Shopping for a Hot Tub? What brought you in?

[J._McD]

Many shoppers are willing to travel to see and sit in different Hot Tubs, some as much as 100 miles away.  

The question I have is, what is the most common method of advertising that you respond to?  Or, how do you or did find the places that you shop or buy your Hot Tub from?  Radio, TV, Print Ads, Yellow Pages, Internet, Drive by?  

How long do you expect it to take, or did it take to find the right Tub?  And, what was the deal clincher, how easy was it to make that decision?  

Thank you for your Contribution.

[Guttboy]

J McD,

I dont respond to advertising.  We derived our information from this board and from friends that owned hot tubs.

The way we found the hot tub dealers were from the internet locators on the individual dealer websites.

I fully expected it to take us a month to figure it all out.  Its been about a month now and we are finally narrowed down to what we think may be the one for us.  This has (will have) involved at least 2 wet tests on the two front runners.

Deal clincher....hmmmm....I can tell you what it will clinch it for me....that is the feel of the spa.  Bottom line.  And by wet testing a couple of times in each of the front runners really let us see/feel the differences between makers and will most likely cinch the deal in our minds.

To be honest price is an issue but not as big an issue as the feel.  Im not going to pay 9K on one maker to save 1 or 2 grand and go with the Lesser feel in our case.

Another BIG deal is access to the dealer/owner.  In each case with our top two choices I could get a hold of them in a second during business hours.  In the case of the Artesian dealer...that man has bent over backwards for us and tells me to call anytime...and I have!  He has been very very very helpful answering all our questions.

I hope that give you some insight to "our" purchasing mentality.

Regards

[Hankster]

For me, it's just a question of availability.  In my city, the dealers are Marquis, Hot Springs, Caldera, and Cal Spas.  There's a Coleman dealer about 70 miles away, and a Sundance dealer about 60 miles.  Almost nothing would induce me to go farther due to doubts about the level of service.

I found the list of which dealers are available from the Yellow Pages, but thanks to this forum have eliminated one brand from the list of those I am considering.  I have found the manufacturer's web sites to be very informative, and the information there has played a very big part in shaping the direction I am looking.

I still have not wet tested anything yet, as it is still a little premature for me, as we have not started construction on the new house yet.

[Guttboy]

Hankster,

A tip....wet testing prior to construction give you an EXCELLENT idea on what type of electrical you will need, where to place the panel and the spa, do you need patio concrete slab or deck.

We are in the construction phase now and the time is running out for us to have the builder put the subpanel where we want it.  Remember different makers have different requirements for power on the type of spa...

ok thread hijack over...sorry

[Vinny]

Knowing that Spring 2005 was my date to build a deck and put a spa on it, I started looking about a year ago.

I went to about a dozen dealers and looked at almost every brand that was around me (wife insists that I'm really over the top - I do research things to death). I have access to phone books for different areas and looked through them and did internet searches on manufacturer's websites to find what was around. I figured a 45 to 60 minute drive time was my territory (takes me 40 minutes to go 16 miles at rush hour) and as I called around I asked if the dealer would sell to me - never got a NO!

By reading a lot before even venturing out - I realized how important the dealer was in the purchasing decision and as I went around looking at tubs, I tried to get a feeling for the dealer. Also, I was also looking for a tub that will give me the most for my money.

Since I had no time limit, I didn't care how long it took. I would go out on a Saturday morning or after work.

I found the right tub by accident. Since I knew that I wouldn't be buying a tub until now, I stopped looking around. But in Oct of last year I had nothing to do one Sat and decided to take a ride to an Artesian dealer. I found  "THE TUB".

The deal clinchers - The dealer was honest, nice, knowledgeable and the tub is at the right price without haggling. The dealer didn't try to sell me more than I wanted to spend and I believe I got a fair deal. I discussed the deck plans and she suggested that I could put a deposit down to hold the price - NO other dealer suggested that they would hold the price and ALL told me that 2005 prices are going to increase.

Once the tub and dealer came together, the decision was easy. I did second guess myself due to the shorter warranty on the Island series vs the higher series and she flat out said I won't be needing the extra warranty time since the spas are built with the same components and quality as the higher end, I might have upgraded to a higher end spa and she "sold" me against it.

This is my long but true story

[Guttboy]

Vinny,

I guess I have to ammend my comments...we actually were researching tubs by checking out our friends tubs and comparing them!  Boy that was how we got on this kick in the first place.

BTW....so far the Artesian has been our top choice and I think by the next 2-3 weeks we will make the decision on what to get.

And....the only reason we even considered them is because Hottubber mentioned that they were great for hydrotherapy and I found the dealer over 100 miles away....have never regretted going up there!

Regards!

