Anyone Heard of Ovestockspas.com?

[may8589]

Wow, thank you for all of the responses.  To be clear, I never thought that these were indeed "overstocks" and that these are great mark-downs.  DH saw this website and loved the number of jets on the hot tub.  

Thank you, water@104, for sharing your experience with this company.  It sounds like you had a good experience with them.

As for getting in the hot tub before buying, I never did that with the hot tub I bought at a previous home.  I never even thought about it.  Everything turned out well with that purchase, but it still gives me something to consider.

I have checked all of the local retailers and have not been impressed with their selection.  DH is really set on this hot tub at overstockspas, so we will probably go with it.  I know it's a lot of money for a hot tub that we haven't seen in person, but we'll take our chances.

Thanks again for all the replies.  

may

[hottubdan]

Appear to be overpriced for what you don't get.

[Chas]

I have checked all of the local retailers and have not been impressed with their selection.  DH is really set on this hot tub at overstockspas, so we will probably go with it.  I know it's a lot of money for a hot tub that we haven't seen in person, but we'll take our chances.

Thanks again for all the replies.  

Just some random things to consider:

How is the thing insulated? They mention the name of their insulation, and that the plumbing is accessable, but nothing more.
Does it come with a cover?
How do they fit an " 8 ft. lounger w/ ultimate leg therapy " into a tub that is only 92.5" square? This is the Abyss:
This is a Clearwater spa:

and this is how they insulate it. The O'stock most likely has the same since they buy from CW.

Did you check around for the closest Clearwater dealer? Since you are buying over the 'net anyway, why not check this out: even if the dealer is in another state, you might get the same tub for a lot less.

[jim97219]

May,

Please give this a bunch more thought.  Here are the downsides as I read them.  I'd like to suggest you sit DH down and have him sell (sell, not tell) you what the upsides are to buying this from overstockspas.com instead of a local dealer.

You can't wet-test them so you have no idea how you'll fit in it.  Read KarlXII's posting, the first paragraph, here for a better idea of what I'm talking about: http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=wtb-hottub;action=display;num=1141523568

You have no idea how powerful all those jets will be.  If the pumps aren't strong enough, all you'll get out of those jets is a dribble.  And every one of those jets means at least three connections plus a hole in the tub.  The potential for leaks is huge:  a minimum of 342 connections plus 114 holes in the tub.

How well insulated is this tub with its "THT thermal heat technology?"  It may leave the plumbing accessible but does it hold the plumbing in place when the pumps come on?  I'd be quite concerned with that, especially with all those connections.  

How well made is the tub?  Do they use pressure-treated wood for the structure?  If not, how long do you think it will last in the humid environment of a hot tub?  Here's a testimonial to the longevity of a Hot Spring tub.
http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=wtb-hottub;action=display;num=1140058563  Do you think you'll get that kind of life out of yours or is yours one of the "other" tubs Chas mentions?

Are they using a 48 or 56 frame motor? 56 frame motors tend to be quieter. Do they put any sort of sound dampener under the pumps or is this tub going to make a ton of noise and wake up every one of your neighbors?

Whose pumps are they using?  Do a little research here to see if the brand is known or a cheap import.  If one of them goes out, can you get if fixed?  Or are you stuck paying an exorbinant price because you can't get it anywhere else but overstockspas.com?  Can you even get another one?    

Whose jets are they using?  Whose controls are they using?   Again, how well-built are they?

Your support is going to be near non-existent.  Do you think they care about you when a pump goes out and it's 20º F outside?  Personally, I've gotten to know and respect my dealer.  I consider him to be a real asset.  He pays a ton of taxes that support things like roads, schools and all those public things we often forget about.  How much do you think overstockspas.com pays in local taxes?  Do they support your local baseball league?  Can you go hit them up to buy Girl Scout cookies?

Delivery.  Trucking companies don't make appointments; they'll be there when it's convenient for the driver.  When you sign for it, you have to note any damage to the tub.  If there's damage and you don't note it on the bill of lading, the trucking company will tell you, "Tough luck.  You should have noted that when you signed for it."  The trucking company is going to drop that tub in your driveway and you're going to have to figure out how to get it where it goes.  Okay, you get some of your friends to help you move it.  What if it gets damaged along the way?  What if one of your buddies gets hurt?  

Dealers, what did I miss?

Jim

P.S.  Finally, I'm not a dealer nor have I any ties to the industry except as a tub owner.

