Stellar spas (stellerspas.com)

[jamiho]

Anyone know about Stellar Spas (www.stellarspas.com) and if they are reputable? They offer very good prices, saying "We proudly represent Cayman Spas and specialize in factory direct, nationwide sales. This is our private label for this major spa manufacturer.  The manufacturer requires that we do not reveal their name, being that we are selling their spas for far less than their showroom dealers, which they need to protect."

[Roger Wilkerson]

Sounds like the Dr. Wellness business model. I would wager that getting service would be an issue

[d00nut]

The manufacturer requires that we do not reveal their name, being that we are selling their spas for far less than their showroom dealers, which they need to protect."

Sounds promising.  <-- This is sarcasm just in case you can't tell. 

[d00nut]

Also, their website looks like my 4 year old son put it together.  Another promising sign

[The Wizard of Spas]

They use multiple manufacturers to make their units, hence the dramatic swing in contouring and overall appearance of their tubs.  Possibly a wholesale operation.  Those molds are available under many different names depending on what region you are in.  I'd stick with A) something from a dealer or a manufacturer that has a brick & mortar establishment B) something that is way more reputable. 

Look into the dealers in your area, see what they offer, visit the showroom and wet test, then research each dealer and weed out the less-reputable ones.  That would be your best bet.

[Terry Koss]

As the owner of Stellar Spas, I thought I'd chime in.  I've read a lot of guesses and opinions, all of which are inaccurate.  We've been in business 20 years and are selling two lines of spas.  We've been selling the Island Retreat Series (our most popular line due to the value/price range) for about 9 years.  We've been selling the Solar Elite Series for about 11 years.

We are definitely not like Dr. Wellness!  I'm very familiar with their line of spas; that they have other dealers like MFG Spas Direct, and (according the production manager at our factory), often change their name due to such poor reviews (1-star).  I have read some reviews and they've been described as garbage and junk.  It's my understanding they're in the US, but use Chinese components.

With uncountable spas sold, we've been selling the same brand as I said, for almost a decade.  In that time, we've literally had *two* warranty issues to speak of.  And those two were promptly addressed by the manufacturer.  The manufacturer has been in place under the same ownership since 1985.  Their quality control is shockingly good.  I would've dropped that line of spas years ago if it wasn't.  To date, we've never had one spa leak.  Our A+ BBB Rating speaks for itself.  We don't ask or send out automatic emails to customers like others do (don't believe in being just another company to inundate people with more unwanted email).  But there could be no better example of "no news is good news".  If people weren't happy with our spas, they'd go straight to the BBB and file a complaint.

I value forums like this in general.  But when I see people just throwing out inaccurate guesses, I feel compelled to set the record straight.  And yes the website is simple.  I could hire a webmaster to maintain it, which drives the retail cost up.  If we took a poll, do you think people would say "Yes, I'll pay $50 more for my spa, so all the peripheral framework of the website surrounding the spa photos looks better"?  Believe me, I know I lose sales because some people think it's not professional.  That's okay.  I'm more attracted to selling to the frugal customer anyway.  That's always been my business model, low cost and save.  Look at the spa photos, that's what your money's going toward.  Or go to a showroom and pay $2K more, "brick and mortar" as someone mentioned.  If you want to pay $1,000-2,000 to walk inside a building for an hour and you think there's an actual difference between them and Stellar Spas, that's your choice.  I guarantee you, their higher overhead means they're FAR more likely to close before we will.  Let me remind you we've been in business 20 years.  I've seen several local showroom spa dealers come and go throughout those 20 years (since I've had my "feelers" out about hot tubs).

[Spatech_tuo]

As the owner of Stellar Spas, I thought I'd chime in.  I've read a lot of guesses and opinions, all of which are inaccurate.  We've been in business 20 years and are selling two lines of spas.  We've been selling the Island Retreat Series (our most popular line due to the value/price range) for about 9 years.  We've been selling the Solar Elite Series for about 11 years.

