www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk
StressFreeHottubs DEC 2010 SPN
37
The long term damage to the quality end of the hot tub market in Europe and the United States from units being manufactured in China has been highlighted by one leading US spa distributor.
The comments made by Don Elkington from Coast Spas follow the collapse of The Trade Price Group, the Staffordshire hot tub supplier which has been the subject of hundreds of complaints from customers. The three partners in the business which imported hot tubs from China have been declared bankrupt and the business has ceased trading.
Trading standards officers in Staffordshire started a criminal investigation into the sales practices of the company after complaints about delivery delays of up to 10 months and problems with the quality of products which were delivered.
Staffordshire Trading Standards
with a problem and catch it before things happen then that’s a bonus.
“Maybe it’s also that the chemicals being used are too aggressive. Spa and hot tub chemicals are not the same,” he added.
His business operates in an East Midlands area where he is known and respected by his customers. He believes there is a lot to do in the industry to formalise and improve the general standards of service and repair. He mentions it isn’t unusual to come across bad and dangerous examples of repair work involving water and electrical connections.
Summarising the current state of the repairs market in the UK, he said: “There is a lot to do. BISHTA are getting there but it’s hard and will take time.”
Hot tub distributors say customers are better informed, demanding and need to be re-assured that for a serious level of expenditure they are getting not only the benefits of the latest technology but a product they can rely on to work consistently well and without causing stress. Gone is the probably uneconomic hot tub of the late 1990’s which compared to today’s models might seem a basic, functional product. In its place is a more efficient, more reliable, well insulated, energy efficient unit which represents a sound investment and which will last for years and years when it is serviced and maintained as it should be.
Kevin Sanger from Elite Spas says: “It is amazing how much people buying a hot tub know now. They are well versed in what’s on the market but also what the options are for a more user friendly product.”
A recent survey found that someone who owns
THREAT OF POOR QUALITY IMPORTS FROM CHINA IS HIGHLIGHTED received more than 400 complaints in the
sold worldwide,” he said.
past two years about the business, which also operated under the names of UK Hot Tubs For Sale and Spa Serve.
BISHTA, the British and Irish Hot Tub Association, had been receiving a growing number of complaints about the activities of the Trade Price Group.
At the heart of the problem had been delays in delivery of hot tubs and the performance of the tubs themselves – imported from China.
Don Elkington has now appealed to manufactures and suppliers on both side of the Atlantic with what he calls a ‘serious problem’.
“Suppliers are feeding these China companies with American made parts, assisting them in the training and knowledge of how to manufacture a hot tub and allowing these Chinese made tubs to be
a hot tub is four times more likely to renew and get a new model than make the first decision to buy one. In other words once people have a hot tub then they’ll keep it – and upgrade it looking for more and more tempting accessories and innovations.
Alongside this, the technology improvements have led manufacturers and distributors to be more confident about the warranties they offer customers.
Yeovil based Elite Spas are agents for the Texas based Sunbelt Spas and their business has blossomed on the back of innovation and quality. Here again investment in technology has led Elite to be certain about their hot tubs and the company offers five year parts warranty against electrical or plumbing defects and a 25 year full structural warranty on all products. Isobel Rickards Sanger of Elite adds: “We tend to find most people are buying a spa to get away from the hustle and bustle of life and utilise their home for relaxation and therapy.
“Spas have come a long way in the nine years we have been in the industry, and even further for Sunbelt who have been in the industry some
Elite Spas offer a five year parts warranty against electrical or plumbing defects and a 25 year full structural warranty on all products
“The hot tub industry has worked hard to develop products which now can be
respected as being reliable, more ‘green’ than ever before and unlikely to produce high day to day running costs”
“In other words our suppliers are taking sales from all of us by doing so and most of us are unaware of how serious the problem has become! Spa dealers worldwide are purchasing these tubs and they base much of their decision making in that the equipment and acrylic sheet is from very high profile American suppliers.” He said the facts showed there are between 30,000 – 40,000 China hot tubs manufactured a year. The tubs were not certified to UL 1563 and show markings of CE approvals and self regulated in the majority of cases.
“This is taking sales away from all of us. A quick sale for a quick buck and when these non-certified tubs are purchased by a consumer and they have problems, with no support, our industry will receive that bad press.”
31 years, and have learnt a lot from the products which don’t work! We now have energy efficient electronics, eco friendly manufacturing processing, frog feeder systems to reduce the daily chemical maintenance, high quality, reliable ozonators, and jets which use a lot less water for therapy (we have just had some designed
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