Are you having anxiety over making a spa purchase?

[zzaphod42]

Hmmm let's see...I sell D/C a hot tub below my bottom line for whatever reason - possibly to shut him up.

I hope to create a repeat customer in the way of chemicals/accessories etc...

Plus, I hope that because he has taken so long to purchase, friends and family will view him as an astute shopper, and it will create some referrals for me.

And what does this get me?

1) The WORST type of "service" customer - Within the first two weeks I will receive a phone call to be told that because his water is cloudy the tub is broken and he expects someone out there YESTERDAY!!!! It doesn't matter if he hasn't added any bromine/chlorine in the last four days and had a big party 2 days ago. He spent $7500.00 on the hot tub!!!

2) Not only that, but I am charging more than Walmart/Costco/Home Depot for the same chemicals, and he expects a discount or he will take his business elseware. What do you mean there are different QUALITIES of chemicals???

3) The first thing D/C does is wave his bill of sale around to show what a good deal he got!!! Now if I want to make a sale, I have to lower my prices below the margins necessary to stay in business, and do without chemical/accessory sales entirely.

And the point to all this...

Tank you D/C for living far away; wanting a different brand; and therefore, not wasting my time when I have REAL, QUALIFIED, POTENTIAL customers in my store.

Wow, that felt great!

Joe

P.S. I consider typing this post time well spent

[ltank]

Does Romans 8:28 mention having the "balls"......

Ro 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

It doesn't mention balls, hot tub's, or dealers. Point?
By the way, no religious debate, it's about tubs, OK?

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

bodguy, buddy, at 25% I hate to be the one to tell you, but you;re working every 4th year for free *gulp*

LISTEN UP FELLOW SPA DEALERS, this weekend, polish up your new Rolls Royces, we're meeting at the Malibu beach mansion for our monthly party. And yes, as always there will be the BIG name performers and pound after pound of imported caviar catered to us. If time permits we might even take our lear jets to Paris on Sunday for lunch......... I think the Queen of England can join us this time as well (remember last time we extended for a weeks shopping trip throughout Europe? The wife still reminds me with a sparkle of all the jewels she bought).

[bodguy]

How is paying 100% markup a great price on a spa??

Oh well!  I will find my Cameo with options at a justifiable price - some day.  Some day my dealer will discover his conscious![/qu

The great price is I haven't seen one sold cheaper on these boards. And if you can buy a spa in the lower price range on these boards then you've done your research and got a great deal

And I'm not saying I paid 100% markup, I said around 35%.  


You've said in an earlier post you have a deal on the table for an Optima at $7900, and your trying to get em down to $7500.  $7900 is a great price for that tub....buy it today....but buy it knowing your paid $7900 for a tub that cost the dealer about $5000.


BTW Know Im 100% sure you are Needsaspa

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

bodguy, check your private messages please

[zacman]

good post - I think it will reflect what many have gone thru.  If I ever get within $400 of a price others here have paid I would buy. What bothers me is that I live in California and the prices I am being quoted by dealers - for spas manufactured in California, - are from $1500 to $2000 more - with similar packages - and sometimes the others have even had more more thrown into their deals.  I have not bought yet because I would have buyers remorse immediately knowing I paid more for a California mfg'd spa than those on the east coast.  

[Steve]

 Its time for this nonsense to end.  

MY POINT EXACTLY ! Could we make it THIS POST?

Gag me!  

I got $500.00 for the person that does.

Steve

[poolboy34]

ok....dazed and confused.............u need to get out of the communist society you live in and finally embrace capitalism!!!!!  And for god sakes either buy your GD spa or start your own spa dealership so you will finally realize what it ACTUALLY costs to run a business.  just b/c a dealer buys a spa for X amount of dollars doesn't mean that that is his TRUE cost.  True cost takes into account ALL costs of running a business.  But I guess that is one thing that will NEVER change with you, b/c you are better then everyone else who works hard for their money therefore you deserve extra special treatment/pricing.  Well good luck getting your NEW cameo.  Oh and have fun soaking in your NEIGHBORS tub, b/c by the looks of it you won't have one of your own for a very long time.

[bodguy]

Do you work in the Accounting dep't?

