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 1997-2008 Havenmade Inc.

hot tubs and spas
James Arjuna




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This page is dedicated to our Haven Customers across the United States and across the oceans.  These are the
 exact words of real Haven Spa owners.

Date: Saturday, 22 April 2006, at 6:19 p.m.

I will make this short and sweet. I have now owned my Super Custom Fallsburg for a full year. I travel quite a bit and stay and very nice resorts and hotels. The Super Custom Fallsburg has made me a snob when getting into ANY other spas !!! There is NO spa in the world that feels the way the Super Custom Fallsburg does. As a six foot eight, 300 IBS man it is very difficult for me to find a spa that actually has penetrating jets. Well, stop right now, because the Super Custom Fallsburg is the one. My stress level has dropped 100 % since the first day of owning the Super Custom Fallsburg and I will give any person a reference of how superior it is compared to any other hot tub in the world !!! Just email me, and I will tell you the truth. Jim has created the ultimate hot tub ever made.

A true believer and supporter,

Bruce E. Fisher Jr.

Tom,
April 10,2005

I realize you are interested in seeing a SCF purely for reasons of curiosity or comparison. Just looking at the
 SCF does not do this spa justice, you need to fully experience it. Jim has built the SCF to be more than just a
 spa, it is a great tool, perhaps the best in total body relaxation. I am 6'3" my wife 5'5 and my son 4'10"
 together we find the seating very comfortable, all seats have a variety of depths, and each utilize all large
 rotating jets and a whole lot of them for a great massage. I love the lounge for its full body massaging action
 literally from head to toe. The combination and location of jets in this seat are incredible. This seat is very
 roomy even for a big guy like me. With the multiple foot wells even my wife can feel equally at comfort, also
 I've yet to have a guest complain of floating out of that seat.


I had Jim add a couple of neck blasters to my 6 jet seat in lieu of the wrap around cushion. Even without the
 cushion the seat is very comfortable and the action of the jets on the sides of the spine to me is much more
 relaxing than many other brands who place there jets on the bone. I find that there is ample room to slide down
 the seat and let those neck jets hit my tension holding areas in my neck and upper back. When I am in the
 captains seat, I let the spa hit me with all it got. Full jet power with air valve wide open and turbo air on high,
 man what a rush! I love the placement of the master jet and its voracious power. I feel like I'm holding back an
 open fire hydrant! What is exceptionally nice is that no matter of how many guests are inside the spa, we are all
 able to utilize each seat up to its fullest power potential at the same time. This spa has great adjustability,
 anyone could control the power of their jets easily by the attenuation of their individual seat controls.


I also opted for the fiber optic lighting of the jets and spots. We all like how the safety grab handles illuminate
 and change color with the lighting. When seated in either of the two seats with the handles, at no time do you
 feel the bar on your back.


Why you are observing the SCF, notice how quiet the whole operation of it is. I know I've only seen a fraction
 of the spas than you have, but check the strength of the shell and see how solid and well crafted it is. With the
 sealed thermopane insulation, ridged shell and strong cabinet I think you would be hard pressed to find a spa
 with as much power to run as quiet. I was first drawn to Haven Spas by the high quality of all the equipment
 Jim specifies in his products. I like not having exclusive parts or filters that are hard to find or way overpriced.


Finally, see how well the spa filters the water, how much movement there is by the circulation pump and count
 how many outlets it has. One thing I am sure of is you will not find in your examination any noticeable odor
 from the CD ozonator. I've just finished my water change today in my SCF and again was happy that I have
 had no need for a Scum Bug nor the scouring of a scum line from the heavy use my spa has seen by my family
 and friends over the last four months. I utilize the instant ions recommended by Jim and my water quality has
 just been perfect.


After refilling my spa I had a minor problem with an air-lock in the circulation pump. While I had my side panel
 off, I called Haven Spas and spoke to Jim who was pleasant as always and very helpful as he walked me
 through it to resolution and gave additional guidance of operation and maintenance.


I guess by now you know why my bias is for owning a SCF from Haven Spas and why I am a very happy
 customer. Still today I have seen no other spa come close to the overall performance of my SCF. The
 education, delivery, service and advice received from this company have all been top notch.


Andy
Jim,

Just wanted to say how happy I was with my first major "problem" with the
spa. We bought a Springville in Sept. of 2000, and have had zero problems...up
until Wednesday. Pump #1 decided to give up the ghost. I called and talked to
Frank who scheduled the service for the next day (yesterday). He told me there
would be a warranty co-pay as we were beyond 2 years (no problem!). And, while I
didn't get the service tech's name, he was very courteous and had us up and running
 in about two hours. I compare this to a friend of mine that had to wait for over
 a month for warranty service on a television. No contest!


Again, nothing but high praise for your company and organization. Would
that all companies stand behind their products as you do yours.




Best wishes,


-Fred Chambers-

Robert  wrote:

>Hello!
>
>My name is Rob, I live in MD and have been AGONIZING over my
>upcoming spa purchase. Every where I turn, there is a guy in a large collar
>1970's suit trying to sell me a different spa. Then I find this guy on the
>internet (Jim Arjuna) who speaks what seems to be sound engineering
>principals rather than just hype. Jim sent me a list of a few customers, I
>was hoping to get any input you may have. The spa we are leaning toward is
>the Fallsburg.
>
>Is Jim some crazy guy or is he for real?
>
>Are you happy with your Haven Spa?
>
>If you were going to buy another spa, would it be a Haven and would you do
>anything different?
>
>Again, I REALLY appreciate your advice, this is a major purchase for us and
>we REALLY want to get it right the first time.
>
>Thanks!
>
>Rob and Cathy


Hi Rob and Cathy-

I don't want to short change you on any information, but last Sunday I
had another couple ask me similar questions in an e-mail.  Since I can't
really type too fast I'm going to cut and paste my answers to them,
tailor them a little, and reply to you.  I hope this helps you.  Anyway
here goes...

When we first decided to buy a spa, I too stumbled upon Jim and Sandy's
web site.  Very informative.  Using the information I found on his site,
I evaluated several brands of spa.  My wife and I shopped around for a
couple of months and wet tested an Emerald, a Catalina, a  LA Esteem,
and another brand (can't remember which). .  We also had the  Thermospa 
guy come over  and do  his  presentation.  That's really what started
our "hunt" for a spa.  My wife ordered their free video and told me we
were getting one.  Anyway, my advice for Thermospas is to stay away from
them.  I wanted a Manhattan model and the price started at $15k.  Within
the hour we were down to about $9.5k. That was just too much of a price
swing for me.  High pressure sales, price only good for the evening,
etc.  I threw the arrogant guy out.

Anyway, I was also very hesitant to buy something sight unseen but based
on what I read and talking to a couple of Jim's customers I reluctantly
took the plunge.  One of the things that drove me to buy a spa over the
internet was, believe it or not, dealer support.  The local dealers we
visited didn't seem too knowledgeable about the spas they were selling
because most of the dealers here also sell swimming pools. That was a
little scary.  Because if they don't know how the spa works, my
reasoning is they are going to have trouble supporting me if it breaks. 
When I visited a dealer I also always asked the same question, if my spa
breaks what is your average time to respond to a service call?   I
started my spa search last year around May and pool season was starting
up but most of them said about 1-2 weeks.  That didn't sit well with me
either.

Jim's reputation on some of the other BBSs isn't too good.  Sometimes he
rants and raves on the BBSs, but he is passionate about educating the
customer and the products that he makes.  He is definitely not crazy and
if you have the chance to meet him in person, you will see he is well
mannered and well spoken.  With that said, all my personal experiences
with him and his wife Sandy have all been positive.  I called him
several times and talked to him about the SCF and he was always
informative, non-high pressure, and willing to work with you.  Most
importantly he makes a hell of a product.  The SCF is a great spa. 
After 8 months and based on what I know now I would still make the same
purchase.  I'm a very satisfied customer.  I wrote a "testimonial" and
Jim has it posted on his BBS.  You can read it there or I can send you
the MS word document if you like.  I haven't completed the last part of
that "testimonial".  It was going to be on the cost of monthly
maintenance and electrical consumption.  In short, chemicals costs and
extra electricity to run the spa seem minimal.  Electric was less than
$25/month increase, in the middle of winter and last winter was one of
the coldest we've had.  And we used no less than 5 times per week during
that time.

We've had our SCF since the end of last Nov.  As a matter of fact Jim
and Sandy's installed it the day after Thanksgiving.  My experience with
the Spa Specialist has been nothing but outstanding. From the
installation to any questions I have today.  After the install, I had
several questions about everything.  To Jim and Sandy's credit they did
go over all the water maintenance, system controls, etc. when they did
the installation, but I was just too excited and didn't pay close enough
attention.  But any time I call I get prompt attention and my questions
are always thoroughly answered .

As far as service goes, I did have a problem with one of the jets
popping out of the spa when I had the pumps on "high". The SCF is just
very powerful, I mean this in a good way.   I called Jim and he
immediately sent me another jet (no charge-shipping or part).  I even
broke one of the plastic measuring vials in the Taylor Test Kit when I
accidentally dropped it.  I called and talked to Sandy that time and she
sent me another vial, once again for free.  I ordered some more
chemicals from them. One of the items was a 10 lbs container of shock or
diclor, I don't remember which.  Anyway they didn't have any of the 10
lbs. containers in stock so they sent 5 each 2.2 lbs containers (11
lbs.) and they didn't charge me any more.  It's these little things that
make a good impression on me.  They are just great people and very
service oriented.