We are definitely not like Dr. Wellness!  I'm very familiar with their line of spas; that they have other dealers like MFG Spas Direct, and (according the production manager at our factory), often change their name due to such poor reviews (1-star).  I have read some reviews and they've been described as garbage and junk.  It's my understanding they're in the US, but use Chinese components.

With uncountable spas sold, we've been selling the same brand as I said, for almost a decade.  In that time, we've literally had *two* warranty issues to speak of.  And those two were promptly addressed by the manufacturer.  The manufacturer has been in place under the same ownership since 1985.  Their quality control is shockingly good.  I would've dropped that line of spas years ago if it wasn't.  To date, we've never had one spa leak. Our A+ BBB Rating speaks for itself.  We don't ask or send out automatic emails to customers like others do (don't believe in being just another company to inundate people with more unwanted email).  But there could be no better example of "no news is good news".  If people weren't happy with our spas, they'd go straight to the BBB and file a complaint.

I value forums like this in general.  But when I see people just throwing out inaccurate guesses, I feel compelled to set the record straight.  And yes the website is simple.  I could hire a webmaster to maintain it, which drives the retail cost up.  If we took a poll, do you think people would say "Yes, I'll pay $50 more for my spa, so all the peripheral framework of the website surrounding the spa photos looks better"?  Believe me, I know I lose sales because some people think it's not professional.  That's okay.  I'm more attracted to selling to the frugal customer anyway.  That's always been my business model, low cost and save.  Look at the spa photos, that's what your money's going toward.  Or go to a showroom and pay $2K more, "brick and mortar" as someone mentioned.  If you want to pay $1,000-2,000 to walk inside a building for an hour and you think there's an actual difference between them and Stellar Spas, that's your choice.  I guarantee you, their higher overhead means they're FAR more likely to close before we will.  Let me remind you we've been in business 20 years. I've seen several local showroom spa dealers come and go throughout those 20 years (since I've had my "feelers" out about hot tubs).

My BS meter just blew up!

[Hottubguy]

As the owner of Stellar Spas, I thought I'd chime in.  I've read a lot of guesses and opinions, all of which are inaccurate.  We've been in business 20 years and are selling two lines of spas.  We've been selling the Island Retreat Series (our most popular line due to the value/price range) for about 9 years.  We've been selling the Solar Elite Series for about 11 years.

We are definitely not like Dr. Wellness!  I'm very familiar with their line of spas; that they have other dealers like MFG Spas Direct, and (according the production manager at our factory), often change their name due to such poor reviews (1-star).  I have read some reviews and they've been described as garbage and junk.  It's my understanding they're in the US, but use Chinese components.

With uncountable spas sold, we've been selling the same brand as I said, for almost a decade.  In that time, we've literally had *two* warranty issues to speak of.  And those two were promptly addressed by the manufacturer.  The manufacturer has been in place under the same ownership since 1985.  Their quality control is shockingly good.  I would've dropped that line of spas years ago if it wasn't.  To date, we've never had one spa leak. Our A+ BBB Rating speaks for itself.  We don't ask or send out automatic emails to customers like others do (don't believe in being just another company to inundate people with more unwanted email).  But there could be no better example of "no news is good news".  If people weren't happy with our spas, they'd go straight to the BBB and file a complaint.

I value forums like this in general.  But when I see people just throwing out inaccurate guesses, I feel compelled to set the record straight.  And yes the website is simple.  I could hire a webmaster to maintain it, which drives the retail cost up.  If we took a poll, do you think people would say "Yes, I'll pay $50 more for my spa, so all the peripheral framework of the website surrounding the spa photos looks better"?  Believe me, I know I lose sales because some people think it's not professional.  That's okay.  I'm more attracted to selling to the frugal customer anyway.  That's always been my business model, low cost and save.  Look at the spa photos, that's what your money's going toward.  Or go to a showroom and pay $2K more, "brick and mortar" as someone mentioned.  If you want to pay $1,000-2,000 to walk inside a building for an hour and you think there's an actual difference between them and Stellar Spas, that's your choice.  I guarantee you, their higher overhead means they're FAR more likely to close before we will.  Let me remind you we've been in business 20 years. I've seen several local showroom spa dealers come and go throughout those 20 years (since I've had my "feelers" out about hot tubs).

