actually did have a conversation with their customer service manager she threatened me, over 3 times, with having to get an attorney to negotiate my complaint and nearly one year later I am still unable to use the spa they delivered. I spent $11,000 to get the best hot tub money could buy and I expected it to be delivered in excellent working order. They had the audacity to deliver a unit that was damaged and does not work and now they expect me to hire an attorney to negotiate having it repaired.

I recommend reading their sales contract word for word and having it reviewed by an attorney before signing it. You will notice that they do not even take responsibility for the condition of the

unit upon delivery. Basically, you have no legal rights after giving them the money and they require payment in full before delivering your hot tub. My attorney said he would never have signed such an agreement.

I saw the complaints about this company online before making my purchase but the sales person said those posts were from the competition. Just one more lie among many others.

Thermospas has a great scam going across this entire country and I will do everything in my power to contact every consumer protection agency to get the truth out there about this company and stop them from taking hard earned money from other innocent people. No one deserves to have this kind of experience and I'm fed up with big corporations with big legal departments spending loads of money looking for ways to legally scam customers.

I have learned a costly but valuable lesson through this experience. I will save a lot of money purchasing a spa from a local vendor with an actual store. They will work harder to protect their reputation in the local community and I can see exactly what I am purchasing before making the decision. Since making this purchase, I have seen many makes and models of much higher quality than Thermospas for thousands of dollars less than what I paid.

Doing business with Thermospas has been a nightmare for me. Help me save others from suffering the same way.

Best of Luck to you All.

[Spa God]

Amen Brother...

It sucks to get screwed.

[hottublady]

I made the terrible mistake of purchasing a Thermospas hot tub and if sharing my experience will spare only one other person from making the same mistake then it's worth my time and effort to write this post.

This company has an answer for every sales question you can ask. They will tell you anything you want to hear and present themselves as being low pressure and trustworthy.

I did my research before having a sales person come to my home and was willing to pay top dollar for the best product and service available.

They delivered a hot tub that does not work and has too many problems to list. This is not, in any way, the highest quality spa available. In fact, it doesn't even work.

The customer service is absolutely terrible. They have threatened me with having to get an attorney to negotiate my complaint and nearly one year later I am still unable to use the spa they delivered.

I recommend reading their sales contract word for word and having it reviewed by an attorney before signing it. You will notice that they do not even take responsibility for the condition of the

unit upon delivery. Basically, you have no rights after giving them the money. My attorney said he would never have signed such an agreement.

I saw the complaints about this company online before making my purchase but the sales person said those posts were from the competition. Just one more lie among many others.

Thermospas has a great scam going across this entire country and I will do everything in my power to contact every consumer protection agency to get the truth out there about this company.

Save your money and purchase your spa from a local vendor with an actual store. They will work harder to protect their reputation in the local community and you can see exactly what you are purchasing

before making your decision.

Best of Luck to you All.

Wow..... so you haven't been able to use it at all? Did they send someone out there to repair it?

[goodsamaritan]

Wow..... so you haven't been able to use it at all? Did they send someone out there to repair it?

No, they never returned to repair it!

The customer service manager told me 3 times that we were going to have to let the attorneys

deal with this. In my opinion, that is not a customer service solution.

It's completely unreasonable that they have the audacity to deliver a hot tub that is damaged and does not work

but then to tell the customer they must hire an attorney to resolve the dispute is a response from a company

who refuses to stand by their word and their work. I have not found one person in this company willing to be held

accountable for their own actions.

Please do not support this company in any way.

[THE SPA GUY]

its to bad to haer this on any spa manufacturer.but this is ana unfortunate example to tell people to buy from a local servicing dealer...

[hottublady]

Wow..... so you haven't been able to use it at all? Did they send someone out there to repair it?

No, they never returned to repair it!

The customer service manager told me 3 times that we were going to have to let the attorneys

deal with this. In my opinion, that is not a customer service solution.

It's completely unreasonable that they have the audacity to deliver a hot tub that is damaged and does not work

but then to tell the customer they must hire an attorney to resolve the dispute is a response from a company

who refuses to stand by their word and their work. I have not found one person in this company willing to be held

accountable for their own actions.

Please do not support this company in any way.

