Fun with Dealer locators

[wmccall]

I'm not in the market for a new spa.  I'm happy with what I have, but I thought I'd pretend and plan for shopping someday.

I also wanted a chance to do a review of the major sites's  dealer locaters as I would think they would be a major source of customers for my local dealers. Here is what I found.

I chose and looked up the sites of every spa I could think of, heard of, or knew someone who had one. (Sorry for any ommissions)

Alphabetical order (or at least I tried)


Arctic - Sorry no store within 40 miles of you . New Map feature that I  couldn't get  to work.  I don't think that is good marketing. I've writen them about it and they answered right back,  nearest dealer is more than 100 miles away.



Artesian - Same dealer as Cal/HS.  They report it as 10 miles away ƒº Its really 19   - From the closest point in my zipcode it could be as close as 15.

Beachcomber - gives address Mapquest says it is 40 miles

Bullfrog - gives address Mapquest says 58

Caldera gives address Mapquest says 40 miles

Cal Spas same dealer as HS  Cal says 12 miles, it is 19 miles.From the closest point in my zipcode it could be as close as 15.

Coleman - Aprox. 90.47 miles

Dynasty- 71 miles away  

D1 -  Gives address  Mapquest says 50 miles


Hot Springs -  Gives address Mapquest says 19 miles

Hydropool lets you pick spas or swim spas - Spas dealer 15 miles - Didn't know it was there,  Looks like a pool store I  haven't been there. Requires info to get swimspa dealers. - I hate having to give up info. I happen to know the Hydropool swim spas are carried by the local Master dealer. (See Master  )

LA Spas - 4 miles - coming soon
.
Marquis - Gives address - Mapquest says 84 miles

Master Spas - I know the nearest dealer is about 5 miles away, but their site requires me to give up personal info - Forget it.  

Sundance / Jacuzzi - 19 miles accurate

Vita spa 10 miles, didn't even know it was/is there. Locater lets you select how far away to look. I thought that was a nice touch. Will have to stop in sometime.

[wmccall]

Do you dealers check your mothership's site to make sure your info is accurate?

[Spatech_tuo]

Master Spas - I know the nearest dealer is about 5 miles away, but their site requires me to give up personal info - Forget it.  

I saw that too. Catalina does it similarly but they direct you to regional reps on their site. I find it a turn off and I know as a consumer I'd probably skip them since the others give me direct info but that's just IMO.

[wmccall]

I just checked Catalina, I think I have seen their spas at the Ohio State fair.  As close as I could get to dealer info is what I assume is the email address of a rep who covers
Eastern Illinois
Indiana
Eastern Michigan
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Virginia
West Virginia

[Chas]

Master Spas - I know the nearest dealer is about 5 miles away, but their site requires me to give up personal info - Forget it.

So give somebody else's info...

I'm sure they have telephones in Colorado, don't they?

[wmccall]

So give somebody else's info...

I'm sure they have telephones in Colorado, don't they?

 

But if I'm not mistaken, they have the dealer contact you.  Maybe I'm wrong, I'll try it.

[Vinny]

D1 used to make you fill out the form and have the dealer contact you too.

In the past, I have found that some dealer locators are a little incaccurate.

Astually when I put in my zip, my dealer doesn't come up as my dealer any more ...

[hottubdan]

Do you dealers check your mothership's site to make sure your info is accurate?

I do, but not as often as I should.  sometimes I find people being sent to my neighbors.

[Gomboman]

Wow, it's not like yo live out in the sticks. I can't believe how far everything is from you?  

[salesdvl]

Hey, I just checked.  Hot Spring has a dealership in Anchorage, Alaska ( but not Nome which is what I searched for)

This concludes my random act for today.  

[anne]

That is quite a little piece of research-

when I was shopping, I looked up about 10 brands I heard of here- Sundance being one of them. None listed within a reasonable distance from me, so they were off my list even though they seemed like a brand I'd like to see. Then low and behold, a couple of weeks into shopping, reeling with all of the brands that I had seen, and making what I SWORE would be my last trip to Roseville (about 50-60 min. away with traffic), I saw a Sundance store- about 5 min after closing, all the lights off.

I did not go back, so I never got to check them out. Poor website- one potential lost customer.

These days, if you are not locatable online, you dont exist for a lot of people.

[Tom]

Arctic - Sorry no store within 40 miles of you . New Map feature that I couldn't get to work. I don't think that is good marketing. I've writen them about it and they answered right back, nearest dealer is more than 100 miles away.

Interesting; we have three dealers in OH (Hudson, Mayfield Heights, Dayton). Did you search using your zip code?  By selecting United States then Ohio in the drop-down fields, the map shows all three dealers and appears to work fine. Mapquest says Akron is about 75 mi. from Columbus, where you are.

I also checked some random US zip codes and CA postal codes and encountered no problems. We could easily expand the search to within 100 miles if you (and others reading this) suggest it.

Please send me a PM about your search parameters and difficulties with the map and I'll have our IT dept. look into any problems.

Thanks

Tom

[wmccall]

Interesting; we have three dealers in OH (Hudson, Mayfield Heights, Dayton). Did you search using your zip code?  By selecting United States then Ohio in the drop-down fields, the map shows all three dealers and appears to work fine. Mapquest says Akron is about 75 mi. from Columbus, where you are.


Just checked it again and using the zip 43229, it does say nothing is within 40 miles.  The Dayton store you mentioned is probably 80-90 miles away.



I also checked some random US zip codes and CA postal codes and encountered no problems. We could easily expand the search to within 100 miles if you (and others reading this) suggest it.
Thanks

Tom

I' will check it again and PM you.   There is no way that Akron is 75 miles away from anything in Columbus. I live in NE Columbus and the easiest way to get to Akron is go North on I-71 from the 118 mile mark (Far north end) until I-76, which is the 209 mile mark, and then its at least 30 miles east.   Mapquest shows downton Columbus to Akron as 125 miles, so about 117 for me. When I emailed Arctic, they mentioned the Mayfield store. I think that was a year ago.    


I did just retry the map and it worked this time in giving me the Dayton store which is 87 miles away.  I do think 40 miles is too small of a range for the text dealer locator.

The next time I'm Curling in Mayfield, I'll see if I can stop in for a look-see