Question, unless I missed it you seem to be having an issue with your local Hot Springs dealer, How has the Marquis dealer been?
The Marquis dealer has always been good. When I initially went in to Marquis I dealt with a saleswoman who was nice to talk to. Actually all the sales people in Marquis have been very friendly and low pressure. My wife called back one day to talk to her one day and she had left employment there. We had a short talk with a salesman at the Home Show, but it was a quick conversation. Our main dealings at the Home Show were with the Hot Springs guy.
We went out lastnight and wet tested the Hot Springs Vanguard and the Marquis Destiny and 744E. The Vanguard was a nicer looking tub, but we found that we liked the jets in the Marquis better. In fact the cheaper 744E had the best theraputic jets for both my wife and I. At first when we got in the Marquis we both looked at each other and said that the Marquis looked a little cheesy compared to the Hot Springs, but once we started the soak we decided it felt better.
Also our experience with the Marquis dealer was much better than the Hot Springs dealer. We both felt like the Marquis deal was not pressuring us and in fact was pointing out some of the positive points of the Vanguard. The Marquis salesman seemed much more interested in explaining the services they would provide after purchase. Both my wife and I felt comfortable dealing with the Marquis sales people, where we were unsure about Hot Springs. Had the Hot Springs sales people been better we may not have made it to Marquis for the wet test. In the end It came down to fit and dealer preference. I think both tubs are great, but the Marquis just fit us better. And we got a great deal. So we bought it and saved several thousand dollars over the Hot Springs.
I appreciate the input I gained from searching the posts on this forum.