Quality Of Other Spas

[deestruhart]

I've been getting alot of questions on Home Depot spas, and United Spas. We have a Home Depot in town that is sitting spas out front of the store at very low prices, I know they won't deliver and don't have any service people to work on them. We also Have a United Dealer in town who is selling his tubs at very low prices but I hear alot of customers come in and say he tells them he sells the exact same quality as me but just at whole sale prices. But, then he doesn't offer any service information to his customers

Was hoping some one out there could help me, and maybe give me some information on this company.from what I saw I think his Spas are alot lower quality than Caldera Spas, and the only other tubs available in this area which I do reccomend if customers ask me where they can go shop around are hotsprings and Coleman. I tried to pull up United on the internet did not find much at all.

[flibotte]

Home Depot spas are made by a company called Keys Backyard that used to be Image spas. They make hot tubs for Home Depot, Wal Mart, Sam's Club and I'm sure lots of other places. I got a hot tub made by Keys about 4 months ago from Sam's Club. The hot tubs are very reasonably priced but people have to understand that you get what you pay for. The main drawback to them so far that I've noticed is the insulation isn't great on them and I've payed about $65-70 a month extra on my electric bill. I haven't had any problems yet but service is also a question mark as there isn't a local dealer w/ service. Having said all that I've enjoyed mine so far. I got a 96X96 hot tub with 38 jets, 2 pumps, 2 water falls for $3,700.

[Brulan1]

Home Depot spas are made by a company called Keys Backyard that used to be Image spas. They make hot tubs for Home Depot, Wal Mart, Sam's Club and I'm sure lots of other places. I got a hot tub made by Keys about 4 months ago from Sam's Club. The hot tubs are very reasonably priced but people have to understand that you get what you pay for. The main drawback to them so far that I've noticed is the insulation isn't great on them and I've payed about $65-70 a month extra on my electric bill. I haven't had any problems yet but service is also a question mark as there isn't a local dealer w/ service. Having said all that I've enjoyed mine so far. I got a 96X96 hot tub with 38 jets, 2 pumps, 2 water falls for $3,700.

Its a great starter spa until you get a more quality hot tub with better service down the road. That is an excellent start

[Guzz]

Its a great starter spa until you get a more quality hot tub with better service down the road. That is an excellent start

The best starter spa is the first and last one you should buy. Shop around. Wet test. Why waste $3000 on a bad quality spa and buy a good one down the road. A good spa will last you a lifetime.Brulan, you sell a good quality spa, would you want a customer of yours to waste their money and then have to come to you with a tale of woe in 5 years time?

[Jack L]

The best starter spa is the first and last one you should buy. Shop around. Wet test. Why waste $3000 on a bad quality spa and buy a good one down the road. A good spa will last you a lifetime.Brulan, you sell a good quality spa, would you want a customer of yours to waste their money and then have to come to you with a tale of woe in 5 years time?

If you really want a 'starter spa' that won't break your wallet then buy the $3,999 Costco spa, use it for a year then return it for a refund if you don't like it (just tell them its not what you want). If you can afford the extra then shop and buy one of the higher end spa's. We went with the Hot Springs Vanguard instead of the budget spa and though I'm sure I would have been happy with the Costco one, the HS is nice. We still have 2 more weeks before it is delivered and wired up, then we plan to get a gazeebo (still not sure what type to get)....

Like many others have said, you get what you pay for. A $4k spa is not a $10k spa no matter what a sales man/woman says... One thing I really liked about the HS sales woman (besides the fact she knew her $hit) was the fact that she wasn't in jeans, t-shirt and covered in tatoo's like the folks at the 2 previous spa places were.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

Its a great starter spa until you get a more quality hot tub with better service down the road. That is an excellent start

Is that like getting a starter wife? I prefer to just get the premium one the first time and stick with it.

[thestallion]

As someone who owns such a spa has mentioned (the best source ) what you save today you will spend monthly on higher energy bills, you could almost think of it as financing the spa and if thats case why not finance a better quality spa since you will pay one way or the other.

[Dr. Spa]

Is that like getting a starter wife?

"COSTCO mail order brides"

WHERE CAN I GET THIS ! ? ! ? ! ????????

And you can return it after a year simply because it's not what you expected? No return costs? or almony? or child support? No comunity property?

Does the refund include maintanance costs?. food.....housing.......clothing............ jewlry.........cars?

Yeah, I want me one of these!

