anyone have any experience with Signature USA spas?

[Tman122]

Just in case anyone is reading the bad reviews ...I am responding to get my educated opinion on record regarding signature spas USA.  As a 20+ year professional in the pool and spa business i have read through reviews and comments about this brand which i  do currently sell. To call them junk or junky is a bit unfair.  Under that blanket there are many many spas and hot tubs following the same format of construction and have for years so they too would qualify as junk. (not really) The crazy part is 20 years ago we sold tubs built the same way with the same (or similar pumps/controls) for MORE money.  The best thing can say to my customers is that signature is built the same or better then spas sold in the late 90's  and with the discount off MSRP (which only supposed high end brands get anyway) they are a reasonable purchase price.
That being said people do not want to spend 10-12K on a spa.... as a former ELITE SPA (by maax) dealer we would be stuck with spas because people would not want to spend 7-8k on a spa which is a great deal on those spas.  Most people want a spa that is good enough. That, in my opinion, is where signature spas comes in.  It is sold through select dealers.  It has a two year main warranty.  Hey people! The warranty is in place to cover defects and some of the cost of replacing parts under that defect.  Most things that go wrong are misuse and abuse with chemicals etc.. Or just zero understanding of how your spa works.  Signature spas actually have you tube videos of how to fix the most common problems.  I also agree that calling a manufacture sometimes is a bad idea.  The consumer is not their direct customer, so call your sales person.  If they know what they are doing they should be able to help faster.

Bottom line is BUYER BEWARE !! Honestly if price is your final factor in hot tub purchase you will get what you pay for.  But if a good operating spa with some nice fun features is what you want then signature spas usa is not the worst choice you can make.  There are a lot of horrible tubs out there so watch out. 

If you want the best spa??  Decide what you really, really want and stop at the lowest price that really satisfies your need.  It might just have cost more then you thought??     Also ,any veteran of this industry that reads this would have to agree with me. (at least the majority of my info)

I agree with you, there are a lot of crappy tubs out there. And 99% of the time it's reflected in the price.

[Hottubguy]

Just in case anyone is reading the bad reviews ...I am responding to get my educated opinion on record regarding signature spas USA.  As a 20+ year professional in the pool and spa business i have read through reviews and comments about this brand which i  do currently sell. To call them junk or junky is a bit unfair.  Under that blanket there are many many spas and hot tubs following the same format of construction and have for years so they too would qualify as junk. (not really) The crazy part is 20 years ago we sold tubs built the same way with the same (or similar pumps/controls) for MORE money.  The best thing can say to my customers is that signature is built the same or better then spas sold in the late 90's  and with the discount off MSRP (which only supposed high end brands get anyway) they are a reasonable purchase price.
That being said people do not want to spend 10-12K on a spa.... as a former ELITE SPA (by maax) dealer we would be stuck with spas because people would not want to spend 7-8k on a spa which is a great deal on those spas.  Most people want a spa that is good enough. That, in my opinion, is where signature spas comes in.  It is sold through select dealers.  It has a two year main warranty.  Hey people! The warranty is in place to cover defects and some of the cost of replacing parts under that defect.  Most things that go wrong are misuse and abuse with chemicals etc.. Or just zero understanding of how your spa works.  Signature spas actually have you tube videos of how to fix the most common problems.  I also agree that calling a manufacture sometimes is a bad idea.  The consumer is not their direct customer, so call your sales person.  If they know what they are doing they should be able to help faster.

Bottom line is BUYER BEWARE !! Honestly if price is your final factor in hot tub purchase you will get what you pay for.  But if a good operating spa with some nice fun features is what you want then signature spas usa is not the worst choice you can make.  There are a lot of horrible tubs out there so watch out. 

