Thermospas -vs- the Competition

[Mendocino101]

Jeff,

Please do not distort what I replied to... what I made mention of is your "wet test" comment.... not anything about weather a dealer may or may not lie or misrepresent their product.... now you write...

 “I think the wet-test can be manipulated in so many ways that it usually is worthless"

That is spoken exactly like someone who sells a product that cannot be wet tested.... funny thing about wet testing. It is about the one thing that 99% of the people on these boards can agree about...wet test before you buy.... also “most dealers” that I know and show rooms I have been in always help get you started, showing you how the tub operates and than will give you and who ever you are with the time to explore the spa on your own…unless of course what you mean is that they use wireless remotes to really put the stickings to those in the tub with all their deceit and manipulations…. I have never had the pleasure of having a thermo spa salesmen at my home…I have heard some interesting tales… but to be fair if I can get one out here I am going to do so…..so that I can know for myself..if the stories are true.... if the games start that I think just might…If and I truly mean if.. the movie “Tin Men” has any similarities with the sales close…. well it will make for an interesting evening… Oh by the way…I sell used cars….

[wmccall]

(told ya so!)

Thermospas was just given an award from the National Spa and Pool Institute that states they did more !

I've just formed a new group and I'll register the name. Its called American Society of excellence in consumer spa engineering.  Who wants to buy my award, and the right to use the logo in their advertisiting?

[Tubber]

"Thermospas may have the best warranty in the industry... most companies warranty their pumps/blowers/heaters for 3-5 years.  With Thermospas it's a 10 year warranty.  Shell structure is covered for 20 years, and they offer a generous trade-in policy!"


Now sit down and read the actual warranty. It is a limitited warranty. The 20,10 and 5 year are all looking good until you get to the second sentence of every one. When it becomes pro rated. I will dig out my copy to prove this.

If Thermo Spas service is so great and we happen to have a factory in CT. How come our company has two former thermo spa service techs, who oh my gosh became certified after they started working for us. Not a requirement with Therom spa.

Sure Thermo Spas can put a jet anywhere you want and they can put 90 jets in a tubs. Thats becuase they are not ISO 9001. Pinpoint jets are of no use in a tub unless you want to feel pinpoints when your in it.


"Who do you want to believe?  A Thermospas competitor on a internet forum, or the Arthritis Foundation, National Spa and Pool Institute, and Consumer Digest? "

Thats all paid advertisement, there are no actual true ratings of Hot Tubs by any 100% impartial party.

I'd call for an in home with a Thermo Spas sales rep but I'm afraid I might be convinced or brain washed into buying one.  

[Lori]

wmccall, you crack me up!  

Jeff,

Sorry, but your comments on wet testing are just way off, in my opinion.  If I hadn't wet tested, I would have bought a spa that I floated around in instead of getting the therapy to the places I need it!

ALL of the dealers I visited and wet tested spas from explained the basics of operation to me.  Then they left me to my own devices.  I tried every button, twisted the face of every jet (that could be twisted), turned every diverter this way and that, in essence, I tried to use the tub as I would in my own back yard!!!

I think you are way off base on the wet testing issue.  I, for one, am glad I wet tested.  I wouldn't buy a tub that I couldn't wet test.  Floating around in a swimming pool is one thing, but in a spa, ugh!!!

[CalicoskiesNC]

I agree w/Lori.  When we wet tested, we had a few min. with the dealer then we were left alone to play and figure out stuff without being watched.  The Jacuzzi guy left us alone for over 15min and didnt come back till we were toweling off.  The SD/SW left us in tubs by ourselves but he was still in showroom, just not hovering.  We found that being tall people we eliminated tubs we had thought we liked just becuz they were tight or had little foot room or loungers that we couldnt be comfy in.  

[wmccall]

wmccall, you crack me up!  

Jeff,

Sorry, but your comments on wet testing are just way off, in my opinion.  

Well, we didn't wet test beyond sticking our arms into the warm water and playing with the controls. We thought because we had used several spas of friends we knew what we wanted/needed.   But I will submit wet testing, where available, is the way to go.  But the idea of buying a spa site unseen seems to be the absolute definition of absurd.

[Brewman]

  But the idea of buying a spa site unseen seems to be the absolute definition of absurd.

Boy did you hit the nail on the head there!  Imagine plunking down thousands of dollars on something like this blindly.  Talk about a leap of faith!
Brewman

[jeff_redden]

   To those who have reponded, what about the difference in wet-testing a tub in a warm showroom versus how it actually performs when it's outside in the snow on a 10 degree night?  I guess everyone will reply that cold-air induction just never happens.  
  And...why is it that everyone decided to talk only about the wet-test issue?  I reponded to the topics that dazedandconfused raised but have not seen the other topics receive the same level of comment that the wet-test question did.
  And regarding the ISO9000 certification...that's is something that is bought as well!  But has nothing to do with the end performance of a product, it is has to do with the organizational style of the business.  

