Business ProfileforThe Sauna Place

My complaint is with the quality of cedar boards for a pre-cut sauna from The Sauna Place at 1505 Gould Dr, Corkeville, TN. Our initial conversation RE:: ********* Sauna, which was dismantled professionally by **********************************, was purchasing a ********* pre-cut sauna to replace the damaged one. First of all, The Sauna Place didn't tell me that they didn't sell *********, one of the top of the lines for home saunas(if they had mentioned that they didn't sell *********, they should have a recording of our conversation saying the name of their product and, if they told me so, I'll recant). Otherwise, I with the company by reporting any damage immediately(I had three days to report per their instructions). When the contractor opened the cedar boards, there was a splintered board that I took a picture of and sent to Tracey just to make her aware that several more boards may have splinters as well. Tracey didn't make any effort to give my contractor a resolution as to if more boards were damaged, the concessions they would make. When he opened and placed the boards as instructed, he noticed the many splinters, chips, discolorations from brown to beige and a hint of pink. He had to sand most of the boards from splints and roughness so that I could safely use the sauna. My ******** door was spared from the damage and it is completely one color with a smooth finish inside and out. The Sauna Place doesn't take any accountability for their products. For instance, when I called and ordered the parts I needed, Tracey didn't include the control panel($295, she offered me to sell it to me for $250) and listed a thermometer. That's a big deal to me, especially with me spending $3,000 for the sauna parts alone. I ended up sending an additional $ 213.01 for the control panel. It looked the same as my initial ********* control panel. She did deduct the amount from the thermometer and applied it. The heater is a ********* heater. The contractor hired an electrician at my expense, to wire it. Brian from The Sauna Place sent a printable schematic of the wiring instructions that caused him trouble. He had to troubleshoot to route the wires where they needed to go. As Tracey stated that they service hotels and spas, I am curious why there's no BBB rating. I read some of the complaints, and their record isn't impressive. Since covid 19 is in effect, I needed to get the water damage completed for the insurance company. I googled and found a ********* dealer only to trace back to The Sauna Place. Somehow, the company thought I was backstabbing them(huh?). Tracey said that if I had purchased a *********, I would have paid much more. I wasn't given the opportunity to choose *********, since they decided to give me what they wanted to get rid of. This sauna is not top quality. The entire sauna had to be sanded before I could use it. Three thousand dollars is a lot of money to me. I only hope the cedar boards aren't dry rotted, especially after initially telling me that it would take 8-10 weeks from February to get it delivered. Then, in April, Tracey called on the 21st or so and told me they could deliver the sauna pieces a few days later. There's no doubt that this isn't a quality sauna and I was at their mercy. I was taken advantage of and paid a lot for it. I just didn't appreciate the nondisclosure about the transaction. I hope they treat their hotel and spa clients much better than I was treated. Initially, they said they are just Sauna Place, not THE SAUNA PLACE. I found out that they are one and the same. There's too much confusion with this company. I will not recommend The Sauna Place for competitive pricing and service.

June 16, 2021





To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to immediately reference the complaint we received from Ms. S****** regarding a recent purchase. Honestly I am quite surprised to receive her correspondence, and disappointed that she was not satisfied with her purchase. Here are the facts as we know them:

Ms. S****** contacted our company and spoke to our associate Tracy initially regarding her sauna. She indicated that she was on a budget, and that she needed a package ASAP. She explained to our associate that this was a water damage replacement. As is often the case, the customer and/or their contractor specify which items they need. This may or may not include the door, heater, heater controller, etc. It simply boils down to what they deem needs replacement. We sell two brands of sauna kit: ***** and *********. We are one of the largest ********* Sauna Dealers in the country. Tracy explained the differences of the two to Ms. S******. The nuts and bolts differences were that the ***** production schedule was 8-10 weeks to ship, and the ********* production schedule was 24+ weeks. In addition was the $1,200 + cost difference of the ********* over the *****. Upon hearing this Ms. S****** opted to go with the *****. Based on that information, we quoted Ms. S****** exactly what she asked us to quote. We sell both brands of sauna and they are each custom made to order. We leave the choices up to the customer and have no preference of which they brand they pick.

I have a copy of our quote which is signed by the customer that I would like to provide. We do this with every sauna package we sell.
We always itemize and fully disclose what the customer will be receiving:

Page 1 details everything that is included. Note that there is no heater or control because we were told not to quote them.

Page 1 states that the sauna package is a "***** Pre-Cut Sauna Kit". ********* is not mentioned anywhere within the 4 page quote.

Pages 1 and 3 state the estimated production lead time of 8-10 weeks. We shipped her sauna in 6 weeks. I can also provide the shipping confirmation for reference..