If you want the best spa??  Decide what you really, really want and stop at the lowest price that really satisfies your need.  It might just have cost more then you thought??     Also ,any veteran of this industry that reads this would have to agree with me. (at least the majority of my info)

I will touch on a few things here
1) signature is junk. The factory where they are made has been in and out of business a number of times over the last few years.  They are poorly insulated and don't support their dealers on warranty issues. I know 2 people who sold this line and it lasted a very short period of time until they wised up
2) you say people don't want to spend 7k-8k for a hot tub. If you sell on longevity with a good service department and are customer service oriented people spend more then that. I just did a show last weekend and my average ticket was $8500. That number was dragged down by a few Nordic Hot Tubs I sold
3) if your customer has zero understanding of how there Spa works then maybe you should educate them on them when you sell them one.  If it's related to poor chemical issues then again educate them.
4). People don't want to buy junk. People want to sell quality and to be successful in this business you need to partner with a manufacturer who promotes quality, who supports your warranty and on your end you need to educate your buyer. I suggest to you that you either find better salespeople or get some education for yourself on giving the customers a better experience

[The Wizard of Spas]

I'm roped into LPI (Manufacturer of Signature Spas, Dr. Wellness, etc) now as I have been a longtime Catalina Spas and Catalina Swim Spas dealer (over 25 years) and LPI just bought out Catalina from Boyd Cargill.  Thus- I am now hearing all about this organization.

Take this as neither an endorsement nor a damnation of the company, as I am still new to this relationship:

LPI has new ownership and a new 311,000 square foot facility.  They're now manufacturing their own plumbing and their own cabinets, and everything there is automated.  Furthermore- Though Catalina Spas isn't well known outside of California and the Pacific Time Zone, they've been in business for 40 years and have always built a quality tub in the various aspects in which you would judge a tub.  LPI has vowed to not alter the construction process or parts used on Catalina Spas, has imported former staff from the factory in California to the new factory in Tennessee, and has streamlined the number of units produced while greatly reducing the pricing on their units across the board.

Thats the "encouraging" news.

Catalina Spas shut its doors on December 15 so I wasn't able to get any units past mid November.  LPI didn't even roll out pricing until mid-January and the communication was poor via my rep.  To be fair:  They had to set up the factory and it does take a lot to review a brand and decide what you're going to produce, what you're going to be charging, what new parts you have to purchase, and the rep was learning a totally new brand, etc. but still.  They set up a dealer summit and were offering a free flight and hotel room for us to visit the new plant.  Then that got bumped a week back.  So we rescheduled.  Then they cancelled on us altogether as they overbooked and it seemed they put preference on their new dealers.  US: a dealer of both their hot tubs and swim spas lines for over 25 years.  Fine.  Whatever.  But now I have a home show upcoming and the rep, again, promised if we ordered early February that they'd have our units in for the show.  Now I've been told that my total shipment wont make it in time.  They're working to get me 2 tubs to showcase but its gonna be close if it even makes it at all.

Thats the "discouraging" news.

Much should be said when a company changes ownership and builds possibly the largest facility for manufacturing in the industry.  As a rational person, I have to keep an open mind.

But the transition of my cherished brand hasn't gone as well as I had hoped. 

I am glad I carry another major manufacturer of acrylic tubs that offers 5 lines and that I also carry a rotomold brand as well to fall back on if things don't work out.  I also have two swim spa lines that would on-deck if I decided to go another route.  But I also believe that LPI deserves a chance.  Not infinite slack but a chance.

Thus- I wanted to share my experience as a dealer and offer a reasoned response to both the positives and negatives that has developed since this thread was started.

Thanks for reading my ridiculously long post. 

[BullFrogSpasMN]

I'm roped into LPI (Manufacturer of Signature Spas, Dr. Wellness, etc) now as I have been a longtime Catalina Spas and Catalina Swim Spas dealer (over 25 years) and LPI just bought out Catalina from Boyd Cargill.  Thus- I am now hearing all about this organization.

Take this as neither an endorsement nor a damnation of the company, as I am still new to this relationship:

LPI has new ownership and a new 311,000 square foot facility.  They're now manufacturing their own plumbing and their own cabinets, and everything there is automated.  Furthermore- Though Catalina Spas isn't well known outside of California and the Pacific Time Zone, they've been in business for 40 years and have always built a quality tub in the various aspects in which you would judge a tub.  LPI has vowed to not alter the construction process or parts used on Catalina Spas, has imported former staff from the factory in California to the new factory in Tennessee, and has streamlined the number of units produced while greatly reducing the pricing on their units across the board.

Thats the "encouraging" news.

