getting very discouraged

[cappy2449]

i traveled 45 min east from my house to a caldera dealer to look at the geneva...it was not on display...ok that was fine, because i'm ready to buy....but....always a butt....i was floored by their price...over 10,200.00 plus tax!!!  i thought their prices would be lower then hs grandee...but not even close...so i took another members advise and contacted the caldera dealer in conn.....very very nice people..very good price 8400.00 on the geneva....butt....another butt....they want 1200.00 to deliver and won't service it....so i'm back to square one..backtracking all the hot tubs that i saw...i really want the geneva but won't pay that dealers price...if the difference were 500.00 or so i wouldn't mind....am i being unrealistic....please let me know

[Campsalot]

I'm not a dealer, and I don't play one on TV (LOL), however, I am an end user.  I would suggest you look into Sundance brand tubs.  Specifically, the Optima.  I am an owner of a Sundance Maxxus and I love the tub.  My reasoning behind my suggesting this is the Sundance tubs have been around quite sometime and I would think their dealers would also bare this level of maturity.  My dealer is rather weird, I mean real weird, but he did not ever knock the competition and offered me a great price, $9600.00 plus tax, delivered on my 05 Maxxus.  Why not ask some of the dealers on this site to suggest another dealer in your area who would offer you a better experience.

[Chas]

very good price 8400.00 on the geneva....butt....another butt....they want 1200.00 to deliver and won't service it

They MUST service what they sell. Call the factory and ask about it. If this dealer tacks on $1200 to deliver, he SHOULD service it just from a standpoint of ethics.

....so i'm back to square one..backtracking all the hot tubs that i saw...i really want the geneva but won't pay that dealers price...if the difference were 500.00 or so i wouldn't mind....am i being unrealistic....please let me know

No - I don't think so - but that's my opinion. Have you tried taking the lower price into the high-priced dealer's showroom and ask him to meet it? Worth a shot - lets him know two things: you are serious about buying, and you don't want to pay his asking price.

On a related note: Caldera is not HotSpring's cheaper brand. They bought Caldera for one reason: to increase market share. They basically own every major market - there are no more places to bust into with HS - at least not on a large enough scale to matter much - so they are busting into all the existing markets with a new brand. The top of the line Caldera tubs are priced right about the same or slighly above the HotSpring tubs. The difference is that the Caldera offers two tubs in that price range which INCLUDE the stereo. Up until this year, the Caldera had the ozone included and the HS did not - that changed at the model-change in 06.

[Micah]

HotSpring's basically own every major market - there are no more places to bust into with HS - at least not on a large enough scale to matter much - so they

What exactly do you mean by H.S. "Own's" every major market.  

[shabba34]

What exactly do you mean by H.S. "Own's" every major market.  

He means that there are no more viable locations to put a HS store without encroaching on another HS store in the area.  They have the country covered, so that had to purchase another brand in order to expand their market share.  

[KarlXII]

He means that there are no more viable locations to put a HS store without encroaching on another HS store in the area.  They have the country covered, so that had to purchase another brand in order to expand their market share.  

I love your avatar, pkud.  

[cappykat]

I've only got one question....where did you get the Cappy username? I'm the original Cappy on the board and I've never seen it used anywhere else.  Just curious.....

I agree with campsalot...look at Sundance and I would suggest Marquis also.  I have a Marquis Epic and absolutely love it!!

[galen]

To anwser your question, no not all dealers are that petty. I went to two home shows and saw many tubs. Talked to the salesmen at the shows and then went to there stores to wet test.  I really liked the Hot Springs dealer and the tubs. But Sundance offered a better deal in the end. I have a Maxxus that is fully loaded. The dealer was very professional. But so was the HS dealer. In the end, he was 1500 higher, and would not move anymore. I still buy chemicals from him and he is nice to me. I have bought from some dealers I met on this website. And have been very pleased.

[cappy2449]

cappy is short for my last name caputo...i use it for everything...i bought the d1 chairman ll yesterday...a rep from the manufacturer was at the store, and we put together a great deal....any chairman ll  owners out there....thanks for all the input guys and gals

[Gomboman]

Congrats caputo. Post some pictures when you get it setup. I've heard good things about the Chairman II.

[cappykat]

Congrats, caputo.  I've heard good things about D1 also.