Walk-in Bathtubs have been extremely popular in Great Britain, Europe and the Far East for almost three decades. Bathtubs with doors were introduced in the US 6 or 7 years ago, and public demand has increased exponentially since then. Nonetheless, in this country the Walk In Bathtub industry still caters to what most would call a "niche" market - the elderly and the physically challenged.

Primarily because of this very specific potential client base and still limited market awareness Walk-In Bathtubs are generally not available in stores or showrooms, but must instead be purchased by visiting a website such as this one, or having a "representative" come to your house. Unfortunately, this creates opportunity for the unscrupulous to take advantage of those who might have no valid frame of reference or means of comparison and therefore be gullible and often, vulnerable.

If you call a Walk In Bathtub Company and they refuse to give you price information on the phone, hang up!

Prices for most big-ticket items sold by most in-home salespeople are arbitrary. Whatever they think they can get, they ask for. If that doesn't work, they have a whole repertoire of reasons it just so happens they can actually offer you a better price, if and only if, you buy TODAY.

And, of course, they can always call the "office" to see if they can get you an even better deal. The person at the "office" (often someone's house as the company has no office) is called a T.O., which stands for "take over" (meaning the salesperson couldn't get you at top price so the T.O. is going to "take over" the sale and drop the price to try and close the deal). That T.O. usually just sits at the phone all day waiting for salespeople to call to get a "drop".

Typically, there is a code in place for the salesperson to say just the right words for the T.O. to know what "drop" price to quote.

Some of the common price "drop" versions are: 

We have models left over from a trade/home show that were uncrated but never used.

We have a "showroom" model we are selling at a discount (almost definitely the Walk-In Bathtub company does not even really have a showroom).

Another customer ordered the wrong bathtub door model and we need to get rid of it.

Another customer ordered the identical Walk-In Bathtub you need and want, but unfortunately passed away before it could be delivered. 

A builder miscalculated and ordered too many models for a construction project i.e an assisted living facility, and returned the Walk-In tubs he didn't need which have already been uncrated and we therefore are willing to sell these returned tubs at a discount.

You live out of the way, buy today so a return trip is not necessary...etc. All rehearsed lies.

The price tag for a WalkIn Tub at the end of this sales pitch/performance can be $13,000 to $30,000 even with price drops.

Another way of dramatically inflating the price/perceived value of a Walk-In Bathtub is to sell/offer only "package deals" which include installation. 

In many instances the installer - who is virtually always an independent contractor and not an employee of the company from which the the tub is purchased - is paid a pittance and the seller of the tub keeps the lion's share of the money. For example, the largest seller of Walk-In Bathtubs imported from England pays it's subcontracted installers $900-950 for the complete installation, but charges the consumer the price of an automobile for the "package deal".  

There are, of course, exceptions to every rule, and we assume there are some honest Walk-In Bathtub companies  that employ ethical in-home "representatives" who care as much about your needs as they do about their own bank accounts....

The Walk In Bathtub Store has a strict one price for all policy.We sell the best quality products for the best price, and we do not play dishonest games.

There are numerous websites selling the same Walk-In Bathtubs (in multiple sizes) as one another claiming to be the manufacturer and further claiming the tubs are made in America. In actuality those Walk-In Bathubs are manufactured in China. While it is absolutely fraudulent and illegal to purport to be a manufacturer when you are not, and illegal to claim a product is made in the U.S. if it is not, enforcement and prosecution is virtually non-existent. False advertising on the internet is illegal as well, but.... 

Additionally there are numerous other websites that specifically contend their Walk-In Bathtubs are manufactured in California but if you ask pointed questions you will discover the fiberglass shells of the bathtubs are imported from China and then assembled/have hardware & jetting systems added in California. In our opinion, assembled and manufactured don't mean the same thing.

Many on-line vendors advertise long (e.g. 25 years) or even "lifetime" guarantees on Walk In Bathtubs that are the retailer/vendor’s own guarantees NOT the actual manufacturer’s. The real manufacturer’s guarantee is usually substantially shorter in duration than that being advertised by the retailer. This practice is endemic amongst the entities posing as U.S. manufacturers referenced above.

If you have a problem, the manufacturer will NOT honor the retail merchant’s guarantee. IF YOU BUY A CHINESE BATHTUB FROM AN INTERNET VENDOR WHO PROBABLY HAS NO EMPLOYEES EXCEPT MAYBE TELEPHONE OR IN-HOUSE SALES PEOPLE, EXACTLY WHO IS STANDING BEHIND, AND WILL SERVICE, THE WARANTEE FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME??? Certainly not the company in China that made the tub, particularly since the vendor is falsely claiming to BE the manufacturer. 

Also, in most cases, if you need parts or have other issues that need to be addressed during the actual manufacturer’s guarantee time frame and that manufacturer is in China or England, it can take a very long time, sometimes months, to get satisfaction from overseas. Note: Some importers do stock parts, but most don't. All of the Walk In Bathtubs we sell (with the exception of The Olivia which has no jets, motor, fixtures or other moving parts which could malfunction) are made in the U.S. or Canada, and ALL come with the actual manufacturer's guarantee, not ours.

