Every time spring rolls around, dodgy hot tub scams crawl out of the woodwork. One reason scams are such a big deal is hot tubs are expensive. Even a cheapo tub can come in at a couple of grand, making a scam worthwhile. Then there’s their popularity. Because hot tubs are such fun, the best value and best-loved models sell out fast especially when summer’s on the way.
Hot tub scams rocketed during lockdown when the nation went mad for the home-grown outdoor life. In May 2021 the number of people caught out in hot tub purchase scams increased five times compared to the previous month. It’s still going on. Let’s explore the crazy world of hot tub scams and look at some tips on how to avoid them.
Worst case hot tub scam scenario
What’s the worst that can happen? You end up buying a product that never existed in the first place. The cyber fraudsters take your money but the tub never arrives. And that’s the biggest reason to be careful.
Second-worst case hot tub scam scenario
The second-worst outcome is you get a crap hot tub that never really works properly and keeps going wrong. So don’t grab a bargain model just because it’s available. Chill out. This is no time to panic buy. You could end up spending your cash on something so flimsy and badly made it won’t last much more than a year without something or other going pear shaped.
Even when it looks fine from the outside, if it’s too cheap the parts won’t be very good, the materials will be rubbish, and the build will leave a lot to be desired. You don’t want a rickety, wobbly hot tub where everything is a bit too lightweight for comfort, or one that starts looking tatty in no time.
If it’s fixable you could spend more money fixing things than it did to buy the tub in the first place. When it can’t be fixed – say the tub itself develops a big crack you can’t mend or you can’t find a replacement pump that fits – you’re seriously out of pocket. Then there’s hidden stuff like the insulation. There could easily be very little or none, but you won’t know until the first electricity bill comes in because hot tub insulation is hidden inside the frame.
Fakes are a real risk. One of the worst things to do is buy a cheap hot tub that looks exactly like the good quality tub you’ve been admiring. If it looks the same but costs a lot less, you can safely assume it’s not a good move.
We’ve heard about scam retailers saying their tubs are made in countries with high quality control, solid warranties, safety in mind and high manufacturing standards, but they’re actually made somewhere else entirely. Basically, it’s a fib. Look for tubs that really are made in the USA, Canada or Europe. While there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with products made in China, some unbranded hot tubs made there have proved to be very poor quality fakes.
Be sceptical about ‘wonder deals’
One of the simplest tips to avoid hot tub scams: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
TIP: Check your thinking by finding the best bargain price the same model has gone for in a sale in the past. If the best ‘sale’ price you find isn’t anywhere near as low as the tub you’re looking at, walk away.
TIP: Hot tubs are big. The materials cost a lot and it costs money to build and transport them. If you think a retailer would actually lose money on the price it’s being offered at, be wary.
Buy a respected brand
Great brands succeed because their products are reliably great. Buy one made by a well-known hot tub brand and you can avoid the pitfalls. Veer off into unknown territory and you’ll be taking a risk.
Buy from fabulous online suppliers like us!
As reputable hot tub suppliers we think it’s important for potential customers to know the score. Our advice is never buy from a website that doesn’t have a street address, has a weird-looking address, or has a street address abroad. Check at Companies House to see if the company is registered in the UK. Look at the customer reviews, if there are any, and see if they sound genuine.
If there’s a phone number, give them a call. If there’s an email address, use it and see how long it takes them to reply. If the delivery details are vague it could be a sign something isn’t quite right. And remember ‘https’ websites are what you want, not less-secure ‘http’ sites: look in the search bar.
Release your inner detective
Is there a proper manual? Can you understand what it’s talking about or is it gobbledegook? Can you see the company name, address and registration details and if so do they look legitimate? It’s important to know since you can’t return a shoddy hot tub without a business name and address to send it back to. Is there a CE mark or any other known quality marks? If anything looks wrong compared to the labels we’re all used to seeing every day, be suspicious.
High hot tub prices mean scammers will go to great lengths to fake it. Behind the glamour of the beautiful websites and unbelievably good sale prices there are nasty so-called ‘grey imports’ that can be worse than useless: they can be lethal. Experts say these imports only last one or two years because they’re made cheaply using unorthodox methods without the right industry standards.
If you can’t trace the model back to a trusted manufacturer you’ll want to ask a lot of questions before buying. First, ask why it’s so cheap, then find out where it was made, what quality assurance standards it comes with, and what warranties you get.
Take digital marketing with a pinch of salt
You search Google for it, you buy it – or not – and for days or weeks afterwards adverts for it keep popping up on Google, on social media and by email. You might see some very tempting offers but with hot tubs a luxury item, scammers like to exploit re-targeting. Take care with buying tubs on Gumtree or Ebay too. There are fake seller accounts out there waiting to scam you.
Pay by credit card
As long as it cost less than £30,000 paying by credit card gives you Section 75 legal protection. If you get scammed you’ll get the money back. If you pay by debit card you might be able to make a chargeback claim to your bank but it isn’t guarantee. Never make direct payments to an unknown seller either, something that has happened on sites like Ebay and Gumtree.
Look at these beauties!
We don’t mess about with bad quality products. We’ve chosen the best hot tubs around made by people we trust, in places with high standards. Take a look, see which model you can imagine yourself relaxing in this summer.
