Spa & Sauna Company

I am getting the run around for service of a hot tub that was purchased from them about 3 years ago.The heater on my hot tub quit working. I went to the spa shop in person to set up a service call. An appointment was made for 4/3 between 3p and 5p. I left work early and was at the house before 3p. I waited until about 4:30p and then called the shop to find out if the tech was still coming. I spoke with [redacted] and she indicated the tech was on his way from another call and should be there shortly. I waited until 5:30p at which time the shop was closed so I left a message indicating the tech had not shown up and that I had had to take off of work early for the service call. I did not receive a call back until the following week. [redacted] indicated that the tech came at around noon and diagnosed the spa. No one was at home and there was no paperwork left to indicate anyone had been at the house. The fact that someone went through my backyard with no one present is bothersome but then to say they made the diagnosis for which I have been charged $135 for and have no paperwork is not acceptable. I discussed this with [redacted] at the time of the call back. She indicated that the curcuit board that controlled the heater was out and needed to be replaced. The part would be $750-800 and take a week or 2 to get and wanted to know if I wanted to proceed with the repair. I indicated yes and she wanted to know if I wanted to schedule an appointment for the install at that time or when the part came in. I indicated that I would wait until the part came in and that I understood the cost was for the replacement part and that labor for $90/hr would still apply and that it would be about a 45min install. I said that was fine. On 4/21 I received a call from [redacted] that I thought would be to schedule the appointment for install. Instead it was to indicate that parts weren't ordered and that she needed to ask me if I wanted a $700-800 option which was what I had already agreed to or a $1000-1100 option and that it would take a few weeks for parts for either to come in. I purchased this spa from the Spa and Sauna Co. with the understanding that they would provide the necessary service for repairs. I am getting the run around and have will have waited almost a month assuming the parts have even been ordered at this point. I have also been charged for a service call that I don't even know if the tech was there or not because they didn't come at the designated time and left no paperwork for the call and I have received no paperwork. The communication and quality of service is greatly lacking on the side of this company and once the repairs are complete I will never make another purchase or recommend them to any of my friends. [redacted] is a terrible customer service manager and quite frankly telling someone I'm sorry you feel that way when their company has messed up and dropped the ball is not enough.Desired SettlementI don't feel that I should be charged for the initial service call because I have no way of knowing if the tech was there or not and I took off work early and waiting 2.5hrs for no one to show up. I also would like the repair that I thought I had agreed to be completed ASAP and based on my schedule so I don't have to take time off from work again and lose more money. I also want the repairs made to be guaranteed for a reasonable ammount of time so that I know that they are going to short change me again.Business Response I apologize for any feelings of frustration about your hot tub that is not heating. We have communicated several times along the way to give options and try and minimize the cost for this repair since the spa is out warranty and the repair cost is substantial.Our service tech went out and assessed the spa and took pictures of the parts needed and notes for the diagnostic, determining which part failed. We quoted both factory replacement parts and a less expensive retrofit equipment pack option, which is what has been opted for. As of today, Tuesday, April 21, 2015, we received the retrofit parts in and have called and left a message to schedule the service call, not to tell you that we hadn't ordered the parts as was indicated in the complaint.To address some of the other concerns expressed,The new equipment pack includes a 2 year parts warranty and we warrant labor for 1 year. To date, we have not charged anything for the diagnostic trip or the repair. The total cost of the labor and trip to install the new parts will be $135.00 plus the cost of the parts.Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any additional concerns you would like to discuss about your hot tub.Consumer Response (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)The spa shop installed the new part and all is working well. I'm not satified with the fact that it took a formal complaint to get the ball rolling on this and there was not constant communication on their end as indicated but in the end I received the service that was suppose to be provided.

