Dealer Longevity

[wmccall]

I was looking at the local hot tub scene recently and it has changed a lot since I bought my tub.

My Dynasty Dealer no longer exists, I lost contact with the detective who was persuing fraud charges against the dealer. (No fault by Dynasty is alleged)

The long time Master Spa dealer is carrying QCA spas
A long time pool company is now carrying Master

The long term Hot Springs/Cal dealer seems to be doing well.
The long term Sundance/ Jacuzzi also seems to be doing well.
LA Spas opened a store last summer and I haven't made it out there yet.
The D1 dealer (when I was searching) has been carrying Coast for at least 3 years
I think D1 is available in some home improvement company I haven't checked out.
Some pool company was carrying Bull frog for a short time, but I don't think they are around anymore. (I'll check before this thread dies I'm sure)

As most know, I live in Columbus, Ohio which has about a million people in the metro area, the last I checked we have no Arctic or Beachcomber dealers within 50 miles.  My spa will be 4 years old in a few weeks.  Dynasty has been great with the warranty the two times I have needed it.   Might I buy another spa when the warranty is up? Possible, but not for sure.

Have fun.

[wmccall]

PS, I am not aware of any



in my area.

 

[drewstar]

I just learned that the D1 and Great lakes dealer in my area is closing his doors.  It's my understanding he was ill for a while and couldn't keep the business going.  I am told he will lose his house too.  /  Although I didn't buy my tub from him,   I bought many pool and patio items from him. I was just there in Decmeber buying a wine rack/jail  my wife loved. he's been there for about 4 years and I remeber when he first opened someone stole 6 d1 spas off his lot.....

[Brewman]

 My Sundance dealer decided to exit the spa business.  But another dealer opened their doors just up the road from them.  This new shop has been in business many years in another city- but decided to open up shop in my area when my dealer got out of spas.  

 One minor annoyance is that this new dealer imposes a trip fee for warranty service, and my original dealer didn't.  Oh well, in the grand scheme of things it's not a huge deal.  At least there is someone here I can get my microfilters from.

[wmccall]

I remeber when he first opened someone stole 6 d1 spas off his lot.....

Boy, I'd like to hear the rest of the story.  Have any of you dealers ever gone to work on a spa and there was no serial number label?

[Chas]

Sheesh.

I have had six dealers that I can remember come and go in the area in the time we have had our stores.

That's not counting the Santa Barbara Spas 'dealer' who was in a warehouse and was never open. I think he lasted about a year, maybe less.

 8-)

[drewstar]

Boy, I'd like to hear the rest of the story.  Have any of you dealers ever gone to work on a spa and there was no serial number label?

It was in the local paper. I never heard anything more about it. This was about 2-3 years ago.

Speaking of Thefts, Chas did you ever get you large inflatable duck back?

[Reese]

...I remeber when he first opened someone stole 6 d1 spas off his lot.....

Sounds like a deleted scene from a Goodfellas.  The owner puts 6 spas out front as a protection payment, the gang picks them up in a stolen truck, and "the Godfather", the capo and each soldier is soaking in a new tub that night.  The owner collects insurance, and everybody lives happily ever after (until the capo's mistress wants a tub, too.) 8-)

[stuart]

It wasn't Chas's duck that was stolen...It was mine and no we never got it back although have had reports that it was on a competitors roof in the next town. I questioned them but they denied it.

Chas had trailers, cars and trucks stolen.....

In the last week we posted several signs for a sale and the Dynasty dealer removed all of our signs replacing them with theirs. It looks like I can file a small claims case against them so I will.

As far as longivity, the local HS dealer has said we were going out of business for the last 7 years. Now they are telling customers that we won't last another 3 months. Funny, if you pull their Dun and Bradstreet rating and ours we have one of the top ratings in the country for paying bills timely while they have one of the worst ratings in the country.

The things some people will do to sell...

[drewstar]

That S_cks Stewart.  Sounds like you got more than your fair share of a holes around there.  

[East_TX_Spa]

During the almost 8 years I have been in Longview, TX selling HotSpring Spas, there have been approximately 40 other brands of spas that have come and gone among the other 4-7 spa dealers in the area.  There are many, many unhappy people who were not insightful enough to purchase a HotSpring Spa and have the peace of mind knowing their service issues will be addressed promptly and professionally.

There is only one dealer in the area that has stuck with the same brand over 2 years, the local Bullfrog dealer.  They are going on their 4th year with that brand after having sold Nordic originally.  Nordic is being carried by the CalSpa dealer who has also sold Sundance, Jacuzzi, Coleman, Sunbelt, D-1, Dynasty, Coast, and assorted other brands over the last few years.  Dynasty and Coleman are now being carried by a company in Kilgore that used to be in Longview but closed down a few years.  Dynasty was also carried by the current Sunbelt dealer who has carried everything from Seven Seas spas to ALPS spas.  The Marquis dealer went out of business about 6 years ago.  The company that used to sell them also sold CalSpa and Beachcomber before getting out of the spa business on a full time basis.  They now special order Garden Leisure spas.  There is an Artesian Factory Outlet Store about 60 miles from here.  They offer factory direct pricing and now carry Jacuzzi according to their radio commercials.  There was a company selling Master Spas about 40 miles north of here a couple of years ago, but I believe they are now selling Dynasty.  A new Caldera dealer also opened recently in that town.

I won't even begin to get into the Tyler and Shreveport areas where we have stores.

Terminator

[Reese]

...They offer factory direct pricing...

Don't most dealers get their spas direct from the factory, with no wholesaler inbetween?  It seems to me that you all offer "factory direct pricing". 8-)

[wmccall]

Don't most dealers get their spas direct from the factory, with no wholesaler inbetween?  It seems to me that you all offer "factory direct pricing". 8-)

Well, if your an at home representative of a certain rebranded spa, that probably doesn't apply  :-?

[drewstar]

Well, if your an at home representative of a certain rebranded spa, that probably doesn't apply  :-?

That would be "Barnyard direct pricing!"  

[Spatech_tuo]

Don't most dealers get their spas direct from the factory, with no wholesaler inbetween?  It seems to me that you all offer "factory direct pricing". 8-)

Exactly, its just a play on words!