The Hot Tubbing Life
What's The Warranty??
Written by Greg Wednesday, 11 August 2010 15:45
Warranties are funny things; most products we buy carry one, but usually we don't read them or fully understand them. Because of that, some vendors make great headline claims (try "lifetime warranty") but follow it up in the fine print with multiple exclusions and restrictions - i.e., loopholes.
The first thing you need to know is that just because the warranty headlines of two differing spa brands are the same, they can still be very different in coverage and application. As far as Sundance Spas warranties go, the 780 and 880 series spas have the following coverage:
- a 10-year warranty on the spa shell
- a 7-year shell surface warranty
- a 5-year parts and labour warranty
Sounds straight forward enough right? - many other spa brands offer a similar headline warranty. But I have seen numerous cases in these other vendor's fine print where they water down the warranty. Here are a couple of examples:
"Damage resulting from a neglected leaking seal is not covered under warranty. This includes but is not limited to bearing seizure, end bell failure, impeller failure and capacitor failure. It is the responsibility of the customer to report shaft seal failure before further damage can occur."
Now the pumps are inside the cabinet of the spa, how are you supposed to know if and when a leak has started...are you supposed to take out your screwdriver every week and do a systems check?...I guess so if you want coverage. At The Sundance Spa Store the pumps are covered FULLY for 5 years; so you can put your tool box away.
"Note that union connection leaks are considered to be user serviceable and are expressly excluded from the limited warranty. Damage resulting from union connection leaks are expressly excluded from the limited warranty"
You had better get your plumbing license, because it looks like you're responsible for fixing union connection leaks and no coverage for any damage to the base of the spa from the leaking water. At Sundance Spas you're FULLY covered for 5-years for plumbing issues.
"There will be no charge for on-site labour to the customer...travel costs are the responsibility of the customer."
So you get a 5-year parts and labour warranty, but only the on-site labouris free...get ready to pay a service fee for their travel time. At the Sundance Spa Store you get DON'T get charged for travel time.
"All warranties hereunder are void if the spa has been subject to misuse...Misuse includes...damage caused by improper chemical balance (including any damage to spa components caused by scale build up due to poor water chemistry)"
This is a classic loophole to get out of covering your heater if it fails and they find a bit of scale built up on the heating element like a tea kettle...almost a certainty. Sundance Spas offers a NO FAULT warranty on their heaters meaning even if you mess up your water chemistry the heater is covered for 5 years.
"Scratches or micro-glazing in the spa shell reported after the day of installation are not covered under warranty."
Sundance Spas covers the possibility of micro-glazing and other surface issues for 7 years, not just the day the spa arrives.
In summary, don't just read the warranty headline. You need to read, understand, and compare warranties for what they are. You're making a significant investment, and should be fairly covered under warranty should something happen. Statements in the fine print such as the examples above are red flags of poorer quality products and higher costs to maintain your spa.
If you have stories to share about warranty issues, I'd love to hear them.
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The Thing About Screw In Jets
Written by Greg Wednesday, 19 May 2010 15:41
We've recently started hearing questions from confused customers about "screw-in" jets that a competitor has started to use in their spas. The confusion is understandable because these folks have been told that these screw-in jets are superior to all others in the hot tub marketplace, when this is in fact not true...not even close.
As most people would agree, Sundance Spas has been at the forefront of hot tub innovation for over 30 years...just look at our track record and the list of awards we've garnered...this is what we call the Sundance Difference.
Sundance Spas was the first company to address the dilemma of making a durable high-quality jet without sacrificing superior hydrotherapy. As discussed previously in this blog, jets with bearings or moving parts can and often do wear out. Also old-style jets can fall out because they are kept in place with a small thin tab that is vulnerable to fatigue after several years in the water.
Sundance Spas fixed these durability issues with the introduction of the Fluidix line of jets in 2003. What makes the Fluidix jet so great? Well the short answer is that they provide an un-matched oscillating massage just like a massuese gives and they have NO MOVING PARTS. Why the big deal about no moving parts? Any thing that shakes, spins, toggles, or rotates will wear out, bottom line. So our Fluidix jets don't wear out because there is no wear and tear; they snap into the spa shell so they never fall out. Now because Fluidix jets are patented, you won't find anything like them anywhere else.
Now back to screw-in jets. There is nothing wrong with a screw-in jet, in fact it solves one of the two issues with old-style jets; that they can fall out after the small tab weakens. Because they screw in this can't happen to these jets; that's a good thing. The screw-in jets also do not have bearings and are therefore termed "bearingless jets", however they still have moving parts that spin or toggle and they will wear out just like a bearing jet will. Worse still is that at least the bearing style jet provided superior hydrotherapy; these "new" screw-in jets with a simple spinner at the center provide relatively poor hydrotherapy. This is a technology that was used way back in the 1980's when jet design was in its infancy.
