This post is part of an article series on businesses in Greenfield, Massachusetts and Franklin County, Massachusetts. Click here to see all posts on the same subject.
Living Easy Spas & Contracting
My wife and I moved to Greenfield, Massachusetts in 2002, after we had bought a beautiful old farmhouse. The price was very attractive. As a matter of fact, it was a steal. Nevertheless, the property needed (and still does) a good amount of maintenance and repair work, and that includes the hot tub. The point is, we didn’t have it installed; it came with the house, and, naturally, it is old. We did enjoy using it, and the therapeutic impact was apparent. In all regularity I go through a phase of two to three weeks of sore throat during the winter, but not when I use the hot tub on a regular basis.
We had already invested quite a bit in repairs, mostly due to damages caused by chipmunks. Chipmunks like the warmth in the winter, and you can’t distract them with moth balls or thumpers (devices that create noises to distract all sorts of rodents). However, they are not to blame for the last damage, which was definitely an electric problem.
Now, understand how difficult it is to find a repair service. I had left message at several so-called spa businesses, but only one called back, and that was Easy Living, located right here in Greenfield. Imagine my relief to have found somebody, who actually showed up to have a look at the tub.
The man who runs Living Easy is Mark Larange, and he had a brief look at our hot tub on a Monday, then made an appointment for Thursday for the actual repair. I felt relieved to have found someone who knew what he was talking about. On Thursday he showed up in time, but what struck me as odd is that he brought his son, who stayed in the car waiting until his Dad was finished. Sure enough, it took Mark only a few minutes to determine the problem. One of the pump motors was not working and needed to be replaced. He would call me later, he said, and he would try to find either a used or new replacement motor.
When he did call back he claimed he was unable to find a used pump motor and that a new one would cost me around $750! The price tag did not include labor; it takes only a few minutes to replace a motor. In his next sentence, he offered me a new hot tub. He would grant a large discount (roughly $1000 in return for the old tub) if I purchased a new one starting at $4,500. I managed to not call him a fraud right then. We have a swimming pool, and I am roughly aware of price ranges for hot tubs and pools. A big swimming pool pump usually goes for less than $300. I told him that I needed time to think about it, and if he could please return the motor. A few days later I received the invoice ($65 for the service call) and the motor, accompanied by a brochure and price list for new hot tubs. There was also a handwritten note on the bill, “I will be at the Greenfield Fairgrounds Sept 9 – 12 with display spas.”
Nevertheless, I found this nice and very effective website (http://www.hottubworks.com) where you enter the motor specs and the motor I needed cost me $260 and shipping was free! Replacing the pump motor took about ten minutes, and the system is now working.
After all, Mark Larange is not, as he claims, in the business of repairing hot tubs. His interest is in selling new tubs. I understand the concept of adding a certain percentage to spare parts, but roughly 300% seems a little excessive, making me believe he didn’t even try finding a motor.
Perpetrator:
Livin Easy Spas & Contracting
12 North St
Greenfield MA 01301
413-774-2633
Vote:
Two Thumbs Down!
I had considered only one thumb down, but I am highly allergic to businesses defrauding their customers, and I, personally, consider Living Easy a fraud due to the false information delivered. They may be good when it comes to installing new hot tubs, but, nevertheless, I don’t believe they can be trusted.
Note: This post reflects my personal opinion, and may not necessarily be shared by others. The circumstances as described may not be typical for the business referenced in this post.
Upon being tipped off by an upset longtime customer about an article I went to this site to read for myself.
I only wish that you had made a comment to me about this matter in person. If you had you would have gotten an explanation. But instead you chose to slander my business.
My wife and I have owned Livin` Easy Spas and Contracting for over 30 years and have many many satified customers.We have offered SALES and SERVICE to all spas not just the ones we sold. We recieve many calls for service from customers and manufacturers and we try our best to follow up on phone messages.
Responding to this call for breaker tripping I found an older spa in very bad shape.This was not a spa that we sold. The circulating pump was bad. Having matched model # -HP rating etc. I supplied a quote for replacement from a wholesale distributor that I have a history of backing their products . This quote also included labor. Unlike online sites who try to trouble shoot a problem over the phone without ever seeing the spa.
Pool pumps and spa pumps are not the same. Pool pumps are self priming and unsafe to use in most spas. A possiable cause for entrampment accidents.
Back to the spa in question, I found it to be stuffed with fiberglass insulation which is one of the worst things to do. It was full of mice and chipmunk nest and droppings.The cabinet and cover had seen better days. Taking all issues of the condition of this older and neglected spa into consideration, I did offer a sizable trade in amount towards a new spa that is engineered to maximize energy efficiency In the event that you did not want to sink more money into a spa that was going to need more repair work.
As to your remark about leaving my son in the truck, I had backed my truck and trailer in only to drop-off the bill and old pump. There was a Rice Oil truck making a delivery at the same time. The person in my truck was my 12 year old Grandson.
I regreat that you chose not to discuss this matter with me personally.
Sincerely, Mark Larange @ Livin` Easy 413-774-2633 and 413-522-0366
@Mark Larange:
I still see no reason to change my post or my opinion. Things happened as described, and I won’t go into the details of your misleading explanation (e.g. the cover was brand new and is still in perfect condition). A discussion with you seemed futile at the time, and your comments reflect the same sort of unprofessional attitude. The problem was with the pump as you mentioned, and it took 15 minutes to install and test the exact same spa pump. Enough said.
mark runs a top notch business. he has always been fair with any all all dealings re- repair of our old hot tub, and later sale and installation of new hot tub. the notion that he ever did anything ” dubious” is both obnoxious and obsurd. he and his wife run a business that is “Fair, Honest, and run with utmost Integrity.
