Chase Pike
*BUYER BEWARE* THEY SELL YOU A TUB BUT DO NOT SERVICE IT COMPETENTLY.
I spent approximately $13,000 on a Wellis hot tub from Big Star Backyards. About 3½ years later (still under warranty), it developed what was initially a relatively minor leak. That was the beginning of what has now become a six-month ordeal.
Since February, I've endured multiple paid service visits, repeated repair attempts, months of downtime, and countless emails and phone calls coordinating repairs with both Big Star Backyards and Wellis. Despite all of that, the leak has progressively worsened rather than improved.
The most frustrating part is that what began as a slow leak has now become a spa that can lose nearly all of its water within approximately 24 hours after being refilled.
Throughout this process, I've done everything asked of me. I've coordinated appointments, rearranged travel, filled the spa when requested, taken videos documenting the leaks for the technician, and remained patient while waiting weeks for parts to arrive. Unfortunately, despite all of those efforts, I still do not have a functioning hot tub.
Rather than taking ownership of why repeated repairs have failed, the conversation has increasingly shifted toward my water chemistry, even though the spa is still under warranty, the water was balanced immediately after repairs, no one was using the spa, and it leaked nearly empty immediately after being refilled. That explanation simply does not align with what actually occurred.
PLEASE THINK TWICE BEFORE PURCHASING WITH THIS COMPANY. I WAITED 6 MONTHS TO REGRETFULLY LEAVE THIS REVIEW!
**Edited** Michelle Power's response misrepresents what actually occurred. There were at least 5 service visits, including the initial visit in February where no repairs were performed because the technician said the spa needed to be drained—a requirement I was never told about beforehand. The fact that the technician could not even begin the repair because the spa was still full also demonstrates that the leak was relatively minor at that time.
Over the following months, I repeatedly reached out for updates, only to learn that Michelle Power was in the hospital or on vacation, resulting in further delays while my spa remained unusable. Meanwhile, parts took weeks to arrive and appointments were repeatedly pushed back.
Unfortunately, after multiple repair attempts, the condition progressively worsened. What began as a slow leak ultimately became a spa that now loses nearly all of its water within approximately 24 hours and has remained inoperable for months.
During this process, the access panels were left open for an extended period while repairs were ongoing. After repeated unsuccessful repair attempts, Michelle Power's explanation shifted to attributing the failure to my water chemistry, despite the spa being professionally maintained and photographed with clear, balanced water immediately after repairs.
I purchased this spa expecting a premium product backed by professional warranty support. Instead, I've spent approximately 6 months dealing with repeated repairs, extended downtime, and a spa that is now in significantly worse condition than when I first reported the issue.
My experience has been that selling the spa was easy. Standing behind it under warranty has been a very different experience. Rather than receiving a lasting solution after months of repairs, I was ultimately left with an unusable spa and an explanation that shifted responsibility to me.