[SJK]

A few years ago my wife and I went to a co-worker's pool party, spent some time in his hot tub and have wanted one ever since.  Problem was, we never had the right space until we built a new home last fall.  With the money tapped out, the hot tub went to the back burner until two weeks ago when my wife came home and announced that the Beachcomber dealer near her work was having a sale.  We checked it out and came away with renewed enthusiasm.  The dealer's presentation was excellent and we had a good feeling about her; but it was the first time we had ever looked at a hot tub so we decided to look around at other dealer's products and do a little research.  That's when I discovered this site.
      I realize many of you guys are dealers as well, but I found the forum and reviews invaluable!  The clincher was a combination of this site and testing a tub we really liked, sold by a dealer we liked and trusted to take care of us after the sale.  In the end we came back to the Beachcomber, put a deposit down on a 730 and hope to be in it in the next two weeks.  Being real newbies, we hope we did our homework right and trust we made the right choice.  It all happened pretty fast.

[alwaysperky]

Interesting question. Since spa prices seem to be extreemly negotiable, I personally don't respond much to any of the current advertising which seems to be the typical "everythings on sale"  or "get a $1000 off". I don't believe I'll get anything more than the best price I can negotiate regardless of the ad.........so I don't fall for it.

What works well for me are those Saturday morning workshops or classes on how to do  something.  When I wanted to put in a paver patio, I went to an hour long deal on a Sat morning.  Learned all about the process and it gave me the confidence to do it on my own.  When ready, I went back and  purchased all my stuff from them.

I could see the same thing working with spas.  A no pressure group deal, that provides on overview of their spa's, and how to maintain water, some info on health benefits, maybe a chance to wet test, tips on placement, estimates on electric and pad.   IMO the dealer would learn quickly who's more serious than not based on the questions they ask.  Guests learn from each others questions and the dealer would have a chance to build a relationship with their potential customers in a comfortable, relaxed setting.  My suggestion is to build credibility this way and hopefully gain the confidence of the guests that your operation knows what it's doing, can help their customers navigate through the process, provide on going service and conducts business with the highest degree of integrity.

This patio place I mentioned sent me periodic letters with discount coupons.   Of course the difference is since the post their prices I was able to commit emotionally to the investment with my eyes wide open verses flinching at thought that the quote I got was $1000 higher than the bottom.

[wmccall]

Many shoppers are willing to travel to see and sit in different Hot Tubs, some as much as 100 miles away.  

The question I have is, what is the most common method of advertising that you respond to?  


There is one company in town that advertises on TV all the time. They buy canned ad footage that you see all over the country. Their store is really visible off a major interstate.

Another company is famous for thier pink delivery vehichles and they even include that in thier advertising,which is less often, but they are directly on my route home from work.

The thing they had in common was I knew at least one person who had bought from both and that I knew they had been around for awhile.

The next dealer we went to was located close to the first one so we killed two birds with one stone.

Finally, the store we bought from was sort of infamous in our area. Many years ago when Coach John Cooper was hired to replace Earl Bruce at Coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team he did a commercial for "Buckeye Spas" and the commercial went over like a lead balloon. The coach was criticized about not paying enough attention to his team if he had time to do such a commercial. Since then the only commercials OSU coaches do are tied into a local charity. But we remembered it and checked it out.  We checked out one other at a home show.


How long do you expect it to take, or did it take to find the right Tub?  And, what was the deal clincher, how easy was it to make that decision?  

I found several tubs that I thought was the right tub but my wife didn't like for one reason or another.  The two deal makers were they had the exact model in the exact color with the exact skirt we wanted and they were the first place to make an offer below what was posted on the literature.  For some reason the other stores didn't take us seriously as buyers I think.

[fatman]

I can say without any doubt whatsoever that my wife and I do not respond to any advertising, whether it be the weekly grocery ad or the hot tub ad we just got in the mail from the local D1 dealer.  Whenever we are going to make a major, high dollar purchase we try to think about it for the long term, i.e., after the warranty has expired and overall quality of the product and parts availability.  As far as hot tubs go, most of the warrantys out there are generally similar in coverage and time limits so I try to look past that, which is where a great dealer comes into play as well as the hot tub manufacturer itself. If I think there will be any doubt as to whether or not the dealer/manufacturer will stand behind me either during or after the warranty then that tub is off the list( so long Cal Spa).  Price is our next consideration. Easy equation on this one, if I can't afford it I won't buy it.   Going back to the original question regarding advertising, nobody can sell gimmick to me because I am far more interested in long term quality.

[JcDenton]

Living in central Canada, the weather here is no secret. Short summers and long cold winters. Seasonal temperature fluctuations are tremendous due to our continentality. It might seem a little illogical to those outside of the 'know' to purchase a hot-tub here. But that is exactly why we did.

