Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  03/8/2022: online order placed- Order# ******* Covermate 3 Spa Cover lifter price $279.95 03/15/2022: installed spa cover lifter (licensed professional) 03/15/2022-6/15/2022: used once or twice 06/16/2022: The Spa cover lifter broke on it own (captured on security camera) uploaded 06/20/2022: contacted ******** support line and reported issue, the advised that I have to contact the manufacturer (Leisure pools). I contacted the manufacturer who indicated that they DO NOT communicate with customers and I should contact ********. I contact ******** again : they indicated that they will contact the manufacturer since the product was recently purchased and this a warranty issue. I sent them a pictures and a video of the incident that was captured on my security camera. they advised they will contact me back as soon as they have a resolution - they never did. 07/17/2022: I emailed again to request an update - no response 07/22/2022: I emailed again to request an update - no response I am very frustrated due to the unresponsiveness and request they replace the apparently faulty spa cover lifter and reimburse for the installation fees. Note that I attached a video of the item breaking on its own.

  Business response

  08/16/2022

  As the customer notes, this is a warranty issue with a product from another company, ******* ********.  ******* ******** does in fact prefer not to deal directly with end users and asks their resellers to work with end users on warranty issues.  This customer should not have been sent to ******* ******** in the first place.  From the image and the video it does appear that the parts should be replaced under warranty.  ******* ********' warranty only covers parts and not installation costs nor shipping costs.  We will be in contact with the customer to determine the parts required for replacement and once we collect payment for the shipping cost, we will ship those parts out.  I understand this is not what the customer may be looking for but we are only able to offer what the company is offering under their warranty.  Questions and comments regarding what should be covered and provided by the warranty are more appropriately directed to the company who is extending the warranty.

  
  Jason F******
  America's ********/Sonshine Covers

• Initial Complaint

  03/15/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 11/12/2020, I purchased a spa cover from this company, which has a 36 month warranty. I have owned this cover for approximately 15 months and the vinyl has shrunken so much that it is greatly leaking steam/water in the mid section where the bend is. I contacted the company, ***** replied and offered a solution, which I do not accept as is not a solution for a product that is under warranty. This cover is not too small, has Jason has insinuated (to which I had sent him more pictures). I have taken pictures, videos, sent numerous emails with only 2 replies and has been almost a month now since our first contact.

  Business response

  03/15/2022

  TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

  Thank you for the opportunity to respond to Ms. ********* complaint.  Ms. ******* reached out to us regarding her spa cover stating the the steam stopper device was not sealing the hinge area.  As reference, our spa covers feature a hinge that is 1.5" wide connecting the two halves.  Our steam stopper fits into this void to seal the gap created by the hinge width not allowing the two foam cores to meet up with one another.  Spa covers lay flat on the hot tub.  When they do so, the two foam cores are separated by a gap equivalent to the width of the hinge.  This gap is filled with the steam stopper as the cover is completely closed and the foam cores are compressed against the steam stopper. 

  Upon first glance, Ms. ********* concern would lead us to investigate whether the steam stopper was defective or has been pulled out.  However, upon reviewing the pictures and the video that she provided, a couple of things jump out.  1) The gap in the hinge area is not a rectangle shape, it is wider at the bottom than at the top.  2) The steam stopper clearly is not filling the current gap and again the space at the bottom is more noticeable than at the top.  3) The skirt pieces on the side of the cover are not meeting to each other when they are designed to overlap.

  This led me to conclude that the cover is too small for the spa.  If it is too small, the cover cannot sit down flush to the tub.  Since it is not sitting down flush and is angled up a bit, the foam cores cannot rotate around and compress against the steam stopper device.  This is what we concluded from video and picture evidence.  If Ms. L****** would like to send the cover in for warranty inspection she certainly can and we will conduct a thorough examination of the cover for defects that may be covered by the warranty.  Ms. ******* is not saying that we mismanufactured the cover which makes sense as our production records indicate that it was manufactured correctly.  Please keep in mind that our foam and vinyl patterns are cut independently from one another and the statistical probability of the same error being made on both cuts is highly unlikely.  Further, it is confusing that Ms. ******* is now alleging that the cover has shrunk while maintaining her assertion that the cover is not too small for her spa.  Spa covers don't shrink to the point of not being able to sit down flush.

  We have offered Ms. ******* the option of purchasing another spa cover from us at cost as we do not see this as a manufacturing defect, but a mistake in ordering the proper size.  The issue with giving her a new cover is complicated in that if she is correct and the cover was made incorrectly and we make a replacement spa cover the exact same size as originally ordered, we feel that the same issue will present itself.  However, if we are correct and the problem does stem from the cover being ordered too small for hot tub, we should not be responsible for replacement cost.

