Watkins Manufacturing Corp

Hotspring Spa "Dealer in Good Standing" designation is deceptive and meaningless to the consumer. On July 13, 2011, I purchased a HotSpring Aria spa from a Watkins Mfg/HotSpring "Dealer in Good Standing" who also promoted himself as the winner of the Hotspring "Dealer of the Year" award. The HotSpring" Dealer in Good Standing" negotiated a verbal only contract for the nearly $10,000 purchase, then delivered an inferior spa. The delivery was reckless and hazardous which required quick intervention from a licensed contractor on site and this homeowner to prevent injury to the crew and damage to the spa. This occurred when the crew lost control of the spa and it began to tip from an upright position while in transit on a dolly onto one of the three crew members who could no longer support it. The dealer also directed modifications to the spa, he stated were made in coordination with Hotspring's technical department, which caused the spa to leak. Rather than assume responsibility for the mistake, the dealer defamed the contractor and others. HotSpring reviewed my concerns and expressed the opinion the spa should be returned to the dealer and an agreement fair to both parties reached. The dealer initially proposed an agreement in which I would lose at best $3,000 when and if he resold the spa. I asked the dealer to indicate in any way I was responsible for the necessity of returning the spa. He refused to supply a response and has not over the past 7 months. Instead, he continues to defame me and the contractor. He subsequently fabricated a written contract which is unsigned and dome so carelessly it is sel-incriminating. He took the bizarre step of filing a false police report claiming harassment. When the above was brought to the attention of HotSpring, even though they requested their "Dealer in Good Standing" come to a fair agreement, HotSpring stated they are not willing to offer any further assistance. Hotspring stated it is not their problem. I have asked HotSpring on several occasions to verify whether the dealer actually won the "Dealer of the Year" award. They have not verified he has. I asked HotSpring what the criteria are for being a "Dealer in Good Standing". I received the following equivocal response: "I've confirmed that our Marketing/Sales Department does issue plaques with that terminology to authorized dealers. I don't know that there is an established, empirical criterion. I do know the Regional Managers visit dealers to observe their showroom set-up, sales techniques and service records. They also assess a dealer's product purchase patterns and whether they're keeping their accounts with us current, paying their bills from us on time, making use of local advertising vehicles, etc. As the award comes from that branch of the business, I assume the criteria are based on those aspects of their business." Spa sales and installation dealers are not licensed or regulated in California. it is unclear if they are bonded or required to carry insurance. What is clear is there is no recourse through the state licensing boards for unscrupulous dealer behavior. As such, Certification by HotSpring as a "Dealer in Good Standing" is a sole and significant endorsement by Hotspring for the consumer. However, if it is not based on clear criteria and there is no attempt to maintain any standard for dealers when inappropriate business and personal dealer behavior occurs, the HotSpring" Dealer in Good Standing" designation becomes meaningless and deceptive as does the claim that Hotspring spas provide the "Absolute Best Lifetime Ownership Experience".