If you need any additional info please feel free to e-mail or call me at
618-667-8781. You are also welcome to come to my home and wet test the
SCF if you find yourself in the Troy, Illinois area (20 miles east of
St. Louis).  You won't be disappointed if you buy the SCF, it hands down
out performed all the ones I wet tested.

Rich Pisko


Jim/Sandy:

Wow...I've pondered this over and over in my head about how vicious people can be in general and,
 specifically, to you. I keep getting the same frustrated no-end conclusion.....it can't be explained outside of just
 pure greed. The greed to make a quick buck at the consumer's expense. I've always viewed YOU as my ally
 in the spa selection process....not just a huckster trying to hawk his wares on a fancy marketing-backed giant
 corporation.


Jim, I was a neophyte when it came to looking at spas. You opened my eyes and I started to recognize and
 compare. For that, you can never know how much I appreciate what you've done for me and my family.
 Those bucks shelled out are hard-earned and I find it so offensive that so many people are buying in to the
 trash that's out there. HOT SPRINGS comes to mind. Man, have they got their spiel down pat.
 Marketing.....symbolism over substance. You came through for me.....I actually had placed money down on a
 Hot Springs....only to ask to have my money refunded after reading your site and then visiting you in CO. It
 was NIGHT and DAY. And, I'm not "BS'ing" you when I say that I was ignorant in my purchasing prowess.
 You changed all that and I've never looked back. I'm also a very proud Haven owner and have not had ONE
 single problem since purchase. If your spas were such trash, then you're selling some remarkably reliable trash.
 Isnt' it funny that my HOT SPRINGS friends have problem after problem but still can't bring themselves to
 admit they have trash. It's an ego thing. But, I just smirk when they sit in my spa and WOW over the more
 powerful jets, the logical controls, and my insistence that I've NEVER had a problem. I get the "deer in the
 headlights" look. It's funny.

 G.

Hi ,

it's no bother; I am glad to help. I am in central jersey, near the shore
in Howell. I absolutely recommend the haven line, specifically the
fallsburg, and the spa specialist organization behind it.

I was lucky enough to wander into Jim's sight myself after I got frustrated
with the sales types of the spa stores in my area, and realizing until I
learned about spas, I was better off not buying. Jim's site helped me
understand the engineering behind spas, and the design options &
considerations, along with pro's/con's of each. I quickly realized that I
became more knowledgeable then most of the sales people. They only offer
marketing data, where Jim actually educated me in a way that both common
sense and my engineering background could see the logic around, and feel
comfortable with my purchase. I encourage you to learn all you can about
spas to enable yourself in the same way. Be no body's fool.

The design is excellent for the winters we have, and even for the more
brutal winters of the Rockies, Canada, or Minnesota, where I have interacted
with Haven owners who say they also see the efficiency of the spa thermal
design. I have sat out in my spa in freezing weather, and the spa was able
to maintain its temp. When I first got it (January 01), I had to keep
checking if it was still powered, cause it never seemed to go on. With the
water blanket and the efficient cover, it is incredible how it maintains
it's heat. When we lose power, it barely moves a few degrees after hours of
being off! .. amazing.

That is the biggest consideration. All the pipes stay warm for days in the
cabinet without power, even in the most extreme weather. With foamed spas,
the motor compartment (which cannot be foamed) freezes quickly, and the
damage is done in short measure. The other consideration is maintenance.
To open the spa cabinet to perform maintenance or upgrades is simple.
Everything is accessible and easy to get at. Leaks in foam spas are a
nightmare to find and fix. Also on the maintenance side, is that the parts
are generic. No custom jets or gizmos. That means you can find them
easily, and have any qualified spa repair tech make a repair. With the
specialty jets of others, the exclusive word means you need to go to them
for all repairs, and they mug you big time. Most of those super features
really look better than they feel too! .. some feel like they are too easy
to break too (perhaps by design) .. but the marketing material is real
pretty...

That generic repair capability is how Jim provides support his spas across
the world. During the warrantee period, he just hires a tech local to you
and pays them the standard rate. After the warrantee period, you can do the
same. My pool tech says he can fix them easy after looking it over,
however, I have not had the need to put him to work yet though :-)

Aside from the efficiency and maintainability, there is reliability. This
thing (I have the fallsburg) is a tank. It is solid and well build and as
good as the first day it arrived. I just cleaned and filled it this
weekend, and it looks like the day I bought it. I use it 3-4 times a week
year round, and have had a lot of people in it along the way! It is
behaving like a durable good should.

Next requirement for me was comfort. The thing is ergonomically perfect for
me. I don't float away in the lounge, and the seats are well contoured to
the human body. Some spas you get uncomfortable in after a while, where I
could sit in mine for hours on end. Also, if you have to fight to stay in
the lounge, how does that help you relax?

Next for me was hydro therapy. Some just want swirling water, where I
wanted the option for serious therapy when needed or desired. I can't tell
you how disappointed I was when I was wet testing other spas, some even more
expensive then the haven. 1 pump, or 2 under powered pumps... a handful of
jets.. please... some sales people even tried to tell me I did not want
strong therapy or I would tire of it quickly.. NOT

I love my fallsburg. Besides recreation, it has been medicinal to me as
well as a stress reliever. I never knew exactly how much I was going to
love being a spa owner. My lounge has 22 jets in it alone! Some spas don't
have that much. Two 5 HP pumps get that water moving the way I like it.
Some spas have diverter valves they sell as a feature called smart systems
where only some seats are driven at a time. I can drive all my seats at the
same time, and no one has to wait their turn. My spa is very customizable
as well. Each seat has a valve to turn the pressure down, each jet is
adjustable, and each pump (each driving 3 seats) has two speeds. My wife
likes hers a notch or two lower and can do that for her seat at the same
time my world is getting rocked. One time I actually closed down a few
seats to have my lounge get the full power of a pump cause I was seriously
in pain from a softball game that I pulled a muscle in. It worked me hard,
and it actually helped me a great deal.

what else to consider.. ah yes.. the people behind the spa. I have to say
that Jim has never let me down. he taught me how to manage my water,
answers my mail and phone calls, and has supported me in a way you would
never see from a spa mill who just moves a spa to a consumer. Jim stands
behind his product. I have no complaints.. not 1 in over 2 years.

They delivered the spa on their truck and installed it in January with a
foot of snow on the ground! It was a flawless install, and they helped me
set it up, and then trained me before they left. When my wife sat in it
that night, she looked at me and told me 'I done good' .. and she was right.
I wish more of my purchases went this way. In fact, a good friend of mine
who tried my spa who owns a high end hot springs raved about my spa, saying
his was no where near as good (and he is right, but I tried to be kind).
Another friend ordered the same spa as mine after he tried mine, and has
been equally as happy.

I guess the only down side is that I am no longer satisfied with the spas I
sit in on vacation and when visiting others. I am spoiled!!! :-)

All in all, I feel I got the most for my money from the haven. I do admit I
was shell shocked when I priced the high end spas, but I have a habit of
doing things all the way, if I am going to do them at all, and I am glad I
did. I did interact with another guy from jersey last year that had a hard
budget, so he went for a haven spa that was several notches down the product
line. He loves it, and feels it was more than he could have gotten for his
money any where else. Sometimes when I see the crap for sale out there for
a lot of money, I shudder. it could have been me buying that if I was
hasty. All in all, I am happy with the purchase, the support, and feel the
money was worth it for the spa and the install.

Good luck in your search, and feel free to follow up with any more
questions.


Ray

Posted By: Mike C (cache-mtc-aa03.proxy.aol.com)
Date: Friday, 4 October 2002, at 12:27 a.m.

This is long, but worth the read. I posted the following message over on whatsthebest-hottub.com It was
 deleted by the forum administrator with no plausible explanation. When I objected to the deletion, you will not
 believe what followed. Here it is:


The Real Truth about Haven Spas (in one part!)

Spa shoppers, if you want to know the real truth about Haven Spas, talk to any Haven Spa owner. Jim Arjuna
 will gladly give you a list of Haven customer references. That is what I did prior to purchasing our Haven Spa.
 I live in NH, and contacted two Haven owners in Massachusetts. Both had nothing but high praise for their
 Haven buying/owning experience; one even let me wet test his spa.


We have now owned our Haven Spa for 17 months. It is comfortable, runs flawlessly, and flat out rocks with
 therapy. I had one warranty claim for a faulty ozonator unit that was replaced with a better unit. Everyone I
 have dealt with at The Spa Specialist has been friendly, helpful, and professional. With their forum, Email, and
 toll free telephone line, Colorado to New Hampshire seems no further away than if I tried to get service or
 questions answered from a local dealer.