So now you know, don't be fooled by misleading sales tactics or gimmicks that just re-package something old as new again. Remember to do your homework and understand why some spas are built better than others.
I welcome your feedback on this topic and would be glad discuss in greater detail.
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Headrest & Cover Care
Written by Greg Tuesday, 13 April 2010 17:15
I had a frustrated customer this week that came in with a set of headrests that had undergone some degradation. The customer felt that the headrests were defective since this degradation had occurred within 2 years of owning the spa. His frustration is of course is understandable since he asserted that he always kept his water perfectly balanced and did everything by the book.
Upon further conversation with the customer I was able to gain some insight as to what had caused the problem. Although the customer had done a good job of balancing his water, there is always a time or two when things can get off course. That is after all the reason we need to change the water from time to time - you just can't keep the water perfect forever. Now the point of this posting is not to find fault but to present some pointers that can assist spa owners in water maintenance and extend the lifespan of some of the spa's more vulnerable components like headrest and covers.
The biggest mistake spa owners make is using too much and too many chemicals in the water. In fact some of our competitors promote this by providing laundry lists of products to add to the water on a weekly basis which is simply not necessary. It is also costly and not exactly great for your health due to the exposure to all this stuff. Basically, on a weekly basis you need to use a sanitizer and an oxidizer (shock) to maintain your spa water. Balancing the water, such as adjusting the alkalinity or pH, is done on an as needed basis. Use of specialty products such as clarifiers, enzymes, defoamers, descalers, and optimizers can be useful at times, but are not needed all the time. Simply put - if you simplify your water maintenance regiment you will get better and more predictable water quality. Come in a speak to one of our customer care experts about these products if you want to try them, or you have a specific water quality issue.
Another important tip, is that when adding sanitizer (i.e., bromine or chlorine) or shocking the water leave the cover open for 10 or 15 minutes for the oxidizing by-products to vent from the water. Closing the cover immediately after shocking can lead to direct degradation of headrest and covers. Of course in the winter, you may want to put the cover back down immediately which is reasonable to do. But when you can, and when the weather permits, leave the cover off for several minutes and you will extend the life span of these spa parts.
Remember, maintaining your spa is not that difficult with proper instruction from qualified customer care experts like those at The Sundance Spa Store. If you have questions related to this or other water quality issues, please provide a comment and I will be pleased to follow up. 
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Ga-Ga Gazebos
Written by Greg Wednesday, 24 March 2010 21:10
We have another great product announcement. We are now offering a high-gazebo product line from Visscher, in addition to our Sundance line of products. Visscher is a maker of specialty products such as Pergolas & Gazebos located in Chilliwack, British Columbia.
We have set up two of Visscher gazebos, one in each of our two stores. In our Oakville store we have The Banff. It is a full enclosure with a sky light and a graphite black roof, with open & shut windows and front double doors. It is a gorgeous enclosure measuring in at 11 feet x 11 feet.
At the Burlington Store we have set up The Windsor. It has a graphite roof with sky light, louvered side walls on two sides, plus a sit-up bar on one side. It is a unique gazebo that offers both privacy and openness, and with the sit-up bar it has an inclusive family feel to it.
Of course there are many other variations and sizes to choose from, and all are available to be ordered and installed at your convenience. Please contact us for more information or visit our showrooms for a first hand look.
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Business Success Recognized
Written by Greg Tuesday, 16 March 2010 17:32
The hot tub business last year was challenging to say the least. With the economy reeling and job losses piling up, it was no surprise that retailers saw lower sales - especially retailers of high end quality products such as ourselves.
However, those businesses that invested in their products and services seemed to weather the storm better than those who did not, and here again, we count ourselves fortunate to be in the former category.
We have always strived to improve our customer service and care, and to sell the very best products in the hot tub and sauna marketplace. So while 2009 was a tough year for us, we did relatively better than our competitors and peer group.
To that end, it was a welcome surprise to be awarded with several prestigious awards at our annual Sundance Spas dealer conference that took place in Cancun, Mexico in January 2010. Among the accolades received during the awards ceremony were the following:
Gold Club Winner - 4th consecutive year - for sales in the top 10%- Ambassador's Award for Outstanding Market Development - No. 1 International Distributor
- Market Penetration Award
- Outstanding Customer Service Award - 5th consecutive year
As the 2010 hot tub season is set to begin in earnest, we are more confident than ever that we are on the right path to success, and we look forward to helping people get on their own path to a healthier lifestyle and family togetherness.
We invite you to visit one of our showrooms in Oakville and Burlington to see the very best hot tub and sauna products.
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