As a consumer, I generally do not care about sales. Advertised sales are over-hyped, deceptive and limiting (time and conditions). IMHO, a good deal can be obtained by the critical shopper at any time of the year. This applies to any product - cars etc. So when the Saturday fliers come in telling me of the umpteenth sale at the Brick or what not - I disregard all of it. It does not inspire ME or encourge me at all.

That being said, we decided that - hey - we should buy a tub. After scouring this board for advice, we began shopping around. Living in a small city, our choices were somewhat limited I feel. We also wanted a tub that was made in Canada. Immediately that eliminated many of the brands that are discussed on this board such as Hotspring, Jacuzzi etc. Knowing how cold it is here, I just couldn't accept a tub made in sunny California to handle the extremes our weather can produce. Knowing nothing about the hottub industry, I may be completely wrong. However, considering the massive difference in population between the US and Canada and the equally massive differences in temperature, I do not think it illogical to assume that the majority of tubs are produced to satsify the dominant market. Generally, this means - not Canada. For that reason we considered Beachcomber, Hydropool, Arctic and Polar Spas. While many of you dealers of the 'other' brands may be quick to argue the American product in Canadian winters, I have no working knowledge of your product to argue. I simply wanted to shop at home.

A former poster by the name of Steve was our first influence. We started our search at the local Beachcomber outlet. The people there were absolutely terrific - knowledgable (I assume - as I was/am still learning much about hot-tubs), considerate and effective. There were also other brands supported by the Beachcomber dealer which we were not interested in. This, however, meant that there were really only two or three Beachcomber models on the floor. We first considered the 720, but thought it too small, then began researching the 750 - more pricier but very nice!

As per this site - research, research, research then wet-test, wet-test, wet-test - you know the drill. Our next stop was at Polar Spas. Long story short - run, run away.

Next we looked into Hydropool. These tubs looked very nice and were made in Eastern Ontario - good. Showroom - bad. Actually, no showroom at all - only two tubs up front, neither hooked-up or even 'presented' at all - looked like someone just dropped them there temporarily. OK - poor room does not equal poor product necessarily - go find out - ask the young girl behind the counter for some info and she replies (between smacks of her bubble gum - "Ya..smack smack...these are like...smack....smack...really good tubs you know..." - see ya.

Last we we went to Arctic. I know many of you people have a problem with Arctic Spas. I am not one of them. Much of what I hear in this forum, and everywhere else in life is often based on second-hand, partial information that has been diffused through many different opinions before reaching my ears. What is important to me is working knowledge. Those who have direct working knowledge of the product are a valuable resource. This is problematic as there are few of those people here on this site. While I can understand that shady sales tactics by ANY salesman are dishonourable, the people at Arctic were just as terrific as Beachcomber. There was no pressure (not that I would fall to it), just good information. At no time was I told ANY of the fallacies that continue to re-emerge  on this site - such as no heater needed etc. Also, Arctic was well aware that we were shopping around and that Beachcomber was their closest competitor - and there was no attempt to slag their product in order to elavate their own. In fact, the dealer was quite sure that Beachcomber made a very good tub.

In the end we felt that both dealers represented themselves and their product admirably. It eventually came down to the all important wet-test. In the end, we loved the Arctic, and were left feeling rather indifferent with the Beachcomber. Both dealers accomodated several wet-tests and even offered staying open-late, or coming in on a Sunday if necessary. Excellent.

In the end - we purchased the Arctic. After deciding, I went back down to the Beachcomber guy and personally informed him that I thought his presentation, product and business ethics were terrific, but it wasn't meant to be. I thanked him for all his efforts, and informed him that I would recommend his store to everyone who would listen. I purchased a ton of product from him and shook his hand before I left.

In the past 9 months, my wife and I  believe that we are in the best tub in the world. We just couldn't be happier. We use it 7 days a week - weather permitting. Our popularity has mysteriously risen lately and our new neighbours are finding new excuses to 'stop by'. This is exactly what we hoped for.

Sorry for the length - just finished 5 University exams - am a little wound-up!

Jc

[shabba34]