Many competitors and personal adversaries of Jim Arjuna have tried to discredit him and Haven Spas. Many
 of them refer this website: http/www.havenspas.tripod.com It is titled "A Perspective on Haven Spas." Let me
 tell you a few facts about this site:


1. Reading the general complaints section, there are three complaints listed. All three are by the same person,
 directed specifically at Phoenix Spas, with no mention of Haven Spas whatsoever. 2. There is not a single
 complaint from a current Haven owner. 3. There is a long complaint from a previous owner called the Erik
 Saga. Though very unhappy, Erik was given a complete refund. 4. Erik is the only unsatisfied Haven customer
 that all of Jim Arjuna’s enemies combined have been able to produce. 5. I personally have signed the guest
 book at that site many times. I added some positive comments about Haven Spas in the box provided,
 because I wanted people to get a TRUE perspective rather than the nonsense posted there. In each instance
 my name and comments have been removed. 6. I am now banned from signing the guest book and posting
 true comments about Haven Spas and my positive buying/owning experience. 7. Only those with negative
 comments are allowed to sign the guest book. Several other Haven owners had their names and comments
 deleted as well as me.


Without naming names, you can be sure that there are many Haven competitors out there posing as someone
 other than whom they really are. Or they will try to push you away from Haven Spas, using lies and deceitful
 methods as I’ve described above. I am a Manufacturing Engineer that researched a dozen different spa brands
 for six months prior to purchasing our Haven Spa. I knew about Erik, but that didn’t scare me away. It made
 me ask, "Why is Erik the only negative Haven customer experience anyone has been able to find?" You can
 choose to believe the sleazy frauds, but if you want the truth about Haven Spas, contact any Haven owner.
 They will all tell you that Haven Spas are the real deal.


END OF ORIGINAL POST Here is the explanation of why that post was deleted, and what followed.
 

Forum Admin YaBB Administrator


Reasons why your posts may be deleted or locked... « on: Oct 3rd, 2002, 9:37am » Quote Modify


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. If your post does not help
 anyone 2. If your post can lead to pointless arguments 3. If your post promotes your company and/or web site
 

This forum is supposed to be used for helping people with their hot tub questions. Unfortunately, I have been
 getting some complaints about how this forum can be too dealer competitive. Let's try to change that, thanks!


-Admin « Last Edit: Oct 3rd, 2002, 12:08pm by Forum Admin » Logged


Mike C Guest

Re: Reasons why your posts may be deleted or locke « Reply #1 on: Oct 3rd, 2002, 2:20pm » Quote Modify
 Remove -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't buy that
 explanation. I am not a dealer or seller, just a spa owner. I only gave positive information about my spa
 buying/owning experience, and pointed out factual inaccuracies of a website that spa shoppers are directed to,
 right on this website. I did not insult anyone use any names in a negative way.


I believe that my post was deleted because of the positive message about Haven Spas. Your deletion of my
 post amounts to selective censorship, and is unfair. Logged


Forum Admin YaBB Administrator


Posts: 5 Re: Reasons why your posts may be deleted or locke « Reply #2 on: Oct 3rd, 2002, 4:06pm » Quote
 Modify


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You would think that
 Jim...could you of at least chose a more original name than Mike C or do a better job of changing up your old
 IP addresses? Yes, I do have all your old IP addresses on file but I thought I would give you another chance.
 To my displeasure, it has been more of the same from you....did you forget that we banned you in our old
 forum for the same kind of conduct as you are displaying now?


I have already had numerous complaints about your conduct (under both names), but I was hoping you would
 show a change in attitude. Unfortunately, I will have to ban you again as nothing has changed. I am usually very
 lenient with user's posts but you have just caused pointless arguments about your company, which hasn't
 helped anyone.


Perhaps, one day I will lift the ban and you will learn to conduct yourself better....until then, you will remain the
 only person I have ever had to ban from this forum in 5 years.


-Admin « Last Edit: Oct 3rd, 2002, 4:26pm by Forum Admin » Logged


Mike c Guest


Re: Reasons why your posts may be deleted or locke « Reply #3 on: Oct 3rd, 2002, 10:31pm » Quote Modify
 Remove


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What on earth are you talking
 about? I can assure you that I am not Jim. This is looking more and more like a conspiracy to silence a voice
 that is pro-Haven. I have supplied a valid Email address to you, and if you wish to Email me I will supply you
 with my telephone number or anything else you require to proove I am who I say I am. Logged


Steve YaBB Full Member


I love YaBB 1G - SP1!


Posts: 13 Re: Reasons why your posts may be deleted or locke « Reply #4 on: Oct 3rd, 2002, 10:42pm »
 Quote Modify


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well......... isn't that an
 interesting tid bit of information!


Very sad.


Steve

END OF THREAD


As most here will recognize, the last post is from Steve Russell, a Beachcomber Dealer. Steve also knows I am
 a real person, but because he is undoubtedly one of the sleaziest of the sleazy in the spa industry, he is going
 along with the lies.


Jim, I knew you made some enemies, but I had no idea how low they will go to discredit you and Haven Spas.
 

Spa shoppers, keep an open mind. Jim must be making serious headway with his message of truth about poorly
 designed spas and deceitful so-called professionals. This is a perfect example of it.


ABOUT STEVE RUSSELL
(Note from Jim Arjuna: The mudslingers took photos at the back of the factory showing some spas that were
 returned for repairs.  They said all sorts of bad things about the great people at the Phoenix spa factory who
 build the Haven Spas for us.  One of the guys, named "Spa Tech", a competitor, on message boards said
 racial slurs about the people who build Haven Spas.  So, one of my customres, a medical doctor, who lives
 near the factory decided to take the tour of the factory to see if any of it was true.)


Posted By: Rob (adsl-66-122-52-193.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net)

Date: Tuesday, 29 October 2002, at 3:43 p.m.


I ordered a Springville about 2 weeks ago, and had some pangs of doubt after reading the very nasty and
 infamous tripod site. I've got to say, I so much appreciate all of the info on design and construction that Jim has
 posted and that is so reassuring. Anyway, to assuage my pangs of doubt, I paid a visit to the Phoenix Spa
 Factory, located about 10 miles from my house in California (it is in Anderson) This is the factory maligned on
 the tripod site, and where the Spa Specialist spas are made.


Overall I left with a very favorable impression. It is a clean, well organized facility, quite busy and actively
 producing lots of different spas. The man that gave me the tour had nothing but good things to say about Jim
 and admitted that Haven Spas were constructed to a higher standard and spec'd somewhat differently than
 their own line (ie, ABS plastic bottom, more insulation, etc.) He said that the shell designs are basically the
 same as theirs, but that the plumbing and the jet patterns/specs, and air jets are done differently.


I can't imagine that any other spa factory would look a whole lot different. The workers seemed to be taking
 good care of things and spending adequate time and effort finishing the products.


So, my mind is at ease and we're eagerly awaiting the call about the delivery date.


-rh

Posted By: Robert (65-171-105-136.baraboo.com)
Date: Monday, 23 September 2002, at 9:40 p.m.

In Response To: SUNDANCE SPAS (Mike Scarpone)

Mike,

I can't speak for the Beachcomber or the Marquis, but we were very close to buying the Optima also. We
 even took our suits to our area dealer and wet tested the Optima and several other Sundance units. I went
 back home, ready to buy but decided to do some research on the Sundance and in the process, found this site.
 I called Jim, talked to him for about 1/2 an hour and asked him the same questions that you probably have in
 your mind right now. He invited us to wet-test the Haven. We bought some cheap (Priceline) tickets, flew to
 Colorado for a long weekend, went mountain biking, and tested the Haven and signed the order before we
 left. No high pressure slick sales jive like the Sundance dealer, just solid facts and a great product!


Robert


"Dr. ########,



My name is Jerry Miller. I live in , NC and work in Risk Management at an 860 bed teaching hospital. My wife
 is a RN who also works there. I have no connection to Spa Specialist other than being a very satisfied
 customer.




Jim sent me a copy of your email and his response and I’d like to comment on it. I get nothing for this except
 the satisfaction that comes from getting some true info out there into the world. I, too, still had some misgivings
 when we finally decided to order our spa. I just wanted to let you know about our dealings with Jim Arjuna
 and The Spa Specialist, Inc.

We love our Super Custom Fallsburg. We have had it for 29 months. If they want it back, they had better bring
 guns! We will never settle for a lesser spa.


We spent well over a year researching and looking at various spas before we were ready to buy, partly
 because we were moving to a new place we had just bought and partly because we didn’t want to buy a spa
 and then find later that we wanted to "trade up". When we first started looking at spas we thought we’d spend
 about $3,000. I had discovered the Havens on the ‘net and decided that they were priced well above what we
 wanted to invest. It didn’t take long to find out that there were no spas in that price range that we would be
 happy with and Lowe’s and Home Depot didn’t have any spa in the store that we wanted.


The first high dollar spa we looked at was, predictably, a Hot Spring. We have friends who have a HotSpring
 and they swore by it. The dealer offered us a "real deal" on a last year’s top of the line (can’t recall the name)
 showroom sample spa if we wanted to take it right away. That set off warning alarms in my head since they
 had already asked if we had looked at any other spas. I turns out it wasn’t really such a good deal, but more
 on that later. We were still, we thought, more than 3 months from any possibility of having things ready for
 delivery of a spa, no place to put it, no safe place to store it. It turned out to be much longer than that, but we
 were naïve concerning construction and site prep. By the way, the friends who have the Hot Spring spa won’t
 come back to soak in ours since their first soak because it blows theirs out of the water and they don’t want to
 replace it right now.