Copies of all manufacturers warranties, for all Walk-In Bathtubs carried by The Walk-In Bathtub Store, Inc. are available prior to purchase upon request, and by the way, federal law requires that be the case for any product that costs in excess of $50.

Obviously, The Walk-In Bathtub Store has the capability to purchase tubs from China or England and make a bigger profit than on domestic products if we choose to do so. We choose instead to sell the highest quality Walk-In Bathtubs available, made in North America.

Buying products made in North America where manufacturers are compelled to adhere to certain standards and can be legally held accountable is much more prudent than purchasing imports from overseas, and supports OUR OWN Economy.

Make absolutely sure you question the accuracy of the dimensions advertised for the Walk-In Bathtubs you are discussing and also ask about inside dimensions. You probably want to be able to stretch your legs out and not feel like you are sitting stock upright. Well space, that area from the edge of the seat to the far wall of the bathtub, is important.

MANY vendors and quasi-manufacturers misrepresent the height both of the Walk-In tubs - saying they are taller than they are - and of the step-up threshold -saying they are lower than they are, and the width of doors. Many Walk-In tub doors (including some we carry) are wedge shaped, diminshing in width from the top of the door to the bottom. Make sure you will feel comfortable stepping through the bottom width, use a ruler or yard stick at home if need be.

Features can be misrepresented as well. There are Walk-In tubs on the market that advertise 168 jets of hydrotherapy. In reality these British imports have 24 air hoses that connect to 24 jets on the tub. The 24 jets each have a little plastic covering or cap that has 7 holes/apertures in it. Although 7 times 24 does equal 168, holes in caps are not jets, they are - holes. These tubs have - 24 jets of hydrotherapy, definitely not 168.

Many distributors warehouse the products they carry that are manufactured overseas.

Many distributors never open the crates upon arrival from thousands of miles away, or prior to shipment to the retail customer and most assuredly do not test the tubs for water tightness.

In other words; there is a good chance the company from whom you buy your imported Walk In Bathtub may have never opened the crate the Walk-In Bathtub was shipped in, may have never seen the contents of the crate, and may have NO idea whether the Walk In Tub you are buying is properly equipped with all of it's parts, damaged, or watertight.

ONE LAST THING:

One of the largest websites for Walk-In tubs on the internet which sells MANY different tubs only has the pricing for their least expensive tubs posted on the website. There is no other pricing for any of the other tubs. Why? The answer is that this company has in-house salespeople in many parts of the country, but not everywhere. ONLY their cheapest tubs for which the prices are posted on-line are the same price for everyone, ALL of the others have a variable price depending on where you live.

If you call their 800 number (which is an answering service) and you reside in an area where they do have in-house reps (such as Florida, California, Virginia and many other states) the answering service will take your name and number and an appointment setter from the actual internet vendor (meaning not the answering service that answers their calls) will call you back to atempt to set up a visit. He or she will tell you they have no price information available and that you need to have someone come to your house to properly assess your needs, measure, etc., that the tubs all have many options, etc. How come this isn't the case with the "economy" models, and the pricing for them is posted on line???? MAYBE if you absolutely refuse to allow a salesman to come to your house you MIGHT get a call from someone else to give you a price.

If you live somewhere like Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota or other areas where there is no in-house salespeople, a different person - the internet salesperson - will call you back and give you a price on any of the Walk-In Bathtubs they carry. The internet price is usually a minimum of two thirds less than the in-house salesperson's initial quote. That, of course, is before the in-house salesperson starts engaging in the "drops" outlined above.

In our opinion this is a sleazy and deceitful way of doing business. We have an ironclad one-price-fits-all policy.

Unfortunately, many Walk In Bathtub companies engage in these deceptive sales tactics. Some industries seem to lend themselves more to fraud and exploitation than do others, for example; adjustable beds, siding, hurricane shutters, expensive vacuum cleaners sold door to door, replacement windows, gutters, etc. We are truly sad to say that is the current state of affairs in the Walk-In Bathtub business. It's just a little more egregious in our industry than others as those being preyed upon and taken advantage of are usually the elderly and the infirmed. We are confident that as the industry grows, and Walk-In Bathtubs become more widely available in physical retail venues the crooks will slither away. 

The Walk-In Bathtub Store is absolutely determined to do everything in it's power to be in the forefront of exposing the truth, and changing the way our industry conducts itself.

We are definitely, certainly, positively not the only honest Walk-In Bathub vendor that exists, but we are in the minority - again unfortunately.

Be careful.

Make sure that before you spend thousands of dollars you have the facts!

Walk-In Bathtubs can dramatically enhance quality of life, and enable the elderly and mobility challenged to be independent. Just make sure you get what you think you are paying for, and that you don't get robbed by unethical salespeople and/or their employers.