Where does Cal Spas stack up?

[Pathfinder]

Stick with the Classic series  when dealing with Cal. The Tropical the Pacifica and Atlantic would be the only ones id recommend. Dont order a marble acrylic, only granite type from Cal.  If your looking at the lower lines be prepared for issues since the components used are much cheaper than on the Classic series. This comes from experience selling & servicing Cals 2 yrs ago.

[Zep]

"the lower lines be prepared for issues"

Pathfinder are there any "issues with the lower end" of
the brands you now sell or are they all perfect?

OK, with 600 outlets (was that pre 2008?)

Yeah I think they've close 599 of them because the
economic slowdown has only affected CalSpas and
not a single other tub maker.
 

[Bonibelle]

Not sure what model Cal this is, but my cousin loves his...it is on his deck overlooking the Indian River in lower Delaware. So now we have at least 2..count em 2 happy CalSpa owners


Zep loves his tub and is telling everyone FIRST HAND that he has had great dealer support and no problems. Benny has a Thermospa and is loving it, with great company support. Although this seems to fly in the face of what others are saying, I think it is important to note....even the so called "best tubs" (or anything for that matter) can have problems. When a compay recognizes trends and does something about it..then that is a good thing.

I love Zep's set up..it is beautiful and it's pretty obvious that he enjoys his tub. He (Cal)was the first with the stone surround and other companies followed suit when they saw a good thing.  ..
and I might be wrong about who was first, but Zep had the first one that I remember posted on this forum..so I assume Cal was the innovator  

[wewannahottub]

Zep, you do have a beautiful set up and obviously a keen sense of style.  (By all of your postings, you are single...and obviously have a nice bachelor pad!)

We looked at Cal spas in our early days, but didn't like the high sides on the seats and the way our legs hit them.  We never did wet test.  

We were leary of the warranty issues that were discussed in the past on the forum, I won't lie.  But, it seems Cal has hopefully gotten a handle on it.  

Just my $0.02 worth...

[Gary]

I have stated this before you can buy the best of the best and still have problems or you can buy the cheapest of the cheapest and never have an issue. But here is how I look at it: A dealer who sells let's say Hot Spring or Marquis and he sales 100 a year he may have some type of issue with maybe 5 of them within the first year. The guy who is selling cheap spas (not the price) let's say he sells Cal and does a 100 a year, he most likely will be out fixing 30-40 of those in the first year.

[Zep]

Thanks Bonibelle and "WeWanna"....yes I do love my CalSpas tub. It's been a great tub and great service from my CalSpas dealer.

And if you notice I stand up for other brands other than Cal that are the "non-favored brands" on this message board as well. I never start it, but feel the need to offer a different perpective from a REAL CAL SPA OWNER, not someone "thats never owned a Cal", "that sells another brand", or "heard from so & so", or "I think I read somewhere " or "was told by someone awhile back", "heard a few years ago" about CalSpas. Yeah Pathfinder used to sell Cal, ok so thats one. Ummm but when I am "one" oh boy that doesnt mean much. I actually surprised someone hasnt signed up under some fake alias pretending to be a disgruntled Cal owner. So the bashers can say "see".  


The vast majority of posters/dealers/owners in here are great, helpful, and informative people.. Like Terminator, he is no Cal fan, but he doesn't bash Cal, he SELLS his own brand.

It just gets old the constant need for certain posters/dealers to bash the other brands. Some of them are very good at sticking a knife in your gut and all with a nice smiley face. Like all the BS a few days ago about Arctic Spas "not being able to come up with any money". That was all speculation and attempts to portray Arctic in the worst possible way.

Obviously no brands are perfect. It's almost amusing to watch the "everythings going to be ok squad" rush to the scene when a favored brand owner is complaining about some brand new favored brand tub with problems". Unless you are one of the "favored brands" almost every single post will have at least a subtle dig or attempt to assume the very worst. Like Gary on here today actually claiming CalSpas may have up to a 40% failure rate. Yeah 40 out of every 100 are failures.
 