That being said, we decided that - hey - we should buy a tub. After scouring this board for advice, we began shopping around. Living in a small city, our choices were somewhat limited I feel. We also wanted a tub that was made in Canada. Immediately that eliminated many of the brands that are discussed on this board such as Hotspring, Jacuzzi etc. Knowing how cold it is here, I just couldn't accept a tub made in sunny California to handle the extremes our weather can produce. Knowing nothing about the hottub industry, I may be completely wrong. However, considering the massive difference in population between the US and Canada and the equally massive differences in temperature, I do not think it illogical to assume that the majority of tubs are produced to satsify the dominant market. Generally, this means - not Canada. For that reason we considered Beachcomber, Hydropool, Arctic and Polar Spas. While many of you dealers of the 'other' brands may be quick to argue the American product in Canadian winters, I have no working knowledge of your product to argue. I simply wanted to shop at home.
Much of what I hear in this forum, and everywhere else in life is often based on second-hand, partial information that has been diffused through many different opinions before reaching my ears. What is important to me is working knowledge. Those who have direct working knowledge of the product are a valuable resource. This is problematic as there are few of those people here on this site. While I can understand that shady sales tactics by ANY salesman are dishonourable, the people at Arctic were just as terrific as Beachcomber. There was no pressure (not that I would fall to it), just good information. At no time was I told ANY of the fallacies that continue to re-emerge  on this site - such as no heater needed etc. Also, Arctic was well aware that we were shopping around and that Beachcomber was their closest competitor - and there was no attempt to slag their product in order to elavate their own. In fact, the dealer was quite sure that Beachcomber made a very good tub.

Yeah, I remember when I started shopping for my first cooler, and being from Florida and all, the weather here is so darn hot, I could not fathem purchasing one that was manufactured in say...Canada.  It just seemed logical to me that the coolers made in Florida had too perform better in my climate, you know because of the population issue etc...  And the market is dominated by cooler crazy people down here, you know...  I just could not accept making my cooler purchase from some northern country that couln't possibly have the same technology when it comes to cooler building a' (it's a canadian thing)  So when it came down to making my big purchase, I had 2 choices, Coleman and Igloo. (Alright, it was the only 2 I could think of)  So Coleman being from Canada and all, was immediately out of the question, so I had to bite the bullet and go with the next logical choice, Igloo.  I am expecting delivery in 2-3 weeks so says the salesman.  My site is all prepared, I have a stocket garage full of beer cans and soda or pop for you northerners.  I decided to go with the upgraded Igloo 9000 with car lighter adapter for optimal coolness. (Don't worry, I made sure it was CD not UV)  My wife and I are so so excited, I can hardly wait......  

Ok, I can't continue on with this story, just a little morning humor.

[cathtrac]

We have now purchased 4 hot tubs in the past 10 years, we gotta stop moving around!

Prior to our latest purchase of our Artesian Grand Bahama, we had always lived in very isolated areas so did not have much choice in what brand of tub we purchased. We bought the brand carried by the closest dealer: a Tiger River in Colorado, Cal Spa in Oregon, and Coast Spa in Washington.

After a really bad experience with the Coast Spa, we decided that our next purchase would be well researched and carefully thought out.

We had no intention of buying a new tub this winter, but went to a home and garden show in our area. When we saw how many hot tub dealers there were in this area, we started our hunt!

We had already started our research and wet testing when I found this website, which has been very helpful.

Our decision to buy the Artesian, as mentioned in previous posts, was based on the wet test since we had not considered that line prior to sitting in it. The largest dealer in town carries Artesian as well as a couple other lines and filled up four tubs for us to compare and contrast. We went back twice for wet testing after hours and the salesman was very helpful, knowledgable, and accomidating to our schedule. I think he gave us a great price as well--and even if it wasn't the best deal on the planet, we left feeling like we got a good deal!

Once we had decided that it was the right time for us to buy a tub, the process went pretty quickly. I think that it was only 3 weeks between our visit to the home and garden show and delivery of our tub.

[spasearcher]

I have been researching spas through this forum & reading other boards online.  Armed with lots of brochures & online info, we decided to hit the showrooms to see what the presentation info would bring.  We shopped : 1.  Dynasty- large  factory direct showroom fairly close to home, nice showroom, pleasant salesperson,  but overall look seemed more geared to a huge party tub, rather than what we needed/wanted.  2.  Hot Springs/Leisure Bay- large showroom with knowledgeable salesman, followed up with phone calls, offered wet testing, but size & appeal still not it.
3.  Sundance-NO help from sales staff, online & brochure much better than in person experience- a definite no.
4. ARTESIAN- loved the look, sales staff very helpful, has made follow up phone calls.  Just deciding between the Opal & the Ruby will be the biggest decision.  Planning to wet test this tub for certain.  I really like the circulation pump and the larger jets that hopefully will not blow us out of the water!  The dealer is approx. 45 miles from our home.  The only other tub that I am interested in checking out & possibly wet testing is the Marquis Silver Anniversary Reward.  Price is a factor as I want to purchase a quality tub that we will love for years to come.  Any comments on Marquis vs Artesian?  We have been searching for approx. 1 month & plan to purchase within the next month.  I did print a Marquis  $200.00 off coupon from their website. My concern with Marquis is the closest dealer is about 1 hr. away & I am concerned with service later.  This website has been the most helpful as many sites don't discuss Artesian tubs at all.  Thanks for all your help.