No, I'm currently the Government Furnished Equipment Coordinator and Combat Sytems Test Coordinator for the US Coast Guard's  new 421 foot cutters, the WMSL, (Marine Security Cutter Large), that we are building in Pascagoula, MS. With the size of our budget I should be in accounting though (several billion dollar project)

[spahappy]

Hey needsaspa I mean, Dazedandconfused, Call Jerry at Spas Ect. in Bismarck N. D. He's just the kind of Sundance dealer you're looking for!

You'll more than likely get the deal and knowledge you so crave about spas. You can rent a trailor drive 1000+ miles to pick it up, haul it home, pay 2.00 at the gas pump.

After haggling with all the electricians in you tri-state area you'll find one to hook it up.

In the perfect world you'll never need service and you will be the king.

However in the real world you will have a service issue. Now you'll go back to all the Sundance dealers you've been hastling the last few months. The lucky ones will see you pulling up and punch out for lunch. The others will listen to your complaints.

Being the professionals they are, and knowing how persistant you are they will agree to service your spa.

You'll go on the service list and guess where on the list you'll be!


Spahappyl

[HotTubMan]

Poolboy? Do you mean to suggest that there is a difference between gross profit and net profit? A difference between profit margin and mark up?

Had to ask

[poolboy34]

I know right?  Imagine that!!!!    Companies have EXPENSES and BILLS, that have to be paid, wow, what a concept...................

[stuart]

Wow!
This is a heated post! Lets forget the wholesale cost of the spa and break this down a bit more;

1. Freight on a spa shipped to a dealer can range anywhere from $100 to $500 and it seems to change every shipment.

2. A spa dolly trailer costs about $3000 and you seem to have to replace the lights, pins and handles once a month that adds about $200 a month to the cost when you figure labor.

3. The chemical kit that you "give away" with the spa cost anywhere from $50 to $150 depending on how weak the salesman was at the time.

4. The steps run about $50 to $150 with shipping dependant on which ones.

5. The coverlift that the salesman "threw in" without building value is between $100 and $200

6. The replacement panel that got damaged on delivery and had to be replaced was around $200 with the trip and labor costs.

7. The training for the guy "hanging out" at the customers house to give them a chemical seminar was priceless not to mention the hourly wage for him and the people in the store to answer the same questions over and over again that you paid someone to teach the customer already.

8. I couldn't even begin to tell you all of the costs the dealer has to "eat" when a cover is damaged and you have know idea how (could have come that way) but you take care of the customer.

Now add to that the overhead, the store rent, the advertising to get you into the store in the first place, the cost of buying and maintaining the vehicles. Oh and we haven't even begun to talk about the fact that spas are heavy and we pay workman’s comp now and then for people getting hurt.

I could go on and on but hopefully you get my drift. If a dealer is getting a 100% markup somewhere I would love to meet them, their incredible salespeople and my hero's. Their are a world of dealers out there that can't even break even with a 30% mark up after all of the additional expenses hit. (or should I say there were)

[Mendocino101]

good post - I think it will reflect what many have gone thru.  If I ever get within $400 of a price others here have paid I would buy. What bothers me is that I live in California and the prices I am being quoted by dealers - for spas manufactured in California, - are from $1500 to $2000 more - with similar packages - and sometimes the others have even had more more thrown into their deals.  I have not bought yet because I would have buyers remorse immediately knowing I paid more for a California mfg'd spa than those on the east coast.  

What part of California are you from....The cost of doing business here just like the cost of living is much higher than most of the country....2000.00 is out of line....but in my search I have found the average cost difference paid for a spa is usually very close to 500.00....what spas are you looking at...

[zacman]

Cenral Valley - Fresno - Visalia area.  I have looked at a lot of different models, but now looking closely at Sundance Optima, HS Vanguard, and Jacuzzi J 365.  Also liked a Dimension One model, but that one was really a lot higher.  I am ready to purchase and will probably make an offer to buy the Vanguard or Optima at a stated price and see if  I can make the deal.  I am not in any hurry, so unless the price seems fair I will wait and keep looking - I can wait as I have a number of other things I can do now instead of making ready for a spa but ultimately will purchase something. . ..