My BS meter just blew up!

Lol. My favorite part was 2 warranty calls in the last 20 years!

[Spatech_tuo]

As the owner of Stellar Spas, I thought I'd chime in.  I've read a lot of guesses and opinions, all of which are inaccurate.  We've been in business 20 years and are selling two lines of spas.  We've been selling the Island Retreat Series (our most popular line due to the value/price range) for about 9 years.  We've been selling the Solar Elite Series for about 11 years.

We are definitely not like Dr. Wellness!  I'm very familiar with their line of spas; that they have other dealers like MFG Spas Direct, and (according the production manager at our factory), often change their name due to such poor reviews (1-star).  I have read some reviews and they've been described as garbage and junk.  It's my understanding they're in the US, but use Chinese components.

With uncountable spas sold, we've been selling the same brand as I said, for almost a decade.  In that time, we've literally had *two* warranty issues to speak of.  And those two were promptly addressed by the manufacturer.  The manufacturer has been in place under the same ownership since 1985.  Their quality control is shockingly good.  I would've dropped that line of spas years ago if it wasn't.  To date, we've never had one spa leak. Our A+ BBB Rating speaks for itself.  We don't ask or send out automatic emails to customers like others do (don't believe in being just another company to inundate people with more unwanted email).  But there could be no better example of "no news is good news".  If people weren't happy with our spas, they'd go straight to the BBB and file a complaint.

I value forums like this in general.  But when I see people just throwing out inaccurate guesses, I feel compelled to set the record straight.  And yes the website is simple.  I could hire a webmaster to maintain it, which drives the retail cost up.  If we took a poll, do you think people would say "Yes, I'll pay $50 more for my spa, so all the peripheral framework of the website surrounding the spa photos looks better"?  Believe me, I know I lose sales because some people think it's not professional.  That's okay.  I'm more attracted to selling to the frugal customer anyway.  That's always been my business model, low cost and save.  Look at the spa photos, that's what your money's going toward.  Or go to a showroom and pay $2K more, "brick and mortar" as someone mentioned.  If you want to pay $1,000-2,000 to walk inside a building for an hour and you think there's an actual difference between them and Stellar Spas, that's your choice.  I guarantee you, their higher overhead means they're FAR more likely to close before we will.  Let me remind you we've been in business 20 years. I've seen several local showroom spa dealers come and go throughout those 20 years (since I've had my "feelers" out about hot tubs).

My BS meter just blew up!

Lol. My favorite part was 2 warranty calls in the last 20 years!

I almost highlighted that but then thought "maybe he meant he has only agreed to cover a customer's problem under warranty twice and simply denied all the rest".

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

So if I understand this correctly....

You've been in business for 20 years.
You have an uncountable number of spas sold.
You have ONLY had 2 warranty repairs on all of that.
AND you have an a+ BBB rating.

So ummmmmmm, how come you ONLY have THREE reviews with the BBB.....and THEY say you've been in business for 15 years?

3 reviews? What, you don't have any relatives? And what was the complaint filed with the BBB back in 2016?

[DorothyRobinson]

I recently purchased a hot tub from Stellar Spa's and was very satisfied with my experience.
I was a little anxious making such a large purchase from a company with no store front and only going on photos and descriptions of their products from their website.

However after calling Terry and talking to him about the tub I was confident that I was making the right decision using him. The Tub arrived sooner than I originally anticipated, but Terry let me know ahead of time that it would.

 One item that I had ordered was missing from my delivery but Terry contacted the factory and had it coming before I even had a chance to call him. I have everything set up and have been able to enjoy the tub the last couple of nights. I am overall very pleased with the quality and features on this tub.

 It is easily a nice as the hot tub that my friend bought elsewhere but paid more than double the price. I would recommend Stellar Spas to anybody that is in the market for a new hot tub.