We had found Jim’s site fairly early in the search and I read everything on the site and ordered the book "How
 Spas are Made". This was well before the email version was available. This booklet is the finest consumer
 education material on spas I was able to find anywhere. As far as I’ve been able to discover no other spa
 company goes to any effort to educate consumers on spas beyond whatever makes theirs look best, and
 usually without anything more than "because we say so" to back it up. The booklet offers info that is easy to
 understand and makes perfect scientific and engineering sense.




When we started looking at other spas, we figured out very quickly that the Hot Spring spa was very weak in
 therapy compared to most of the others. Since we were specifically looking for a machine with lots of therapy
 we never went back. Besides, the "special deal" they offered turned out to be more expensive than several
 other spas with much better therapy.

After long shopping we had finally decided on an Emerald Cygnus (7009 I think). I had talked with Jim on the
 phone when I ordered the book and so I knew that he can sell Emeralds to people who don’t have a dealer
 within 50 miles. Our nearest dealer is over 90 miles away so I called Jim to get a price comparison. His price
 was better by the time you included the steps, cover, lift, and chemicals. Not a lot, but enough. He suggested
 that before I order the Emerald I should try a Haven and gave us contact info for a customer not too far away
 from us. One Saturday we went back to the Emerald dealer and wet tested the Cygnus again, then we drove
 up to wet test the Springville less than 45 minutes later. Wow! What a spa!

Besides the super therapy, one of the first things I noticed about the Springville was that I didn’t tend to float
 out of any of the seats. The jets in the Emerald had a tendency to push me out of the lounge and I had to brace
 myself to stay put. Not very relaxing. There is something called a float buster that will cure this. I’m told it is a
 small plastic pillow type thing full of sand that you hold in your lap. I don’t need it with our spa. My wife can
 sleep floating in a pool yet she doesn’t float out of the lounger either.


The people who had the Springville told us all kinds of nice things about their dealings with Spa Specialist. They
 were very happy with the spa and with the company. They had gone through some problems with the original
 delivery and the spa had been damaged in transit but it was quickly replaced with a new one. They told us that
 their problems were the reason Jim bought his truck and trailer and started doing the deliveries himself. They
 loved him and the company.


I called Jim and we talked about the fact that I wished I could have seen a Fallsburg. He told me he would be
 glad to bring us a Fallsburg and if we didn’t like it at least as well as the Emerald or the Springville, he would
 exchange it for either of them with no service cost and refund the price difference.




Now who could resist a deal like that? We ordered a Fallsburg with fiberoptic lights and sent a deposit. While
 reading the message board one day there was some discussion of the Fallsburg vs. the Super Custom
 Fallsburg and how they compared to the therapy of the Springville as well as some discussion of the merits of
 the fiberoptic lighting. I called him back and asked if it was too late to upgrade to the SCF and leave the
 fiberoptics off. No problem.

A couple of weeks later Sandy called back and said that the factory had built the SCF but had not left the
 fiberoptic lights off. She offered to build a new spa for us or give us the fiberoptic lights at cost. We wanted to
 soak! We elected to take the lights. We don’t use them much because our spa is under the stars in a fairly
 dark (for the eastern US) location completely surrounded by woods. With the lights on the focus is inside the
 spa. With them off the focus is outside. We still like the lights though, and they are great for when we are
 entertaining.

I must say that Jim’s attitude concerning other dealers/sales people turned me completely off at first and made
 me very leery about buying a spa from him. After spending over a year reading the posts on various lists and
 talking with him on the phone a couple of times, I concluded that he is just very vehement in his beliefs
 concerning the way spas should be built. Since a lot of it made good sense and since I could only find one
 dissatisfied customer (That is Eric and if you read his site it is easy to see that he had some very unrealistic
 expectations and tried to force Jim to practically give away the spa) I decided to go ahead with the SCF. I
 haven’t regretted it. By the way, I thought the way Jim handled that complaint, by refunding the money and
 picking up the spa was the best response to a no win situation and was fair to everyone, despite what Eric says
 on his site. In my opinion, Eric is every business person’s nightmare.

Don’t forget that Jim does all his business over the internet. If he wasn’t treating his customers very well, there
 would be a lot more negative information on the ‘net. I couldn’t find ANY other dissatisfied customers
 anywhere. The only negative things out there are those warnings that you found on the other message boards,
 none of which were from Haven owners. If you really look at them you’ll discover that none of them make any
 allegation that has any substance. All are vague and non specific. Don’t forget that every one of those message
 boards (INCLUDING JIM’S) is owned by someone with an axe to grind. I got kicked off one of them
 because I tried to respond to one of the messages with an owner’s view of things. Apparently they have a "no
 good things said about Havens" policy. It pissed me off enough that I usually take time to respond to potential
 Haven customers who are worried about those messages.

If Jim is truly a con man and an engineer who doesn’t know what he is doing, then why do his spas stand so far
 above all the others we looked at? I knew nothing about spas when we started but even I was able to see the
 differences. I’d like to find other products designed and built by others with Jim’s talent and ethics. All my
 dealings with him and his company have been very satisfactory. He knows very well that happy customers are
 what keep his business growing. I’d rather have a spa designed by and for someone who is "eaten up with it"
 than one that the bean counting accountants had a hand in designing.

I think the reason Jim and Haven Spas get bashed so much on the message boards is that Jim’s design ideas
 seriously threaten the status quo in the spa industry. Eventually they’ll wake up as start doing some of the things
 he is doing and then they’ll be able to relax about the small upstart company that is currently such a threat to
 their business.

Jim’s message board goes through periods of what I call the dealer wars when a new dealer comes along and
 baits him. I mostly ignore those posts and, once I’ve identified those threads, don’t read the messages in them,
 though I occasionally can’t resist. I still think he could be a little more diplomatic and it would have a favorable
 effect on his business but I don’t really care. He builds a superior product at a good price. As far as I know he
 has never treated a customer or potential customer the way he does those sales people. In fact it is strange, but
 he never really tried to sell me a spa. I ordered a spa from him and he listed some alternatives, but there was
 no "making the sale" on his part. He comes across completely different on the phone than he does on the
 board. Very laid back. No one else that I found spends nearly as much time educating consumers as he does.
 I quickly found out that because I read his book and website, I knew more about spas than some of the sales
 people I talked with. It was so obvious that I had a hard time not laughing out loud about it.

We haven’t had any major problems with our spa. Right after it was delivered it kept hitting the high temp limit
 and tripping the heater off. I called Jim and he offered to send someone or to talk me through a simple check
 for the most likely problem. I elected to try it myself because there will come a day when the spa is out of
 warranty and the more I know about it the better off I’ll be. I’m reasonably handy if it isn’t too technical. It
 turned out that the temperature probe had shifted during shipping and I simply had to reposition it. It took
 about 1 minute with Jim on the phone telling me exactly what to do. The only other problem has been with the
 ozonator. The SCFs don’t seem to like the solid state ozonator that they were using when I bought mine. This
 seems to be a problem with all of them so Jim has changed the type of ozonators used on these spas, no
 charge. Again he offered to send someone out to make the change but I had looked at the system when I
 changed the original ozonator chip and restained the redwood and had all the panels off. I saw that it was very
 simple so I elected to do it myself again and do it at my convenience. It took 5 minutes or so to do that actual
 job. It is sort of plug and play with one hose to hook up to the injector and a plug to plug into the box, just a
 straightforward replacement, very simple. I know that should I ever need service from a tech I can get it, but I
 like to do the non technical stuff myself if possible. I have met a local tech in our area and would likely call him
 to do any work if needed. How many manufacturers will allow you to poke inside the product without voiding
 the warranty?

There is something additional that is very nice about Spa Specialist spas that isn’t available anywhere else as far
 as I know. That is the copper/silver ion sanitizer system. There are other systems that have ions but you can’t
 measure the ion level with them so how do you know if they are still there? The nice thing about this system is
 that there is never chlorine or bromine in the water while you are actually using the spa so you don’t get that
 funny feeling that something is wrong with your skin when you come out. You feel like you just stepped out of
 a shower instead. No chemical feeling. You add the shock and chlorine after you get out and it is gone before
 you get in again. It is great! It has gotten to the point that we don’t use hot tubs much when we go on vacation
 because we don’t like the bromine skin that results from going into them.




As for actual therapy, I don’t think there is another spa on the market that comes anywhere near the Super
 Custom Fallsburg, except, perhaps, the Springville, another Haven model. My wife, Debra, and I both credit
 the strong therapy available in our spa for eliminating the need for surgery in her arm. She had constant pain in
 her arm and the doctors wanted to do a nerve release in her upper arm. She used to put the arm against one of
 the jets in the lounger when we first got the spa and within 3 months it was so much better that she told the
 doctor to forget it. I don’t think it would have worked with a spa with weaker therapy.

