I live in an outer suburb of Minneapolis, so I am sure there are dealers available to me for most of the major brands of hot tubs at any one of a number of pool stores. To be honest though, I have begun to see pool stores in a less than rosy light. Since finding this forum and learning how to maintain my swimming pool using the BBB method, I have a hard time putting my trust in pool stores for anything. If pool stores routinely misinform their customers about their pool's chemistry in an attempt to sell the customer more chemicals, how can I trust them to not misinform me about a hot tub?
Also, wouldn't a warranty be supported by the manufacturer rather than the retailer the spa was purchased from? For example, when my dishwasher has needed a warranty repair, I have called the manufacturer directly about the problem. In turn, they have sent out their contracted repair provider for my area. The retailer who sold me the appliance was not involved in the warranty repair process at all. Wouldn't it be the same sort of process for a warranty repair on a major brand of hot tub? Maybe it isn't and I'm making assumptions that I shouldnt be, I honestly don't know? You know how often with a first time major purchase (like your first house, your first car, your first pool, etc...) you learn so much in the first few months of ownership that you feel like you might have made a different choice if you had the situation to do over again? I would love to learn enough about the in's and out's of smart spa buying that I can avoid that feeling. If buying locally is the best way for me to avoid that feeling, then I am all for it!