Sorry in advance for the TLDR.
In April I bought a hot tub from the #1 brand from their local distributor. Where I live there is one distributor of this brand. I had considered going with other brands including Costco but ultimately decided I'd prefer to support my local guy and have access to local service.
They did the electrical and everything. When they installed the electrical (last thing) they didn't stick around for the fill and said it was good to go.
About June the tub starts overheating. Errors out and the Safety System shuts it down. Go and talk to my local sales guy (2 miles away) a couple of times and he can't offer any solution. So on the third visit he says he will set up a service call. The main location (40 miles away) calls the next day and sets a service.
On the day of the service the tech shows up at 3:45 on a Noon to 3:00 scheduled visit. Then basically says the tub was in default factory program mode and was circulating 4 hours a day. given where we live, that causes the water to be running through the motor too much and that is what causes the overheating. Changes it to 2 hours a day and leaves. (This seems to have corrected the issue)
The tub has a one year warranty and the sales guy stressed that fact.
About 3 weeks later I get an email invoice for $85. I call the service location and say what's up? Tub is new with a one year warranty, wasn't set up right according to your own tech and there has been zero conversation about a service fee. From the sales guy who requested it, from you when you set up the service or from the service tech when he was here.
I'm told that it's the super special discounted rate that they charge for warranty customers. That I should be happy to pay the $85 as it should be $250. Tell them I won't be paying anything.
I call the manufacturer hoping for some relief. After 3 days they are coming back and offering to send me a "free filter" but that the dealer is independent and can do what they want re the charge.
I'm not sure what to do next. If I refuse payment, I'm sure I'll be denied service if I need it later. But it frankly REALLY pisses me off how they have handled this whole thing.
Advice?

What does the purchase agreement say about service calls. I know on some things the equipment is covered but not the call or labor.

The new golf cart we purchased is that way, parts only warranty for two years, pickup and delivery and labor is out of pocket.

They should have told you up front about the service call fees.

I would just pay it, even on a new car warranty you have a deductible

quote:

Originally posted by BigSwede:
I would just pay it, even on a new car warranty you have a deductible

\Factory warranties have deductibles now? I don't doubt you, but that's wild and would really piss me off.

If setting up the hot tub was included in the original purchase, then this should be on their dime.

Otherwise improper setup was your responsibility and you should pay them.

Of the three or four hot tubs we’ve purchased, the people we bought them from have always got us going with the chemicals, setting the motor run times, gone over the features and maintenance requirements at our house.

Talk to someone senior.

No decent businessman would charge someone for fixing his employee’s own error.

I went ahead and paid them. The check out paperwork when I purchased had a clause in it that I did not recall.
Still think its BS that I'm paying them $85 to fix their improper set up of my tub.
Debating hammering them on Google Review which I think they take seriously as its currently 5 stars.

quote:

Originally posted by Powers77:
I went ahead and paid them. The check out paperwork when I purchased had a clause in it that I did not recall.
Still think its BS that I'm paying them $85 to fix their improper set up of my tub.
Debating hammering them on Google Review which I think they take seriously as it’s currently 5 stars.

I see nothing wrong with sticking with the facts:

1) you paid for the hot tub and installation.

2) after some months, their own tech determined it wasn’t set up correctly during the installation.

3) then they charged you to correct the mistake they did during the installation which was part of the original agreement.

I would go along with what someone else said - go talk to someone higher up with those three facts. Ask if they would feel right if they were in your shoes.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

quote:

Originally posted by Powers77:
I went ahead and paid them. The check out paperwork when I purchased had a clause in it that I did not recall.
Still think its BS that I'm paying them $85 to fix their improper set up of my tub.
Debating hammering them on Google Review which I think they take seriously as it’s currently 5 stars.

I see nothing wrong with sticking with the facts:

1) you paid for the hot tub and installation.

2) after some months, their own tech determined it wasn’t set up correctly during the installation.

3) then they charged you to correct the mistake they did during the installation which was part of the original agreement.

I would go along with what someone else said - go talk to someone higher up with those three facts. Ask if they would feel right if they were in your shoes.

I did do a Google review that was almost exactly the three points that you identified.
The only other thing I added was that in my opinion this was an unacceptable level of customer service and that in my opinion most customers would agree with me.

It's a warehouse location and getting past the gatekeeper to someone else has proven futile.

quote:

Originally posted by Powers77:

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

I see nothing wrong with sticking with the facts:

1) you paid for the hot tub and installation.

2) after some months, their own tech determined it wasn’t set up correctly during the installation.

3) then they charged you to correct the mistake they did during the installation which was part of the original agreement.

I would go along with what someone else said - go talk to someone higher up with those three facts. Ask if they would feel right if they were in your shoes.

I did do a Google review that was almost exactly the three points that you identified.
The only other thing I added was that in my opinion this was an unacceptable level of customer service and that in my opinion most customers would agree with me.

It's a warehouse location and getting past the gatekeeper to someone else has proven futile.

I suggest using AI to ferret out contact information for the company. I would ask “give me contact information for the highest decision maker you can find for XYZ company whose address is….”

It’s worth a try.

Would I be pissed under the circumstances?

Yes*.

If it was "filling" after the installation and the time to fill was going to be un-reasonable to expect them to stay until it was filled to the point a proper checkout could be done.
Then I would have had in writing before they left, "anything that would/should be noticed on post install inspection and operational testing, shall fail or require adjusting", would be on their dime.

The fact that the unit was in "default factory program mode", is not something they would or should know, (or would have been dealt with as a part of normal "post install/filling" (see above).

(* also pissed at myself for not addressing things while the installers were still on scene)


After the fact, does is sound as if it was/is piss poor customer service? Yep.


Given that you may need them in the future, vs can you have it serviced under warranty by a non-dealer (and with the response the manufacturer has already stated, pretty much puts you in the "SOL" square on the chessboard) seems doubtful. Do you burn that bridge, or pay and hope you don't need them for anything in the future?

Me, I would have paid as well. And I would have gave my best at leaving a neutral but honest feedback so that anyone that reads with comprehension and thought, would at least go in dealing with them with eyes open.
(not judging you if you left the "brown star" rating)

You're Leo Getz in "The Drive-thru of Life" situation...

You can "be in the right", but still make a wrong move.
How much crap are you willing to endure and/or risk for $85? (mostly rhetorical and for posterity to others, than to you since you've paid).

People will tell you who they are. The dealer and the manufacture have done so, clearly.

If they were a "fair minded company", they would have taken care of you, not charged you, and you would never have know the manufacture is no better.

Pill be damned if I would pay it.