on-line source for chemicals

[stuart]

So the people that go online for chems...You find it ok to go to your dealer with jets coming out due to water balance issues or call your dealer for advice on water quality issues but you don't want to buy from them?

I cost's them for you to have that support yet you want them to work for free the rest of the time.

So to make it fair you want a deal on the spa that is so good the dealer doesn't make money, you don't want to pay for any trip fees, you don't want to have any incidental charges of any kind during your ownership and you want free advice.

Sorry, this is just a major frustration to me...Support your dealer so they can support you!

[Bonibelle]

Changed my signature to show my support 

[cbb77]

I think there are valid reasons to buy online.  I do like to show support, but sometimes mark ups are just too high.  Compare it to buying a car.  How many people actually do ALL of their service at the dealer.  Oil changes, wiper replacements, etc.  Some items are just unreasonable at the dealer.  I am all for paying for periodic preventative maintenance but again I can't turn a blind eye and knowingly pay 2 or 3 times norm. 

For example, I just paid $26 for a container of Leisure Time Renew.   It's available online for $12 - $15.  To me $11-14 more is way to high to pay continuously.  I paid it cause I needed it right away.  If it was $18 - $20 in store then it would have been more reasonable and I would consider to buy it there instead of online.   Again, I do support dealer for other accessories and service but there are indeed valid reasons to buy online.  IMHO, paying the huge markup is just throwing good money away. 

[wmccall]

I support several dealers with chemical purchases as my dealer no longer exists. As moderator of this forum I like to visit every dealer in town and I'll use my visit as an excuse to buy.   However, there are two online companies that I enjoy dealing with.   Many of our users are rural and are 40 miles away from any dealer, online makes sense for them.

[wmccall]

After my  last message, I went to email and had a email from an online company. Found this interesting, the rest of the ad was for smelly stuff.

[Bonibelle]

That looks pretty interesting to me too, Bill. Can you share your web site? I have a filter wand and it is OK, but much better for cleaning my paint brushes than filters.
Thanks

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

If the water wand isn't working well, I have a feeling this "contraption" will not be any better, probably worse. It's based on water flow, and the water wand has fewer holes, so I would think would perform better with less water pressure. I haven't tried this thing yet, and have been very happy with my own water wand, but perhaps Shammous has (he carries it on his website).

[wmccall]

That looks pretty interesting to me too, Bill. Can you share your web site? I have a filter wand and it is OK, but much better for cleaning my paint brushes than filters.
Thanks

I'll send you that when I get home, I might give it a try if its reasonable priced. Doc, if you carry this want that you speak of send me a link,

[just ducky]

I think there are valid reasons to buy online.  I do like to show support, but sometimes mark ups are just too high.  Compare it to buying a car.  How many people actually do ALL of their service at the dealer.  Oil changes, wiper replacements, etc.  Some items are just unreasonable at the dealer.  I am all for paying for periodic preventative maintenance but again I can't turn a blind eye and knowingly pay 2 or 3 times norm. 

For example, I just paid $26 for a container of Leisure Time Renew.   It's available online for $12 - $15.  To me $11-14 more is way to high to pay continuously.  I paid it cause I needed it right away.  If it was $18 - $20 in store then it would have been more reasonable and I would consider to buy it there instead of online.   Again, I do support dealer for other accessories and service but there are indeed valid reasons to buy online.  IMHO, paying the huge markup is just throwing good money away. 

very similar experience to what I had with my dealer.  In fact two of them.  I have absolutely no problem with a local business having a mark-up.  I understand that completely.  Trust me...I've been down the whole "Wal-Mart volume buying" discussion with friends, and how they put the local businesses under.  But come on...30%, 40%, 50% higher prices than another source?  I can't agree with that, nor will I pay it.

Here's another example regarding local businesses...I recently purchased a new truck.  Since I have a boat/trailer, I needed a connector for the trailer wiring.  The truck comes pre-wired to the bumper...all you need is the connector that screws into the fitting through the bumper.  Been down this path twice before with new trucks.  The local dealer where I bought the truck wanted to charge me $79 for the part, plus an hour of labor, totaling well over $100 for the fix.  Knowing better, I visited my local trailer business, bought the exact same part...same box and all...for $29.  Literally took two minutes to install.  Now who in their right mind can justify that?  I even told the dealer when he quoted me $79 plus labor what I intended to do because I had done it before.  He didn't blink an eye and just shrugged.  Why?  Because he knows that the next unsuspecting sucker coming through his door won't know enough to do what I did and will pay his unreasonable fees.  I'm sorry...that's just wrong, or immoral, or both.

[just ducky]

So the people that go online for chems...You find it ok to go to your dealer with jets coming out due to water balance issues or call your dealer for advice on water quality issues but you don't want to buy from them?

I cost's them for you to have that support yet you want them to work for free the rest of the time.

So to make it fair you want a deal on the spa that is so good the dealer doesn't make money, you don't want to pay for any trip fees, you don't want to have any incidental charges of any kind during your ownership and you want free advice.

Sorry, this is just a major frustration to me...Support your dealer so they can support you!