I purchased a new, high end [redacted] therapeutic hot tub from The Spa and Sauna Company (TSSC) in 2011. I diligently maintained the tub until my husband and I moved in 2014. At that time, I contracted with I purchased a new, high end [redacted] therapeutic hot tub from TSSC in 2011. I diligently maintained the tub until my husband and I moved in 2014. At that time, I contracted with TSSC to provide quarterly maintenance. They provided one service on May 5, 2014 before the tenant requested that it be shut down for the winter. I contracted with TSSC to winterize the tub, a service that included fully draining the water from the tub and preparing it to weather winter without heat or water. They were also supposed to lock the tub and leave a key for the tenant. I called to validate that the winterization was complete on July 8, 2014 and to report that the representative did not leave a key. No one used or opened the tub until I came by the office on July 27, 2015 to pick up a key. I found the tub locked with a significant amount of water in it and a foul chemical smell. The cover was damaged from the chemicals and had come apart. I also contracted with TSSC to bring the tub back up. When the TSSC arrived, they said the pump didn't work and left it. TSSC then told me I should use my warranty to get it fixed. TSSC was a [redacted] representative, but has since lost their contract. The new [redacted] rep found a "shattered blade and warped pump housing". They indicated they would replace the pump but believed it was from not winterizing the tub. TSSC later came out and found a leak with mold, and damaged pipes and pump. They replaced the pump with a used one. Upon inspection, we found the same chemical cartridges I left in the tub in April of 2014. I now have a 4-year old tub with no warranty, a damaged cover, damaged pipes, probable damage to the lining, and a used non-[redacted] pump. TSSC claims that they have no responsibility and that this is normal wear and tear for a four-year-old. Very disappointed.Product_Or_Service: Sep 2011Order_Number: UnknownAccount_Number: [redacted]Desired SettlementIt is very concerning that The Spa and Sauna Company refuses to discuss this in person or allow us to discuss this with the owner. TSSC should replace the tub with a comparable tub. We originally would have been open to a new cover, mold treatment, new Marquis pump, and long term warranty to protect us against damage caused by the freeze and chemical imbalance, but we no longer trust this company and do not feel they would honor their commitment.Business Response We have made several attempts to satisfy the customer over the perception that we were neglectful in servicing her spa.On or around May 6th, 2014, the customer contacted us about maintaining the spa she had purchased from us in late August, 2011. Delivery was on or around Sept. 12, 2011. She stated they were renting out the house and moving out of the area. After the first visit and prior to the second visit, we received a call asking us to void our contract and stop the service. The renter did not want the spa operating, I believe is what we were told. She ask if we could come out and prepare the spa for an extended period of non-operation. We agreed to drain the spa, wipe it out and evacuate the existing water from the spa.On July, 1st, 2014, we scheduled the draining of the spa for July, 8th, 2014As we have done for countless other customers over the years, we contend that we properly drained the water from her spa, cleaned the shell and vacuumed out the excess water, including vacuuming the water from the jets and filter compartment. Per the customer's request, we used a small plastic key to lock the cover and attached a spare key to the spa cover using tape as requested. Apparently, the small black plastic key fell out of the tape and was not found by the renters.Keep in mind, the spa cover locks are only designed to deter small children and are not designed to keep out anyone that has any type of flat screw-driver, standard house key, or almost any narrow flat instrument from gaining access to the spa.In Mid- August, 2015, we were contacted by the homeowner that the renters were moving out and that she would like to refill the spa. On or around, August 13th, 2015 our service person went out to the house, opened up the spa and started the process of cleaning the spa. There were several inches of water in the seats and foot-well of the spa. It is quite common for a spa to have several inches of either, rain water, runoff from nearby house eves, and sprinkler systems close by. Especially, when a spa is allowed to sit, "empty" for an extended period of time. This spa sat unused and unmaintained for a period of over 1 year. Spa covers are designed to help retain heat, not to keep water out from the seam that runs across the entire fold of the cover. A brand new spa cover would keep out more water than a 4 year old spa cover. Considering the Northern Nevada weather, the Spa was in exactly the condition we expected to see it in after a year plus of sitting on a south facing backyard, backing up to a landscaped green belt, approx. 