[spatech (the unreal one)]

"COSTCO mail order brides"

WHERE CAN I GET THIS ! ? ! ? ! ????????

And you can return it after a year simply because it's not what you expected? No return costs? or almony? or child support? No comunity property?

Does the refund include maintanance costs?. food.....housing.......clothing............ jewlry.........cars?

Yeah, I want me one of these!

Wow, Cosco will even take back their mail order brides without a question? Is this another of teh Cosco assumptions or do we have confirmation on this?

[mattNY]

As someone who owns such a spa has mentioned (the best source ) what you save today you will spend monthly on higher energy bills, you could almost think of it as financing the spa and if thats case why not finance a better quality spa since you will pay one way or the other.

A very good point. I look at it this way: If the Costco spa costs $4k, and added $70/mo. to the electric bill, and a "good" spa is generally not consuming more than $30/month, you have:

$40/mo. difference, $480/year

So it's only going to take 5-6 years to get up into the price range of a "premium" spa. After that, you're actually spending more for a lesser quality tub.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

A very good point. I look at it this way: If the Costco spa costs $4k, and added $70/mo. to the electric bill, and a "good" spa is generally not consuming more than $30/month, you have:

$40/mo. difference, $480/year

So it's only going to take 5-6 years to get up into the price range of a "premium" spa. After that, you're actually spending more for a lesser quality tub.

Cost of operation is certainly ONE aspect to consider but there are others as well.

[mattNY]

Cost of operation is certainly ONE aspect to consider but there are others as well.

Totally agree. I just wanted to point out that even for the $4k spa buyer whose primary overriding concern is cost, they actually end up spending more over a relatively short period of time. That was a big factor for me (and one that salesmen did not point out).

[sharkman009]

A very good point. I look at it this way: If the Costco spa costs $4k, and added $70/mo. to the electric bill, and a "good" spa is generally not consuming more than $30/month, you have:

$40/mo. difference, $480/year

So it's only going to take 5-6 years to get up into the price range of a "premium" spa. After that, you're actually spending more for a lesser quality tub.

Another thing to consider is the service end of it and this is hard to put a price on. Lets say you buy that $4k spa and you use it for therapy and it breaks down so you call the toll free number to get a servcie call scheduled and it takes you a month to get a repair done. What is that worth to a customer?

This does happen. I use my spa for my bad back and I'll tell you what I'd be pretty steamed if I couldnt get my spa up and running in a timely maner.

[Jack L]

Another thing to consider is the service end of it and this is hard to put a price on. Lets say you buy that $4k spa and you use it for therapy and it breaks down so you call the toll free number to get a servcie call scheduled and it takes you a month to get a repair done. What is that worth to a customer?

This does happen. I use my spa for my bad back and I'll tell you what I'd be pretty steamed if I couldnt get my spa up and running in a timely maner.

I've already checked into this and for my situation if I had a Costco spa and it turned out to be a lemon (break down, not work correctly, etc) then I call up the Spa Moving company and they would charge me $250 to haul it back to Costco for a full refund. I didn't end up going with the Costco, but the possibility to return a heacache for full refund (minus transport and install costs) is better then being stuck with a lemon and good service IMO. If I was to buy a Costco tub it would be $250 to have it picked up from Costco and set in place. I then would pay the electrician to wire it up. If I was to return it I might be out $700, but I would have had some use out of it and its a small price to pay for a lesson learned. Much better then if I would have bought the Phoenix spa we considered getting last fall from Spa City where they quoted me $6,999 and I found out a few weeks ago they went out of business. Everyone who bought from them and needs service work is pretty much SOL. At least you know Costco is not going out of business.

FWIW

[Brulan1]

I've already checked into this and for my situation if I had a Costco spa and it turned out to be a lemon (break down, not work correctly, etc) then I call up the Spa Moving company and they would charge me $250 to haul it back to Costco for a full refund. I didn't end up going with the Costco, but the possibility to return a heacache for full refund (minus transport and install costs) is better then being stuck with a lemon and good service IMO. If I was to buy a Costco tub it would be $250 to have it picked up from Costco and set in place. I then would pay the electrician to wire it up. If I was to return it I might be out $700, but I would have had some use out of it and its a small price to pay for a lesson learned. Much better then if I would have bought the Phoenix spa we considered getting last fall from Spa City where they quoted me $6,999 and I found out a few weeks ago they went out of business. Everyone who bought from them and needs service work is pretty much SOL. At least you know Costco is not going out of business.

