Welcome to our forum.
Here is what I've learned as a newbie. Hot Tub dealers have very different prices depending on where you are located. So comparing prices with others on this forum simply does not work. You can't go online and compare dealerships, or see list prices with options like you would if you were shopping for an automobile. In fact, you can't even find MSRP prices for hot tubs anywhere. So you need to actually go to each dealer, do wet tests, get quotes and a list of options. Do your own comparison between your dealers. You can use another dealers quote as a bargaining tool. But in the end, you need to pick the hot tub that was the most comfortable and the dealer that you feel most comfortable with. You won't use your hot tub if you didn't get one that was comfortable to you. And the only way to know for sure is to wet test. You will have to continue to so business with your dealer after your purchase for maintenance and warranty issues. So you need to make sure you like and trust your dealer. I decided to go with the Jacuzzi J375 after wet testing several brands and models. I only have two Jacuzzi dealers in my area and neither were very flexible on their prices. One dealer was considerably lower than the other, but he did not allow me to wet test. And when I asked questions about who repairs the tub when something goes wrong, I didn't really get a straight answer. The higher dealer not only allowed me to wet test, but brought in models I requested to wet tests and filled them and had them ready for me to wet test in a matter of days. He also was very clear about servicing and repairing the hot tub after the sale. I really felt like he would be there for us when we needed him. So in the end, I paid the higher price and bought from the more knowledgeable and more accommodating dealer. He did end up coming within a few hundred dollars of the other dealers price, but he did not meet it.I definitely think there is more to consider than just price point when purchasing a hot tub. I hope this helps.