Pool And Spa Best of Class?????

[bohms]

Poolandspa.com has a list of 5 star manufacturers.  Some of the manufacturers that I read positive things about on this forum are listed as only two stars when I thought that they were a top 10 brand. For example, Marquis, Artesian, and Bullfrog.  Is this not the case?  And then there are others that are listed as 5 star but they don't get great reviews on here like Gulf Coast, CalSpa (with the exception of Zep, I think that's his name...he loves his) and Hydro Spa.  Can anyone make sense of this?  Is it just that opinions are just that...opinions?  How did pooandspa.com come up with this list?

[East_TX_Spa]

Those ratings are bought and paid for, nothing more.

And I say this knowing full well that all of the Watkins brands at some point were all 5 star rated, bought and paid for.  I haven't looked at the ratings in a long time.

I would say lend it as much credence as something <insert any lawyer's or politician's name> would say.

Terminator

[bohms]

Very interesting.....thanks for the response.  I'll take the list with a grain of salt.

[lskarp]

Probably some sponsorship money involved.  I am not a dealer, I am an owner.  I purchased in May/June this year and I found that information was skewed all over the internet based on who was paying the bills!!  People are pretty good on this board.  At least they will tell you they are a dealer for the most part.  

One theme rings true throughout though....  There is no PERFECT tub for everyone.  what works for me, does not work for all, etc.  You have to get into the tub in the showroom in your bathing suit (or not as the case may be) and find the right tub.  

My choice of brand in many ways came down to my comfort level with my dealer.  Vita Spa may or may not be the best.  But a buddy of mine has been really happy with his for 8 years, and I purchased from teh same guy he got his from 8 years ago.  I went to a Spa Depot kind of place and was pressured and later ridiculed when i went back to check out their chemical prices.  Needless to say, i will never go back to there to spend one dollar of my money.   I woudl rather pay more money, and support my dealer.  He is always there for advice and questions.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

A March 2005 article in Pool & Spa News (a trade magazine) regarding web site spa ratings, the following was said;

On poolandspa.com, the top-rated manufacturers pay to be on the site, receiving links and inclusion on the comparison spreadsheet for their purchases, according to Harrison. “We don’t hide that,” he says, adding that funding is needed to maintain the site. A statement on the home page explains that the site runs advertising."

Daniel Harrison is president of this N.Y. based company (currently based in Las Vegas).

[Spatech_tuo]

Very interesting.....thanks for the response.  I'll take the list with a grain of salt.

Have a slice of lime ready too.

[Spiderman]

I was told that Consumer Reports works the same way.  The more you pay, the higher your product is rated in their magazine.

[drewstar]

I was told that Consumer Reports works the same way.  The more you pay, the higher your product is rated in their magazine.

I thought Consermers Reports were pretty legit and did not accept advertising? I did hear that Consumer DIGEST might not be on the up and up/

Or do I have digest and reports confused with each other? or are they both useless for impartial rankings? (good for side by side listing of features, but quality and value may be another story).

[MarKee]

poolandspa.com is a joke.  Marquis used to be 5 stars they probably just decided that it wasn't worth paying for.  As you can see there are a bunch of crappy spa brands with 5 stars.

Consumer reports has never rated spas, consumer's digest has.

Researching spas on the internet is very hard, you won't find very many independent unbiased information.

[webboy]

I've found that the spa business is not regulated. If you see any form of ratings they are usually paid for, if not, then they are interested in using that information to capture traffic, so in return, they can post ads to make money. It's all about the green. For example, every spa business claims to be the most energy efficient and if you use their spa you will,

1- grow hair where you want it, loose it where you don't need it
2- loose weight
3- become better looking

It would be great if we had a third party to regulate and confirm all statements made out there, it would also be great if I had a couple of million dollars.

So like everyone has posted, take it with a grain of salt.

By the way, this is from a guy who hasn't even bought a spa yet, but I'm getting close.

[D.P. Roberts]

This issue came up over on their site. Someone (I won't say who, but it's the only worthwhile thing he's done for spas on the internet) asked them directly about their star rating, and this is their (edited) response:

Dear Everyone, Hopefully this will help..... Our poolandspa.com web site is a place where pool and spa companies can put their products in front of the maximum number of consumers on a daily basis. People research pool and spa products on our site. It is any pool or spa product manufacturer's decision to advertise with us if they want. We offer the maximum exposure for very reasonable rates and have done so for 14 years.

Our advertising program links are posted on almost every page of our site and are available for any consumer to read as well. We do not "hide" anything.

The five star logo that we market is another advertising tool that some pool and spa product manufacturers can take advantage of if they so desire.

...

Don't think that consumers are dumb and will blindly follow what is said in one place about anything. Today's consumers are very smart and very well educated and use many places to research the purchase of pool and spa products.

Hopefully this will help )

Betty Carter
www.poolandspa.com

[Brewman]

I was told that Consumer Reports works the same way.  The more you pay, the higher your product is rated in their magazine.

I thought Consermers Reports were pretty legit and did not accept advertising? I did hear that Consumer DIGEST might not be on the up and up/

Or do I have digest and reports confused with each other? or are they both useless for impartial rankings? (good for side by side listing of features, but quality and value may be another story).

I agree.  Consumer Reports claims they do not accept advertising, they purchase products to be tested thru retail channels (not specially provided test samples from the manufacturer).  Unless they're out and out lying, which I doubt, I suspect that the do not get paid to give products a certain rating.

 I don't always agree with some of their methodology or testing, but I truly think they are "legit" as far as their ratings go.  If this isn't the case, it's the best kept secret in the galaxy.