Question:
are there specific times of the year when spas go
on sale? And are the prices negotiable like a car? If so, by how
much?
Answer:
A friend has a Hot Springs spa. I've forgotten when he got it, but it's
at least 15 years old and still going strong. He's had to have two of
the parts replaced (a pump, I think, and the heater core), but that's
not bad for 15 years. He's still happy with it.
I've looked at various spas, and that's the make I would get, partly
because they're reliable and well-insulated, and partly because they're
simple to operate. The bad side is that you can't control exactly how
much water comes out of every single outlet, but the good side is that
the controls are simple - I looked at one from another manufacturer that
had 10 different controls, and it was just too much work to figure out.
You probably don't need that much control anyway.
He uses the BaquaSpa chemical system, and is happy with it.
I have not noticed that they have sales at any particular time of the
year. In Sacramento, late August is a good time for sales, because many
spa companies have displays and offer special deals at the State Fair,
but that probably wouldn't apply to you. The sales aren't generally
that good. You can try to negotiate a discount, but I suspect you're
more likely to free or discounted accessories than a big discount on the
spa itself.
By the way, he bought a third-party spa cover, and saved several hundred
dollars compared to the price from the dealer.
