Sundance Warranty Processing Fee?????

[Brewman]

So it all boils down to the individual dealer, regardless.
Brewman

[doodoo]

I phoned my dealer just now and got the same answer that spahappy gave. Sundance has not issued any such policy or directive.

From what I can see here is that your dealer is simply trying to dig into your pockets after sales.  It seems that you have tried your best to explain your discontent to your dealer with no results in good customer management. So, I agree, I would phone Sundance and complain to them and let your dealer know that you are doing this.  I would also document everything and send this to Sundance with a request that they do one of several things: 1) have the tub fixed at no charge to you to repair the serious damage that has been done; 2) have Sundance pick up the tub at their cost with a consideration for a reduction in the usage that you have had which should be small given the level of your frustration; 3) pay the charge and trash the dealer at every opportunity but I personally don't think Sundance would let it come to this.  

As a Sundance Optima owner I am not only shocked by this but deeply believe that Sundance has to step in and make things right.

[obi wan]

this sounds to very 100% dealer issue.
i am currently negotiating final price right now on a caldera niagra. local dealer, been here for 26 years, has sold hot springs/caldera/tiger river for 19 of those years, and will put it in writing that under warrantee, there is no trip charges, or out of pocket expenses at all.(with in 35 miles)
they even cover shipping of the whole spa back to the factory if local service guys cant repair it.
now its down to the fun part. trying to get the best value.....
wet tested a lot, and have been scouring the net for info and opinions, and i greatly appreciate all the info i have gotten here.
as a side note, i had asked several times about clearwater spas in washington. they make spas for several net brokers, AND as it turns out several Ebay comps also. ironically it was the photos on the ebay website (pinnacle spas)that closed them out for me. the photos of the access panel open, looks like something my kids put together.....  

[Max78]

After finally talking to the owner this is what I was told:
No, the warranty processing fee was not imposed by Sundance.  The salesman was mistaken about this.  Of course, this was after I told them I had spoken to Sundance and Sundance knew nothing about this new charge.  The new $45.00 fee is now store policy.  

Yes, when I purchased my spa in September of '04 the store policy was NO charges of any kind for warranty work.  And yes, they agreed that is what they told me.  But that was the policy then and effective the first of this year, the policy has changed.  They are going to charge this processing fee and mileage (although they were going to wave the mileage for this trip).

I feel the terms you sell a spa to a customer under should be honored for the length of the warranty not til you decide to change your mind.  I feel I have been deceived.  I had a long and heated conversation with the owner and we did not see eye to eye on this one.  I told him I felt I had been lied to but he did not see it that way.  He blamed it on increased costs that he had no control over.  No one has control over those things but you shouldn't tell a customer one thing then not honor that when the time comes to deliver on it.  After a long period of time he agreed to also waive the processing fee this time but could not do it in the future.  

I know dealers have a right to charge reasonable fees for warranty work.  But don't tell a customer when they purchase a spa that there will be no charges for warranty work then change it when they call for service (especially on a 5 month old spa).  

Am I being unreasonable when I expected the policy of NO charges during the warranty period to be for the life of the warranty and not just until they decided to change their policy??

[Spatech_tuo]

You have a written warranty. It states they can impose a trip charge. It says nothing of the other fee. I would politely let him know that I would not be paying it and that if needed I would get Sundance involved.

[Max78]

Not sure but I think this "Warranty Processing Fee" is his way of charging a trip charge.  Like I said, he can legally charge a fee.  My beef is I was told there would be NO fees of any type charged to perform warranty work when I purchased the spa.  He agrees I was told that.  Now he wants to charge.  It's more a matter of etchics.

[Chas]

HotSpring changed the amount they pay to dealers for warranty work several years ago. They simply kept paying the old fee until all of the tubs which were sold under that agreement finally went out of warranty. New spas, sold after the change date, paid at the new rate. It was that simple. During the change-over time, we had to remember which serial numbers got paid which labor amount.

As a dealer, if I add a surcharge, fuel charge, cost of living increase, trip charge or any other charge, it applies only to those customers who were told about it up front. The rest get the old deal until their warranty is done.

Now, that being said, I have had to ask a customer to wait several days so I could send the technician out once to a distant city instead of twice. Most of our folks understand something like this - but if I was ever pushed on it, I would have to admit that I didn't tell them about it up front and if it was a huge problem for them to wait, I would eat the cost of sending my guy out for two trips. (I don't charge trip charges).

