Softub,Valencia, CA - after about 3 weeks the Jets in the unit did not operate when the heat light was off - temperature buttons would not adjust water temperature

# 18 for October 9, 2003

Complaints.com received the following on October 8, 2003:

From:

RE: Softub,Valencia, CA - after about 3 weeks the Jets in the unit did not operate when the heat light was off - temperature buttons would not adjust water temperature This letter represents my problem. I have not sent this letter to date. I am seeking a refund for the return of this merchandise and need your advice and assistance to proceed further..

October 1, 2003 Softub, Inc.

27615 Avenue Hopkins

Valencia, CA. 91355 Attention: Mr. Tom Thornbury

CEO Subject: SOFTUB Model T220 Serial # T-121430 This letter is a record of my attempts to resolve the problem with my SOFTUB that is under warranty with SOFTUB, INC. I purchased the subject SOFTUB from salesman , Steve Klein at the Alameda County Fair in late June of this year 6/25/03 (Copy of contract available). Records indicate that it was not delivered to my home until 7/22/03. (Copy of delivery notice signed by the installer, Carlos) Initially the unit operated as described in the owner’s manual, however, after about 3 weeks the Jets in the unit did not operate when the heat light was off. An additional problem was noted as the temperature buttons would not adjust the temperature either up or down. Since I was unable to change the temperature setting the unit was at a standstill and would not operate at all, period. One of the reasons that attracted me to this particular product was it’s ease of operation , a way to relieve stress and relax achy muscles at the end of a long day. I looked forward to using this SOFTUB for this purpose. Unfortunately, as you will see in the following paragraphs, that this just increased my stress level and has added to other health problems that I have. I tried calling Steve Klein the salesman at the county fair whom originally sold me this SOFTUB on June 25th of this year. Steve indicated at the time of my purchase that he would be available to answer any questions and or solve any problems that might occur after accepting delivery of this SOFTUB. He provided his cell number on the contract itself. When I attempted to call his cell phone number it was no longer in service as of mid September and I was unable to locate Steve for assistance. As I found out in later conversations with Jake Anderson that Steve now has a new cell phone number. I proceeded to call Jake Anderson, Marketing Director with Family Leisure Products @ 1-866-357-7638.listed at the top of this contract. I was told that no one makes house calls to services SOFTUB. He suggested that I take this unit to a dealer in Fremont, Sacramento or San Carlos. None of these cities are near me nor do I have time to drive my Softtub to these locations. I work in San Francisco and live in Martinez, Ca. I now have been without the use of this SOFTUB for several weeks.

I commute to San Francisco each workday and sometimes do not get home until 7:30 or 8PM in the evening. Mr. Anderson understood my concerns and suggested that he would arrange to have a box be sent to me Federal Express along with the shipping label so that the unit could be serviced at no cost to me. I reluctantly agreed to this solution and thanked him. I would have preferred that they replace my defective unit with a new one but this option was not suggested to me. Mr. Egbert who services SOFTUB in the American Canyon area, near Sacramento, left a message on my answering machine the next day to instruct me to include the following items in the box that he was sending; the motor, the hoses, a description of the problem and a $23.00 check. I did not think that I should have to pay for the shipping of the parts for repairing this SOFTUB but I was told that shipping costs for parts would not be covered under the warranty. I began to feel that had made a huge mistake in making this purchase. I had no choice but to follow through and call Lea at Family Leisure Products. She placed an order for FEDEX to pick the unit up on October 3, 2003. I spent the evening of October 2nd draining the hottub, taking it apart and packing it into the box provided after arriving home at 7:30PM that evening. In retrospect this is not what I would have envisioned in the first couple of months of ownership. So far this SOFTUB purchase has been nothing but a hassle. The advertisement depicts this easy carefree SOFTUB that is so easy to install and operate. You can see by the tone of this letter I am at my wits end. I am not sure what it is going to take to make this right but I feel that SOFTUB, INC. owes me an explanation. I would like to assume that when I purchase something for over $3000.00 that I could rely on it to perform and not have all these problems in the first month of ownership. I am used to companies like Sears Roebuck who provide Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back! I am leery of this happening again and do not want the hassle. When I talked to Stan from Stan’s Hot service on 10/8/03 he had not had the time to look at it yet. He said that he would be looking at it tomorrow. I asked him to let me know when he would be able to deliver and install the unit. He said he would have to charge me $75.00 to do that because he does not make house calls. I have decided I am not going to keep this merchandise because of the lack of reliable customer service I have received and because of the fact that SOFTUB is not standing by the warranty promised at the time of my purchase. Please contact me for a full refund of $3458.58 as I am not accepting this repaired merchandise as a resolution to this problem that has occurred. If this is not resolved in a satisfactory manner I will be taking further legal action on this. I will allow 10 days from the receipt of this letter. Sincerely, Christine L. Hagen Martinez, CA 94553 Enclosure: Original receipt Quality Inspection Record Cc: Capitol Services BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU Brad Yamaguchi, Attorney at Law