[Gerrym]

  To those who have reponded, what about the difference in wet-testing a tub in a warm showroom versus how it actually performs when it's outside in the snow on a 10 degree night?  I guess everyone will reply that cold-air induction just never happens.  
   And...why is it that everyone decided to talk only about the wet-test issue?  I reponded to the topics that dazedandconfused raised but have not seen the other topics receive the same level of comment that the wet-test question did.
   And regarding the ISO9000 certification...that's is something that is bought as well!  But has nothing to do with the end performance of a product, it is has to do with the organizational style of the business.  

Jeff, sorry you are wrong again. ISO 9000 cannot be bought. I agree it can cost a lot of money to gain accreditation, but there is a difference.

[Chas]

Jeff,

No offense buddy, but you sure need to check your facts. I have not seen a post with as many errors in it in a long long time.

[Tubber]

Sorry Jeff but I'm very familiar with ISO 9001. No it cannot be bought.

I noticed how you did not touch on the Warraty I mentioned being PRO RATED.

I love selling against you guys ......

[Mendocino101]

Hey Jeff...

Can you help me with out this one please?

You said...
"Benefits of a Thermospa?  Local support that will always be there.  To debunk the greatest myth that dealers on the web try to spread, with Thermospas you have a support base that will never change."

So what’s going on, are you saying that perhaps with your "healing spa" as it is called.... what do you jump in and live forever.... because if I read what you said. Without taking it out context that.... once you become involved with thermospas.... unlike anything else in life, things do not change...people do not move....change jobs...retire...pass on...ohh I am sorry I think you addressed that with the "healing spa"...again it might be a good product I am calling for an appointment today...you should think about some of things you are saying before touting your product as the end all of spas...a guy named Jim does the same thing and well.... it is hard for anyone to actually take him seriously as well....

[Mendocino101]

Hey Jeff,

I am from So Cal...so please don't tease about those cold winter nights....the thought of being in a spa, out in the snow is so inviting...were lucky if the temps ever get into the 40's on cold nights.....

[Chas]

Hey Jeff,

I am from So Cal...so please don't tease about those cold winter nights....the thought of being in a spa, out in the snow is so inviting...were lucky if the temps ever get into the 40's on cold nights.....

Well, Mendocino, just be sure you're in a HotSpring, or one of the other fine tubs that recycles the heat from the jet pump - so the air going into the jets is NOT cold, even on one of those frigid 40 degree nights.

Of course, as you know, HotSpring doesn't put blowers on any of their tubs, so there is - again - no chance of blowing cold outside air into the tub.

I am building a place up in the mountains - right here in So Cal - and I'm thinking I might put a HotSpring spa in, because this place does get snow every winter! I'll let you know when we get it finished (most likely 2005) and you can come on up!

[Spatech_tuo]

For some reason, Spatech t.u.o. roams the industry message boards with a vengeance posting all types of negative things about Thermospas.  

I have never told anyone that I've had an issue with Thermospas. I've merely pointed out all the angry customers you seem to have. I'm not the one who creates a website to detail their problems with Thermospas. You've got customers doing that. You've got customers going out of their way to come here as well as to Dr Spa's site, to the poolandspas.com site and to the spahelp.com site to WARN others of their long drawn out problems with your company. They make it clear they want to make sure others don't fall into the predicament they find themselves in. It’s your customers, not me. I'm not going to feel guilty if I let others know that there are many posts regarding your customer service issues. On a post last week on spahelp.com I simply advised the person to do a search on all the sites for your company. You then followed that with a post telling how wonderful your company/product is and I again reposted that they should do a search (as they should do on all spa makers they're considering).

Why not try to find out why these customers are making these posts. Please don't try to tell us they are all crackpots or are lying, that won't work for you any better than it does for Jim A when he tries that route. Don't try to tell us Sundance and Hot Springs have the same issues as they sell 4 times the number of spas you have but I never see people starting websites to chronicle their issues nor do I see them making posts warning others not to buy the product they bought. They certainly have some issues but they resolve them and the customer doesn't feel a need to warn others to stay away. If someone comes here to tell us that Marquis, Hot Springs, Caldera, Beachcomber, Jacuzzi, Sundance, etc is a terrible product there are many owners that come to their defense. Where are the happy Thermospas customers? I’d expect to see them coming to the defense of your product to offset the many customers you seem to have who seem so disgruntled?