HYDRO SPA ?????

[George]

Part owner yes, kids no.
 You're not seeing my point at all. Last I checked my Z and spa were purchased from small family owned dealers. You do still know it is possible to have your own franchise right. You said and I quote,
'' How many millionaire executypes you see walking around Home Depot? Ha!. The middle class drives the big box stores, they are their life blood.''
 Where else are they supposed to go? They drove every other business out of town.
 
I'm also not sure if you read my post about how much I pid for my JACUZZI, but it was $6095. DMW was saying his Hydrospa was $6700.

That is because he is pricing it at a Mom and Pops dealer.  If he were looking at the similar model at Costco it would be $3999 with more features than your Jacuzzi and would come with a lifetime satisfaction guarantee.  

If I want good advise on a building project I go to Home Depot, they hire and train the best.  If I want the best guarantee in the industry I go to Costco they guarantee satasfaction on everything they sell.  Yes I like small businesses, but I am not going to pay an extra 20% for the same product if I can get it at Walmart for less.  And if I have a problem with a product I bought from Walmart, I take it back, no questions asked.  If I have a problem with a product I buy at a Mom and Pops store they are really put out if I try to return it, they want you to deal with the MFG.  I know it is hard to be a Mom and Pop business now days, I did it many years.  When I was in business for myself, I could buy stuff cheaper in the city at K-Mart or Sams Club than from my wholesale supplier. But that is the way of Free Enterprise, and it has given us the highest standard of living in the world.  You wouldn't be driving that car or sitting in that Hot Tub without big business.

[tileman]

Part owner yes, kids no.
 You're not seeing my point at all. Last I checked my Z and spa were purchased from small family owned dealers. You do still know it is possible to have your own franchise right. You said and I quote,
'' How many millionaire executypes you see walking around Home Depot? Ha!. The middle class drives the big box stores, they are their life blood.''
 Where else are they supposed to go? They drove every other business out of town.
 
I'm also not sure if you read my post about how much I pid for my JACUZZI, but it was $6095. DMW was saying his Hydrospa was $6700.

That is because he is pricing it at a Mom and Pops dealer.  If he were looking at the similar model at Costco it would be $3999 with more features than your Jacuzzi and would come with a lifetime satisfaction guarantee.  

If I want good advise on a building project I go to Home Depot, they hire and train the best.  If I want the best guarantee in the industry I go to Costco they guarantee satasfaction on everything they sell.  Yes I like small businesses, but I am not going to pay an extra 20% for the same product if I can get it at Walmart for less.  And if I have a problem with a product I bought from Walmart, I take it back, no questions asked.  If I have a problem with a product I buy at a Mom and Pops store they are really put out if I try to return it, they want you to deal with the MFG.  I know it is hard to be a Mom and Pop business now days, I did it many years.  When I was in business for myself, I could buy stuff cheaper in the city at K-Mart or Sams Club than from my wholesale supplier. But that is the way of Free Enterprise, and it has given us the highest standard of living in the world.  You wouldn't be driving that car or sitting in that Hot Tub without big business.

 You seriously cannot think that Home Depot installers are trained to be the best. I am a union tile setter and have been trained by the best in my area. They have so much experience in their trade it's almost disgusting. We laugh at them trying to explain how to install tile and marble. They read books and think their qualified to set. We have hands on classes for three years from the Best setters in the biz in order to get our journeyman card. I can not tell you how many times I've had to fix their f$%# ups and how many times the customer says, "thats not how Home Depot told me to do it."  I just shake my head and say that's why you want a PROFESSIONAL.

  Chad

Btw, what is a lifetime satisfaction guarantee?

[slimchance]

That makes perfect sense George... if we we were talking about a toaster oven, but we are not are we.  We're talking about four thousand pound appliance.  Don't forget to throw in the $300~$400 for setup and delivery & possibly another $300~$400 for removal if your not happy with it.  Personally I wouldn't pay two hundred dollars for a leather jacket without trying it on so I'm sure as heck not paying $3000~$4000 for a tub without taking it for a ride.  
I ask you,  "Do you feel lucky"
Just my $.02  

[tileman]

That is irrelevant in my situation as I have a money back, no questions asked, free removal, for a full month. I'd like Costco to try and compete with that. 8-)

[anne]

Home Depot hires the best? Are you kidding? Their "contractors" or whatever they want to call themselves are a joke, and horribly overpriced for the service they provide. My friend is in the process of trying to sue them for how they botched up a flooring job at his house. The house I live in now had fire doors put in by home depot before I moved in (sellers idea, not mine) and I could have done a better job cosmetically.