[tootsie]

my fear of buying something like that on the internet would be if you receive it and you go to fill it with water and there's a hole in the shell that won't let it hold water.  How much is it going to cost to return it?  I'd guess $300-$1000 depending on what trucking company you use, and special loading requirements you need.

[Brewman]

I didn't see any mention of a warranty on the website.
And their money back policy has a "contact us for details" footnote.  

[jsimo7]

Great points Jim ..dont forget water care, warranty support, labor for installing warranty parts.... If the savings is thousands you may take the risk, (you are taking a large risk) but the price being between 8-9k, the support from a local dealer should a no brainer. Most top of line spas with abundent dealer support can be had in that price range. Think long and hard as this is a large purchase and a decision you will live with a long time

[East_TX_Spa]

I just have to say it in order to have a clear conscience:

That spa looks like a dozen other spas I've seen sold under various names, usually out of rented storage buildings or in parking lots or out of the Thrifty Nickel.  It is usually sold for less than $5000.  I wouldn't take one if it were given to me, and that's the truth.  I value my money more than some, I reckon.

I have a whole lot of pictures of what that type spa will look like in about 5 years if you'd be interested.  If not, I wish you luck and hope it works out well.  I've said my peace and done what I could.


A small sample.

Terminator

[water@104]

As I mentioned before, yes they are made by Clearwater, mine even came with Clearwater’s name on it, even on the cover.

The frame is not made out of wood. There is not one piece of wood on it so the frame should last for years seeing that it is made out of galvanized metal.

As far as the (3) 5.5hp motors that it has is plenty strong enough for the 84 jets in the spa. Not sure if they are 48 or 54 or what ever those numbers are.

As far as the noise of the pumps, I can’t really say I hear much noise coming from them.

As far as the all the connections of the plumbing go, I haven't had one leak yet and we use it almost every day for at least an hour.

I know that it sounds like I am sticking up for Overstock, but I am not. I am just letting you how my experience has been since I got my spa from them.

The few times I have had to call with questions and they have had every answer. (I just didn’t know what I was doing)  


When I bought mine they called it the cascade which is really the Clearwater 9100 which is shown in a picture above in someone’s post and also my picture. So when you do buy from them you are really buying a Clearwater tub.

Good luck with your search and what ever you end up buying.

Happy tubing to all

[water@104]

I just have to say it in order to have a clear conscience:

That spa looks like a dozen other spas I've seen sold under various names, usually out of rented storage buildings or in parking lots or out of the Thrifty Nickel.  It is usually sold for less than $5000.  I wouldn't take one if it were given to me, and that's the truth.  I value my money more than some, I reckon.


I hate to say that thier tubs won't look like that seeing that they are not made of wood, adn are not hard piped like that one was but i can can say i would be pretty irate if i had bought a tub made by the compnay that made that one.


A small sample.

Terminator

[East_TX_Spa]

water@104, I'm glad you're happy with your spa and I hope it lasts as long as you need it to.  I appreciate you sharing your experience and I'm just trying to add some of mine to the equation.

It doesn't matter to me what spas people buy, I hope they're happy with their choices.  I just hope that people will look a little beyond the number of jets when researching a high dollar item.

Good luck whichever way you choose.

Terminator

[water@104]

I have to agree with you East TX, it really dosen't matter what you buy as long as you are happy with what you got and the water stays clear and hot!!!!

[Chas]

I know that it sounds like I am sticking up for Overstock, but I am not. I am just letting you how my experience has been since I got my spa from them.

Happy tubing to all

No need to apologize at all, you are offering exactly what was asked for: personal experience with the brand in question. And you did it well, covering some very important aspects of the buying experience and ownership.

[water@104]

No need to apologize at all, you are offering exactly what was asked for: personal experience with the brand in question. And you did it well, covering some very important aspects of the buying experience and ownership.

Thank you, and that is what this Forum is all about.

[kysteelerja]

I have been looking at a website that is similar to this with the kind of spa i saw at local dealers. however when i  went to the local dealer and asked if he would service this spa should i have problems w/o honoring any warranties, (in other words i would be paying full price for any service/labor i might need) he said he would never service a tub that was bought in this manner and futhermore if he were to come to learn that one was sold in his area that he would be calling the manufacturer to pick up their tubs as they would be set out in the middle of the road never to be sold by this dealer again.  So  of course though i was looking at these sites for comparison it made my decision not to purchase a spa in this manner. I will go with a dealer that i feel will take care of me if i need it. I don't know if this is a normal way of doing business but i made me feel that the discount websites are somehow infringing on the local dealers and they sure don't like it. Just my experience....so far.