2-3 feet from the edge of the house. Spa covers in the Reno market typically have a useful life of 3-5 years.Upon the completion of cleaning and filling of the spa. The service person noticed that one of the two jet pumps would not start up on its own. There were signs of pre-existing leaking from the pump that wouldn't start up which can be from a variety of causes. In my opinion, the existing leak and subsequent Rust that developed cause the Pump and motor not to turn over.We made the customer aware of the mechanical problem with the spa and suggested, since she did not want to pay to have the spa pump repaired, that she contact the Authorized [redacted] Spa dealer in the area that now services and sells the brand since we no longer sell [redacted] Spas.I have spoken to the [redacted] Dealer and the customer refused to allow them to install a replacement pump, stating to them she was going to go back to us and get much more than a new pump out of us.On Sunday, August 23rd, 2015, I went to the customer's house to assess the situation. I found the spa full of water still, which is how we had left it. I powered up the spa and was able to make the pump in question work after freeing up the rust and turning the shaft on the motor. The pump performed as expected but had a considerable amount of water leaking from the Shaft Seal. Shaft seal leaks are not uncommon in 3-4 year old spas and even more common when a spa is allowed to sit for an extended period of time as the seal is made from Rubber and Metal. The rubber dries out and the metal can rust. A new Seal is Approx. a part less than $20. To remove the seal can also cause the Impellor to break when there is a sizable amount of rust, as was the case here. The impellor already showed signs of cracking from the rust underneath pushing up. (See Photos) You will also see in the photos and video provided that there is a large black streak noticeable on the floor of the Plywood base under the motor shaft. This black line only became visible once the pump and motor were removed. This is a condition we see when the rubber from a failed seal turns the water that leaks out black as it is dissolving or breaking down. This black line indicates that the pump had been leaking from quite some time, prior to the spa being drained for the extended period of time. You will also see in the photos that the impellor is still intact and working condition when the pump was dismantled at the customer's house.Because I did not have a new impellor and Pump seal with me that day, and in the interest of getting the customer taken care of, I replaced the defective pump with a Brand new, out of the Box, 2.5HP 2spd pump. The pump that was installed was of equal or better quality than the 4 year old pump that was in the spa originally. (See Photo of new pump installed)While at the spa, I did a thorough inspection and determined that the cover showed signs of fading and small wrinkles that are typical of a 4 year old spa, particularly a spa using an automatic feeder or dispenser. The [redacted] Spa is equipped with the Spa Frog Automated Bromine Dispenser plumbed in a sealed pipe that dispenses only when the jets are on, either for heating/filtration or the high speed jets.Leaving the cartridge for minerals and bromine in the spa while it is empty and turned off, would not cause issues as it takes circulation to dispense the active ingredients. The active ingredients in the Bromine Cartridge typically last 2-4 weeks in a spa that is in operation. The Mineral Cartridge takes moving water to deplete as well and is designed to las 4 months dissolving a small amount of metal into the water to inhibit the growth of bacteria and other organics.The exterior of the cover is in typical condition for a spa of its age. I washed and conditioned the cover prior to leaving the spa, in completely operating and clean condition (see Photos)The customer seems to be only interested in having a new spa.Looking at the original order, the customer put a deposit on a [redacted] Mirage spa Aug. 24th., 2011, for $5,999. Plus local tax.Prior to taking delivery, she changed her mind and we switched the deposit to the [redacted] Wish model, for $7,299. Plus tax. She later decided to add an aftermarket Music system that we installed for $800 extra.The [redacted] Wish is the Spa she has currently. Within a few days of the delivery and her first use of the Spa, she wanted to change the spa to a different model. We agreed to give her full credit towards a more powerful or comfortable model spa. She declined as she did not want to invest more money in an upgrade. Over the course of that first year, she came in and or called, several times stating she was still interested in a different model. Again, she did not want to spend additional funds to upgrade the spa. The Spa is fully operational, received no damage from Freezing as she has stated and is in typical condition for a 4+ year old spa from this Manufacturer. We have not billed her for replacing the spa pump, or labor for the repair and we are willing to forgo any charges we are due at this point. We contend that we have gone above and beyond and that the customer is not being reasonable in her request for a new spa or any type of extended warranty. We claim no responsibility for her decision to leave the spa empty for more than a year and contend that any repairs would have been needed sooner, had the spa been left filled with water and operating as the pump was already leaking when the drain and clean was performed.Please let me know if you need additional supporting documents. We look forward to resolving this matter.