You see the ad on TV or hear it on the radio…sounds like a huge hot tub sale with multiple top hot tub brands and tons of selection. The deals sound outrageous…..thousands of dollars off or as much as 50-70% off of “retail price”. Is this for real or is it gimmicks and false advertising? We at Hot Tub Insider are here to break it down for you.
First and foremost, it’s important to distinguish if the event is hosted by a local company or if it is an out of town company doing a traveling show. If it’s a local company then it’s worth pursuing although “the deals” may not always be as good as you would think. If it’s an out of town company then we would suggest steering clear. Furthermore, it’s important to determine if you are looking for a good deal on a hot tub or if you are looking for a good hot tub that’s also a good deal. In the first scenario it’s easy to fall into the trap of buying based on price or thinking you’re getting a good price based on gimmicks and consumer ignorance. In the latter scenario you are researching and educating yourself on brands, models, and dealers then trying to find the model you like at a good price. When purchasing a hot tub we would always suggest doing at least a little bit of homework before pulling the trigger as it can save a considerable amount of time, frustration, and money down the road.
Many of the traveling hot tub shows use misleading advertising that suggests that the best savings on hot tubs can only be had this weekend at this “spa show”. This is simply not true. Consumers are fooled by over inflated regular prices and massive discounts which give the appearance of huge savings. It’s these gimmicks and false advertising that trick consumers into thinking that they are getting a deal when in fact they are overpaying. We are confident that if you don’t get caught up in the hype and do your homework then you can find a similar quality or better quality hot tub equipped the same way for less from a local hot tub dealer. At the end of the day you have to ask yourself if you are absolutely prepared to hand someone from out of town, that you just met, thousands of dollars of your hard earned money without taking a little extra time to shop and compare to make sure you are, in fact, getting a good deal. Many customers that buy at these events are given the impression that they are getting a great deal and buying from a big local company that’s going to be there for them every step of the way but eventually come to the conclusion that they just made a large purchase from a company several thousands of miles away with no real local service or support. Below is a list of questions we would recommend you ask before purchasing or putting a deposit down on a hot tub;
- Does this company have a local store in the area that you can walk into if there is any sort of issue or conflict before, during, or after delivery (warranty)? If the answer is “no” then I would steer clear. If yes, then, how long have they been in business? We would suggest a local dealer with at least 3 years in business and good reviews. Also steer clear of answers from out of state dealers like “we have a local service company that takes care of our warranty support” or “we have a local delivery company that handles our deliveries”. These outsourced companies are inferior and generally give poor service as they do not get paid much to handle this type of work. It is important to note that the profit is always in the hot tub sale and not in the service especially while the hot tub is under warranty and that many dealers subsidize their service and warranty expenses from the profit in the hot tub sale. If an out of state dealer (hot tub show promotor) makes all of the profit on the sale but outsources the delivery piece to a local entity then you can generally expect very poor customer service.
- Is there somewhere you can “wet test” the spa in order to try it before you buy it? We would highly recommend a wet test and if you purchase a hot tub from a traveling show over the weekend and they pack up and leave on Monday then where do you guy if you want to take it for a test run if there is no local store
- Is my deposit refundable if I change my mind? We would suggest asking for a rescission (refundable) period if you purchase from a traveling hot tub show so that you can have some time to “cool off” and do some further diligence and homework. If you do get a rescission period then make sure it’s in writing on the sales contract and states that the deposit is 100% fully refundable. A good company will always cooperate because they don’t have anything to hide.
In today’s internet and digital age information is available at our finger tips. Research is not only easy to do but it can be critical in making a good decision or a bad one. Take for instance the links below from Yelp and Google. These are just a few of the reviews and information on traveling hot tub shows that have taken advantage of consumers. This information can be invaluable to would be customers so that they don’t make the same mistake.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/master-pool-and-spa-minneapolis
https://master-pool-and-spa.pissedconsumer.com/review.html
http://coloradocustomspas.com/2017/05/pool-spa-bbq-expo-legit-hot-tub-sale-scam/
Spa Pool and Barbeque Show Reviews | spapoolandbbqshow.com @ PissedConsumer
Spa Blowout Reviews | spablowout.com @ PissedConsumer
In scouring the web we’ve found that these events are becoming more and more prolific across the country. Here’s a list of show names and website landing pages for reference. As stated above some of these are traveling shows with no local presence and some are local dealer based events.
- 800SpaSale
- 888SpaSale
- SoCal Spa Show
- Texas Spa Show
- Spa Pool and BBQ Show
- Novi Pool Show
- North Dakota Spa Show
- AZ Spa Show
- Hot Tub Swim Spa Super Sale
- Battle of the Brands Expo (also Virtual Battle of the Brands Expo)
- Desert Pool and Spa Show
- ND Spa Show
- Tucson Spa Show
- Spa Expo
- Hot Tub Expo
- Hot Tub Show
- Central California Spa Show
- Northern California Spa Show
- Spa Blowout
- Hudson Valley Home Show
- Cobo Spa Show
- Hot Tub Blowout
- MI Spa Show
- Colorado Spa Show
- Spa Show
- NW Spa Sale
- https://www.spashow.us
- https://thespashow.com
- Battle of the Brands Expo OKC
- Bay Area Spa Show
- Sacramento Spa Show
- Spa Show Arizona (aka Arizona Hot Tub & Swim Spa Show)
- Hot Tub Sale Event (aka Battle of the Brands)
- Utah Spa Show
- Oklahoma Spas Show
- Hot Tub and Swim Spa Sale
- HotTubTX.com
- NW Spa Show
- Hot Tub and Swim Spa Sale
- Spa Show NW
- Oklahoma Spa Shows
- National Hot Tub Expo
- https://localspaexpo.com
- The Hot Tub Show
- Hot Tub OH
- Spa Pool Show Seattle
- Kansas Spa Show
- Hot Tub and Swim Spa Super Sale
- HotTubNY.com
- HotTubMD.com (Hot Tub and Swim Spa Blowout Expo)
- Spa Expo Washington
- Florida Hot Tub Expo
Also consider your options and rights with respect to consumer protection laws and rules if you’re unhappy for any reason. For more information visit our hot tub buyer’s guide pages. Also, click on the pink boxes and complete our free local quote form to get competitive prices from local dealers in your area.
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We purchased our hot tub from Spa Pool & BBQ Show, not realizing this at the time as we thought we were purchasing from Master Spas. We purchased the hot tub, was given all kinds of contact information and sent on our way.
3 weeks later we get the delivery team (husband, his wife and son) delivering 900lb hot tub. For real. They slide it off the trailer and onto our driveway and move it a few feet to the landing pad. Now all of a sudden there is a big chip in it and no ones seems to care.
We have contacted the Spa Pool location and was told that we would be responded to in the order of importance. So as long as someone with a more pressing issue emails to Dave Spamasterservice@gmail.com the longer it will take for him to address our issue. Problem is we did not purchase a damaged model, we purchased a new one. We have contacted multiple people, sent in multiple photos and are constantly being passed off.
You would think for $8k, you would at least get someone to inform you whats going on. Lack of communication is the worst.
Long story short this is an issue that the retailer needs to correct, not Master Spas, but it is the people selling their product that is horrible. Good luck getting anything fixed.
This hot tub sale gimmick is done at South Florida Fair in Palm Beach Co., Miami Speedway in Homestead and Charles F. Doge City Center in Pembroke Pines. Beware buyer!