Here are a few tips on hot tub buying and pricing to help with your purchase.
The first step in hot tub buying is to check out the people you’re buying it from. A local dealer with a great reputation is usually the best option. Always be wary of tents in mall parking lots, “expo” sales and online retailers. Why? Because service after the sale is just as important as service during the sale. Most of these companies leave their customers hanging for long periods of time for warranty repair work which isn’t good for the reputation of our industry. Just like a car, when you buy a hot tub you want it up and working as much as possible so you can enjoy it. That’s why you bought it, right? Also be cautious of pricing games like “half price” hot tubs. Let us assure you if a hot tub is worth $15,000 we will sell it for that. All they are doing is inflating their “MSRP” to make you feel like you’re getting a good price, when you can find the same or similar tub at a dealer often for a price lower than what they have listed.
Next, check who is available to service your new hot tub, and call them before you buy to test their ease of setting a service call. When a dealer owns their own service department it’s a benefit to you because you simply contact the people you bought it from. Another perk for you is the dealer's desire to sell you higher quality products. When dealers do warranty work they typically don’t get paid their normal rate to work on your product from the manufacturer. Because of that (and other reasons) it’s in both the dealer and the customer's best interest for you to have a hot tub that is well built and not problematic.
Another tip is to check out the brand. There are many out there with a lot of confusing and conflicting information. We carry Jacuzzi and Nordic, two of the best. Why? Because our customers don’t have problems with these brands. And that is backed up by actual consumer reviews (and our service department, go ahead and ask them if you’d like). The key is to find a brand that isn’t afraid of their own information. One that combines quality and efficiency. One with a reputation as good as the dealer that sells it. And we will admit we may not have exactly what you want. That’s ok, we keep a good professional dialogue with our colleagues in the area and don’t mind helping you look around.
Next we will cover a few myths about hot tubs.
One of our favorites is “the more jets you get the better the tub.” Unfortunately this isn’t accurate. Reputable manufacturers balance the number of jets to the power of the motors. Look at where the jets are in the tub, and don’t be afraid to ask what they do. Think of it this way. Would you rather have ten $100 bills, or fifty $5 bills? Obviously you get more with ten $100 bills, and quantity doesn’t always equal quality.
On the quantity vs. quality note, another popular myth is “more power is better.” While that may hold true if you’re pursuing a career in racing, it doesn’t always hold true with spas. You may have noticed some manufacturers rate their spas with “two 5hp motors” or something of that nature. While they may not be directly lying, the power numbers are deceiving. They may crank (start) at 5hp the motor only maintains that for a few seconds. Some can get as low as 1.25hp after they get started. The best thing to do is ask their BHP and their HP (brake horsepower and horsepower). In reality only the actual HP matters, since it is what will actually be powering the jets in your hot tub.
The “free delivery” line is also a popular one. Often you’ll find an asterisk beside it noting that it’s only curbside delivery. Don’t fall for it. And make sure you ask about delivery details. Dropping a hot tub in your driveway is bad customer service for many reasons. The biggest being your satisfaction. If the retailer won’t find a way to set it where you want it, do you really think they’ll care enough to maintain it? You deserve better. That’s why our team will deliver your new hot tub and set it where you want it (though if we need a crane, it may cost you a bit extra). Simply have your electrician setup to run your wiring and power it up the day after delivery and you’ll be relaxing in no time.
