Emerald finally came through *Sort of* UPDATE

[Viper_Dude]

*THE UPDATED PORTION IS IN MY LAST POST AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE*

I'm hoping some of you may be able to help me out of my current predicament (and save me the $ of buying a new hot tub cover). Here's the situation: I took possesion of an Emerald Spa Estate 750 at the end of February (the 24th I think). The first week was fine, but then the second week I noticed the corner stitching starting to tear and pull away. I contacted my dealer who had me take photos and send them to him (so he could forward to his rep). They agreed to replace the cover material (I would have to reuse the foam inserts). It's two months later and I'm still waiting, but that's another issue.

About 3 weeks into spa ownership we had a little thunderstorm with minor wind speeds, but somehow it was enough to tear one of the straps:

I couldn't believe the stitching gave way in such minor winds. I was told by the dealer that this was not a warranty issue, as it was cause by "Natural Forces".

At this point I would have just bought a new cover, but I figured, "Well, I have that covering material coming, and it'll have a new strap on it."

At the 5th week of spa ownership another thunderstorm hit (welcome spring) that had more significant winds. This time the other strap on the same side broke.

As you can see this time it ripped the stitching clean out. By this point I'm thinking what kind of shoddy craftmanship goes into constructing these hot tub covers?

Again I say no need to order a replacement cover since the new cover will come with new straps. Of course now my hot tub cover lid flips in half in the slightst wind. As a stop gap measure I got two towels, folded them into quarters, and placed one on each corner with a 5-10lb rock on top. I figured, "Oh well, the cover will surely be here soon, it's been 5 weeks!"

Today- it's been just over two months since I reported my issue with the cover. Now the cover is supposedly in the process of being shipped (This is the second time my dealer has been told it's being shipped). Let me say I don't blame my dealer as he has been given the run around by Emerald. But now a new issue has arisen. Apparently the foam inserts inside the hot tub cover have began to fail. The center section of one insert has began to droop and is now pooling water when it rains. Here are pics I just took a few minutes ago:


My question is should this be considered a warranty issue? And even if Emerald says it's a warranty issue, if it's taken this long just to get the cover material, how long would it take to get an entire replacement cover?! And is my experience indicative of their low quality of cover construction?

I'm at my wits end, and I just need someone to tell me if I should cut bait and just buy a better cover through an aftermarket company (I've heard good things about Doc's covers!).

So now your turn, what should I do?

[drewstar]

I'm with you Viper. You got a crappy cover.
I'd check in with your dealer one more time, and let him know that you are going to escalate this up the coporate food chain.

[Tatooed_Lady]

Personally, I'd go farther than giving the dealer another stern talking to, but not as far as setting myself on fire in the spa outside their showroom (see Term's post on another thread)....
Here's MY thought: How about calling the manufacturer direct, and letting them know that you feel that SOMEONE has dropped the ball, you've been promised a cover cover (redundant, I know) for almost 2 months, and you now have ANOTHER issue with the foam and require a full cover replacement. Offer to send them pictures via e-mail, with attached information detailing tub placement in regards to any structures that block the wind, approximate wind speed, how many people walk their dogs on the wrong side of the street, if necessary..
Also tell them that you feel you've been patient, feel you've received a substandard quality cover, and would be MORE than happy to drop this one on the dealer's doorstep so s/he can package and send it back to them once you receive a new one. If the dealer doesn't want to be involved in this, ask them to direct you to a company that will ship it COD to the manufacturer.
Again, this is MY $.02......YMMVG.
But then...I'm usually rather gritchy about high ticket items, I guess.....if I pay for quality then I expect it.

[Bill_Stevenson]

The cover you have is not up to par.  It should be able to withstand the wind unless you are in a particularly high wind area.  Mine has been able to withstand hurricanes (I live in West Palm Beach, FL and in the past 2 years we have had a few of them) without damage to the cover.  

You should contact the dealer and say that you have consulted with others and the consensus is that your cover is simply not acceptable and you want it replaced NOW not months later.  Furthermore, if you don't get an immediate, favorable response, you should contact the consumer affairs departament for your state (often you call the state attorney general's office to reach these people).  Often a phone call from them gets the job done pronto.

Regards,

Bill

[hymbaw]

When your new cover comes just put the cores in upside down. You will now have "super high end" run-off capabilities!

[Drewski]

Yep, it's a CRAPPY cover.  You will probably have issues with the replacement one as well....

For stop gap, 2 things.  First, most commercial upholstery places (check the yellow pages under car seats and marine upholstery) will "fix" your straps.  Second, get some stainless steel "eye" lags (say 1/2" by 4") and either screw them into your deck or the pedestal of your spa. Make some cover "heavy duty straps" out of light duty ratcheting straps, using a 90 degree corner edge protector (could be plastic, etc.). Pre-fit these exactly. When heavy weather is on the way, strap your cover down. I used this method for 3 hurricanes with good results!

Just a thought...

Drewski

[drewstar]

Get a huricane strap from Doc!  

[shabba34]

The cover you have is not up to par.  It should be able to withstand the wind unless you are in a particularly high wind area.  Mine has been able to withstand hurricanes (I live in West Palm Beach, FL and in the past 2 years we have had a few of them) without damage to the cover.  

You should contact the dealer and say that you have consulted with others and the consensus is that your cover is simply not acceptable and you want it replaced NOW not months later.  Furthermore, if you don't get an immediate, favorable response, you should contact the consumer affairs departament for your state (often you call the state attorney general's office to reach these people).  Often a phone call from them gets the job done pronto.

Regards,

Bill

Ditto what Bill said, granted our spas are from the same MFG.  3 Hurricanes later, cover still fine.