Regarding claims of damaged and splintered boards, boards that required sanding and color variations:
When the sauna packaged arrived to the customer's location, it was unpacked and inspected. We received one picture of a bench support with a very small splinter out of a corner (I would like to submit customer's email with this photo). We explained to Ms. S****** that this mounts beneath the benching and is not seen. Regrettably we were never sent additional pictures showing splintered or rough boards. To help us maintain our high quality standards, we request that these be provided. While wood or any natural products has its variations, all wood is factory sanded by our lumber mill and inspected prior to shipment. The wood used in our ***** Sauna is Grade A and better, kiln dried, clear knot-free, old growth vertical grain Western Red Cedar. It is the highest grade available as well as the same product that ********* uses. This wood has a spectrum of coloration. Again the same as a ********* Sauna. The consistent colored door that the customer refers to is Douglas Fir. Unlike Western Red Cedar it does have a more consistent coloration. We carry these doors as well.

I am also referenced in the complaint for sending the Ms. S******'s contractor the incorrect wiring instructions. I have pulled the email which references the correct heater manual and wiring diagram that I would additionally like to submit. To reference Ms. S******'s statement , for the sake of safety we also always recommend that a licensed electrician handle the wiring.

The bottom line is that we feel this is an unfair complaint. From the beginning, our associate went above and beyond to try and accommodate our customer. We estimated 8-10 weeks and shipped the sauna in 6 weeks. All of our associates, including a few of our suppliers spent lengthy amounts of time with Ms. S****** during the order process. We even added a complimentary liftgate service to Ms. S******s freight delivery package which is normally an upcharge. We did this at our expense. We simply went above and beyond on every level. In looking back, I don't see a lot that we could have changed. It doesn't matter whether you are a large corporation or a homeowner on a budget. Everyone gets treated the same way when you deal with our company -and always with respect. Another thing, if you research our company, you will quickly see that we have great feedback. People love our products. We receive tons of referrals from our customers.

I would love the opportunity to provide the above referenced documentation so please let me know how I may do so.


Sincerely,


Brian M*******
The Sauna Place
encl

As I reviewed the sauna place response, let me say that I wasn't given a choice of *********. It was not until I was into the purchase and about to receive the purchase agreement that I was told about the sauna they were sending. One morning I texted ********* and a location came up. I was shocked as I was having a difficult time finding a ********* company. I called them and they referred me back to The sauna place. Somehow ********* and The sauna place felt I was going behind their(the sauna place) back. I never understood the explanation ********* (I believe was in Portland Oregon) stated for me asking about purchasing a sauna. When Tracy called me, she said that I had gotten her company in trouble with *********. To this day, ii'm still confused. That's when Tracy told me about the cost difference between the two saunas. I didn't initially tell her that I had a budget. As a matter of fact, I was shocked that I wasn't getting *********, since that's the only brand I know. Because of covid 19, Tracy told me after many conversations(and my preparation to order) that I wasn't getting *********. She informed me that Finlandua would cost about $7,000. At this point, I was committed to her company's brand. I was initially told early on that it would take 8-10 weeks for delivery, which would have made delivery in June and I prepared for that. Then, out if nowhere, she called in Apri(24?)l and informed me that the sauna would be delivered on the 26th. My licensed contractor had to interrupt a project he was working to be available to receive the sauna. The sauna was packaged and the first board was splintered. I took a picture and sent it to Tracy's company. As the contractor laid the boards out per instructions, he informed me that many of the boards were splintered and not the same color as my ********* door and bench that was salvaged. I explained to my contractor that, from previous conversations with Tracy, she would only tell me that she told me about the conditions of the sauna. After all, what choice did I have since I was now ready to accept what had been sent. If I had been told at the onset that the company had *********, at least I would have liked to have been given the option of choosing which brand. At this point, the company wanted the sale and it is Tracy's company that the ********* store informed me. I didn't send additional pictures of the splintered boards because I didn't have faith that anything would be done about it. My heater is a ********* and I hired and paid a licensed electrician to install it. That's when the contractor sent a message to Tracy for a ********* schematic to install it properly, since the heater instructions was Tracy's brand, not *********'s schematic. To make sure he installed it properly, he conferred with his company and they felt confident that it would be properly installed. The sauna place was correct regarding the one picture that I sent. To pay the money that was asked, in Tracy's reply, she said she told me to place the splintered board so it wouldn't be seen. So I got a defective board that was to be hidden so the splintered board wouldn't show. This one board was still a defect and she didn't offer to return even that. Upon seeing that the other boards were in similar condition, I knew that The Sauna Place would not take responsibility. I NEVER bargained PRICE with the company. I paid for an inferior product that I must live with. Since they have spas and hotels accounts, what would be their comments for The Sauna Place be since I didn't see a favorable review.