FWIW

Very good point and taken. The morale of the story is do research on the business you are buying from. Get References from dealer and see how long they have been in business.

[sharkman009]

I've already checked into this and for my situation if I had a Costco spa and it turned out to be a lemon (break down, not work correctly, etc) then I call up the Spa Moving company and they would charge me $250 to haul it back to Costco for a full refund. I didn't end up going with the Costco, but the possibility to return a heacache for full refund (minus transport and install costs) is better then being stuck with a lemon and good service IMO. If I was to buy a Costco tub it would be $250 to have it picked up from Costco and set in place. I then would pay the electrician to wire it up. If I was to return it I might be out $700, but I would have had some use out of it and its a small price to pay for a lesson learned. Much better then if I would have bought the Phoenix spa we considered getting last fall from Spa City where they quoted me $6,999 and I found out a few weeks ago they went out of business. Everyone who bought from them and needs service work is pretty much SOL. At least you know Costco is not going out of business.

FWIW

Your right knowing that you can return the spa if you get fed up is nice but that is a last resort. If you do your homework on spas when you shop you can pretty much weed out the guys that come and go. If you get a good spa with a manufacturers warranty you wouldnt be SOL even if the dealer went out of business because the manufacturer backs the warranty.

I guess my point is this if you buy a spa you buy it to enjoy or for therapy and it is a mechanical item and they will break down. Who would want to pay to have their spa hauled off because it broke down and it took a month to get it fixed. Then what? Now you have paid $500.00 to have it installed and removed the added cost to operate that spa each month, any wiring etc. I may have a different way of looking at things but I work hard for my money and I dont want to pay $700.00 to learn a lesson. I would rather apply that money to something that I know is going to last a long time and is backed by good service because as I was saying before I dont use my spa for recreation I use it for my aching back and if I have to go for weeks without it I am in pain.

I realize not everyone out there is looking for the same thing and if price is your main focus then the Costco spas are a good way to go. Customers just need to really check these out so they know what they are getting before they get it. One thing I would suggest is to get the toll free number for the manufacturers warranty service and call them and get the name of the company that handles their warranty service in your area then check with that company to find out if they do the warranty repairs. At least this way ther are no surprises and you may find that there is nobody that does the service. My opinion.

[flibotte]

Just my opinion, but I think the “budget spa” is a viable option for certain people, the buyer needs to understand that you get what you pay for. I’ve seen a lot of posts on this site of the impending doom that any one who buys a budget spa is about to face. The notion that all budget spas are bad and every person is better off getting a spa from one of the higher end companies isn’t correct. I can’t speak for all budget spas but mine has quality components (Balboa spa pack, GE motors) so I don’t think it is going to fall apart in a year or two as some of the posts I’ve seen suggested. I’m not suggesting that it is as good as one of the higher end ones but for me it was worth the savings. For some people price is a major concern, for me I would rather pay some extra money each month than pay an extra 3-6k up front, in fact for me the choice was get a $3,700 hot tub or no tub as I had just bought my first house and couldn’t afford the extra money it would cost. I think that it’s best to shop around and educate yourself as much as possible to make an informed decision and last but not least consider the source of any info you get.

[Brulan1]

Just my opinion, but I think the “budget spa” is a viable option for certain people, the buyer needs to understand that you get what you pay for. I’ve seen a lot of posts on this site of the impending doom that any one who buys a budget spa is about to face. The notion that all budget spas are bad and every person is better off getting a spa from one of the higher end companies isn’t correct. I can’t speak for all budget spas but mine has quality components (Balboa spa pack, GE motors) so I don’t think it is going to fall apart in a year or two as some of the posts I’ve seen suggested. I’m not suggesting that it is as good as one of the higher end ones but for me it was worth the savings. For some people price is a major concern, for me I would rather pay some extra money each month than pay an extra 3-6k up front, in fact for me the choice was get a $3,700 hot tub or no tub as I had just bought my first house and couldn’t afford the extra money it would cost. I think that it’s best to shop around and educate yourself as much as possible to make an informed decision and last but not least consider the source of any info you get.