[Viper_Dude]

Thank you everybody for the quick and favorable replies. I was just worried that I had been making a big deal out of nothing. I am glad to discover that this is indeed out of the norm. I called my dealer this past friday and he was told by his representative at Emerald that, "There was a misunderstanding. When I said the cover was being shipped I meant it was being shipped to me. When I receive it I will then ship it to you (the dealer)." He proceeded to tell my dealer that it should arrive middle of this week. I am going to call my dealer this Thursday and if it has still not arrived I am going to get the direct phone number for his representative.

Hymbaw's response has got me thinking now, would it be alright if when I get the replacement cover material I just reinsert the foam core upside down? Or should I call the dealer today and tell him about what the foam core is now doing?

[J._McD]

Most ALL manufacturers accquire their covers from cover makers, (except HS who makes their own).  Very little attention is given to the cover during the purchase of the Hot Tub and the consumer just assumes everything he needs to know about covers is "covered" by the manufacturer.

It normally takes 1 to 2 weeks to order and receive a new cover.  We have NEVER had good luck in ordering just the inserts OR just the bag because if one is off by a ¼" and you end up either a sloppy fit or a tight fit and breaking the zipper, thus, you end up buying a new cover.

Usually, damage looking like this is from opening the cover from the front and neglecting to "open" or "unlock" the straps in the back before lifting the cover with the cover lifter, but, wind will do it too.  The cover is probably less than $500, which is probably your deductible for your home owners insurance, but it could be covered by your homeowners insurance.

One other option is to simply get a lock down strap for the front to the back to lock the cover down with.  That would at least get some more life out of this cover.

When the new bag comes, flip the inserts over when inserting them back into the bag.  This will eliminate the recess and should give you just a little bit of a mound for water run off.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

I love that first picture. Mind if I keep a copy of it?

I hate to tell you, but the main reason for the straps is to simply prevent entry into the spa by children under the age of 5. The actual vinyl of a cover has very little strength, and is further weakened by the holes made from sewing it. Most cover manufactures also only sew the straps into the cover in one place, hence they tend to simply pull out rather easily......

The other thing to keep in mind is that spa manufacturers "usually" will cut EVERY CORNER possible on the covers they provide with a new spa. Just because a particular cover manufacturer may be known for a quality cover they manufacture, doesn't mean they don't make some custom POS for a spa manufacturer, as per their request.

Did I mention how I love that first picture? I think it costs us less than 5 cents to make the tie-downs virtually tear-proof........ and yes, spa manufacturers very well may want to save on that nickle.....

Please don't get me wrong, there are some spa manufacturers that do provide a high quality cover  

[Chas]

While you are handling the cores - flipping them and trying to get them into the new bag, be sure to loof for cracks in the foam and holes or tears in the vapor barrier.

[Viper_Dude]

Well, just wanted to let everyone know Emerald has finally came through and the new cover cover arrived to my dealer today. I'll drive out to Milford tomorrow and pick it up (dealer is almost an hour away).

Chas, thinks for the heads up. I'll thoroughly check the foam when I take it out of the old cover.

Dr. Spa, not only can you use that first picture, but I uploaded the full sized image for your enjoyment!
http://www.viperdude.us/LatestHappenings/HotTub/strap.JPG

[Viper_Dude]

Boy oh boy, where to begin? I guess I should start off by saying I didn't have to call my dealer this Thursday, because they called me on Wednesday to let me know the cover bag had finally come in (for those just tuning in, this was on the 64th day since I first filed the warranty issue). All was good in Oz again. I decided to go out to the dealership Saturday to pick up the replacement cover bag since they are almost an hour's drive away.

Friday day I get a phone call from a higher up at Emerald Spa. He was very polite, and profusly (sp?) apologized for the long delay. He confirmend J. McD's earlier suspicion that they do contract out to other cover manufacturer's. Apparently here is the series of events that took place. I file a warranty claim on the cover. My dealer contacts his service rep who wants pictures. Dealer informs me he needs pics, so I send them. Dealer rep sits on it for a week or so then pushes the claim up the beurocratic ladder. Claim is approved, order is placed for new cover via third party cover manufacturer. By some screw up my cover sits ready to be shipped at the cover manufacturer's factory for several weeks until the dealer rep calls to check (after being prodded by my dealer via me). The cover was supposed to be shipped directly to my dealer. Instead it is sent to the service rep at the Emerald factory in the same truck as a load of regular cover deliveries. This delays the cover yet another week. It finally arrives to the rep who then finally sends it to my dealer via FedEx. Whew! Got all that?

So Mike, the higher up from Emerald explains all this to me and apologizes yet again. He also informs me that he will be having his service rep leave me some "goodies" at the dealership for all my inconvenience. I hang up the phone with my faith restored in Emerald. Then about 2 hours later I get a call from my dealer. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here you go:

Yep. A little bit of a color difference wouldn't you say?

Since my cover has been through the ringer and has two broken straps they give me this brown cover as a temporary solution. Monday we get to start the whole cycle over again with Emerald. This time I think Emerald should ship the cover to me given the rising cost of gas and the distance from me to my dealer.

Chas, I took your advice, and when I gingerly removed the foam inserts I checked the vapor barriers thoroughly. Low and behold I find this. About a 2 foot long tear in the plastic:


Anyways, here is the finished product:


Please forgive that last picture, I'm still working on my stone walkway around the tub. I still have to dig out the limestone in the cracks and fill with dirt so I can plant my creeping phlox. Also that green border is temporary until my load of clean fill is delivered.

And I took several peoples advice and flipped the foam inserts so now I have a nice mound in the middle:


I'll keep you up-to-date on what Emerald does to resolve this.

[hottubdan]

I think they owe you an entire new cover.  Tears in foam.  Poor service.

My humble opinion.