[Roeboat]

I found this post on BBB web site. Word for word what Dorthy just posted.....

Matt M.
★★★★★
★★★★★
04/07/2017

I recently purchased a hot tub from Stellar Spa's and was very satisfied with my experience. I was a little anxious making such a large purchase from a company with no store front and only going on photos and descriptions of their products from their website. However after calling Terry and talking to him about the tub I was confident that I was making the right decision using him. The Tub arrived sooner than I originally anticipated, but Terry let me know ahead of time that it would. One item that I had ordered was missing from my delivery but Terry contacted the factory and had it coming before I even had a chance to call him. I have everything set up and have been able to enjoy the tub the last couple of nights. I am overall very pleased with the quality and features on this tub. It is easily a nice as the hot tub that my friend bought elsewhere but paid more than double the price. I would recommend Stellar Spas to anybody that is in the market for a new hot tub.

[Spatech_tuo]

I found this post on BBB web site. Word for word what Dorthy just posted.....

Matt M.
★★★★★
★★★★★
04/07/2017

I recently purchased a hot tub from Stellar Spa's and was very satisfied with my experience. I was a little anxious making such a large purchase from a company with no store front and only going on photos and descriptions of their products from their website. However after calling Terry and talking to him about the tub I was confident that I was making the right decision using him. The Tub arrived sooner than I originally anticipated, but Terry let me know ahead of time that it would. One item that I had ordered was missing from my delivery but Terry contacted the factory and had it coming before I even had a chance to call him. I have everything set up and have been able to enjoy the tub the last couple of nights. I am overall very pleased with the quality and features on this tub. It is easily a nice as the hot tub that my friend bought elsewhere but paid more than double the price. I would recommend Stellar Spas to anybody that is in the market for a new hot tub.

LOL, good job! Its amazing how lazy some scammers can be! Probably copied a friend's term paper in HS without changing a word!

[Terry Koss]

I feel sorry for some of you folks.  1,706 posts, 3,374 and 6,073?  I’ll say this, unlike I’d bet anything you live for, I’m not one to go back and forth on absolutely pointless arguing with people who are clearly intent on one thing:  Playing the Devil’s Advocate.  Either that, or they’re simply focusing on all the poorly made spas out there, and have now concluded that they’re all bad, and default to being 100% confident that anyone who speaks highly of their spas is bs’ing.  Or, maybe you’ve got a vested interest in this website, knowing that the more posts there are, the higher it will stay in the search engines.  There aren’t many other options.  We’re not talking 200 comments.  That’s a lot.  The lowest of the three is approaching two thousand comments!  I've been a member of an automotive discussion forum for years, have used it *extensively* since 2003, and I've only got about 300 posts.  I don't think I've ever seen numbers like yours on any forum in my life!  No doubt, something smells afoul.

I’m 54.  I’m a business owner, but I’m a consumer as well.  I inherently do NOT trust salespeople either.  So I can respect a certain level of suspicion.  But my BS meter isn’t broken like the one guy’s (and it broke before you ever commented on this thread).  When I read these comments, knowing what I say is accurate, because I happen to have the actual experience, and see that you guys are just either addicted to negativity or for the other aforementioned reasons, again…I can only feel sorry for you or know you’ve got an ulterior motive.  Either way, your comments aren’t fair, and that means you’re not sincere people.

So something is fishy here.  I originally had my username as the company name.  A moderator PMed me and told me he would approve my post, but that I needed to change my user name away from the company name.  So how is it that “Dr. SpaTM Ret.” is allowed the brand he represents in his user name?  I’d bet he’s an owner or has a vested interest in this site.  He comments enough on it to support the idea.  Let me guess…the “Ret.” stands for retired, so when people ask, he’s in on a loophole.  Definitely not retired from commenting unfairly, slamming honest small business owners for no ethically justified reason though.

As I said, if you live for this stuff, that’s pretty sad.  Good job…you’re not exactly making the world a little better, but…the good news there are worse people in the world.

