Leisure Bay n00B question

[badval]

Just bought a spa tonight.  Delivery should be sometime next week.  Got a great deal, but haven't really heard of the company or its line.  It's a Leisure Bay brand which is sold thru Rec Warehouse stores.  The model I got is the Flores which is at the top of this link: http://www.spasbyleisurebay.com/Spas.asp  The sales guy said that they (Leisure Bay) don't actually manufacture this spa but Watkins does.  From what I understand, Watkins makes a bunch of other brands that I have head of.  He said this is the only model that Leisure Bay doesn't manufacture itself.  It has every bell & whistle they offer except music system, which is fine by me.

I tried out every model they had that had seating for 5 or more & this one felt the best.  Plus it was much larger than all the others w/ a lot of open area in the middle - 93"x93"x41".

It does not have an ozonator & sales guy told me they quit using them this (or last) model year for the entire line.  Is that something I'm going to really regret not having?  It comes with a Baqua starter kit & I've read mixed reviews on that, but a lot of users seemed to go to bromide after trying Baqua.  Since it's not here yet & I'm starting from scratch, what would be the best solution since I don't have an ozonator.  I assume i don't have the option of adding one if they don't sell them or offer it as an option at the dealer?  This is my 1st spa, so i really have no idea what's the best way to treat the water.

Does anyone have experience with these spas - the G3 / Flores model in particular?  I guess I'm a little late in doing my research.  I was originally going to get the Home Depot $2999 (marked down from $4499) Keys model, but figured I'd look around a little.   I went to a few dealers & tried different models, but the more I looked, the more I got confused about what I really wanted & it was becoming harder to distinguish & compare (too many choices!)   After talking price, I chose this one because it seemed like a lot more for the money compared to other brands. 

[Vanguard]

First of all, you have a salesperson that has given you inaccurate information.

Watkins does not maufacture the Flores.  Don't know if he was lying or just uninformed.  With Rec, it could be either.  You really have to be careful with those guys.  Many of the Rec Warehouses do sell Hot Spring or Caldera products from Watkins.  They have one called the Adoration that is made specifically for them, but it is a 2-person spa - not a big one like the Flores.

The brands Watkins makes:
Hot Spring
Tiger River
Hot Spot
Solana
Caldera

Watkins does have a few special offerings such as the Highlife on Costco.com and a series of spas called the C-Series offered at selected dealers across the country.

To check out Rec Warehouse and Leisure Bay, go to http://www.ripoffreport.com and do a search for them.  It may be eye opening.

Good Luck

[Gomboman]

Badval,

How much did you pay for the spa? It seems like the salesman was not very honest with you regarding the Hotspring portion of the presentation. I hope it all works out for you.

[badval]

I paid $7000 (~$6500 + tax) out the door & got the spa, cover, steps, Baqua starter kit, delivery & placement.  Their sticker price was $8500 + $1500 more for the "Imperial" package which consists of chrome (colored) jets, LED lighting that changes colors, 2 waterfalls, & 4 spout-type things - don't remember what they're called but they pop up from each side & spray an arc of water toward the middle.  The Imperial upgrade might consist of some other little things, but that's all I remember.

Checked out the complaint link - yikes.  Hopefully i won't have any problems w/ this spa because it looks like their service after the sale is poor.  I didn't see much on their about Leisure Bay / Rec Warehouse spas, but there were at least 50+ complaints about their pools & service.

[hymbaw]

I paid $7000 (~$6500 + tax) out the door & got the spa, cover, steps, Baqua starter kit, delivery & placement.  Their sticker price was $8500 + $1500 more for the "Imperial" package

So it was a $10,000 spa but was willing to sell it for $6,500??? Doesn't that perk your B.S. detector just a little bit?

[hymbaw]

Checked out the complaint link - yikes.  Hopefully i won't have any problems w/ this spa because it looks like their service after the sale is poor.  I didn't see much on their about Leisure Bay / Rec Warehouse spas, but there were at least 50+ complaints about their pools & service.

That should tell you enough to go and get your deposit back. I wouldn't "hope" I didn't have any problems with ANYTHING I paid $6500 for.

 Do yourself a favor and go check out a Sundance Bahia, D-1's @Home line, Tiger Rivers, or another legitimate manufacturers 2nd line.

I've gleaned enough information from your two posts alone, to make me say "RUN FORREST RUN!"

[Kyle]

Have a very weak warranty as well.

[Kyle]

Also just a note:  A good spa is meant to heat efficiently, be easy to maintain, have well designed seating and have a properly engineered therapy system. It's that simple...nothing more nothing less.

Pay no attention to lights or waterfalls.  They have nothing to do with spa enjoyment at all.

[SerjicalStrike]

Pay no attention to lights or waterfalls.  They have nothing to do with spa enjoyment at all.

Totally untrue.  They probably shouldn't be a deciding factor when purchasing a spa because there are other things that are more important, but they definitely add to the spa enjoyment for many people.

[East_TX_Spa]

I LOVE the Bella Fontana (Purty Fountain) that HotSpring Spas have.  I wish every spa we sold had them.  Everybody loves it.