In the store, there are a few people in there who can answer your questions and are competent. The majority, however, are trained just enough to get by in their department.

The only reason I buy anything there is that I hardly have a choice, and yes, anything can be returned with no question. If there were another option, I would take it.

[tileman]

Thanks for the support Anne.

[George]

Home Depot hires the best? Are you kidding? Their "contractors" or whatever they want to call themselves are a joke, and horribly overpriced for the service they provide. My friend is in the process of trying to sue them for how they botched up a flooring job at his house. The house I live in now had fire doors put in by home depot before I moved in (sellers idea, not mine) and I could have done a better job cosmetically.

In the store, there are a few people in there who can answer your questions and are competent. The majority, however, are trained just enough to get by in their department.

The only reason I buy anything there is that I hardly have a choice, and yes, anything can be returned with no question. If there were another option, I would take it.

I have not had bad experiences with advise from Home Depot, but I will admit I have never used any of their indepent contractors.  I have only ask for advise from the sales people, which I have found very knowledgable.

[George]

That is irrelevant in my situation as I have a money back, no questions asked, free removal, for a full month. I'd like Costco to try and compete with that. 8-)

Costco offers a Lifetime Garantee on anything they sell, if you are ever not satasified with an Item you purchased from them you may return it for a full refund for the life of the product.  You of course would be responsible for the cost of getting it back to the store.

[George]

The original question on this Subject was about Hydro Spa and not about Mass Merchants.  I realize I mentioned that Hydro Spa sells a lot of spas thru Mass Merchants, but Hydro Spa does have a dealer network and a premium line of spas.  Buying from a dealer does not insure, however that you will get good service.  The most complaints you read about in the forums are about poor dealer support no matter what brand of spa you are talking about.  Not all Mom and Pops dealers offer good service.  I agree the Mass Merchants pretty much offer no service.  But many spa owners have purchased from a dealer and been left dealing with the MFG to get warranty service anyway.  Just because someone bought their Hydro Spa, Keys, or Hotsprings spa from Costco, Home Depot, or Online doesn't make them a bad person.  I would think we should be helpful to anyone who asks for help even a customer of Jim the Jim from the famous Haven Spas Online the ultimate Mom and Pops Business.

[Silent Water]

Hi, Dead Men Walking.

Let me preface this comment by saying that I am by no means an expert with spas.  I am actually awaiting the arrival of my first!  However, I did a ton of research before I chose the one I did, including asking questions all over the place and wet-testing several tubs to find just the right one for me.
 
Let me also tell you that I am very cheap.  Often price sways me more than promises of service, since I'd rather do-it-myself than fork over cash to watch someone else do a job that I could do myself.
  
We started seriously considering buying a tub when we saw one at Costco similar to the one you are describing.  We couldn't believe the price for the number of features that it came loaded with!  That's when I started asking questions (both here and at the local dealerships).  

The Platinum II at Costco (by HydroSpa) looked fantastic, propped as it was on its side to show it off.  It had chrome jets, headrest pillows, a CD sound-system with pop-up speakers, and a funky LED lighting system - all the toys.  However, I have no idea how it felt.  We knew that a wet-test would be out of the question, but I didn't think it was unreasonable to ask to sit in the tub dry.  The Costco guy was not prepared to let that happen; in fact he seemed put-out to be bothered by such a stupid request.  Getting no further help, we left.  A week later, the tub was still dispayed prominantly on its side but both speakers were damaged.  One was hanging by its wires from the opening and the other was stuck halfway into its slot, jammed for some reason. Funny, but that made me feel better about dismissing it from my search, despite the price.  I've since discovered that this particular tub has little to no insulation in the cabinet and, being an environmentalist and a tightwad, efficiency is high on my list of priorities!

We narrowed our search to tubs that met our needs in the $7000-$8000CDN range.  Two of those that we liked with foot and volcano jets were the Caldera Hawaiian and the Sundance Bahia.  Both have good warranties and I trusted and respected what the dealers had to say about their product and service.

What won me over in the end was a simple thought:  I'm buying this tub as a luxury.  I want it to bring me years of relaxation and fun, rather than months of frustration and service calls.  I was willing to spend the extra cash for the peace of mind that a reputable dealer could provide.  

Any tub can have problems. What's important to me is how those problems will be dealt with if/when they happen.  I think that if you try out a few tubs, talk to a few dealers, and read some of the opinions from people on this forum, you will find the right fit for you.

Best of luck with your search and happy tubbing, whatever brand you choose! 8-)