Have you asked Jim if there is a Haven owner near you? Many of us really love to have people come and wet
 test our spas so they can see the difference for themselves. If there is someone near you, don’t be shy about
 calling them up. Jim doesn’t give out phone numbers of customers that don’t want to be bothered. You have to
 try it to believe it. Besides, you shouldn’t buy any spa without wet testing it unless they are willing to exchange
 it if it doesn’t work for you. Different seats fit people differently and the spa that works best for us may not
 work well at all for you. We have one friend who is so small that she would drown in the captain’s chair (my
 favorite seat) or the 6 jet seat. She needs a spa that isn’t nearly as deep as ours. Another (male) friend is so
 big through the shoulders that the captain’s chair isn’t comfortable for him. Don’t buy a spa that both you and
 your wife aren’t comfortable in EVERY seat in it. If there is a big difference in size between the two of you,
 discuss it with Jim. I’ll bet he knows of a spa that will work for you. If I can answer any other questions, just
 let me know. You can email or call me at 3##-3##-7092. The email is at work. The phone is at home. Since
 I’m a 12 hr/day employee odds are even on catching me at either place on any given day.

I don’t think you can go wrong if you buy a Haven. I’m certainly not willing to listen to anyone bad mouth Jim
 Arjuna or his company without something solid to back it up. I’m not the only owner who spent months doing
 research before buying a spa from him. Haven owners tend to be people who shopped very carefully, looking
 for the maximum value for their dollars and were willing to learn about the product before plunking down
 several $K. Don’t let the turkeys scare you away.




Hope this helps,


Jerry"



Larry,

I'm Ray Chibbaro from NJ

I don't blame you for not knowing what to think! Big ticket item purchases over the internet can make one
 nervous; it does to me (and I am in the computer field!), ecspecially with all the 'junk' being tossed around on
 the spa boards! These folks love to mix it up for what ever their reasons are, and fondly call it 'spa wars' ..
 whatever floats your boat I guess.....

One thing I learned when researching spas is that there is a lot of mud slinging going on. A lot of people have
 religion in the spa industry, and the consumer is left to figure out what is truth and what is rhetoric. Specific to
 Jim, I notice he riled several other dealers up with his assertions, and they collaberated in slamming him (a
 common enemy). I decided it was up to me to learn about spas first, so I can make an informed decision, and
 not rely on someone else to tell me what was good and what I wanted.


It turned out that no one else would even teach me about spa design besides Jim, and my background in
 engineering knew what he was teaching me was based on mechanical science and not just his opinion. After I
 got my 'spa education', and wet tested a number of spas, it was clear how that all plays out in how a spa
 performs. Some spas are really poor but still cost a lot of $. The spa that met all my requirements was the
 Haven fallsburg.


I was unable to get to Colorado to wet test, so I sent a friend who lives in the area to wet test the spa, and
 check out the store and people. I did the search on the internet and BBB. I only found 1 complaint (which says
 a lot in itself) which was clearly off the map (the Erik saga). The feedback from my trusted friend in Co. came
 back thumbs up on all fronts and I took the plundge. I could not keep off those boards as I was trying to learn
 more while I waited for my spa, and I admit until it arrived, I was a bit nervous. I had to keep telling myself I
 did all the right research, and these people were competitors.


When it arrived, the set up was flawless and I was in it that night. As soon as I got in it I knew (based on all the
 wet testing I did) that I had made the right choice. My wifes significant approval sealed it for me, and I have
 gotten nothing but compliments on it from friends and family, even from people who own other brands of spas.
 To this day, I still know I made the right choice.

In the 2.5 years I have owned it, I have been continually impressed with it's design, it's durability, it's
 performance, and the support of the spa specialist behind the product. After it was paid for, they then taught
 me about water maintenance and problem solving for months. I have gotten nothing but great service from Jim
 and team.

I am not in the spa business, I am just a happy consumer. I also expect nothing and get nothing from Jim for
 saying this. Do not listen to others blindly. Make your own decision. If you need to, visit a customer in your
 area and check out the product. >From my experience, it is solid and well built, and better than any spa for the
 price. If you want to take a run to Jersey, I will be happy to show you exactly what I mean. Just let me know.

The Spa-specialist is a genuine business with a good man (and team) behind it. They have a return policy if you
 don't like what you get. If you need to, visit a customer in your area. I would suggest to not second guess your
 decision to go Haven. Once you have it, you will see what I am talking about. Keep the faith until then, is my
 suggestion.


Good luck, and hang in there!!!!


Ray


Dear Dr. S,

"My name is Dan L and I am an anesthesiologist in Chicago. I
purchased an SCF from Jim about 2 years ago and am a very happy customer. I
got a cc. copy of an email Jim sent to you tonight and thought I would
respond to you directly. I have to admit I am tired as hell from work today,
just having gotten home after roughly 18 hours of work, however i wanted to
respond because Jim and Spaspecialist have provided the utmost fantastic
service and a product which is without comparison within the industry. My
story:

To begin, I have an SCF on my 4th floor roof in Chicago. To get to the point
directly, I love it. For the money, the spa and accesories I got from
Jim/Haven is without a doubt the best value for the amount of therapy and
extras you get.

When I bought my house I gave passing thought to putting a spa on the roof.
As the remodel firmed up, I decided to look into a spa more seriously and see
if it was worth the effort. All my friends had either Hot Springs (HS) or
Emeralds. To a person, they all said HS was the best spa out there and the
most reliable/durable. My friends who owned Emeralds said they really liked
their spas but bought them because they seemed to be a good product but
cheaper in price than HS.

I had been in all their spas and was overwhelmed by their reasons for
choosing one vs. the other. I initially was convinced I wanted a HS since
that was the "best" spa on the market albeit more expensive. As I researched
things more, I became confused since I couldn't see a clear reason why HS was
so much more expensive than the other competing brands out there. I
continued to research and eventually ended up wet testing HS, Emerald,
Beachcomber, Coleman, and Jacuzzi Premium. I ultimately decided to buy an
Emerald since it seemed to offer the same features as the HS, and the idea of
thermal pane insulation made sense to me (vs. full foam particularly in a
cold climate) and overall it was cheaper.

Only after I placed my order for an Emerald did I stumble across Jim and
Spaspecialist. I read the site and realized I was not the only one to come
to the same conclusions regarding thermal pane insulation. In addition,
after pondering the site I realized that I wanted a spa that would really
provide monster therapy since I have been blessed with a sore back from
standing all day at work. As I looked at Jim's site, the SCF leapt out at me
due to it's focus on clean plumbing and therapy which made sense since I have
an indirectly related background in fluid dynamics (I am a cardiac
anesthesiologist). Overall, I spent 6 months researching spas. I ended up
canceling my Emerald order and site unseen, non-wet tested ordered an SCF
based on a well researched yet still calculated risk (small in my opinion)
and a conversation with Jim regarding the 100% satisfaction guaranteed return
policy.

The spa arrived right on time, I arranged for the crane to get it onto my
roof and Jim's guys got it installed, filled and running before leaving as
well as providing an excellent tutorial on spa care and chemicals. In
addition, I got the heavy duty cover, cover lifter, steps, and a ton of
chemicals (which lasted 9 months) as well as delivery and installation all
included in the price, tax free since it was an out of state purchase. I
couldn't have found a better deal if I had researched 6 more months.

I can't speak highly enough of the difference in therapy between HS, Emerald
and Haven with my SCF being exponentially better than HS and Emerald.
Maintenance and upkeep are relatively pain free requiring about 10 minutes
per week to check chemicals and adjust things accordingly. I use my spa
about 3-5 times/week and love it.

There have been absolutely no mechanical or warranty issues with the spa. I
have ordered chemicals from Jim multiple times with free shipping and no
sales tax as well as a 10% discount simply for being a Haven customer. In
addition I have referred a few of my friends with other spas to Jim to
purchase covers as well as chemicals, all of which have had nothing but good
things to say about Spaspecialist.

If you follow some of the other boards regarding spas you will see that Jim
is considered to be very opinionated and unwilling to accept other peoples
opinions. He also comes across as being a bit irrational at times. You can
analyze his personal psyche all you want. My opinion is that he is simply a
spa "nut" and lives, eats and breathes spas and has a passion for the
industry which is hard for most to understand. Unfortunately he is also very
intolerant of some of the people he knows better than I (that frequent the
boards) whom he considers to be unscrupulous and comes across as quite rude
many times. As one of his customers though, he has been nothing but
accommodating, polite, and responsive to my needs. Mercifully I have not had
any mechanical problems requiring him to arrange a service visit to my home
by either one of his guys (while on a cross country delivery trip) or a local
subcontractor so I can't speak to the ease of warranty issues thus far (knock
on wood, and also a testament to how good his product is given the
environment my spa is exposed to, particularly in the winter)..

Well, this letter has probably become painfully boring for you. Overall I
can't say enough good things about my Haven. It is a great product which
works great and provides infinitely more therapy than anything on the market.
Jim has been nothing but helpful and responsive and if I ever move to a
different house, I would definitely get another Haven to replace my beloved
SCF. I don't know where you live however if you are anywhere near Chicago,
you are welcome to come wet test my SCF anytime we can arrange a mutually
convenient time. Most importantly, I would add that I have absolutely no
financial or other means of gain by endorsing Haven or Spaspecialist other
than to spread the word to potential customers to what I think is an
excellent value and product for the dollar.

