Blow Out Sale-

[Water Boy]

So it is slow this morning and I went to the local craigslist adds, and there is a link for a blowout sale on spas, selling them at cost. I clicked on the link and there was a 800 number so I called. The guy linked me to this website, and what I found was interesting. Here is the link:  http://www.direct2uhottubs.com/.

Notice the spas that they sell listed at the bottom. It sells they sell premium spas including Jacuzzi. Hotspring, Sundance, and then all the cheapo spas as well. But, when you click on some of the name brand spas, they are convientley out of stock. Huh, wonder why that is.

Also, the spas come with a great 90 day warranty, as he told me that if they break down it is usually right away.

Note to customers that read this. These spas are not at half price. That is the price that they are sold at all year long every day of the year. Just a FYI.

[Zep]

I wonder if they wanted to bother if Sundance, Hot Spring,
and Jacuzzi could stop this site from using their names pretending
they are a dealer for those brands when they are not actually
a Sundance or Hot Spring dealer?

[hottubdan]

This looks like a site from a manufacturer, Living Water, not a dealer.  I have a informed the mothership.  How long do you think the Hot Spring references will be there?  I am betting by the end of the week they will be gone.

[Vanguard]

Considering the only brands they actually have for sale are made by Living Waters/Tatum, I'd say it is a safe assumption this is really Tatum.  

I notice they also have Shoreline and Garden Leisure listed on their site.  They no longer make those spas as those are brands owned by South Central Pool Supply and Superior Pool Products (both owned by PoolCorp).  They lost their contract with PoolCorp due to poor quality and other issues.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Registrant:
   Tatum Manufacturing
   5301 E Hanna Ave
   Tampa, Florida 33610
   United States

   Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
   Domain Name: DIRECT2UHOTTUBS.COM
      Created on: 02-Dec-08
      Expires on: 02-Dec-10
      Last Updated on: 02-Dec-08

   Administrative Contact:
      Wallace, Joshua  jwallace@livingwaterproducts.com
      Tatum Manufacturing
      5301 E Hanna Ave
      Tampa, Florida 33610
      United States
      (813) 380-9287      Fax --

[Gomboman]

You know it's a scam when they reference "Hot Springs Spas" instead of Hotspring Spas....

[Water Boy]

FWIW

I went back to craigslist to re-read the add, and it is not there anymore. They must have broke some rule as it has been removed.

[hottubdan]

FWIW

I went back to craigslist to re-read the add, and it is not there anymore. They must have broke some rule as it has been removed.

Link still works for me.

Last I knew, these guys had dealers.  Wonder how they would feel about a campaign like this.

[hottubdan]

FAQ says, "How much is Shipping?
Shipping is including in the Price of all Hot Tubs."

Shipping says, "Please select your state from below to see what your shipping fee will be."  CA came up $640.

[East_TX_Spa]

There is an abundance of sleazy companies in the spa industry and they are becoming desperate.  There is a big weeding out occurring and it it long overdue.  Going to be really interesting to see who's still around in 6 months.

For anyone looking to buy a new spa....it would behoove you to go with a stable brand during these times.  Do your research!

Terminator

[stuart]

There is an abundance of sleazy companies in the spa industry and they are becoming desperate.  There is a big weeding out occurring and it it long overdue.  Going to be really interesting to see who's still around in 6 months.

For anyone looking to buy a new spa....it would behoove you to go with a stable brand during these times.  Do your research!

Terminator

The problem is that many of these companies started with nothing, are building cheap product with cheap materials and really don't require much to stay in business. They are like leaches and will continue to suck the blood out of the industry.

Here’s a metaphor for you: in the military in jungle situations we had to continually check one another for leaches and help each other get them off. The spa industry has a problem helping one another out to the point that we can control this and that just breeds more of them.

The only thing that will ever "weed" these leaches out is to get some regulations on the industry.

The pie is only so big and there are quite a few of these little guys getting slices and not giving anything while the big guys help feed the input for more pie.

[ndabunka]

The problem is that many of these companies started with nothing, are building cheap product with cheap materials and really don't require much to stay in business. They are like leaches and will continue to suck the blood out of the industry.

Here’s a metaphor for you: in the military in jungle situations we had to continually check one another for leaches and help each other get them off. The spa industry has a problem helping one another out to the point that we can control this and that just breeds more of them.

The only thing that will ever "weed" these leaches out is to get some regulations on the industry.

The pie is only so big and there are quite a few of these little guys getting slices and not giving anything while the big guys help feed the input for more pie.

Seems like a bad analogy.  Just because your big doesn't mean that you contribute any more than a smaller company does.  So, size doesn't REALLY have anything to do with it.  Rather, it is the WAY they run their businesses that are the differentiators.

[stuart]

Seems like a bad analogy.  Just because your big doesn't mean that you contribute any more than a smaller company does.  So, size doesn't REALLY have anything to do with it.  Rather, it is the WAY they run their businesses that are the differentiators.

Let me be a bit more clear then....These small no name manufactures with no engineering department, no quality control department and no testing whatsoever are selling product on the internet without service, without the financial wherewithal to support one bad run of warranty calls can and will leave many customers hanging after they bought into a lie.

Your product testing shouldn't be by using customers as guinea pigs....

Believe it or not Marquis is a fairly small company; they’ve survived all the years with good planning, customer support and making a name for themselves within the industry.

They also won industry awards for consumer influence and education when they where and even smaller player then they are now.

Just because there is a resource to push a lot of product doesn’t make it right to flood the market with untested, cheaply built products made with substandard methods and materials just to hit a price point.

 

[ndabunka]

Let me be a bit more clear then....These small no name manufactures with no engineering department, no quality control department and no testing whatsoever are selling product on the internet without service, without the financial wherewithal to support one bad run of warranty calls can and will leave many customers hanging after they bought into a lie.

Your product testing shouldn't be by using customers as guinea pigs....

Believe it or not Marquis is a fairly small company; they’ve survived all the years with good planning, customer support and making a name for themselves within the industry.

They also won industry awards for consumer influence and education when they where and even smaller player then they are now.

Just because there is a resource to push a lot of product doesn’t make it right to flood the market with untested, cheaply built products made with substandard methods and materials just to hit a price point.

EXACTLY my point.  Some smaller mfg's are better than others.

[stuart]

EXACTLY my point.  Some smaller mfg's are better than others.

...and I'm not talking about those manufactures. I'm talking about companies like living waters that their growth is based on quantity on quality. If the internet did not exist these guys would never be where they are at now. Neither would Tatum....

The internet has bred a slew of companies that survive off how the product looks not how it proforms over time.

Have you ever looked inside one of these? The ones I saw had 2x2  pine frames lacking up to an inch of connecting in places but held together with 2 inch staples. Plumbing was installed with no planning and was kinked in several places. Insulation was sparatic and nonexistant in places. From the outside they looked great!

You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig....