Hot Tub Forum
Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: wmccall on September 13, 2004, 01:17:19 pm
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Welcome all of you! Since there have been so many new Sundance owners showing up lately, I was just wondering.
Was Sundance the first dealer you visited?
Had you heard of Sundance before you started shopping for hot tubs?
The general consensus is this is a good tub and you will probably become happy long time customers, I'm just asking out of curiousity, wondering if thier latest marketing campaign was especially effiective or was it something else.
Oh, yea, I'm bored at work too.
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I knew of the dealer because several neighbors had pools put in by our dealer. The dealer has a very good reputation for service, and the pools are beautiful. We decided to buy a hot tub after my husband came home with a brochure from another local dealer with a price on a Hawkeye. I started to do some research. We stayed away from D1 and Hawkeye because of the dealer reputation. We checked out Beachcomber and Sundance based on friends who own hot tubs. We liked the Optima the best.
Thats our story - we are really happy with our decision.
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First dealer we visited was a Master Spas / Artesian dealer. We were originally looking at the Artesian Onyx from their Gold Series. We then went to a Hot Springs / Jacuzzi dealer, Marquis dealer, and lastly the Sundance dealer.
Mostly because of price we were leaning towards the Artesian until we wet tested the Sundance. We actually went into test the Cameo but the Optima was sitting right beside it ready to test as well. The Optima just felt like the best fit after testing the SD Camoe, HS Vista and Envoy, Jacuzzi 375, Marquis Reward and Euphoria, and Artesian Onyx and Piper Glen.
We really liked the Piper Glen but it was about $1000 over the price of the Optima and we were really happy with the Sundance dealer and felt the overall quality of the Sundance product was superior to Artesian.
Secifically, we liked that the Optima had an Air Blower and were very impressed by their jet technology. It wasn't so much a marketing campaign as it was that they had what we wanted. I know a lot of people don't really care for the blower thing but we love it.
We've had our Optima for about a month now and are still loving it. I'm positive we made the right decision for us...
That's our story...
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Oh yeah, bored as well and it's only Monday! :P
I've had my Altamar for 4 months now and love it!
Sundance was not the first dealership I visited although it is the closest to me and I passed by them all the time. I actually looked at lower priced models - through the county fair & home shows - first, well before I found this forum. I know of couple of people with these lower end spas and they were quite happy with them and I 've even soaked in them and they were respectable, but I was not overly impressed. I also looked at (gasp :o ) Costco! At the time I was only thinking of spending 4 or 5K MAX!
Another friend refered me to Hotsprings/Tiger River and I went and checked those out. Sticker shock! Prices here in Northern California seem a bit higher than the rest of you are paying! :( I also checked out Beachcomber, but the tubs I liked were too tall -38"- and I could only have a max of 36" to get through my gate. Then I went to the Sundance dealer and really liked the tubs although I found them pricy as well.
On the advice of everyone here I wet tested the HS and Tiger River and then Sundance - that was the deal breaker - the Altamar was a perfect fit for me - so much so that I could justify paying more. I figured it would be worth it in the long run and I wouldn't be sitting in a second choice tub saying, "I should have bought the Altamar!"
On a side note - since I bought my tub I have learned that there was in fact a Marquis dealer very close to me in a store that deals with Pool & Patio stuff etc. I had never seen an advertisement or anything before in local papers etc. for them where I had seen various ads for both HS & Sundance. I would have liked to check them out as well after reading all the positive comments about them.
Still, I think I made the right choice for me :)
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I educated myself online first before I even stepped into the showroom, then went to three dealers here in the Tucson area that are close to the house to just see how I would be treated and what kind of sales pitch I would get.
The dealer that I went with has been in the area for a long time and was referred to me by a few friends. After asking the dealer a ton of questions that I jotted down from this site, I left the store and came back the next day to focus on specific tubs.
I chose the Altamar because of the price, quality and features. Plus the size was just right for me as well.
Sundance was the featured tubs of the dealer that I was most impressed with and how I was treated at the showroom was a big factor in my decision to go with Sundance.
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Sundance was my last stop. I checked out Hot Springs first, and they seem well cheaply built to me ( I'm very sorry Chas), my next stop was Caldera and Cal Spa dealer, and on this one the dealer was terrible (not informative, seemed like he couldn't have cared a less about the sale, then called a day later with a "better" price), all of this turned me off very quickly. Then on a whim, I stopped at Pool-A-Rama, and BAM, exactly what I was looking for as far as sales (not high pressure, but very informative), and the size and quality I was looking for in Sundance. I went with the Cameo, but now wish it was the Optima. I PERSONALLY now hate the lounger. I liked it on wet test, but never use it now. Dealer has been great, along with service (only 3 very minor service problems).
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HotSprings first, Marquis, then Cal Spas. Those are the only ones close to us. Never really heard of Sundance til I started reading here. Wet tested and the Cameo was the only one that both my husband and I agreed fit us both. Had looked on line at Jacuzzi, Emerald, and a few others but no dealers really close enough. Been happy for a week and 2 days with it. Had my brother over and he now hates his tub..
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Thanks to everyone for the interesting words. The diversity of the reasons, but coming to the same purchase decision speaks well of Sundance.
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Sundance was midway through our process. We have close friends who have a 15 plus year old Sundance, and aside from buying it used, moving it three times and a control panel issue it has been trouble free for them. We liked the dealer, liked the Optima's open seating, it's depth, liked not losing a corner to the filter, and the fact that the dealer has been in business close to 30 years all combined to our decision. Like Hot Springs Vista too, but it was beyond the price range.
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We actually own a Sweetwater, but it is really a Sundance make carried by a Sundance dealer, so I feel qualified to chime in...
I did lots of research and made a short list of brands I would be interested in. Then I found out which brands had dealers in my area. If I had read good stuff about a brand but couldn't find a dealer near me, I scratched them off--I wanted service nearby, and being from a large metro area, I still had plenty to choose from.
So I visited Sundance, HotSprings, Caldera, and Jacuzzi dealers. Any of the makes would have been fine on reputation alone, But the Sweetwater Cayman had the feel and configuration we wanted, the solid warranty and Sundance reputatation, and a very fair price. The dealer struck me as honest and low pressure.
And thus our decision was made. We are just two months into ownership, but so far we are thrilled with our choice.
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For me, marketing had nothing to do with it. (Personally, I think that the money wasted on ads etc is just that; wasted!...I never feel compelled to go out and eat a big mack after seeing a McDonalds commercial on TV...it is a waste of time).
I searched for tubs based on desired features, which is why I included the Royal Spa in the mix despite pan reviews...I had to find out for myself. (I too needed the blower). Repeat wet testing was a pain but at the cost of spending thousands in the wrong way, it was worth it...even to choose between two tubs at the same manufacturer. After winding through Cal spa, Coleman, D1, Royal, and Master spa and cutting through the verbage, I ended with the Sundance Cameo. One thing that I did not appreciate, and this has nothing to do with Sundance, but more with the individual seller, is the inconsistancies in the process and price. Three dealers within equal miles from my house...two were over 2000.00 more for the same tub. A 20% mark up I feel is gouging. Incidently, they both had side lines in sales of heating & air conditioning, outdoor materials, and fireplaces. Some had garden furniture or pool tables. The low price guy was a pool-only dealer. He was able to reassure me that that was his ONLY responsibility, and not a side job/cash cow for the occasional spa sale. He demonstrated respect for his company as well, while the other two had danced around with other spas brands at some time in their past. The D1 price difference was even more absurd: a lotus bay was going for 10,900 at one dealer, 16,900 at another.
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Ok, I guess I'll quit lurking now. I'm not technically a Sundance owner yet, but we have a deposit down on an Optima and are waiting for our backyard landscaping to get done before we have it delivered and installed.
We started this whole adventure on Memorial Day weekend. Unfortunately, the landscaping process (design and hiring a landscaper) has taken a lot longer than we had planned... we're really looking forward to getting this thing installed.
The process: We looked at CalSpas, then Hot Springs, then Sundance. (Later on we also discovered Caldera, but after we had already decided on the Optima, and although fairly pleased by the Caldera product, they couldn't talk us out of our Optima purchase.)
CalSpas didn't impress - some were too flashy -- the dealer had one huge $20,000 tub with fiber optic lighting, flat panel TV, stereo, etc... Can you say bling-bling?. We also thought that CalSpas' model lineup was confusing, the store wasn't laid out well, and the salespeople were pretty much worthless, trying to steer us toward lower-end stuff we didn't want. Probably a case of "these folks look too young to be serious about a spa...." Unfortunately the CalSpas visit was before we did internet research indicating that many folks have had problems with this brand. Had we seen that, we woudn't even have bothered.
Hot Springs had some very nice tubs, but seemed way overpriced. The dealer was pretty informative, but we didn't feel like we could get a good enough deal. We didn't really get into serious price disucssions, but the dealer said that the prices were set and they didn't negotiate because they had a premium product and basically customers would come to them, so no need to discount. We walked shortly after that.
Sundance - We liked the dealer (very easy going, informative, no pressure), and although the prices were pretty high, we were impressed by the product. We returned later the same day to wet test. My wife initially was set on the Cameo, but after wet testing, she discovered that she didn't like the lounger as much as she thought she would (she tended to float out of it). Luckily, the dealer also had an Optima set up for wet testing, and the rest is history.
Anyway, after reading a lot on this board, we feel better about our decision based on the sheer number of people popping up saying "I just bought an Optima..."
Well, sorry this is so long. I'll be sure to post pictures once everything is done.
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Congrats Wheeler!!!
May you always have hot, bubbly water!
(Man, I gotta get a new line!)
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Wheeler-
We've had our Optima for about 18 months now and couldn't be happier with it.