@Bill Phelps:
I take your word for it. My experience is different and, as explained, not pleasant. May I remark, though, that he managed to sell you a new hot tub. I, for my part, was not in a position to cough up $3,500 for the lower-end model. I preferred spending roughly $260 to replace the pump.
Okay, guys, I have been thinking about this a bit. I run a business, too, and I was thinking how I would handle a situation where a dissatisfied customer expresses his frustration publicly. Let’s look at the basics: Rule #1: The customer is always right. Rule #2: If the customer is not right, rule #1 applies. A major no-no in business is blaming the customer for any shortcomings, whether they are true or not.
That being said, have a look at this:
Dear customer,
I am sorry you had such a bad experience with our service. Apparently, I have received misleading information from my vendor, and I will look into this. We are a business that prides itself with excellent service. I can assure you that the bad experience you had with us is something we take very seriously, and I wished you had communicated the problem to me personally. Nevertheless, please accept my apologies. And please let me offer to you that I have a look at the current installation to assure that everything works according to specifications.
Sincerely…”
Honestly, if I had received a response like this, I would have removed my post on this website immediately.
I read this article with interest because I too had problems with Livin’ Easy in September 2011. I wish I had found this article before dealing with them.
I bought a new hot tub from Mr. Larange of Livin’ Easy. He promised me “top notch” service and even had a letter of recommendation from personal friends of mine. I figured he was a sure bet to give me good customer service. This was more important to me than price. During the purchase we agreed that I would buy the pad (a resin style hot tub pad) which, after some research, I had found online. Mr. Larange said he would prepare and level out the area for the pad and install the hot tub. The first problem arose when I called Mr. Larange to let him know I had ordered the pad as discussed. He was rude with me on the phone. Apparently he was upset because he thought he needed to order the pad. He told me that he had ordered 5 pads to become a distributor. To keep the peace, I offered to send my pad back and buy one from him instead. This would have cost me $150.00 in freight since my pad had already been shipped to me. He told me no that was not necessary. He told me we would, “get through this.” The next day he went on to tell me that he was actually upset with someone else over a website domain name. Although he did not apologize he seemed to imply that the issue should be forgotten. I was fine with this and thought it was over.
During the installation, Mr. Larange asked me if I was happy with the
placement of the pad. I asked him to move it over slightly and questioned why the edges of the pad did not sit flush to the ground. His response was, “You bought the pad, you are responsible for it. I’m not responsible. I did not ask to become a distributor. I don’t want five pads.” He then walked back to his truck for some tools.
When Mr. Larange returned with his tools I told him I did not appreciate his attitude towards me. I told him I thought the issue was already resolved. I then offered to buy all five pads from Mr. Larange. I figured I could sell them on Ebay and keep the peace. Perhaps I was being too compliant, but after all he was installing my hot tub. I was a bit at his mercy and I wanted things done right. Mr. Larange told me no, he did not want to do that. I then asked him if he would please move the pad over slightly as I had asked. He told me, “No, I’m done moving things.” He then proceeded to place the pad where it was. All of this was done in front of my electrician who was wiring in the hot tub. He was nothing short of amazed. After Mr. Larange left my electrician and I both looked at his prep. work and it became clear why the pad was not sitting level. I
ended up having to call another hot tub supplier to come out and look at the site. I paid an extra $180.00 for that supplier to properly prepare the site and level out the tub. That supplier was too nice to say Mr. Larange’s work was sub-standard. All he would say was that he had taken care of things and it was now prepared correctly. I did not
ask Mr. Larange back again although he did show up one more time with my chemicals.
The chemical delivery was when the second issue with Mr. Larange came into play. Having a background in chemistry, I did some research and I began to question his methods and use of chemicals. I ended up calling the hot tub manufacturer. They told me they did not recommend or endorse Mr. Larange’s chemical method and that over time it could
lead to premature wear on the various hot tub fittings. I then checked with two local hot tub suppliers who seemed genuinely perplexed by the chemicals (or rather lack thereof) that Mr. Larange supplied me. If I did not have the pad issue with Mr. Larange I might have called him at that point to discuss my findings and see where he was coming from. As it
was I simply ignored his recommendations, bought the chemicals recommended by the hot supplier and had no further problems.
What should have been a great experience buying a new hot tub turned into a very stressful situation. I believe I went above and beyond what I should have, as a customer, to keep the peace with Mr. Larange. I should also point out I was a pretty easy customer in terms of the sale. It took exactly a half hour for me to choose the colors of the tub and I never changed my mind. I also never changed my mind on where my tub would be located. Mr. Larange claimed that it is routine for his customers to change their minds many times. I even helped Mr. Larange unload my hot tub the day he brought it. He was alone when he made the delivery and struggling to unload it. Given this, his treatment of me seems perplexing and unfair. Some have suggested that by ordering the pad I cut into his profit margin. Maybe this is true although I did offer to send my pad back. Certainly it does not warrant one
being treated rude and having to pay extra money to get something done correctly. I would strongly caution anyone not to deal with Livin’ Easy Hot Tubs. In my personal opinion, Mr. Larange needs some serious schooling in customer service.