Sincerely,
Dan L"

Hello Dr. S,

My name is Mike Cremin, I live in Pelham, NH. I'm 50, married and have two
children. My wife is a school teacher, and I am a Senior Manufacturing
Engineer. We also have no connection to The Spa Specialist other than loyal
satisfied customer.

Jim copied me in his reply to you about the concerns you had regarding The
Spa Specialist, and the portrayal of Jim Arjuna as a con man on the
"poolandspa" message board. I understand your concern and you are wise to
hold off on your purchase if you are not completely comfortable. You will
also be wise to "find out the truth" as you stated in your email to Jim. Once
you do, I'm sure you will find out that your original decision to purchase a
Haven was good one.

I am a perfectionist by nature, and being an engineer, I thoroughly
researched spas for six months prior to my purchase. My wife called me
obsessed (lol). In my research, I came across "The Erik Saga" while trying to
find information on Haven Spas, and The Spa Specialist. All of Jim's
competitors eagerly point anyone considering a Haven in the direction of the
Tripod site. Something about that didn't feel right to me. Here was a whole
site dedicated to bashing Haven and Jim Arjuna, yet there was only one
legitimate complaint. That was Erik, who by his own admission had received a
full refund.

Two questions kept popping into my mind: 1. Why can't I find a dissatisfied
customer that still has their Haven spa? 2. Why is Erik the only one?
Believe me, I tried, but found none. I found even the world's best selling
and/or most expensive brand of spas have unhappy customers, but not the Spa
Specialist. I was intrigued, so I contacted a couple of Jim's customer's in
Massachusetts. I created a questionnaire with 20 of the most important things
to consider when buying a spa. Both owners had glowing recommendations for
their Haven spas. One offered to let me wet test his Fallsburgh, and I took
him up on it. It was in a word, outstanding.

Before purchasing my Haven, I looked at Hot Springs, Tiger River, Sundance,
Saratoga, PDC, Beachcomber, Dimension One, Nordic, Coleman and Jacuzzi. I
have owned my Haven Shorewood Silver for two years now, and am still 100%
sure that I made the correct choice. Jim, Sandy, Dave, and the other
employees of The Spa Specialist are like an extended family to me. They are
always very friendly and completely professional in their customer service,
and that's "after the sale." The Del Ozonator failed within 9 months of
ownership. I was sent a new and better model from another manufacturer, and
because I wanted to replace it myself, was given a very generous store
credit. One order I placed with The Spa Specialist was a couple of weeks late
in arriving due to a communications mix up there. Without asking, I was sent
a complete Taylor test Kit for my trouble. I am also going to receive the
DAIT system upgrade soon. How many of the big name companies will go back to
existing customers, and give them updates in technology free of charge?
Doesn't sound like something a con man would do, does it?

I'd also like to add some comments about my experiences posting messages on
the poolandspa message board. As a happy Haven owner and satisfied customer
of The Spa Specialist, I posted many times on that site about my positive
experiences, and to refute outright lies being posted by very unscrupulous
people. For my honesty, I was attacked on several fronts. A virus was sent
via Email to my computer from someone there. One individual did a search to
see if I was a real person, including trying to contact my place of
employment. A woman named Dawn, posing as a psychiatrist, accused me of being
one of Jim's other personalities. Many said I was Jim's east coast sales
representative, because I had nothing but good things to say about Haven. You
can't blindly believe anyone or anything posted on that message board, you
really have to find out for yourself.

I went to the Haven bashing Tripod site and signed the guest book. I also
posted a few positive comments about my Haven ownership and Spa Specialist
customer experiences. Guess what? My name and post was removed the next day.
Every once in a while I would repeat this, and it was always removed. I have
been banned from it and other message boards, because I don't go along with
the NPW (National Puddin Watch) which I renamed Nitwit Parade of Weasels.
Because the attacks on me became so personal, I rarely post on them any more.


I have allowed two other couples to wet test my spa. One was a coworker and
also an engineer, the other couple was unknown to me. Both purchased Haven
Spas and are now also happy customers. Don't let some sleazy morons that are
only out to hurt Jim's business scare you away from a truly engineered spa. I
wish you luck in your search for the truth. I am confident that it will lead
you back to your initial decision to purchase the best, a Haven.

Sincerely,
Mike Cremin

Posted By: Grant Tomlin (dial-93.r1.ncbrvr.infoave.net)
Date: Saturday, 29 March 2003, at 7:39 p.m.

I have a 2000 Haven Watertown and wanted to update the group on my ownership experience.


First, I have had NO service calls to date and the spa has peformed flawlessly. Jim A. can confirm this.


I had the spa in Atlanta, GA and recently moved to Brevard, NC. With Jim's assistance in guiding my movers,
 we had no difficulty in placing the spa in it's new home. It still works flawlessly despite the expected moving
 "rash" on the shell.


I wanted to offer an unsolicited update on my experience with Haven Spas/Spa Specialist and would not hesitate to recommend their products or service if you're considering a purchase.

Grant Tomlin Brevard, NC

Bob and Carolyn write:



Jim, here’s a true story about our experience in my brother-in-law’s Sundance spa….

My wife and I went to visit her sister and husband at the end of May. While visiting them we had a chance to
 use their Sundance spa (never got the exact model… but a little bigger than the Fallsburg). With just the two of
 us in the spa, we very consciously use the opportunity to compare their Sundance with our Haven Fallsburg.


So, we got into his spa. The water temperature was 98oF. My brother-in-law knows that we recently bought a
 spa and was very accommodating in showing us what his spa could do. He turned on the blower and we got
 air… cold air. Then he turned on both pumps and explained one of the pumps (A) was single-speed and the
 other pump (B) was two-speed. My observation was that pump A had about the same force as our
 Fallsburg’s No. 1 pump in circulation mode. Pump B’s low speed was less than that and the high speed was
 somewhere in between the Fallsburg’s No. 1 pump low and high speeds. My wife and I looked at each other,
 shook our heads as if agreeing "yes" and I said, "That’s different!" The last thing I wanted to do was appear to
 be openly critical. After all, we were guests in his house. At that point he said, "Enjoy!" and left.


So we settled in for a quiet "ride" in his spa. I was in the lounge seat and my wife was in one of the corner
 seats. We noticed his spa had three, count ‘em THREE, "do-nothing" seats… no jets, no air, nothing… just
 sculpted seats to sit in and have nothing coming your way. We asked each other "…why do you suppose they
 would put three of those seats in… one I could maybe understand, two is really stretching it, but THREE?"
 Well, anyway, we never sat in any of those seats. Most of the jets in the two corner seats and the lounge seat
 were fixed and small. A few spun, but not many.


So there we were… relaxing in his spa. After about 15 minutes another couple joined us and a few minutes
 after that another lady got in. There are now five of us in the spa. All of a sudden my jets went dead and I
 yelled out, "Hey, where’d my jets go?" Someone changed the diverter re-routing the water from my jets to
 theirs… won’t happen in a Haven. That scene happened one more time to me and once to my wife.


Then we were done and it was time to get out. By the way, the air pump continued blowing cold air the whole
 time we were in the spa. While my wife and were in the privacy of our bedroom we both agreed that based on
 what we had just seen our Haven Fallsburg far outpaced their Sundance, nodded our heads positively, and felt
 really good about "how good we done" by getting a Haven.





Topic:     **HAVEN OWNERS SPEAK OUT Examples *** (10 of 13), Read 42 times
Conf:     Hot Tub Spas
From:     Mike C (creminsofpelham@aol.com)
Date:     Monday, April 14, 2003 01:29 AM
(Nipsy is Steve Russell of Beachcomber Spas)
On 4/13/2003 11:49:30 PM, Nipsy wrote:

Steve Russell said:
>I believe Mike C really loves
>his tub and that's a wonderful
>thing.

Mike C said: Yes I do, and yes it is!
>
>The following comment by Mike
>I do question: "Two questions
>kept popping into my mind: 1.
>Why can't I find a
>dissatisfied
>customer that still has their
>Haven spa? 2. Why is Erik the
>only one?
>Believe me, I tried, but found
>none. I found even the world's
>best selling
>and/or most expensive brand of
>spas have unhappy customers,
>but not the Spa
>Specialist.”
>
Steve Russell Said:
>When you ask a company that
>has sold 40 cars a year for
>the last 5 or 6 years (we'll
>call them company X) and
>information is limited and no
>complaints have been formally
>written, does this make them a
>great value?

Mike C said:
The facts are the facts. I could not find a single complaint against Jim A. or The Spa Specialist by any Haven
 Spa owner. You are mistakenly trying to portray that one point I was making as the sole factor in my decision.
 I will speak to the value further down.

>Steve Russell of Beachcomber spas said:

>If you speak to someone who
>owns a Ford (or you know 25
>people that are unhappy with
>Ford, does this therefore make
>them a poor purchase to
>consider?
>
>Though the answer is obvious,
>the time was taken to point
>this out in this comparison,
>but really has little value
>when common sense is applied.
>
>I hope this thinking isn't
>applied to every major
>purchase you make as I don't
>believe there are any quality,
>major manufacturers of any
>product that can claim 100%
>total satisfaction to every
>item they have sold.