  We propose the following:

  - Ms. L****** should measure the current spa cover and submit proof of the size of the spa cover she received.  Though unlikely, if the cover is not at least 84" x 84" with 17" radius rounded corners we should provide her with a new cover.
  - Ms. L****** should measure her spa/hot tub and submit proof of the size of her spa for comparison.
  - Ms. L****** should attempt to get the cover to sit flush with the spa and submit pictures of the cover again.
  - If Ms. L****** is not satisfied with our assessment of the images and video she provides, she needs to send us the cover for further inspection as specified in our warranty document that I have attached to this response.  Our address is ******** Covers, **** ****** ** ***** ** ****** ** ******
  - In the event that the cover is shown to be a minimum of 84X84 and the spa is also 84X84 and if Ms. L****** is alleging that the vinyl has shrunk, we would be willing to do the following:  We will manufacture a new vinyl skin for the cover and send it to her for our cost of manufacturing plus shipping which will be approximately $150.  Once she puts the new skin on the cover, if she submits photos to show that the new skin has fixed the problem we will refund the amount as it will have been a warranty issue.  However, if the skin does not solve the problem it will show that the skin had not shrunk and we were correct in our assessment that the cover was ordered too small.

  We are committed to working through this issue with our customer.  We look forward to a positive resolution.

  Best regards,

  Jason F
  America's SPA-MART/Sonshine Covers

  Business response

  04/19/2022

  Ms. L****** ordered 84x84.  Not 64x64.  That detail notwithstanding, Ms. ********* measurement of the length perpendicular to the fold is being done with the cover upside laying flat.  As our covers are tapered from the center, the sides need to raised compressing against the steamstoppers to get a proper measurement.  She basically measured up the hypotensus of one right triangle and down the other all while the making the hinge twice its width by not compressing the cover.  Even given that we can see that it's measuring correctly.  It does appear to be 1/8" short in the width on the underside inside the skirt but we can see from the bulge of the foam that it extends past that seam and is the correct width.  That said, the shortage on that width measurement would not cause the original issue communicated.

  All that said, it doesn't address the following issues:
  1) Ms. L****** initially reached out regarding steam escaping.  After investigation of her photos, it was determined that the cover is not being allowed to meet together at the hinge and we suspected that the cover may be too small.  We requested a measurement of the cover and of the spa.  The measurement of the cover, though flawed, shows the cover was likely made within spec.  She has not provided a similar measurement of her spa.
  2) Our concern continues to be that if we make another cover the exact same size, it will not solve her issue.  Nothing that we have seen in the videos and the pictures provided of the cover leads us to believe the cover was manufactured incorrectly that would cause it not to seal in the center which was her original complaint.

  Since we appear to be at an impasse of understanding, we will refund Ms. L****** for the original amount with no restocking fee once the cover is returned to us.  We will have a truck in her area in the next couple weeks and will pick up the cover.  Once we have the cover, we will issue a check as too much time has passed to credit the card.  If Ms. L****** does not return the cover to our driver when they arrive, we can only assume she wishes to keep it and no refund will be issued.

  We have reached out to Ms. L****** to discuss this issue and she has not yet returned our call.

  Please let us know if you have any additional questions regarding this complaint.

  Best regards,

  Jason F
  America's SPA-MART/Sonshine Covers

  Customer response

  04/19/2022

  ****** ******** *******
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ** ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  ****** *************
  P.S. Jason, to my knowledge, did not call because no message was left on my cell.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Ordered a spa cover with the dimensions that was stated on their web site. When I received the cover one dimension was larger than stated on their web site. I contacted them via email and was told that somewhere in their web documents that the cover maybe larger as stated on their web sales page. There’s also a plastic rapping below the outer cover. The plastic rapping was not installed properly causing the outer finish covering to have bulges. Their web page also states money back guarantee if not satisfied. They are not offering any remedy. I purchased from this company expecting to receive a cover as state on their website.

  Business response

  03/13/2022

  We received a message from *** ******** regarding a concern that the spa cover was manufactured incorrectly stating it was too large and there is a crease in the plastic vapor barrier.  Upon reviewing the manufacturing records and the pictures submitted, we have determined that the cover was manufactured within the tolerances stated in and agreed to by the customer in our Sales Terms and Conditions.  We also advised that many times when the double-wrapped foam option is selected the extra plastic can appear bulky.  As we communicated to him, this typically settles over time and does not affect the performance of the product.  In short, this product was manufactured in accordance with those tolerances.

  That said, we do have a 30 day money back guarantee for custom-made spa covers.  In fact, we are the only seller of custom spa covers online that offers a path to return a custom-made covers for any reason.  *** ******** may return the cover for any reason within 30 days.  Under the terms of the program, there is no restocking fee.  *** ******** simply will pay to return the cover to us and will be responsible for the original outbound shipping costs.  If he wishes to pursue this, we can get the process started.  Shipping is not inexpensive and without a restocking fee we will obviously absorb the full cost of the product as it is discarded, if he is truly dissatisfied he can return the cover at his expense and we will subtract the original outbound freight cost from the refund.

  Information on both the accepted manufacturing tolerances and the 30 day money back guarantee for spa covers can be found in our Sales Terms and Conditions which may be viewed here: https://www.spa-mart.com/company/sales-terms-and-conditions.cfm.

  Please let us know if you need any information regarding this complaint.  We look forward to resolving it with our customer.

  Best regards,

  Jason F.
  Sonshine Covers/America's SPA-MART

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