Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/13/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I am filing a complaint against Cal Spas due to repeated product failure of a hot tub I purchased and had professionally installed. Despite taking appropriate maintenance steps and having the unit set up with a dedicated external breaker box built to meet its specifications, the hot tub has experienced heating system failure in two consecutive *******. Last winter (2023): The dedicated breaker tripped during freezing temperatures, and the hot tub lost the ability to heat. I caught the issue in time and used multiple heaters to prevent the pipes from freezing. I contacted Cal Spas, and a technician was dispatched. That service visit should be documented in their records. This winter (2024): The same failure occurred. The breaker tripped again, and despite resetting it, the hot tub could not reheat. The water froze completely and caused the pipes to burst, resulting in significant damage.These failures occurred despite proper installation and routine monitoring. The issue appears to be systemic to the units heating or electrical system, not due to misuse or neglect.I contacted Cal Spas customer service on [insert exact date you sent your first message] and provided a full written account requesting either a replacement or a permanent resolution. As of today, 13 days have passed with no response.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/14/2025

  As a local authorized independent dealer for Cal Spas, we recognize that our customers may have warranty inquiries. While we are committed to providing support, it is crucial to emphasize that the factory in ******, **********, serves as the primary point of contact for warranty matters. This is because we lack direct control over the factory warranty policies.
  
  
  It is noteworthy that Cal Spas, akin to other hot tub manufacturers, does not extend coverage for freeze damage. Customers who encounter freeze damage with their hot tubs are strongly advised to contact their homeowners insurance provider to initiate a claim. Upon approval, we can collaborate directly with your insurance company to expedite the claim process.
  
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/19/2025

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I have already reached out to my homeowners insurance but - again, because this was a faulty hot tub and had already been brought to the attention of calspa the year prior, this isn't at the fault of the homeowner. If we need to escalate to the ** of calspa, that's fine, but I didn't purchase through the california office nor did I work with them for the originally service trip. I worked with the Plymouth store. They should be the ones to work with ** and get this resolved, not on the customers to jump through hoops to figure out who to resolve. i also reached out to the main ****** customer service and did not hear a response. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/19/2025

  I only mentioned contacting the manufacturer because you were requesting items that exceed the scope of your manufacturers warranty. Please review your manufacturers warranty.
  
  
  In my 30 years of experience, Ive never encountered a manufacturer covering freeze damage.
  
  
  This is not limited to Cal Spas; there are no hot tub manufacturers that cover freeze damage. It doesnt matter if the freeze is caused by a nuisance GFI trip or a malfunction of the hot tub; its always the customers responsibility to keep the hot tub above freezing by using a space heater inside. This is spelled out in every single hot tub manufacturers warranty with no exceptions.
  
  
  Manufacturers dont cover frozen hot tubs because a freeze up often results in a complete loss.
  
  
  If youd like me to perform a comprehensive diagnosis of the hot tub so I can assess its salvageability and provide a quote for repair. Id be happy to to do it at a discounted rate. The first step would involve removing the spa from your yard and transporting it to an offsite repair facility. The delivery company we use charges $450 each direction. You would be responsible for the delivery charges, but Id be happy to donate some sometime personally to diagnose your hot tub and no charge. Then once we see the scope of the damage we can discuss further.
  
  
  My contact information is *************************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/20/2025

  I am rejecting this response because this situation is not simply about freeze damage its about a repeat electrical failure that I reported to your business a year ago.
  
  
  Last winter, when the breaker tripped during freezing weather, I contacted you and had a Cal Spas technician inspect the unit. I was told there was nothing wrong. I trusted that assessment and continued diligent maintenance and monitoring.
  
  
  This winter, the exact same issue occurred again but this time, the hot tub didnt recover, the water froze, and the pipes burst. This was avoidable damage that would not have happened had the original issue been properly addressed. To me, this is not just product failure its negligence. We went above and beyond to prevent freeze damage.
  
  
  Now being asked to pay at minimum $450 out of pocket just to transport the hot tub for diagnosis with no guarantee of a working unit at the end is unreasonable. I want to be clear that I do not intend to pay anything further for a failure that should have been resolved last year when I first brought it to your attention.
  
  Im requesting again that you:
  Escalate this to Cal Spas corporate with full context including the documented service visit and repeat failure.
  Work with me toward a fair resolution that does not require any additional financial burden on my end.