Well if you're aiming your frustration at me, I obviously didn't make myself clear in my posts.  As I said, I completely support my local dealer where I bought my tub.  They've been more than helpful, and very willing to go the extra mile.  I feel the same way about all of my local business people.  I'll gladly pay a reasonable mark-up to buy locally.  10%, 20%...a reasonable mark-up.  But when a product is 40%, 50% or more than another source, who obviously also has to charge some mark-up to make money, that's where I draw the line because I just don't think that's necessary OR reasonable.  Yes, I understand the concept of buying large quantities being cheaper than a small retail outlet buying less (the whole Wal-Mart argument).   But an example I had...I ran out of test strips not too long after buying my tub because quite frankly I was testing the tub constantly the first month...probably a lot of newbies do.  I know better now, but that's a whole other story.  But in any case, I wanted to support my dealer, so I went back to the dealer to buy the same type of strip he gave me with my kit when I bought the tub.  I bought them, and came home not knowing any better.  Soon after, I needed some other chems, so I was surfing some of the on-line sources.  I found that the test strips I bought from the local dealer were more than double what I coiuld buy them for on-line...something like $12 vs. less than $5 on-line.  And several on-line sources were in that price range.  So tell me why that kind of mark-up is necessary?

Again, not venting about local businesses...I support them as much as possible, but within logical reason.  I'm venting about unscrupulous business people taking advantage of unknowing customers.  If someone can show me why a 50% mark-up is necessary, I'll reconsider.  Sorry to hijack the thread.  BUT WAIT...I started the thread 

[Vinny]

Well, I don't just go anywhere - I go to Doc and he gives an important service with his forum, just as this is here! I support his store although not local. If I knew you sold items on-line and the price was good - I'd support you as well.

I don't go to my dealer for anything free. I paid to have my tub repaired. I didn't "beat up" my dealer when I bought the tub - she gave me the price and I paid it. I did buy filters and filter cleaner from her but paying over $20 (if I remember correctly it was $26) for 2 lbs of enhanced shock is just too steep for me. And it wasn't even Bioguard!

Heck, I have recommended them and would still recommend them if somebody wanted a tub.

What do you get for 2 lbs of chlorine or enhanced shock?

As I said in a previous post, I went to a local store in Delaware and bought dichlor ... it was $9 for a 1 lb bottle, I guess 2 lbs were a little less than $18 but it was 52% active ingredients vs 62% that Doc sells (or the 56% that can be had elsewhere as well). I had to use 3 teaspoons for the approximate equivalent dose that I get with Doc's stuff in 2.

I can see why being a local dealer that on-line, Walmart or some other faceless entity takes customers away from buying in your store bothers you. I would feel the same way if I had a store.

So the people that go online for chems...You find it ok to go to your dealer with jets coming out due to water balance issues or call your dealer for advice on water quality issues but you don't want to buy from them?

I cost's them for you to have that support yet you want them to work for free the rest of the time.

So to make it fair you want a deal on the spa that is so good the dealer doesn't make money, you don't want to pay for any trip fees, you don't want to have any incidental charges of any kind during your ownership and you want free advice.

Sorry, this is just a major frustration to me...Support your dealer so they can support you!

[knightcap]

Doc -- thanks for the reply.  All of my items did arrive.  Its funny that Murphy hit me so hard on two orders in a row, but i think I've experienced that elsewhere in my life!  The cover is working out fine -- fits like a glove, looks good, and I've noticed it keeps the water hotter.  I typically keep it at 98, and turn it up to 103 about 20 minutes before entering.  With this cover, it heats up a lot faster.  Since my OEM cover wore out in about 2.5 years, I'm hoping to get more years out of this one -- hence the need for the 303.

[wmccall]

The 303 is a good example of markups at local dealers.  I first tried it as a local dealer and paid around $24 for it.  One of my customer's is a boat dealer, he had the same bottle for $14.  I do support my local dealer in this case, just not the hot tub dealer.

[stuart]

Last night a customer came in the store at closing time, brought his filter in for his Tiger River to show a problem with his water (Rust on the filter).

He had several questions about his spa (which he didn't buy from us) Then wanted a new filter and a Nature 2 cartridge but didn't want to buy them from me...he actually asked me if I knew of anyplace online to buy them cheaper!!!!!!!!!

[In Canada eh]

So the people that go online for chems...You find it ok to go to your dealer with jets coming out due to water balance issues or call your dealer for advice on water quality issues but you don't want to buy from them?

I cost's them for you to have that support yet you want them to work for free the rest of the time.

So to make it fair you want a deal on the spa that is so good the dealer doesn't make money, you don't want to pay for any trip fees, you don't want to have any incidental charges of any kind during your ownership and you want free advice.

Sorry, this is just a major frustration to me...Support your dealer so they can support you!

Stuart,

  I do support my dealer, I buy all chems and other pool and spa stuff from them always.  I have only purchased a Taylor kit and replacement reagents from Doc because Canadian prices on Taylor stuff is insane, 3X more.  Doc sells the 2005 kit for $50 US plus shipping, I was quoted $135 from a Taylor dealer here in town, this price was not from my dealer as they do not carry Taylor products 

  I agree with you that we all should support our dealer for the reasons you mentioned but sometimes it just doesn't make sense