Things to look for when buying a hot tub …or… about the price of a hot tub

I want to talk about the elephant in the room when it comes to shopping for hot tubs at many retail stores these days. What does this mean? Let’s take a hot tub that should sell for $5000, and it’s currently priced at $12,000. Slowly, the sales rep at your local store will drop the price a little bit at a time, until you say “OK” – that’s enough of a savings for me, or you just walk out of the store in pure frustration. We often refer to this as the “Pump and Dump”.

Throughout the year’s, and having personally sold thousands of new and used hot tubs, I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve seen a customer walk into my store and look so deflated and exhausted, that after 4 hours of “HOT TUB SHOPPING” they were ready to drop. I have even seen customer’s who have given up shopping for hot tubs because of their overwhelming experience! It sounds crazy but it’s TRUE. They walk around the store as though they are in a trance, afraid of having to go through another round of hot tub shopping on the Pump and Dump roller coaster! I’m telling you as a consumer that has purchased other products, I’ve been there, and it’s not at all enjoyable! Who wants to shop with pressure like that – not to mention you have no idea where the bottom is.

For whatever reason, many hot tub retailers have adopted these tactics. They build the price up just to bring it down, and also add in the fear tactic, telling you that “This deal WON’T be here tomorrow”. Now don’t get me wrong, I encourage customers to shop around and see what your dollar gets you, HOWEVER, don’t lose focus of the most important number: What does it COST YOU! Just because a hot tub has $7000 in savings, doesn’t make it a better deal then another hot tub at the right price with the right value.

If you are in the market for a hot tub, find a company who is upfront with you and lays everything on the table. That is a company that values their customer – they are willing to spend the time to answer all your questions and concerns, while providing an educational experience throughout the entire process. Above all, they make the process fun and easy! If you find this retailer, you will find the hot tub that is perfectly suited for you too!