Terminator

[badval]

I really don't care about bells & whistles much, but I do like the ribbon warerfall.  It may have absolutely nothing to do with the function of the spa, but I like the way it looks.  It has a 2nd waterfall that isn't the ribbon kind - just dumps water straight down & I'd rather it not be there alltogether.  I like the lights that change colors too, but can live w/o it.  The 4 spout things also really serve no functional purpose, but they look cool.  We have a 7 y/o boy & he really liked them.

This was a floor model.  I bought the actual one I wet tested.  That took a little off the price.  They are also having a sale right now.  $8500 on the sticker & the upgrade packages were $1500 or $2500 depending on if you wanted music.  The lights were also a $250 upgrade that are outside the upgrade packages.  That was the only "a la carte" upgrade that was available on all their models - it was either base model or one of the two upgrade packages - but you could add the changing lights.  Anyway, the sale price was $7700 for the base model.  I didn't even really consider it after that & was looking at smaller ones because that was too much.  We were haggling prices on a different model & the mgr threw out a price for this one if i wanted the floor model.  It was still too high, but I got in it & really liked better.  Told him I liked it & appreciated him suggesting the lower price, but was simply more than I was willing to spend.  Then I threw out the $6500 (which is what i was looking at paying for a model 2 sizes down) & told him I'd give him caash right now if he'd take it.  

I'd guess these are a lot like cars & the "sticker price" is just a starting point?  At least at Rec Warehouse it seemed there was room to negotiate.  There are other models I liked in this size that were about $9500 & I'm just not going to spend that much.  If I should be looking elsewhere, what brands are better that will get me into something that size for $6500?  

[Vanguard]

I'd guess these are a lot like cars & the "sticker price" is just a starting point?  At least at Rec Warehouse it seemed there was room to negotiate.  There are other models I liked in this size that were about $9500 & I'm just not going to spend that much.  If I should be looking elsewhere, what brands are better that will get me into something that size for $6500?  

That is the case with Rec Warehouse.  They are notorious for putting a huge sticker price and then dropping their shorts - making you feel like you got a "Great Deal."  

Most dealers of the top manufacturers don't reallyplay this game like Rec does.  Dealers typically will negotiate, but not like getting a $10,500 spa for $6,500.  

I'm not trying to poop your party, but just hope you know who you are dealing with.  They tend to be the pariah of the industry.  Low quality, poor customer service.  Not sure if you tested other brands, but can't imagine you could find Leisure Bay to be more comfortable.  The jets are not recessed so you can feel them in your back.  Just take this as a suggestion, consider getting your deposit back and look around a bit more.  Of course with Rec, getting your deposit back will be pretty difficult.

[badval]

Deposit = $7000 in cash.  Probably not the brightest move, but I've done dumber things in my life I guess.....

Looking at my receipt there is a bullet point at the bottom that might make getting a refund difficult - any dealers here want to chime in & let me know:

*  All sales are final upon invoice

It hasn't been delivered yet.  They haven't called to set up a date yet.

Went to the Hot Springs & Caldera dealer tonight.  Tried a HS Envoy, Caldera Aspire, & Caldera Niagara.  The Niagara was the only one close to the size of the LB Flores.  I didn't like either of the smaller ones except for the seat with the MotoMassage - that was excellent.  But my fiance got forced out of most of the seats or kinda floated away.  The only ones she really stayed put in were the middle side seats that are kinda like park bench seats.  Any of the reclining or lounge type seats, she just sorta floated away unless she held herself there.  I floated out of position in a couple spots, but not too bad.  The overall look of the Niagara is excellent - very sharp spa.

The dealer was having a Labor Day sale & everything was marked down about $400-$600 from regular prices.  There was no negotiating beyond that.  The Envoy was about $8100, Caldera was about $8500, & the Niagara was about $9000 (or really close to those - I didn't write everything down).  They had a lot of tubs in the $5500 - $6500 range, but those had fewer jets, shorter warranties, & seemed fairly "plain" compared to the more expensive ones.

It looks like I'll stick by my quick & uninformed decision to buy the LB Flores.  I found it to be every bit as comfortable as what I was in tonight (with the exception of the moto-massage seats).  I'm thinking the larger size is definitely what I want & I don't want to spend an additional 3 grand to get the same size & features.  If it turns out to be a lemon, I'll let you guys know so you can say "I told you so".  Maybe I'll be able to come back & report on years of trouble-free service from it.

I'd still like to know what you guys recommend for chemicals.  Should I start with the Baqua they're giving me or is there something else I should look into?

[Vanguard]

Hey, enjoy your spa.  I think you'll really enjoy the sound of the waterfall on the backside of the spa.

As to your chemicals, it is really a personal preference.  Some people like Baqua and some people like bromine and some like ozone with MPS.  If you are getting Baqua with the spa, try it out.  If you don't like it, you can switch to something else.

Only using the spa will tell you if you like the product.  Good Luck!!

[DPS]

What state do you live in?  Many states (including Texas, where I live) have a 3 day right of recension on ANY purchase.  If you are really uneasy about the purchase you should go right now and ask for the refund.