Comfort Line Products Snappy Spa Heater/Blower unit defective less than 90 day of use, wants ME to pay for repair.Claims chemical problem not covered in owner manual N. Ft Myers, Florida

July, 1, 2010

Name of Product: Snappy Spa

Manufactured by:

Comfort Line Products

2717 N. Tamiami Trail

N. Ft. Myers. FL  33903

On March 22, 2010, I purchased a Snappy Spa portable hot tub (manufactured by Comfort Line Products) from Allegro Medical.  At the same time, I purchased the chemical kit that included the chemicals recommended by the manufacturer for proper maintenance of the hot tub. I set up the spa on April 9, 2010. I followed the owners manual for the set up and maintenance of the hot tub, in particular the daily chemical maintenance. I made sure that the chemical levels were the same as was recommended in both the spa owners manual and the instructions included with the chemical kit. At no time was the water in the spa outside the recommended limits for chemical balance.

On June 30, 2010, after less than 90 days of use, the heater and blower unit stopped working. I contacted Customer Service and spoke to Melissa Collier. Immediately upon my telling her what the problem was, she asked me how often I used Scale and Rust Inhibitor in the spa. I told her I had never used the product, as it was not listed in recommended chemical maintenance in either the owners manual or as part of the recommended chemical kit. She told me that the problem with the heater was a result of  build up that Scale and Rust Inhibitor would have prevented. She later emailed me a document that stated the same thing.

She emailed me instructions for having the unit repaired which includes my having to pay for shipping both ways and also the distinct possibility that I would also need to pay for all repairs if the technicians conclude that the broken unit was a result of improper chemical maintenance. As Ms Collier has already informed me, both verbally and by email,  that the problem is a result of not using a chemical THAT THE MANUFACTURER NEVER INFORMED ME THAT I NEEDED TO USE, I believe that I will be charged for the entire repair. In addition, I need to provide the company with my credit card details in order for the process to begin, and I wont know how much the repair has cost or how much has been charged to my credit card until AFTER the repairs have been made. This is not good business policy.

After doing some research today, I have discovered numerous complaints about this company, and in particular about the heater/blower unit. People have spent hundreds, and in a few cases, thousands of dollars on repairs to the unit only to have it break down again in a month or two. I have no intention of following suit.

If this Scale and Rust Inhibitor chemical was SO IMPORTANT to the operation of the spa so important that by NOT using it the unit would break down in under 90 days the chemical should have been part of the recommended spa maintenance listed in the owners manual and should have been part of the manufacturers recommended chemical kit. I suspect that the problem is not the lack of a chemical, but in faulty workmanship in the pump unit.

I will NOT be giving Comfort Line Products my credit card details for repair, nor pay for shipping on a faulty heater/blower unit that should be replaced in good faith by the manufacturer.

I believe that Comfort Line Products should send me a NEW heater/blower unit AT THEIR EXPENSE to replace the faulty one. They need to stand by their product! I realize that this is a budget product, but I expected it to last several years, not less than 3 months.

I also believe that, if the company continues to insist that heater/blower problems are a result of build up that could have been prevented, Comfort Line Products should immediately contact all owners of Snappy Spa (and their other portable spa units that include the same heater/blower unit) to inform them that Scale and Rust Inhibitor be part of daily chemical maintenance.