I recently purchased a Beachcomber 578. Unfortunately it has turned out to be a huge disappointment.
Iíll list my comments on the tub first, and then our experience with the details surrounding the reason we returned the tub.
The 578 we purchased had the mica finish, tan enviro-skirt, protec option, reflex foot massage, and the ever-light option.
Pros
The 578 is a nice looking and comfortable tub and the light color finish looks very nice with changing colors of the ever-light.
The cupped seats are more comfortable than the bench style seating IMHO.
The tub seems to be well built and well insulated, although we didnít have it long enough to really tell. The Protec option seems like a good idea.
The tub was very quiet, even when the jets we on high.
The versatility of the jets is pretty good, although I have found better action with other tubs. I did discover (on my own) that some jets can individually be adjusted by moving the nozzles.
Cons
Reliability. The tub ìdiedî on the second day of use. See detail below for more information. In addition one of the jets was not fully functional on delivery.
The tub seemed underpowered for me. Some may find that the power is just right, but personally I like the option of a more vigorous massage.
There isnít enough adjustability in the massage power. With certain tubs such as Caldera you get an infinite range of adjustability. With the 578 you have high and low speed and a small amount of adjustability with the jets.
The Reflex foot massage is all or nothing. I would prefer having the flexibility of having other jets on while running the foot massage.
I didnít think the integrated grab rails were very good because you canít wrap your hand around them.
Our Experience
We purchased the Beachcomber 578 from a local at a ìtruckload saleî There were a good number of upgrades and bonuses included, which made it an attractive deal. The only down side was we had just started looking at hot tubs and we ìhadî to make a decision that day, without wet testing or much shopping around.
We did buy the tub and it was delivered on July 14, 2003. The first problem occurred on delivery. The tub arrived damaged, without the cover or the lift and store I had purchased. The damage consisted of several gouges to the acrylic shell and slats of the skirt. We called the dealer and reported the damage. We were told someone would be out to the house on July 17, 2003 to inspect the damage and order the correct replacement parts. When no one came on the specified date I called the dealer and was told that they would just order the parts based on our description of the damage. After two weeks of follow up calls I finally learned that no parts were ever ordered and that a representative of the dealer would be sent to my house to repair the damage.
On July 29, 2003 the dealer representative came to my house deliver the missing cover, cover lifter, and attempt to repair the damage to the hot tub. The damage was only partially repaired and final resolution was pending based on talking with the owner at the dealership and the arrival of an acrylic repair kit. On August 6, 2003 a dealer representative came to my house again, this time to finalize the repairs finish the installation and start up the hot tub. When he arrived he announced there was no such thing as acrylic repair kit for my color acrylic. The service rep proceeded to wet sand and polish the damaged acrylic with car wax! I figured we would take up the problem with the dealership, so we let him finish the installation and first fill.
On August 7, 2003 we used the hot tub for the first time. The power seemed low, even when on high, but otherwise the hot tub seemed to function properly with the exception that one of the jets was not working properly. On August 8, 2003 we used the hot tub again. This time the hot tub worked for a short period of time and then tripped the GFIC breaker. The breaker could not be reset. I had our electrician check the connections on August 9, 2003 and everything was wired properly. The electrician stated there was most likely a problem with the electric motor, most likely the thermal coupling (or something to that effect) that caused the breaker to trip. We were able to reset the breaker that next day (I was unable to reset it the night before) but the tub was dead. I called the dealer the morning of August 9, 2003 and told them we were unsatisfied with the hot tub and wanted it picked up and a full refund. The dealer picked up the hot tub on August 11, 2003.
The bottom line is part of the fault lies with us for rushing into the initial purchase without doing more research and wet testing. But I have to say the dealer was less than wonderful throughout the whole process. In fact if they had offered to work with us we may still be Beachcomber owners. I really felt like customer service and satisfaction was the least of their interest.
Date Purchased: 6/30/2003
Price Paid: $5995
Recommend: No |
Pros:
Nice looking, quite, comfortable
Cons:
Not reliable, low powered, lack of adjustability. |
