Welcome to our forum.
It depends on how long it has been on the floor and who the manufacture is. Dealers don't make the warranty they are simply the facilitator of that warranty so the manufacture determines the start time. Most warranties start upon delivery but there is a clause in some that says if the warranty has not been registered to a customer buy a certain aging date that the warranty be put into effect. In most of those cases you get the balance of the warranty. Some floor models are referbs or even repos and those are usually warranted by the dealer depending on what they feel comfortable with at the selling price.
To the best of my knowledge, Watkins Mfg. is the only one to reduce the warranty on a product based on it's manufactur/sale date. If you carry the full line of their product, and you have one model that is oh lets say......a DOG...and it's been on your floor for a year, they will start reducing the warranty coverage. Again, only from my experience, but the vast majority of other manufacturers warranties begin in full from date of delivery regardless of weather it is a floor model demo or not. The only portion of the warranty that would not be in effect are the portions the dealer specificaly excludes in writing. When I sell a floor model this is my wording on the contract...Floor model sold as is, cosmetic flaws not repaired by said manufacturer nor said dealer, all warranties apply, or words to that effect. Floor models have an air of being "used" spas, that is why we give discounts on demos. By we I mean us, our dealership not the industry as a whole.
I was unaware that any dealer could sell a spa and reduce the warranty due to the age of the spa. I was always under the understanding that warranties started on delivery. If the spa was "used" I could see that reflect on the remaining warranty but never on a tub that hasn't been used. These warranties aren't registered until delivery so I can't see reducing a warranty on any new spa? Steve
Actually the Watkins warranty states it begins on the date of delivery, it has nothing to do with the manufacturing date.
The warranty on a Watkins manufactured spa will kick in at the end of the following calendar year from the manufacturing year. Ex: 1st quarter 2006 spa not sold by Dec 31st, 2007, warranty will kick in from the manufacturer. I believe it has something to do with an insurance account that all manufacturers must carry to cover all spas currently under mfg warranty. Even the smallest of dealers should not find it hard to sell the product in that 1.5-2 year period.
I have read several threads here where people buy floor models through their dealer and save a great deal of money. Do these tubs still carry the full warranty or is it reduced is some way?