How can I tell if a hot tub dealer is reputable?

Check four things before you put down a deposit: whether the brand still lists them as an authorized dealer, who services the tub after the sale, what their recent reviews say, and what you're getting in writing.

• Authorized for the brand. Look the dealer up on the manufacturer's own dealer locator. Warranty service usually runs through an authorized dealer, so a tub from a seller the brand doesn't list can leave you without local warranty support.
• Service after the sale. Ask who does warranty repairs, whether they have their own technicians, and how long a service call takes in peak season. This matters more than the showroom.
• Recent reviews, read properly. Read the 1- and 2-star Google reviews from the last year and how the owner replied. A one-off delivery hiccup happens. Repeated complaints about service calls, deposits or warranty runarounds are the red flag.
• Everything in writing. Get the price, delivery, electrical, cover and steps itemized, plus a copy of the manufacturer's warranty itself, not just the dealer's summary. Ask what happens to your deposit if delivery is delayed.

For lawsuits or formal complaints, check your state attorney general's consumer complaint office and the Better Business Bureau. We don't track legal records, so those are the right sources.

On Hot Tub Hunt, every dealer is checked against business records and a real physical address before it's listed, ratings come straight from Google, and dealers can't pay to rank higher. Here's how we verify dealers, and you can compare dealers near you.