Wow... I really have no words... I've read some horror stories on here and other forums but this tops it... Its really sad because a hot tub is not just a fun thing to have but its amazing what it can do your for standard of living. I have a really stressful job and when I come home and just had it with everything I either jump in the hot tub or my sauna and it just melts everything away. I know most people purchase a spa to relax and unwind and for all this to happen to you its just the complete opposite of an experience one should get when they buy a product for health and relaxation. I hope you get them good! and that they cover all your legal expenses and the cost of you purchasing a tub from somewhere else! I heard their hot tubs are one of the most expensive out there... Good Luck and let us know what's going on with this!!

[jayhawker]

We almost made this mistake. Saw the infomercial and liked the spa. Got the sales pitch, fell for it, and ordered a tub. Fortunately, I found this site the same day that we signed the contract. We immediately cancelled the contract. We were lucky as our deposit was returned to us within 2 weeks. We then slowed down; took the advise of the forum members; and wet tested several of the top brands mentioned on the board. Decided on the Hot Spring Grandee and couldn't be happier with our decision. Thanks to all the contributors to this site for their input. Without you guys we'd be stuck with a Thermospa.

[goodsamaritan]

Thanks for letting me know that this forum is viewed by actual consumers!!

I'm dedicated to getting the message out across this country so that no one else must

suffer the loss I incurred at the fraudulent and deceptive hands of Thermospas.

[marappl]

Its unfortunate that companies screw the customers that they should depend on to survive in any industry. Suggest you file a complaint with your respective State Attorney General as most have consumer protection agencies/services.

[hottublady]

Any new news?

[goodsamaritan]

Any new news?

I have still never received a written response from Thermospas after they confirmed receipt of my written complaint.

It seems they have run out of lame excuses and empty promises.

Am currently in the process of filing complaints with BBB, the State Attorney General of every state in the Union, the Federal Trade Commission,

and every other consumer protection agency I can find.

By not providing me the hot tub I purchased for $11,000 in excellent working order and for ignoring my phone calls requesting assistance for over 6 months, and for threatening me with having to hire an attorney to receive customer service, and by not refunding my money upon request, Thermospas has purchased themselves an eternal voice of truth, which will warn every future customer of their deceptive and unethical business practices!!

Please continue to send me more information on ways to stop this company from scamming innocent consumers in America!!!

[Dr. Spa]

I was going to suggest a website...but thermospassucks.com is already taken...odd

[hottubdan]

I was going to suggest a website...but thermospassucks.com is already taken...odd

epinions.com

[Dr. Spa]

But do you know why :-)

It ends at epinions yes...but that's not where it starts...or at least "started", some years ago when it first began.

[Spocks Brain]

New member here. Consinder your good deed of the day done. I lurked here a couple of days ago since I was shopping for a spa. I had the Thermospa's rep give me the 90 minute sales pitch, I played their DVD. The 'no pressure' sales rep was doing his best to sell me a spa much larger than I wanted. I gave him my target range of price, he doubled it, all while 'looking out for my best interest'. I never buy anything on first sight (anymore). I always take a 48 hour "cooling down" period of time and research my pending purchase.

I read this thread, then other places on the web - very few positive things are said about Thermospas. That did it and convinced me to buy a spa locally from a place that has been in business for 28 years. I ended up buying a California Cooperage 102 spa yesterday. It was in my price range and the dealer told me to take it for 30 days, if I don't like it he will refund 100% of my money. He put in writing, so I'm sure I'm getting a quality spa for my needs.

But yeah, the Thermospas rep sure painted a picture of a family owned business that employed only America citizens and bought only American-made parts, explaining the "slightly higher cost" of a spa. "Buy this spa and you're feeding American workers," is an exact quote from the rep.

Thanks for the warning. It may have saved me from making a $$$ mistake.

[hottublady]

One thing I always found weird about Thermospas, was that if they are factory direct why are their prices so high??

[goodsamaritan]

The only answer I can see is "Greed". They clearly have absolutely no integrity. They refused to respond to my BBB complaint. They are pocketing some big bucks and don't care who they are hurting in this world to get what they want.