Of course CalSpas will just keeping building brand spanking new multi-million dollar facilities, employeeing hundreds of people, having hundreds of retail outlets and guys mostly living paycheck to paycheck can continue to bash a success story. No surprise
there's lots of people in Dallas that bash Jerry Jones....the owner of The Dallas Cowboys..they say "he's an idiot"..."doesnt know what he doing"...uh ok sure....but whose got three Super Bowl rings, is building a new billion dollar stadium, and owns an entity worth hundreds of millions? It's not the Jerry Jones bashers.

[Bonibelle]

Windy get the same crap, Zep....I think what is irritating is that negative comments translate to "you made a bad judgment, you made a lousy investment".. That is why we all take it personally when someone attacks what we have and what we deemed to be perfect for us.  It makes it hard for consumers looking for information to sort through all of it.

I know when I was first looking for a tub, someone on here told me if it didn't have a circ pump, it wasn't worth looking at. Well I found my Epic, and loved it..but was so hung up on the fact that it didn't have a dang circ pump that I almost walked away...that would have really been a mistake . This site is wonderful for gathering information, but it's tough to sort through opinions when you don't know the background of the posters. :-/

[Water Boy]

Very well said Zep!! I couldnt have said it any better. You brought up lots of great points in that last response!! I give you props for being just about the only Cal Spa owner here, and you always do a good job respodning when that company is brought up, whether it be good or bad.

In regards to Jerry Jones, I only wish we had a GM and owner like him for the KC Chiefs. I cant stand King Carl Peterson! I am not a huge fan of JJ either, but had has done very well for the Cowgirls......, I mean boys!

[Bonibelle]

Just to clarify..I think Jerry Jones is and idiot...based on fact....he took TO...just based on fact, Zep  

[wewannahottub]

WOW!! You go wit' yer bad self, Zep!!

I have noticed Cal bashing, and Master spas bashed as well.  Hey, Saved by Grace has a great Jacuzzi, famously known brand, and has had trouble.  Just unlucky, and to ice the cake, a crap dealer with zippo support.  It still wouldn't sway me at this point from buying a Jacuzzi if I wanted one, since we did wet test a 470.  

And, for the record, Zep, you are one of the more fair and least opinionated posters here.  

Now, just picture Holly in your Cal, and the anger will melt away...

To each his own--

Chrisi--just gonna keep chilllin' listening to Stevie ray Vaughan, my personal fave Texan 8-)

[Gary]

to assume the very worst. Like Gary on here today actually claiming CalSpas may have up to a 40% failure rate. Yeah 40 out of every 100 are failures.
 

 

[/quote
I was only making an example and just having a little fun at Cal's expense. I have been on the service end for 20 years and even though they have improved it will take a long time to dig out of the hole they have with me.

They shafted me on warranty work new and old owner's so the only ones I will touch are the ones out of warranty or if I get paid by the spa owner.

If you are happy with your tub that is all that matters.

[Vanguard]

Just to clarify..I think Jerry Jones is and idiot...based on fact....he took TO...just based on fact, Zep  

And now he's taken "Pacman" Jones!  Is he following in the footsteps of Al Davis?  

[Spatech_tuo]

Like Gary on here today actually claiming CalSpas may have up to a 40% failure rate. Yeah 40 out of every 100 are failures.
 

I didn't think Gary was actually trying say that was the actual number.

If the "best" company has a 95% customer satisfaction (hypothetically speaking) and a "lesser" company only has 85% that difference is statistically significant. It is VERY significant in fact yet both with have a vast majority of their customers happy. The thing is 85 of 100 people owning that "lesser" spa brand will say "not true that they are lesser, I love mine". At the same time you can find someone with that "better" spa brand who may have had issues who might say "everyone says they're great but mine has been a headache so I wonder if that is just hype".

Its great when someone owns a certain brand and loves it but it say VERY little about the brand overall. The proof is in how it treats the masses.

That's what I took Gary's post to mean.

[Zep]

Thanks people!
I guess I needed to vent.
Hey I know Cal may not be the Mercedes of the spa world,
but I dont think they are the Yugo either.
Any way you guys are great, helpful and funny too.

Oh and btw we all know football starts next month!

So.....

[Spatech_tuo]

Forget the Cowboys. Its the Cowgirls they have that impress me!!