We regret that the customer is not satisfied with their sauna package. We provide only quality products and it is rare occasion when we end up with a dissatisfied customer. Just a couple of points:

1. We sent a quote sent to Ms. S****** on 3-1-21 for a "***** Pre-Cut Sauna Kit". This is the
brand that the customer requested based on our discussions. At that point, had we quoted the incorrect
product we could have easily reverted back to a quote of the ********* brand if the customer preferred.
Instead she signed and mailed back the quote. Our procedures do not allow for speculation of the items
being ordered. Our quotes include details of exactly what you will be receiving. We also do not try to guide
customers to a particular brand.

2. The quote dated 3-1-21 (and signed 3-7-21) stated 8-10 weeks for production. The sauna was
received on 5-3-21. This is 8 weeks from the date the customer signed the quote. We are always willing
to postpone a delivery when a customer requests it, however no such request was received.

3. Ms. S****** did not purchase her heater from us. Knowing the model of heater that she had, as a
courtesy we sent the installation manual to John her contractor. We have a copy of that email which
cites the correct manual. We also do not have a house heater brand. Our sauna packages include the
same heater and control that Ms. S****** has.

4. We sell both ********* and ***** brands. Both are quality products but have differences as our
associate explain to our customers. We do not steer people to one product or another. They are
simply given the pricing (which is also found on our website), and the estimated production time for
each product. The customer then let them makes the decision.

5. Wood is a natural product with variations and imperfections. We sell the highest grade of Western
Red Cedar for the ***** Saunas, and it is the same grade provided in our ********* packages.
Although it is quite possible that the boards sustained some damage or splintering in transit, the only
photo that was provided to us was just that of a bench box support which had a very small chip out of
it. This support is not seen once installed. Had the customer provided us with pictures of damaged
material we would have happily replaced the necessary items for her.

We have been in business for over 17 years and have sold thousands of saunas. In that time we have received many great reviews from our customers. We're not perfect but we always strive to do the best job we can. We have a strict quality process in place. All materials are triple inspected before leaving our production facility. On the rare occasion that we miss something, or when damage occurs during a shipment, we do our best to replaced the damaged components.

The Sauna Place has combined prevaricating with skewed facts. Since they've been in business for 17 years,(tracy or ********* said 13 years), companies have recordings to verify purchases and interactions. Listen to the tape. It speaks for itself. Because of covid 19, I wasn't able to find a company that sold ********* in my state, so when I found this conpany(I initially called it The Sauna Place and, after several disconnects, josh said that it is just Sauna Place). Now it's The Sauna Place per tracy. Again, I repeat, when the contractor laid out the boards, they were several splintered and discolored. After almost a year, I was ready to have my basement repaired and I told the contractor that i'm forced to use what tracy sent me. My door, heater and headrest are *********. The blonde color is consistent throughout. Tracy only discussed the other brand when I was ready to sign the purchase agreement (3/7/21). My sauna is installed and sanded down. I hired and paid an electrician to install my ********* heater. When he scaled the instructions, he noted that it wasn't ********* schematics and asked the contractor to send for instructions to install the ********* heater. Tracy had brian(?) from her company send a schematic for her brand, not the ********* brand. The electrician told me he would research and refer to his company so that I wouldn't pay any unnecessary fees. He did this and successfully installed the heater. Again, I have the sauna installed because I had no confidence that tracy would work favorably with me to rectify the boards. So I told my contractor to do his best to smooth the boards so that I would not get splintered in use. Again, a recording will confirm what we each said. If not, I still will not refer this company.

My name is Brian and I am the co-owner of the company. To clear up any confusion you have regarding our name, or the exact number of years we have been in business please note as follows: our business name is "The Sauna Place", but our domain is www.saunaplace.com. Therefore it gets referred to both ways. We were founded in 2004, as referenced in our "on hold" message. You can also go to************************** to search this domain which will show you a registry of 2004.

Regarding the heater, I am the person that sent this to John your contractor. Please email me at ******************** if you would like me to forward you a copy. Not only did I send him the correct manual, but I also referred him to the specific page for his wiring diagram. As you recall, you did not even purchase your heater from us. We simply sent this information as a courtesy. Also for clarification we do not have our own brand of heater.

Full disclosure doesn't seem to be a practice at The Sauna Place. My electrician nor I never said that the company sold me the heater. I already had the ********* heater and door from my original purchase. Brian surfaced when the heater schematic was sent. Per my electrician, it was not a schematic for the ********* heater and he conversed with his employer for the correct installation. The electrician stated that the control and heater doesn't comply to the wiring diagram. The electrician also stated, "The wiring will be to code and includes adjustments to the provided diagram". Therefore, the control panel and heater is properly installed. He also provided his license number. It is now BBB's charge to render a decision regarding my purchase. As I previously stated, "Quality Control would eliminate 'he said, she said '".