Buying a budget tub is great as your 1st tub, than after owning it for a while and you can afford better quality more power to you

[Jack L]

Walking around my neighborhood I see many spa's but rarely do I ever see people use them. I would imagine that most folks that buy the budget spa are the more impulsive folks that once installed will use it maybe the first year, then over time it will eventually sit, get turned off to save money then years will go by and eventually it is given away or sold with the house. Last year we almost got pulled into the Phoenix at Spa City but I talked my wife into waiting until we have our pad ready. The Fair came around with lots of fast talkers and my wife was getting pulled into looking at those blow-up spa's and other garbage (what I considered it anyway). She finally read up on different brands, and after I was leaning to the do-it-yourself Costco (I'm usually the cheapskate) we visited the HS dealer and I was impressed. Not only with the spa, but with the dealer, her knowledge and how she presented herself (no t-shirt/jeans/tatoo's). I don't think we got a bargain, but feel we got a good product at an average price....

I'm no expert, but I know much more then I did a year ago.

[spatech (the unreal one)]

I don't think we got a bargain, but feel we got a good product at an average price....

When it comes to spas, you can't tell if it was a bargain until a few years down the road. Many people buy these so called "bargain" spas only to find they often become a big square money pit.

[sharkman009]

Walking around my neighborhood I see many spa's but rarely do I ever see people use them. I would imagine that most folks that buy the budget spa are the more impulsive folks that once installed will use it maybe the first year, then over time it will eventually sit, get turned off to save money then years will go by and eventually it is given away or sold with the house. Last year we almost got pulled into the Phoenix at Spa City but I talked my wife into waiting until we have our pad ready. The Fair came around with lots of fast talkers and my wife was getting pulled into looking at those blow-up spa's and other garbage (what I considered it anyway). She finally read up on different brands, and after I was leaning to the do-it-yourself Costco (I'm usually the cheapskate) we visited the HS dealer and I was impressed. Not only with the spa, but with the dealer, her knowledge and how she presented herself (no t-shirt/jeans/tatoo's). I don't think we got a bargain, but feel we got a good product at an average price....

I'm no expert, but I know much more then I did a year ago.

Jack,

You may not feel that you got a bargain but when you get that baby in there and start using it you'll see as time goes by what we were talking about. It's good that you looked around and learned about them before you made a decision. You hit the nail on the head when you were describing people who buy on impulse. What I usually see is the customers that buy the spa for recreation or to entertain and after the novelty wears off they quit using it. The customers that actually buy for the therapy are the ones that cant live without them. How much longer till you get yours?

[Jack L]

Jack,

You may not feel that you got a bargain but when you get that baby in there and start using it you'll see as time goes by what we were talking about. It's good that you looked around and learned about them before you made a decision. You hit the nail on the head when you were describing people who buy on impulse. What I usually see is the customers that buy the spa for recreation or to entertain and after the novelty wears off they quit using it. The customers that actually buy for the therapy are the ones that cant live without them. How much longer till you get yours?

I didn't mean that in a bad way when saying I didn't get a bargain. We are suppose to have it delivered on the 28th I believe. We still need to line up an electrician to wire it up but I don't think that should be too difficult.

[sharkman009]

I didn't mean that in a bad way when saying I didn't get a bargain. We are suppose to have it delivered on the 28th I believe. We still need to line up an electrician to wire it up but I don't think that should be too difficult.

Make sure if the dealer didnt give you the pre delivery instructions that you get a copy of that to give to your electrician. It has the wiring schematic so they cant plead ignorance if they wire it wrong.

No offense intended for any electricians out there but that is probably the number one problem we run into is spas not being wired properly.

[Brulan1]

Make sure if the dealer didnt give you the pre delivery instructions that you get a copy of that to give to your electrician. It has the wiring schematic so they cant plead ignorance if they wire it wrong.

No offense intended for any electricians out there but that is probably the number one problem we run into is spas not being wired properly.

Most spa's already have the colors matched up for you to hook up to the spa in the pack. Your really only need to know the supply you have in the house and whether it needs a sub panel and all of them need a GFCI. How often can an electrician hook it up wrong? At least electricians that have done it before.

[sharkman009]

Most spa's already have the colors matched up for you to hook up to the spa in the pack. Your really only need to know the supply you have in the house and whether it needs a sub panel and all of them need a GFCI. How often can an electrician hook it up wrong? At least electricians that have done it before.

All spas are not hooked up the same way. His Hotspring Vangaurd comes with a sub panel that has two seperate breakers on it and it would be very easy for it to get wired wrong especially if the electrician doesnt get the wiring info. You are assuming that all spas use a 4 wire 50 amp service and not all spas do.