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Purchasing first Hot Tub and need advise

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DougB:
I'm sure this is asked quite often on here. But, I am new to this forum.   I am trying to do research into buying my first hot tub.  There are so many options out there and quite often the price is a mystery unless you walk into a store or really engage with a seller on-line, so I'm looking for help.    I live in St. Louis. I am looking for  good quality 5 person tub for my patio, and I would prefer to stay south of $7,000 U.S..  I'm not looking for a tub with a lounger. So far,   I've looked at Belize, Marquis and Bullfrog.  But, I'm not married to any particular manufacturer.  I appreciate any suggestion to limit my search! 

Thank you in advance ;D

silversun:
I was in your situation last year - looking for a non-lounger tub with no previous understanding or exposure to hot tubs. The industry is not transparent at all, and I was getting frustrated.
I looked at marquis and bullfrog, but ultimately i settled on a sundance optima. i also really liked the sundance chelsea, which is one of the best bargains in the industry. in your price range I would definitely check out the Chelsea model. most importantly, pick a service oriented dealer, one that you trust, and wet test.

DougB:
Thank you.  I really appreciate the direction.  I will check it out the optima and the chelsea.



 I'm not in the industry.  But, it seems that a dealer who published more specifics about their products and prices could separate themselves in the market and earn people's business.  I can only assume that there is a fair margin on the tubs and the industry practice is to not publish and to negotiate the price in those margins once someone enters the storefront.  It does make it harder to figure out where to turn for those getting that first tub.  Oh well.

silversun:
agree 100%. I've also found there are more bad dealers than good. I visited 8 dealers for several different brands, and I only had a high opinion of 2. not coincidentally, i bought from one of the 2 that I held in high regard.

here are some red flags that should have you walking out the door immediately:
If a dealer won't let you wet test the hot tub you're considering, don't have any tubs to wet test, or ask you to put a deposit down to wet test
if a dealer claims the hot tub doesn't need chlorine or any other sanitizer
If they ask you to pay the entire amount up front
If they offer hot tubs for sale at a discount because they were repossessed after a tent sale customer bailed

all of these happened to me at some point during my search and left me with an overall negative impression of the business. Oh, and stay away from Master Spa. The hot tub is mid to low grade and their sales practices are terrible.

castletonia:
I have never heard of Belize.  Marquis and Bullfrog are quality options.  I would also add: Hot Spring, Caldera, Sundance, Jacuzzi, D1, Arctic, and Artesian to your list.

Lounger vs no-lounger should have zero impact on price.  Some of the criteria I would want are well insulated, comfort, a quality manufacturer, and reputable dealer.  Therapy is a very subjective matter and what feels good to me may not to you and vice versa. 

Your local retailer determines what they sell for as long as it is less than MSRP.  Variables that contribute to the price are numerous.  A hot tub includes a cover and nothing else from the manufacturer.  That means that the retailer is including (or budgeting) the accessories such as water care, steps, cover lifters, etc into the price.  Many times there can be multiple options of steps and cover lifts which can affect the price.  Then you have to look at delivery cost.  Also, the retailers overhead will affect the margins they sell at.  A retailer who pays their employees well and invests the money on stocking parts, has their own services department is going to have higher business costs than a place that sells the product and does nothing more.

My advice would be to go to the websites of the other manufacturers I listed and see if they have local representation.  If so, visit those dealers and see what your options are.  Be upfront and tell them your budget is around $7,000.  At that point, start to narrow down the field based on the models you like most and the dealers that treat you the best.  Then schedule wet tests to make a final determination.  Once you have landed on a model, you can negotiate with that dealer on price.  There are a handful of dealers on this forum, I'm one of them, and we can let you know if the pricing you are getting is fair or not.

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