Emerald hot tubs

[fatman]

Anybody have any comments on Emerald hot tubs? I see they have a 25 year warranty on the shell........

[Vinny]

Before I bought an Artesian I was very close to buying the Emerald Cygnus 7009. I saw the 2004 model and I thought it was impressive as far as size, jet action and I thought it was a good value.

But for 2005 they added more jets and when I saw it, it wasn't the same tub. I contacted Emerald about it and they told me that they were redesigning the plumbing  to make the jets have more power - but I found the Artesian and bought that before seeing the "new" design.

The 2004 moved a lot of water on Pump 1 low, was really nice on Pump 1 high and was - WOW - with both pumps and the air blower running; the 2005 didn't come close. I liked their concept of all the seats being powered but if you have to run all the pumps to get the desired message then how expensive will it be to run (this was another email I had with them).

Also, if you read the warranty posted on the website, I believe there's a blurb that the customer has to pay for shipping of parts - I would hate to pay for Fed Ex shipping  to get a tub up and running right away. Maybe this might be where a good dealer comes in - they may (?) absorb that cost.

This is from a consumer's point of view - I'm sure a few professionals here will chime in!

[Chas]

Anybody have any comments on Emerald hot tubs? I see they have a 25 year warranty on the shell........

I don't have a lot of first-hand knowledge about Emerald, but I want to comment on something you posted: you noted the 25 year part of the warranty.

That is for the shell structure, the part of the tub least likely to ever cause you grief. The surface is not mentioned, and the rest of the tub seems to have only a two-year period of coverage unless you pay more to extend it to five.

I'm not making any comment on the relative quality of the product, but I am trying to point out that many shoppers grab the biggest number in the warranty when they go shopping, when that may not be the most important thing to have warranty coverage on.

[HotTubMan]

Chas;

I am in agreement. Although I do sell a product that has a lifetime frame warranty, I tend to agree.

The fiberglass structure and the framing are things that will never be an issue in a quality spa. Its a "marketing warranty" as much as presenting bHP as HP "marketing horsepower"

[Bill_Stevenson]

I formed a very high opinion of Emerald as a company when I was shopping for my first spa last year.  I contacted several companies whose spas were reputed to be good ones and asked for literature and a list of local dealers.  The VP of Marketing for Emerald called me to follow up that I received the requested literature.  He then apologized that they had not been able to find a local dealer near me and suggested that I rule out their product for that reason.  He said he would ask his regional sales manager to discuss this with me.  The regional manager called and explained that the nearest dealer is in Ft. Meyers, FL; whereas, I am in West Palm Beach.  2 plus hours away.  He suggested that I consider other brands first because local dealer support is very important.  

Any company that employs people this honest must be a good company.  Good companies make good products and back them up.  There can be no doubt that Emerald is deserving of your consideration.

Regards,

Bill

[Brewman]

That does say a lot about their integrity.  Also impressive that the senior management called you to follow up.  Very rare, sometimes it's tough to get an email request returned, let alone a personal phone call.
Brewman

[Vinny]

I found that Emerald had excellent customer service. I emailed them quite a few times when I was sure they were the ONE!

But, I have to question a company that produces a product and doesn't debug the product before it's released to the public. When I emailed them about the lack of power, they acknowledged that their dealer network and potential customers were saying the same thing and they redesigned the plumbing based on these complaints.

Also, I don't know what their original warranty looked like (they changed their warranty on their Cygnus and Vantage tubs to 5 years parts and labor) but it seems weak in terms of the shipping of parts. If the tub never breaks - who cares; but if you happen to need parts during a repair - it could get expensive.