Catalina Spas shut its doors on December 15 so I wasn't able to get any units past mid November.  LPI didn't even roll out pricing until mid-January and the communication was poor via my rep.  To be fair:  They had to set up the factory and it does take a lot to review a brand and decide what you're going to produce, what you're going to be charging, what new parts you have to purchase, and the rep was learning a totally new brand, etc. but still.  They set up a dealer summit and were offering a free flight and hotel room for us to visit the new plant.  Then that got bumped a week back.  So we rescheduled.  Then they cancelled on us altogether as they overbooked and it seemed they put preference on their new dealers.  US: a dealer of both their hot tubs and swim spas lines for over 25 years.  Fine.  Whatever.  But now I have a home show upcoming and the rep, again, promised if we ordered early February that they'd have our units in for the show.  Now I've been told that my total shipment wont make it in time.  They're working to get me 2 tubs to showcase but its gonna be close if it even makes it at all.

Thats the "discouraging" news.

Much should be said when a company changes ownership and builds possibly the largest facility for manufacturing in the industry.  As a rational person, I have to keep an open mind.

But the transition of my cherished brand hasn't gone as well as I had hoped. 

I am glad I carry another major manufacturer of acrylic tubs that offers 5 lines and that I also carry a rotomold brand as well to fall back on if things don't work out.  I also have two swim spa lines that would on-deck if I decided to go another route.  But I also believe that LPI deserves a chance.  Not infinite slack but a chance.

Thus- I wanted to share my experience as a dealer and offer a reasoned response to both the positives and negatives that has developed since this thread was started.

Thanks for reading my ridiculously long post.

Maybe the acquisition will help things...please report back when you need to file a warranty claim, that will tell you if things have improved...I got so tired of the 'lip service' I was getting I broke down and ordered (3) covers out of pocket from another company to cover warranty claims

[Sam]

The company that makes signature spas has a long history of shady business tactics and changing brand names to hide from their reputation.  That's all I need to know to draw my conclusion.  You can be successful in business by doing things the right way.  I have zero tolerance for companies that use dishonest tactics and / or condone them being done in their name.  I lump this company in the category of master spas and cal spas.  There are way better companies out there to choose from who do things right and take care of their customers properly.  Companies that don't use warranty fine print to remove accountability.


/rant

[Tman122]

The company that makes signature spas has a long history of shady business tactics and changing brand names to hide from their reputation.  That's all I need to know to draw my conclusion.  You can be successful in business by doing things the right way.  I have zero tolerance for companies that use dishonest tactics and / or condone them being done in their name.  I lump this company in the category of master spas and cal spas.  There are way better companies out there to choose from who do things right and take care of their customers properly.  Companies that don't use warranty fine print to remove accountability.


/rant

No one even noticed my sudtle insult above....

[Foxy]

If you are looking at Arctic Spas Ocean it is a great spa and the way they are insulated very energy efficient.Would also take a look at their self automated salt water chlorine generated system as well called Spa Boy. Arctic also is the only company that you can always upgrade as new technology and features come out so that you do not have to trade your spa in to keep up with new technology that comes out.
If you find the Arctic Ocean too big you may also want to take a look at the Arctic Tundra which is an 8 ft model with a huge footwell area and wide open and accommodates 8 people comfortably.

[BullFrogSpasMN]

I'm roped into LPI (Manufacturer of Signature Spas, Dr. Wellness, etc) now as I have been a longtime Catalina Spas and Catalina Swim Spas dealer (over 25 years) and LPI just bought out Catalina from Boyd Cargill.  Thus- I am now hearing all about this organization.

Take this as neither an endorsement nor a damnation of the company, as I am still new to this relationship:

LPI has new ownership and a new 311,000 square foot facility.  They're now manufacturing their own plumbing and their own cabinets, and everything there is automated.  Furthermore- Though Catalina Spas isn't well known outside of California and the Pacific Time Zone, they've been in business for 40 years and have always built a quality tub in the various aspects in which you would judge a tub.  LPI has vowed to not alter the construction process or parts used on Catalina Spas, has imported former staff from the factory in California to the new factory in Tennessee, and has streamlined the number of units produced while greatly reducing the pricing on their units across the board.

Thats the "encouraging" news.

