We purchased our Cal Spa in the fall of 1994. We have been very vigilant about following directions for operation and upkeep.in fall '96 the heater died and we had to pay to replace it. Over the next few years we had to replace switches that broke. Spring of 2001 we replaced the insulated cover. These are really not complaints, just showing how we took care of this spa.
January 17, we were awoken by a frantic phone call at 5:00. Our newspaper carrier said there were flames coming from our backyard. We jumped out of bed to the sound of firetrucks coming down the street and police pounding at our door. There were 10 foot flames shooting throught the cover of the spa. The water was pouring out of a melting plastic core. It took the firemen 1 hr. To put it out and it smoldered for many more.
The breaker had tripped at the circuit box. I had an electrician come out the next day to disconnect the wiring and see if he could determine what had caused the fire. He said that the GFI had tripped and the breaker had tripped, so they did their jobs. Other then that he could not tell. Thus began the run around I have been experiencing for 3 and 1/2 months. I visited my local CAL dealer who gave me the corporate office number. A gentleman there asked for pictures. We emailed many shots, but suggested that he send someone out to check it out. I told him I wanted to find out what caused it and I felt they would want to know for future purposes. A week or so later a had a message on my answering machine from this man saying since it was no longer under warranty that they couldn't do anything. He suggested we talk to our homeowner insurance co. And he would be happy to send somone out to look at it, but we would have to pay a service charge. Amazing! I called the local service dept. Because I wanted documentation that they looked at it. They said they didn't feel comfortable looking at it and referred me to someone else at corporate office.
I spoke to Rob Santos, at the corporate office, mid February. After many phone calls he finally sent out someone to take pictures on March 27th. Many phone calls later, I got a return call from Andre who said Rob was out of town, but he saw the pictures and he felt the company could help reimburse. He would talk to Rob. After leaving many unanswered phone messages, I discoverd this week that Rob is no longer in that dept. I started leaving messages for Andre and I finally reached him today. He told me that Rob had sent me a letter, which I have not gotten yet. He said, after looking at the pictures, Rob determined that the fire was caused by the water level being too low. Unbelievable. I asked Andre how he could possible deduce that from the picture. I had originally told him that my husband had just cleaned the filter the night before and topped off the water level. I asked him if Rob had contacted the firemen who couldn't believe the water pouring out, while the flames continued to shoot up.
We received money from insurance. We wanted Cal Spas to help us determine what caused the fire and provide us with a replacement spa for the insurance. We did not ask them to pay for the damaged fence or the dead plants and shrubs that need to be replaced. We didn't ask them to pay for the rewiring of the new spa. This seemed a small price to pay for continued loyalty.
However, after making more than 70 phone calls, I have decided to buy a spa from another company and call the local TV station's consumer fraud division. I feel pictures of the burned, melted spa and charred fence and plants will leave viewers with good visuals as they attend the Del Mar Fair next month on spa-buying trips!
Do not support CAL SPAS!
Kathy
San Diego, California
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