[Steve6129]

I bought a Manhattan model spa from ThermoSpas in late May 2010. I can only sum up my experience with them as poor workmanship, poor customer service, and non-responsive. I would never buy a spa from them again and I hope you will all help me spread the word so that others do not get trapped paying a premium price for a bargain basement spa. Here is what has happened in the less than the two months I’ve had the spa:

Poor Workmanship:

1. LED lighting causes the breaker to trip intermittently.

2. Water line had missing clamp causing flood after 15 minutes of use.

3. Blower stopped working because main line from blower to check valve was not cemented in place.

4. Spa initially delivered with used cover.

5. Direction that came with spa lifter were completely wrong and kit was missing parts.

Poor Service:

1. Initial service call to get used cover replaced was “lost”.

2. Had hassle getting new cover .

3. Delivery service promised was not provided.

4. The first time I needed service I had to wait 1 week and the service technician never showed.

5. The second and third times I needed service I had to wait 3 weeks for the earliest appointment.

6. On the most recent service visit, the technician didn’t have any of the 3 parts needed to properly diagnose the problem with the LED. He had to order all the parts which he said will take 1-2 weeks. Once I receive the parts I will have to call to set up another appointment which will likely be another 3 weeks.

7. They do not have any “local” service technicians. The ones who have come to my house have driven 4 hours to get here.

Non-Responsive:

1. I initially brought these issues up to my salesperson who said “We take this seriously and someone will get back to you in a few days”. Two months later I’m still waiting.

2. I sent an email to their customer service manager (based on her comment in the blogs I saw) a month after sending my concerns to the salesperson. I never got an acknowledgement from her and it’s been over a month since I sent the email.

3. I sent a snail mail letter to the president of the company and have not gotten any acknowledgement on this either.

[north_of_boston]

I'm not going to comment on what has gone down in here, because I did not purchase a ThermoSpas brand tub.

My wife and I viewed the DVD, and felt that we should sit through the sales pitch (mrs north did not, I did).

I had an old spa in the back yard, he did the site inspection, and he knew that we had some experience in this area. My old Sequoia Spa was in the yard awaiting removal.

Long story short -- I gave him his hour. At the outset, I informed him that he is in a competitive situation, and he asked "what other brands are you considering?" I said "Jacuzzi, and Arctic Spas".

He knew he was "had", but I owed it to him (and myself) to hear him out. I did, and on price and other factors, he was out. I never got a call back from him. Frankly, he was very professional and did not try to ram the product down my throat. But after hearing the pitch, looking at the product, and hearing prices, that was that. My wife and I had looked around, and sought out value, which may not necessarily be the lowest price. We had no set budget when we started the search, but we did an extensive search.

As I related in previous posts, I then agonized between Jacuzzi and Arctic, and finally decided on Arctic. I have no regrets, but likely would have had no regrets if I had gone the Jacuzzi route, either. Both brands had a solid dealer - and service -- here in the north shore/Merrimack Valley area -- that I had confidence in.

WE DID OUR HOMEWORK. That was the key.

I can tell you this -- as a hot tub owner of 26 years, and a spa owner for the last 14 -- dealer service is important. You won't just buy the tub and get an occasional water sample -- you will be in contact with him/her for the life of the spa. You will have an occasional Q&A. You may have to have them come in and check something out. I had this with the Sequoia Spa, and I like having someone right down the street (even 40 miles away) that I can call or visit.

I would have liked to have searched around a little more - there are other fine brands out there, I am sure. But I culled out the search -- got it down to two brands, and then invited ThermoSpas in, because, what the hell, I didn't even have to leave the house. But I didn't feel that their value-for-the-money compared to the other two, and that was that.

My suggestion is - don't restrict your search to just one spa or brand -- DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE. Remember, you're in no hurry on this. You can keep looking as long as you like -- Arctic, Caldera, Hot Springs, Jacuzzi, Sundance, ThermoSpas, etc. etc. etc. etc. will happily take your money next week if you don't offer it to them today.

[goodsamaritan]

I'm grateful to learn that their are many other companies who are operating with integrity and standing by their word and products. I look forward to one day owning one of the hot tubs recommended above and thank everyone for taking the time to make recommendations.

[michiganmike]

New member here. Consinder your good deed of the day done. I lurked here a couple of days ago since I was shopping for a spa. I had the Thermospa's rep give me the 90 minute sales pitch, I played their DVD. The 'no pressure' sales rep was doing his best to sell me a spa much larger than I wanted. I gave him my target range of price, he doubled it, all while 'looking out for my best interest'. I never buy anything on first sight (anymore). I always take a 48 hour "cooling down" period of time and research my pending purchase.