Mike C said:
No Steve, that in itself does not make Haven a good value. But you somehow forgot that I looked at 10 other
 spa brands including most of the major name brands. You forgot that we have discussed this in the past Steve.
 You forgot that I'm an Engineer. You forgot that I compared shell materials/construction, insulation methods,
 components, spa features, power, and price in making my decision.


Comparing these categories between Haven and the other 10 brands I looked at is what made Haven a
 GREAT VALUE. It is unlikely anyone would ever base a decision to purchase a big ticket item soley based
 on not finding any complaints against the company. That was just another a factor in my decision.


Steve Russell of Beachcomber Spas said:
>
>The key here is not to BS
>people by telling them EVERY
>customer is 100% satisfied as
>Jim has claimed in a defensive
>posture, but to handle
>complaints in a timely fashion
>and properly.

Mike C said:
My point exactly. Jim and Erik could not agree on satisfactory compensation for Erik's troubles as a customer.
 So Jim gave him a full refund. If Jim was the problem, why are there no unsatisfied owners of Haven Spas?


Steve Russell of Beachcomber Spas said:
>We all expect
>problems can happen but your
>friend Jim seems to feel the
>need to over exaggerate this
>claim to hide something. I
>wonder what it is he's hiding
>Mike? It doesn't mean his
>product is crap, it just means
>he is a habitual liar.

Mike C said:
It is your opinion that Jim has over exaggerated claims, and is hiding something. You and some others here are
 the real habitual liars. It has been my experience and that of other Spa Specialist customers that Haven Spas
 are exactly what Jim said they were.


Steve Russell of Beachcomber Spas Said:
>A characteristic that would
>prevent me from making a major
>purchase from him and his
>company.

Mike C said:
Steve, you forgot you are a Beachcomber Salesman. Of course you are not going to make a major purchase
 from The Spa Specialist. Though you secretly want to, like the guy in the commercial that works for the cable
 company nervously having a satellite dish installed at home.


Steve Russell of Beachcomber Spas said"
>
>Continue to use your tub in
>good health!

Thanks, I will.
>
> Steve
>

(Note from Jim Arjuna:  We have no disattisfied Haven customers anywhere.  We do not attract unreasonable
 people to the Haven family.  If we do get one they usually wind up with us taking back the spa.  There are two
 parts to the story, and if a customer makes really weird demands, it is a flag to us.  We have had two people
 try to use credit card scams to get the spas for less, but we do not do that.  We will do everything possible to
 have these people in our Haven Family by trying to reason with them, when they stop being resonable we go
 get the spa, end of story.  Out of all the Haven owners we have had two customers who tried to get $2,000
 and $4600 or more off on a spa that they ordered.  They call the credit card company and tell lies to get the
 credit card company to refund the payments. click here


It is not that we have not had any problems or screw ups, because we are human, but that we have corrected
 all of the issues as fast as we could to the customers' satisfaction.  That is the definition of a "satisfied
 customer".)


Nipsy is Steve Russell from Beachcomber spas.  He has sworn an oath to do everything possible to put The
 Spa Specialist out of business.    Here is some more of his Hate Click HERE
Posted By: Dave P. (164.57.237.9)


I just wanted to say a big thanks to Jim, Sandy, Dave, Adam and John for making my Haven Fallsburg
 purchase a great experience! My wife and I are enjoying it almost every night. The Fallsburg blows away any
 other spa out on the market by far. It is extremely comfortable and extremely powerful. Jim, your spa
 engineering expertise definitely shines threw in the Haven product. I was amazed at the quality of the motors,
 plumbing and other components you use. I'm not an engineer but I can tell "heavy duty" when I see it.


In my search for purchasing a spa I've looked inside a lot of cabinets and you can see the difference in the
 Haven right away.


I think the heater has only had to run once since the original fill up, it's incredible how Fallsburg holds it's
 temperature!


If anyone is worried about making a purchase over the internet, don't be! It has been a great buying experience
 and it's top notch product.


Thanks again everyone!


SCF Owner-St Louis Area-Chapter 1

Posted By: Rich P (MV2-24.171.62.177.charter-stl.com)
Date: Sunday, 23 February 2003, at 3:42 a.m.

Hi All, Jim and Sandy- We had to have a spa thanks to a free Thermospa video. I can honestly say they make
 a great video. But I don’t own one if that tells you anything. I own a SC Fallsburg (SCF) and it was delivered
 the day after Thanksgiving. I’m remiss in not posting to this board sooner. I just could’t get out of the spa and I
 can’t type with more that 2 fingers so bear with me. The important part of this story is how I came to own an
 SCF and my conclusions after 3 months of ownership.


I consider myself a savvy shopper and I research all major purchases to death before I commit. Fortunately, I
 happened to come across Jim's site early on and it made me a little smarter, OK a lot smarter. My background
 is in engineering (not an engineer) but smart enough to understand good as well as bad engineering of a
 product from radar to hydraulic systems. Jim's site information proved invaluable when we finally had the
 Thermospa sales rep do his presentation. Needless to say the sales rep was high pressure, unable to answer
 specific questions, no product to see, and way too expensive for my taste. There was a price swing from $15k
 to $9.5k for the Manhattan Deluxe after the sales rep "called the office" a couple of times. This was the "if you
 buy now (only now) I’ll give you a great price" sales pitch. That much of a price swing in 45 minutes just raises
 a red flag to me. Anyway, my wife and I continued to researched, searched, wet tested, wet tested, and wet
 tested for the perfect spa for several months.


We looked at and wet tested the LA Esteem, a couple of Catalinas, Emerald C2009, Cameo (I forget the
 manufacturer-but it was a full foam and was not a real player in this decision anyway) through local dealers.
 We were torn between the LA, Emerald, and Haven. I say the Haven too because I wasn’t completely happy
 with the LA or Emerald for various reasons like dealer knowledge of their products, wet test comfort, or price
 for product. I corresponded with Marty Miller on this board. He’s a Haven owner and he was kind enough to
 invite my wife and me to his home for a wet test. Unfortunately, he lives about 4-5 hours drive from me. So I
 almost did, but didn’t make the drive. But we did e-mail each other and he convinced me about the quality of
 Jim’s product and Jim’s integrity. (Jim-if he’s not on your payroll, he should be!) Thanks Marty! You provided
 me with no BS information and a solid recommendation. As most of you know, Jim’s real "popular" on other
 message boards but not necessarily in a good way. That will teach Jim to talk about facts.


I was still a little skeptical about plunking all that money down without playing touchy/feely with the product.
 But with Marty’s solid testimony and the pressure from my wife to get a spa I relented, crossed my fingers,
 and bought a SCF. Not before talking to Jim and asking him probably hundreds of layman’s questions about
 his spas. He was always very helpful and patient because he’s probably answered these questions thousands
 of times in e-mails or via telephone before.


Fingers are getting tired. Next chapter contains - the installation, minor problem with spa on delivery, spa
 performance, electrical bill impact. To be continued…

--------

SCF Owner-St Louis Area-Chapter 2

Posted By: Rich P (MV2-24.171.62.177.charter-stl.com)
Date: Friday, 28 February 2003, at 7:09 a.m.

Hi Again- Jim and Sandy were nice enough to deliver and install our SCF the day after Thanksgiving. It was
 around 40-45 degrees outside and poor Sandy had a cold. We tried to keep them warm with coffee and food
 but Jim was focused on the installation. Once the SCF was removed from the trailer and moved into place
 Sandy pulled me aside and indicated there was a problem with the shell. She indicated that it was damaged
 sometime during the previous installations/unloadings they had performed before they got to us. She said a
 gouge was taken out of the shell along the bottom lip below the main control panel. She said that Jim had
 repaired it while they were at Marty’s home in Indiana.


My first thoughts were Uh-Oh, I’ve waited 12 weeks and I got a damaged spa. Well that thought didn’t last
 very long. Before I could say anything, Sandy told me how badly she and Jim felt and they would make it right.
 She said, at my option, she and Jim would install this "damaged" spa, leave it at my home for my use, order me
 a new SCF and then swap them out at a later time at no cost to me. Then Sandy showed me the damaged
 area. She had to point it out to me because I had a hard time seeing it and my vision is fine. I probably would
 have never noticed it unless she pointed it out. Under close inspection there is a minor blemish. Not really
 noticeable unless you’re looking for it.


So what did this tell me? To me, this demonstrated the concern Jim and Sandy have for their customers and the
 pride and quality they have in their products. Marty was right (Jim-Again, put him on your payroll!). Anyway
 after speaking to my wife and showing her the "area of concern" we both agreed this was not a showstopper.
 We spoke to Jim and Sandy and agreed that a replacement spa was not necessary. I believe Jim and Sandy
 agreed to some deep discount on products/filters I will order in the future as fair compensation. Jim, correct
 me if I’m wrong on this, it’s been so long frankly I’m not clear as to what we agreed upon.


Anyway the installation proceeded pretty much without incident until we filled the spa with water and tested the
 calcium level. Unfortunatey, it was 600+ ppm. We have a water softener but we also had company in from NJ
 and a daughter (who has to shower 3 times a day) so they ran me out of soft water. Anyway we bailed half the
 water out, ran a regeneration cycle on the water softener, refilled the spa with softer water. While time
 consuming, this forced Jim and Sandy inside the house to warm up, eat something, and visit a little.


