Wow, Hot Spring Highlife selling at Costco.

[hymbaw]

So you are saying that since you've signed up to deliver these hot tubs, you are going to do it in an unprofessional maner?

LMFAO

[hottubdan]

Delivery is curbside.  Customer has to pay extra for backyard.  Then they have to pay more for unwrapping the spa and removal of packaging.  Pay more for installation of lifter.

All of the above included with our customers' professional delivery.

[shabba34]

What HotSpring has effectively done is to make the salesman’s job a whole lot harder by now getting them to justify their own product upgrades against a mega store with "deal" written all over it while making that salesperson believe that it's for their good.

It doesn't make their job any harder then it was before selling against brand X,Y,or Z.  I as a HS dealer and you as a Marquis and D1 dealer no first hand that justifying price differences is a 100% certainty when on the sales floor.  Heck, justifying price differences between the same product happens everyday in my neck of to woods.  If a salesperson is not strong enough to handle those types of situations then they are at fault, not Watkins.  

[shabba34]

So you are saying that since you've signed up to deliver these hot tubs, you are going to do it in an unprofessional maner?

1)  I never said I signed up for anything...Yet
2)  Your comment just relays that you are naive to the fact of how the whole process plays out.

[Wisoki]

Yeah, your right. Sheesh, I guess I'll just tuck tail and run.[size=16]NOT![/size]

1)  I never said I signed up for anything...Yet
2)  Your comment just relays that you are naive to the fact of how the whole process plays out.

[shabba34]

Yeah, your right. Sheesh, I guess I'll just tuck tail and run.[size=16]NOT![/size]

[East_TX_Spa]

he doesn't really grasp or understand the ramifications of what is going on

Uh huh, I'm just down here mindin' the turnip patch.

Turmipator

[wmccall]

Has this achieved Dead Horse Status yet?

[spa_dr.]

I don't know but I can promise you I will not buy my dead horse from costco. Support your local economy

[Wisoki]

What is the over/under?

Has this achieved Dead Horse Status yet?

[Gomboman]

Wow, I had no idea this thread would have so many people split. I actually thought it was a clever idea to sell the Highlife at Costco. Here's my take.

First of all, I don't think that most of us here would buy a spa at Costco because we are informed consumers. I personally think most of us would have done the research and realized that we would be better off going through a local dealer. The price difference isn't really that much different compared to a new Sovereign with all the added features.  

IMO, most of the people who are going to buy this spa are the folks who wouldn't normally use a dealer anyway. These are the people who don't understand the spa business. These are people who think all spas are the same and would have bought a low end garage spa or something from an outlet store anyway. At least this group of consumers would add some profit to a local HS dealer. The dealer would still be better off in this scenario compared to someone buying junk spa from Home Depot.  I don't think the HS dealer would lose too many of their regular customers with this arrangement.

I'm just a consumer. If I owned a dealership perhaps I would have a different opinion. I think it's a good idea.

[East_TX_Spa]

I actually thought it was a clever idea to sell the Highlife at Costco.

Gombo, don't let everyone fool you....so did they (they just can't admit it on a public forum).

Who's squealing the loudest on this subject?  HotSpring dealers OR the "guys who sell something different"?

Every time HS gets another leg up, Chicken Little Syndrome flares up and the competition starts trying to tell us what a terrible mistake we've made and the sky is falling.  I appreciate their concern for my livelihood and I am worried about theirs in return.

I imagine it'll all pan out in the long run as to which company is still solvent 10 years from now.....and which ones are gone with the wind........

Terminator

[marks]

But the bottom line is: if you own a Hot Springs Spa you now have a big box mass-merchant retail item.  

[spa_dr.]

That is still better than having a "big box" for a step with your equipment under though. OH YES I DID GO THERE, STEP UP

[Rayman]

That is still better than having a "big box" for a step with your equipment under though. OH YES I DID GO THERE, STEP UP

idiot