I read this thread, then other places on the web - very few positive things are said about Thermospas. That did it and convinced me to buy a spa locally from a place that has been in business for 28 years. I ended up buying a California Cooperage 102 spa yesterday. It was in my price range and the dealer told me to take it for 30 days, if I don't like it he will refund 100% of my money. He put in writing, so I'm sure I'm getting a quality spa for my needs.

But yeah, the Thermospas rep sure painted a picture of a family owned business that employed only America citizens and bought only American-made parts, explaining the "slightly higher cost" of a spa. "Buy this spa and you're feeding American workers," is an exact quote from the rep.

Thanks for the warning. It may have saved me from making a $$$ mistake.

[michiganmike]

Hello....I was also lurking here and found your post about buying the California Cooperage 102 spa back in July. My wife and I are looking at the same model and I'm wondering how you like yours after a couple of months ?

Is it everything you expected ?

Thanks for your time.

[ThermoSpas]

Hello All,

My name is Matt Bryers, I am an employee of ThermoSpas and work in the internet department. I have been reading some of the comments on this forum and other websites trying to get a feel for some of the problems you or others may be facing.

First - it is truly sad to hear about your negative experience in your ThermoSpas. I have personally been with the company for about 5 years, and in that time I have seen my share of both negative and positive reviews. This review seems like EVERYTHING went wrong. Now to be honest, I am not familiar with this particular complaint. Since it is in the BBB arena, I am sure our Customer Resolution Department is handling it. And because of that, there is really not much I can do. BUT - I have just forwarded this forum post onto the main directors in the company to make them aware of the situation.

Second - every company has to deal with negative complaints and problems. I can't think of one company or service that everyone is 100% happy with. This is a business and things do happen. Obviously we want to strive for 100% perfection, but unfortunately these things happen. What we ALWAYS try to do here at ThermoSpas is make the customer happy - regardless of the perception in this particular forum post. No company wants to alienate or anger their customers; if that was a way of doing business we wouldn't have lasted 26 years!

Third - again this is very unfortunate to hear and see this post, but you also have to realize there are 2 sides to every story and situation. Again I am not aware of this particular situation, but I see how this company operates on a day to day basis and I see how much effort we have put into our service (on-site and repair). So, when I see this problem has escalated, obviously there was an issue that went way beyond a typical service call. Again, we're not out to PURPOSELY anger our customers, we're not scamming people, and we're definitely not trying to leave you hanging after we deliver the spa. If you don't like our selling process, we understand, there are many great dealers around who can help you. But we truly, truly want to make our customers happy. We are the only company who factory trains each service tech, services 80% of the USA with these trained representatives, and offers fully-stocked vans to try and repair your issues immediately. I'm not trying to make this sound like a sales pitch, but you can't help being proud of what we offer.

Lastly - I am sorry for problems you are facing. It is also sad to see that others have steered away from ThermoSpas just because they read some negative review(s). If you want positive reviews I can give you 1000s of them! We get them on a daily basis through emails, phone calls and letters.

My goal in this response is not to belittle the negative experience you have faced in regards to your hot tub; my goal is to make the post starter and other aware that we are always striving for 100% customer satisfaction. I hope this experience will end up in a positive resolution, and also hope that potential customers recognize that ThermoSpas is not a "bad company". Yes, some people do not like our sales process, no problem - there are many wonderful dealers who can help you. But I / we still believe that they way we sell our hot tubs, service our hot tubs, and support our customers is top-notch.

Thank you all for listening and I will do my best to respond to these topics when I see them pop-up.

Also, if any of you would like to personally email me with any questions or comments, please do:

mbryers@thermospas.com

Matt Bryers

ThermoSpas Internet "Geek"

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Second - every company has to deal with negative complaints and problems. I can't think of one company or service that everyone is 100% happy with.

I hate that blanket statement though you're not the first to try to whitewash issues by using it.

Its the frequency of the issues that is the concern. There is a wide chasm between some of the top spa makers and some that get frequent complaints so that kind of statement is not meaningful IMO.

Every baseball team loses games, does that mean the Pirates and Yankees merit a comparison because "every team has to deal with losses"?

Every actor has a stinker but does that mean Tom Hanks and Keanu Reeves are equivalent just because "every actor makes a bad movie"?.

[footie]

It will be interesting to see what happens now that this guy from Thermospas is supposed to be informing the directors of the situation. The very fact he has made himself known here means if they don't deal with this promptly no one here will ever have faith in the brand.