[Max78]

After talking with the service tech yesterday, he had me try some different things while he was on the phone with me.  Had me turn off power, wait a bit, then turn it back on.  Had me turn circulation pump duration to zero (although circulation pump continued to run after this and did not shut off even after waiting awhile).  Temperature of the water was 103 according to the display and 2 pool thermometers I had put in the water (I had thermostat set at 98 ).  I also left the cover off for 7 hours the night before but temperature never dropped at any time.  He was puzzled and said he had was not sure what it could be.  He had me drain a few inches of water and refill.  That did bring the temperature down to about 77 when I powered it back up.  I set temp to 98 and set my circulation pump to 24 hours and filter cycles to one hour each (same as I've had them set since I got the tub 5 months ago).  Today, everything seems to be running normal.  Once the tub came up to 98 last night, it has remained there.  Called the service tech today and he is not sure why this happened.  He is not sure what drove the temperature up to 103 and kept it there.  He said water running through pumps creates friction which in turn generates heat but doesn't think all of that could have been from the circulation pump.

So I hope that is the end of this problem and it doesn't happen again.  But the point of this entire thing was the fee I was going to be charged that I was told I wouldn't be charged when I purchased the tub.  So far, I haven't been charged anything since everything was done on the phone.  

Chas, I wish you had been my dealer.  To honor the terms you sold a tub under til the warranty expires is, to me, only good business.  To sell someone a tub and tell them there is NO charge for warranty work (trip charge or mileage - which the owner admitted I was told when I purchased the tub) then change your policy 3 months later and expect them to pay charges is extremely bad business.

[East_TX_Spa]

Man, that is very poor customer service to change their policy and not honor their agreement with you.

We have a huge service area (all of Northeast Texas and Northwest Louisiana) and we have never charged a trip fee (for warranty work).  Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and give a little extra to keep your customers happy.

CEO

[PoolToSpa]

I totally agree, we have been in business 13 years and have never charged a service call for warranty work

[drober30]

This was an interesting thread!  

I have not asked for an explanation yet but the paperwork that the local HS dealer uses states
"All warranty work to be performed on the premises of Lifestyles" I will definitely have to get them to explain this to me.

[ndabunka]

I am shocked also.  This dealer has been in business for 16 years and came highly recommended.  I specifically questioned him regarding ANY charges during the warranty period.  I was told there would not be any charges during the warranty period and there would be NO mileage charged either.  But today they said they would charge the $45.00 warranty processing fee for paperwork which Sundance supposedly implemented this year PLUS they wanted to charge me .30 cents a mile for anything over 20 miles.  I live 80-90 miles away!  I was told they could waive the mileage since it was their policy but couldn't waive the warranty processing fee since that was imposed by Sundance.  I am extremely frustrated and feel I am getting stung big time.  I still need to talk to the owner directly plus I am going to speak to Sundance.  I feel that part of the price you pay is for the warranty and you should not be charged any extra fees.  Otherwise, I could have purchased a cheaper spa, banked the extra money and drew interest on it and used that money for any repairs.
Are there any Sundance dealers on this board who are aware of this new processing fee???  Or is my dealer just trying to make a little extra on warranty work???

If someone told you there was no cost for warrnaty when you bought it 5 months ago..... Have you talked to THAT specific person?  If it was a salesman who is no longer there, then you should talk directly to the owner. The GM is trying to break even at the cost of future business (What are the odds you'll need another spa in less than 5 more years)? Talk to the OWNER ONLY! Point him to this website. Let them know that your comments on here CAN effect his business directly. If all else fails call you local TV channel "action 9" reporter...

[Max78]

I have talked to the owner directly.  We were on the phone for almost an hour the other day because of this.  He agrees with me that I was told there would be NO charges for warranty work when I purchased the spa in August of last year.  He said that was their policy at that time.  However, I was not informed that the policy was going to change on 1/1/05 and he knows I was not told about this.  He says that in order to continue giving excellent customer service they now need to charge a processing fee and mileage to do warranty work.  IMO, in order to give excellent customer service you should honor the terms that were in effect when you sold the spa.    

[Brewman]

Didn't your dealer first claim that this $45 warranty fee was from Sundance?  If so, that would make me madder than anything else, trying to shift the blame.
Brewman

[Max78]

A salesperson claimed it was from Sundance.  Later, when I questioned that salesperson again about the fee he said  it was from Sundance.  I then told  him I had spoken with Sundance and they knew nothing about a new fee.  After that, the owner called and said the salesperson was mistaken about the fee being from Sundance.  The new fee was from their store.