What options did you get?
I'd suggest the color changing lights. Not very expensive in the grand scheme of things, and the effects are so worth it. Also, though expensive, I'm glad we got the stereo.
Brewman
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Hi Brewman,
The dealer "threw in" the LED lights as part of the promotion along with "free" delivery, coverlifter, and such. (We also managed to get a battery-operated fish thrown in... ;D ) I finally decided on the stereo when the dealer already had an Optima on the way that was in the right color (grey exterior, silver interior) with the stereo option. I may still wire outdoor speakers to the patio, but I wanted to be able to control the stereo from within the tub more easily than with the stereo inside the house.
If I'm absolutely crazy, I may have the dealer add the remote that runs the jets and the stereo.
I think I'm also going to have the dealer add the CD ozonator. We initially weren't going to go with the ozonator because we were somewhat concerned that the demo tubs at the dealer with ozonators seemed to have a lot of discoloration inside of the covers and on the pillows from the ozone. However, the general consensus here seems to be that an ozonator is one extra measure of protection to help keep your water clean, so maybe I'll have them add it. Anyone have problems with discoloration or degradation of the cover or pillows from the ozone?
The dealer recommended BaquaSpa and , but I'm reconsidering that. Seems like nobody on the board uses Baqua. We liked the idea that with Baqua you don't have the chlorine smell, but I'm wondering if it there are downsides. Some people have mentioned problems with waterline goop or scale and/or green water problems when using Baqua. Opinions? Pros/cons of each from anyone who's used both?
Thanks in advance.
Wheeler
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You'll like those lights! I suspect you will be glad in the long run that you popped for the stereo, too.
I am then the only person on the board using Baqua.
I suspect it's not the cheapest regimen out there, but it works for us. It has not damaged our spa in any way that I can tell. Sundance does not warn against it's use.
The first fill we had a bit of brown deposit stuff on the waterline, which easily was erased using the scrubby pad and surface cleaner. Since then, it's been minimal, or non existant. Maybe it depends on your water to begin with. Anyway, we are having no problems.
But I have not used any other system for keeping our water cootie free. So I can't compare against anything else.
Go ahead and add that remote! Have fun.
Brewman
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Hey Brewman, thanks for the advice. Glad to hear that there's at least one person using Baqua without problems, and if I go that route I guess I know who to ask if I have questions... ;D
I'm still a couple weeks out from having the spa installed, so I've got some time to figure out what I'm gonna do.
Thanks for the info/advice!
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Wheeler,
The inside of covers and pillows wil discolour with out an ozonator too! Chlorine/Bromine vapour can do it. Ozone will accerlerate the process as will consistently high sanitizer levels (consistenly +5PPM).
HTMan
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Our pillows and under the cover area have not started to discolor, so I guess Baqua has a couple reediming characteristics.
Brewman
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I know other Optima owners who use baqua spa and love it. As a matter of fact, I know a Cameo owner who is a bromine user, I am a dichlor user, everyone else uses baqua. They like the once a week addition of chemicals aspect.
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Like Wheeler, my husband and I anticipate becoming Sundance owners. Our patio configuration will only allow us to have an approximately 7'x7" give or take a bit, so we're leaning towards the Altamar (6'11-sides"x7'4"-front), as its dimensions are somewhat doable. This, however, is still up in the air, pending more measuring & negotiating. One concern is the ability to access the front control panels for repairs with only 5' of width clearance because of the patio deck posts on each corner. How much room is required to use both the drain plug, and control panels, and where is the drain plug on this model?
Strangely enough, Sundance was our last pick. We started our with having our hearts set on the Caldera Tahitian, but for some odd reason, the dealer doesn't seem able to allow us to wet test, (yeah, makes ya say "umm" doesn't it?) All kinda excuses (not set up/not enough room with other tubs on floor/etc.) So far, we've blown him off. Next we tested Hot Springs. Dealer is pushing a special on the Sovereign, however, we liked the Tiger River Siberian (just too big at 7'7"x7"7"). He agreed to allow us to pick between the Sovereign and the Tiger River Caspian (sames as the Siberian without a lounger) at the same price. We tried our hardest to enjoy the Marquis Rewards. We wet tested it as well as the Euphoria. Well-built tubs with great warranties and wonderful service department, informed personnel. We just really didn't care for the seating configurations, nor jet placement and pressure. We're hoping we don't regret our decision to pass up such great tubs. And finally, we ended up at Sundance. The configuration of the Altamar is exactly what we liked best about the Caldera that was too big for us (and un-wet-testable). Price is relatively competitive, also.
Whew! As a newbie, I apologize for not knowing how to better limit my prose. Any advice will still be appreciated if you've been patient enough to read this to the end. Thanks, folks.
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You just illustrated the value of wet testing. You know for sure that whatever tub you purchase will satisfy you.
I'm no spa tech, but I think that 5' of clearance is adequate to access the service panel.
Brewman