But I will point out that you’re so preoccupied with sniffing out fault, that you’re not reading very well.  I never said we’ve only had two warranty issues in 20 years.  Read my original post again.  I said in effect, in the 9 years we’ve been selling the Island Retreat Series, we’ve had two warranty issues “to speak of”.
 
So number one:  The first line of spas we sold in the first 8 years or so we were in business was a nightmare.  Probably 1 in 20 spas had a problem.  Probably 1 in 20 spas leaked.  And the factory was a pain to get to address the issue.  I dropped them for good reason and it’s no surprise they’re now defunct.

If you’re not familiar with the term “…to speak of”, it’s equivalent to *major*.  There have been probably half a dozen minor issues with some small issue, such as a cracked filter housing (which possibly occurred in shipping) or diverter valve.  Those issues were also promptly addressed/resolved.  I consider major to mean the time a customer’s control pack was apparently faulty (wasn’t even confirmed; the electrician had a short somewhere and suspected it might be the control pack; the factory overnighted a new one the next day).  Another customer had a bad pump; also promptly replaced.  And to the guy who highlighted my 'not one spa has leaked' comment – that’s 100% correct.  Not one single spa has leaked to date.  And when one does, I’ll then state that, that only one spa has ever leaked to date (and so on).  To the guy who says maybe we didn’t honor the warranty – sure, maybe we didn’t.  Because sadly there are companies out there that abandon their customers.  But we’re not one of them.  If you’ve lived ANY LIFE at all, you’ve experienced both kinds of companies.  So get off your character assassination quest and stop concluding we’re one of them because we simply are not one of those companies.  Or are you trying to say you think every single company, every single person in this world is bad, dishonest and makes low quality products?  Or is that just you?  People often inherently perceive others according to their own personal character.  Otherwise, what would you do if you strived to take good care of your customers, sold a product with excellent quality control and had bozos with no personal experience inappropriately slamming you?

FYI, when a company starts their business, there’s no magical force that automatically notifies the BBB.  We sold our first spa in February of 1999.  We didn’t get on the BBB’s radar for about 8 years I think it was.  I had to send them documentation; the earliest BOL I could find from a few years earlier to prove we had been in business longer than they believed.  I haven't done all the math, but obviously that old BOL was from 2004.

[Terry Koss]

This will be my LAST COMMENT.  So have at it guys.

But to answer the question about the BBB complaint from 2016:  We listed the model of the control pack (from the Solar Elite Series manufacturer) as being a certain manufacturer, which was higher quality.  The factory never informed me that they upgraded to literally a state-of-the-art control pack in the industry, i.e., even better than the one we had listed.  When the customer received his spa, he noticed it was different, saw the opportunity for…you guessed it – money.  He flipped his lid, claimed misrepresentation and said he wanted $3,500!!!  Even though in writing, he admitted that he realized it was better after researching for himself, didn’t matter.  He had dollar signs in his eyes and that’s all that mattered to him.  He was obviously out to reverse scam us, but we resolved to downgrade to the former control pack (forget if he accepted, once he realized he wasn't getting the big bucks).  All the communication was well documented, which we forwarded to the BBB, which is why the complaint was considered resolved.  This is another example of others who are far from sincere in their character.  I’m not trying to tell you I’m a Saint.  But news flash to you since you're pretending to be so naïve (being very nice there obviously) - there are people/companies out there who believe in the Golden Rule and strive for excellent customer service and have decided they’ll only sell high quality products and drop those that aren't.  I’ve grown up quite a bit in 20 years.  When are you folks going to grow up?  Or is your vested interest in this website compromising your principles, just like others who will sell low quality products and don’t care how dissatisfied their customers are?

As I said, this is my last comment.  So have at it guys.  And be sure to give it your worst.  Looks like you’ve had tons of practice.

P.S.  I would guess that Dorothy Robinson is Matt M.’s significant other.  I sold Matt a St. Lucia in March of 2017.  I just did an email search, reviewed Matt’s invoice and didn’t find anything with a Dorothy involved.  Could be a poser, don’t know.