Catalina Spas shut its doors on December 15 so I wasn't able to get any units past mid November.  LPI didn't even roll out pricing until mid-January and the communication was poor via my rep.  To be fair:  They had to set up the factory and it does take a lot to review a brand and decide what you're going to produce, what you're going to be charging, what new parts you have to purchase, and the rep was learning a totally new brand, etc. but still.  They set up a dealer summit and were offering a free flight and hotel room for us to visit the new plant.  Then that got bumped a week back.  So we rescheduled.  Then they cancelled on us altogether as they overbooked and it seemed they put preference on their new dealers.  US: a dealer of both their hot tubs and swim spas lines for over 25 years.  Fine.  Whatever.  But now I have a home show upcoming and the rep, again, promised if we ordered early February that they'd have our units in for the show.  Now I've been told that my total shipment wont make it in time.  They're working to get me 2 tubs to showcase but its gonna be close if it even makes it at all.

Thats the "discouraging" news.

Much should be said when a company changes ownership and builds possibly the largest facility for manufacturing in the industry.  As a rational person, I have to keep an open mind.

But the transition of my cherished brand hasn't gone as well as I had hoped. 

I am glad I carry another major manufacturer of acrylic tubs that offers 5 lines and that I also carry a rotomold brand as well to fall back on if things don't work out.  I also have two swim spa lines that would on-deck if I decided to go another route.  But I also believe that LPI deserves a chance.  Not infinite slack but a chance.

Thus- I wanted to share my experience as a dealer and offer a reasoned response to both the positives and negatives that has developed since this thread was started.

Thanks for reading my ridiculously long post.

any updates on this? I've already heard from a trusted source they are having troubles filling orders on time, over promises, etc?

[The Wizard of Spas]

I now know what it is like to deal with a junior operation. 

LPI has been very difficult to work with from the onset.  They dropped pricing on their spas and swim spas as it pertains to the Catalina Spas product line.  The pricing is incredible.  Seriously- Y'all would flip if you saw what I could sell swim spas for.  But since they have better margins on swim spas they've made that a priority when it comes to manufacturing.  Additionally, all their new dealers got preference over long-standing dealers so I have yet to get what I ordered from January.

I do not have a sales rep.

I do not have regular communication so I have to always follow up- And that seems like an inconvenience to them when I do.

I have no idea if their quality is the same:  I have not received a tub yet but they assure us they're not built differently.

I do not know who to contact when I have questions.

This is such a shame b/c Catalina Spas- A brand not really known to most people- is an awesome brand in both tubs and swim spas.  But man LPI really makes you want to hate them.

I have no idea what I did wrong or how Signature Spas dealers achieve satisfaction.  I really would love to know so I can learn the secrets and apply them to me.

I am very pleased I brought in Artesian Spas and Tuff Spas to hedge against this very thing.

[Hottubguy]

I now know what it is like to deal with a junior operation. 

LPI has been very difficult to work with from the onset.  They dropped pricing on their spas and swim spas as it pertains to the Catalina Spas product line.  The pricing is incredible.  Seriously- Y'all would flip if you saw what I could sell swim spas for.  But since they have better margins on swim spas they've made that a priority when it comes to manufacturing.  Additionally, all their new dealers got preference over long-standing dealers so I have yet to get what I ordered from January.

I do not have a sales rep.

I do not have regular communication so I have to always follow up- And that seems like an inconvenience to them when I do.

I have no idea if their quality is the same:  I have not received a tub yet but they assure us they're not built differently.

I do not know who to contact when I have questions.

This is such a shame b/c Catalina Spas- A brand not really known to most people- is an awesome brand in both tubs and swim spas.  But man LPI really makes you want to hate them.

I have no idea what I did wrong or how Signature Spas dealers achieve satisfaction.  I really would love to know so I can learn the secrets and apply them to me.

I am very pleased I brought in Artesian Spas and Tuff Spas to hedge against this very thing.

Unfortunately that's not surprising to me. I talked to them at one point because of their wholesale pricing. I quickly realized they weren't a company I wanted to deal with. About the only thing about them I liked was the sales rep who does the national shows. She didn't know much about hot tubs but I'm sure any others that attend the national shows would know what I liked about her