I read the other bulletin boards and the good and bad things they say about Jim. I consider myself a good judge
 of character. While Jim may need a PR makeover to enhance his reputation on those other sites, I found Jim
 and Sandy to be down to earth, honest, and caring people. Jim’s a pretty fascinating guy, who’s very smart
 and well spoken. (You too Sandy!) It was a pleasure to talk with them and trade stories of family and general
 life experiences. Unfortunately the time spent together was too short. Both of you are always welcome back to
 our home!


Anyway once the water issue was resolved the installation proceeded without delay. Sandy and Jim showed us
 how to chemically treat the water and while I told them I understood the process, I was daydreaming about
 how good the spa looked and when I would be in it. It’s a good thing they have instructions posted on their
 site. The complete installation took about 9-10 hours because of the water issue and temperature readout
 calibration. In all that time Jim and Sandy were easy going, patient, and worked as a team. You’d think
 they’ve done this before. Ha ha. All things considered installation was an A++.


OK-I lied, spa performance and the electrical bill impact will be covered in the next and final chapter. To be
 continued…


Posted By: Bob Condon (AC96231C.ipt.aol.com)
Date: Sunday, 30 December 2001, at 11:02 a.m.


Dear Jim & Sandy, It is now two 1/2 months that I've has my Meadowbrook Spa. I love it and can't begin to
 imagine how I ever lived without one. As you know, I investigated and wet tested 8 spas which included yours
 and a few of those overpriced and underdesigned "national top selling" spas and met you before I made the
 final decision. I would like to say to other prospective owners that you don't need to go through all that. The
 before and after purchase has been 100% honest and helpful. The jets are plentiful and positioned for the
 maximum comfort and benefit and the spa seats are as comfortable as my favoite recliner. The maintenance is a snap and after a short learning period is now a no-brainer and without the horrible smell of chlorine or
 bromine (the advice to add some TA with the weekly shock has kept my ph in perfect range as opposed to
 low normal). Everyone who has used the spa is very impressed. Too bad that you don't have sales reps as this
 is a product I could sell all day long. We just built a room around and over the spa so who cares if it's zero
 outside-we're in there (we would be anyway). I'll have to send you pics when were done framing the inside this
 week. In fact, gotta go now, I'm ready for another soak. Bob


Posted By: Brian Anderson (pcp184861pcs.shmptn01.nj.comcast.net)
Date: Monday, 30 December 2002, at 2:58 p.m.

JIM & SANDY, JIM & SANDY, JIM & SANDY!!!!!,

What can I say but WOWWWWWW!!! After taking delivery and set up of our new Fallsburg this past
 Saturday, I was able to christen our new baby for the first time last night about 11:00PM under a very crisp,
 clear, starry night. What an awesome treat and thrill to have it finally here, in place and powerfully pumping.
 The only drawback was that my wife did not feel like braving the cold to join me. Oh well, as I told her: "you
 have no clue what you missed!" She wanted to wait until the sun was out today to go in and that is just fine.


Sandy, thank you for taking my call last night and helping me with the chemistry questions I had so that I could
 take the first great plunge. Never having a spa and using chemicals leaves me a little (okay alot) unsettled with
 many questions, but I guess like everyone else it will all come with time and practice. I just had to let you guys
 know how wonderful it was to plunk down in that beautiful steaming cauldron for the first time, and thank you once again for all your help.


As to whoever that unnamed person is that wrote into the forum saying that Jim is making up customers: sorry
 to tell you my wife and I are very real in the flesh human beings. And yes we did get a Haven Fallsburg, sage
 green shell, forest green cover, with unbelievably fantastic therapy pressure here in southern New Jersey thank
 you very much. If you want I would be more than happy to e-mail you digital pictures of it at delivery, set-up
 and in use if that will help you grasp the actual truth.


And I am sure you are asking why you have not heard of me previously on the web? That is because like many
 other people I am sure, I talked to Jim Arjuna at length on the phone and only passively observed in the
 periphery on this web forum and others like poolandspa.com to see what was being said. After reading people
 going back and forth at each other like unbridled children I knew asking pertinent questions in that format was
 not of any real value. Instead I got a list of customers from Jim and contacted them via e-mail to check out
 what they had to say independently. One step further, I even called any of those (and there were alot!, from
 Illinois to New Hampshire and beyond) who didn't mind and spoke to them in person to get the real skinny. I
 could only be so pleased if our spa turns out to be over time as good and reliable as what they have
 experienced. Even having said all this I am sure by reading your message you will still choose to not believe;
 but that is your sad or jealous choice.


Finally to all of those other Haven spa owners who helped my wife and I with your insight and encouragement
 during the decisional process, we will never be able to thank you enough. The best we can say is that if any of
 you are ever near Tabernacle, NJ feel free to look us up; would be glad to provide you with a free soak.


God's blessings and good health to all, Brian


Posted By: Leo

In Response To: Baby Boomers Bored By Techno-Babble (Duane)

Duane,

I don't care if Hotspring gave me $20/month to run the tub, it still would not be worth it compared to the
 Fallsburg, yes I am an engineer and love the data Jim provides, however what finally sold me was the wet test,
 I tested the Hotspring Landmark and then the Fallsburg, no comparison, The Fallsburg's provides the best
 therapy hands down. The Hotspring doesn't even have any Jets for your legs in the lounger, water or air.


Believe me sitting in the two tubs within a few days apart really sold me, and they are the same price.


By the way I live 5 minutes from MASCO world headquarters and own many of their products, except a spa.




Haven Owner in Canada;

(Toronto-HSE-ppp3788487.sympatico.ca)
Date: Wednesday, 2 October 2002, at
9:11 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Jim's first Movie
(uswmbutnkd)

I am a daily reader of this board and
cannot believe what I am seeing. I have
had the opportunity and might I add
pleasure of receiving a Haven Spa.
Comparing this spa with all of the other
brands that are out there was a true
testament to the superior design and
construction. Henry Ford once said that "a
market is never saturated with a good
product, but it is very quickly saturated
with a bad one." Who in the end is hurt by
these inferior products? The consumer.

Jim's board is here to help others with
their problems and questions. I know I
had many questions about the spa and
each was answered in a professional
manner. He outlined everything I asked
and was more than helpful in every area.
It boggles my mind that people would
come onto his board and chastise him for
providing information for lost consumers.
They ask for help and he provides it (free
of charge might I add). Now others come
on this board and question the manner in
how this is provided?

It seems that these posts are anti-Jim. I
applaud Jim for taking the high road in
this matter and thank him for all of the
help he has provided myself and I am
sure thousands of others. Keep up the
good work Jim! Thank you for all of the
help!

Note: Scott has a Haven Shorwood Silver.

Bob and Carolyn write:

 

Jim, here’s a true story about our experience in my brother-in-law’s Sundance spa….

My wife and I went to visit her sister and husband at the end of May. While visiting them we had a chance to
 use their Sundance spa (never got the exact model… but a little bigger than the Fallsburg). With just the two of
 us in the spa, we very consciously use the opportunity to compare their Sundance with our Haven Fallsburg.


So, we got into his spa. The water temperature was 98oF. My brother-in-law knows that we recently bought a
 spa and was very accommodating in showing us what his spa could do. He turned on the blower and we got
 air… cold air. Then he turned on both pumps and explained one of the pumps (A) was single-speed and the
 other pump (B) was two-speed. My observation was that pump A had about the same force as our
 Fallsburg’s No. 1 pump in circulation mode. Pump B’s low speed was less than that and the high speed was
 somewhere in between the Fallsburg’s No. 1 pump low and high speeds. My wife and I looked at each other,
 shook our heads as if agreeing "yes" and I said, "That’s different!" The last thing I wanted to do was appear to
 be openly critical. After all, we were guests in his house. At that point he said, "Enjoy!" and left.


So we settled in for a quiet "ride" in his spa. I was in the lounge seat and my wife was in one of the corner
 seats. We noticed his spa had three, count ‘em THREE, "do-nothing" seats… no jets, no air, nothing… just
 sculpted seats to sit in and have nothing coming your way. We asked each other "…why do you suppose they
 would put three of those seats in… one I could maybe understand, two is really stretching it, but THREE?"
 Well, anyway, we never sat in any of those seats. Most of the jets in the two corner seats and the lounge seat
 were fixed and small. A few spun, but not many.


So there we were… relaxing in his spa. After about 15 minutes another couple joined us and a few minutes
 after that another lady got in. There are now five of us in the spa. All of a sudden my jets went dead and I
 yelled out, "Hey, where’d my jets go?" Someone changed the diverter re-routing the water from my jets to
 theirs… won’t happen in a Haven. That scene happened one more time to me and once to my wife.


Then we were done and it was time to get out. By the way, the air pump continued blowing cold air the whole
 time we were in the spa. While my wife and were in the privacy of our bedroom we both agreed that based on
 what we had just seen our Haven Fallsburg far outpaced their Sundance, nodded our heads positively, and felt
 really good about "how good we done" by getting a Haven.



Hi;  This is Jim Arjuna;   Do you see the book in the background of this page?
You need to order your copy.  I is now available in a download in pdf format.
Go to this link and order your copy.
 Click Here