delt31-
I can understand your frustration with the process: One brand is inevitably tied to the dealer. And if the dealer isn't your cup of tea but the brand is, you're in a tight situation.
However, this industry is very small. Yes: You will find dealers that are looking to take advantage of the lack of education of the consumer. But that can be said of any industry. And if you are going to spend $5K or more for any item, it truly is up to the consumer to make sure you are spending it wisely, no?
If there was more demand for the product, there would be more familiarity of the product, better educated consumers, and more dealer options to find the same brands. Better quality dealers would survive and the lessor dealers would go under. But that is not, and has not been, the case in this industry.
I am fortunate to be working at the #1 pool store in my market but that wasn't given to us. We as a company work very hard to achieve and maintain that status. Thus, I appreciate a brand that stays loyal to me and allows me to carry their product and nobody else within said market.
The consumer/dealer relationship is symbiotic, but so is the manufacturer/dealer relationship: I represent their product well on the sales level and they reward me by not allowing anyone else to carry their product. *OR* I am heads and shoulders above the rest of the dealers in my market and am so valuable that only the best manufacturers will want me to carry their products and I get to choose accordingly.
There are pros and cons to everything. But I feel that though you had to brush up against some "cons" (pun intended!), you seemed to have chosen the right spa for you and your needs with a dealer you trust. All it took was some homework and due diligence.
I very much enjoy and encourage a healthy discussion among reasonable people and this forum tends to provide both. Thus your "rant" as you put it is not that at all- It helps remind me that the customer will always need guidance in finding what is best for them. I sell directly against the product you purchased, and you chose said product over the brand I sell. So this is a learning experience for me too, as I got to glean some intel on the competition and continued to learn the needs of the consumer all while not actually being a part of the process. I feel that everyone won in this situation.
Thank you for indulging me. Good luck moving forward with your purchase and happy hottubbing!
