I bought a Lay-Z-Spa back in July 2006, on Ebay, from Branded Discount and I have already had at least 8 pumps replaced. The first pump only lasted a couple of months and allowed moisture under the control panel, which should be waterproof, due to the fact that most would be sited outside. This resulted in the controls not operating and the pump doing exactly what it wanted i.e. turning itself on and off at random. We phoned the Bestway Helpline who advised that we should let the pump dry out!!!! A bit difficult if it is outside in the rain. It then worked ok for a few days, but completely broke down when the display decreased in temperature to 20 degrees and would not heat the water. The Helpline is ok, but it seems that there is only one person, named Carole, who has any authority and if she is on holiday or out of the office, then the remaining staff expect you to wait her return. I recieved a replacement pump within a few days and all was working fine, until the next morning when I looked at the new pump and noticed it was completely dead. The replacements we were receiving do not appear to be brand new, but refurbished, as they were scratched etc. This is a fantastic Spa when it works, but I am wondering if it is suitable for the European weather. It would ideally be suited indoors or undercover.

(Date 21st October 2006 update).

Our friends Spa purchased in September has failed within two weeks of use. Their Spa was indoors and would not heat the water. Bestway did not have any pumps in the country and they were advised that they would have to wait until the end of October '06 for a replacement, which was being shipped from China. This in my opinion was not acceptable and they should have been offered a full refund.

(Update)

Our friends pump was replaced in November, so they had to wait nearly two months. I believe it is still working, but the pipes are bent due to a height difference between the pump and spa. The centre section of the spa is now also full of water and out of its 3 month warranty. They have not bought a new one as the cost is £150.00.

(Date 5th March 2007 update).

One of the seams of our inflatable lid has now come apart leaving a perfectly round hole. Bestway advised that the liner & lid only have a 3 month warranty and it is only the pump that is covered for 12 months. This is not good news as the hole was clearly a manufacturing defect or unsuitable perishable material. I am waiting to hear from someone else in authority (due to Carole being absent), to see if I am able to get a replacement lid free of charge, due to my continuing pump problems. They are also enquiring how much a new lid would cost (Cost of new lid was £25.00), if I have to pay and if there are any in the country!!!. Bestway advised that the retailers should be notifying their customers about the short warranty on the liner, as this information is not in the manual.

(Date 9th March 2007 update).

Good news our new lid arrived today free of charge. Bestway advised not to over inflate it, not that it was anyway.

(Date 12th April 2007 update)

Well after we received our new lid. Guess what? Our pump failed again. It looks like condensation has damaged the printed circuit board yet again, even though it was covered. I phoned Bestway and they advised me to take the pump indoors to see if it would dry out. I did this, but as I thought, this didn't work. A new pump was sent within a few days, but unfortunately this one did not heat the water to 40 degrees. The display registered 40, but a reading taken with a digital thermostat stated the temperature was only 35 degrees, which is not warm enough for this season. I am still waiting for another replacement, as there are none in the country yet again. I wonder why? We were advised by Customer Services that the pump should not be used if the outside temperature is under 4 degrees. That you should turn the pump off every 8 hours for an hour and that the pump should remain covered at all times? How on earth can this be done when people work, site them outside and with our unpredicable weather, how are we suppose to judge the temperature at night. In my opinion this item must be a complete nightmare to Bestway and I wouldn't be surprised if they withdraw it from the European market, not unless they severely pull their socks up and make a pump that lasts for more than three months.

(Date 6th May 2007 update)

A replacement pump was sent a couple of weeks later and only lasted one week. The pump turned itself off a few times, but we thought that there may have been a power cut or a cat had jumped on the buttons in the night and turned if off, but no, it stated EnD on the display, which we then found out was a new feature and not in the manual. Every 24 hours after operation the pump will hibernate. You are suppose to be able to press any button to restart it, but this did not work and although the red light was on to indicate that the water was being heated, it unfortunately was not. My husband and I were now so fed up with this Spa that I contacted Trading Standards to see what our rights were. They advised that as long as Bestway were meeting their obligation to replace the pumps, then you couldn't demand a refund from them, but you can ask for a refund from the supplier, as under the Sales of Goods Act the item is not fit for the purpose it was sold. I emailed Branded Discount and they advised that they had sold hundreds of these Spas and had only received a few complaints. They agreed to a refund on the return of the Spa. Sellers are probably not receiving the complaints, as the manual states you have to contact Bestway when any problems occur. The rain has hindered us packing this item away, so we will need to wait for a dry spell. I also have to find out the return postage cost, not much change out of £40.00 I bet!! I am hoping that this cost will be kindly refunded, as compensation for all the money we have lost on electricity, time and general hassle we have had to endure.

I have also been advised by another Ebayer that when your warranty is up, you will only get an extra two weeks extended warranty, if your pump has been changed. In my opinion the years warranty should start again from when your pump was replaced. The cost of a new pump is £150, so this means that it will cost you £150 every year to replace your pump. Is this a good deal???? If anyone has had a pump working for more than a year without any problems, then I would love to hear from you. I am not holding my breath!!!!

I waited a month for some decent weather and then madly decided to reinstate the spa. We turned the pump back on again and it appeared to be working. Also it was going to take ages for the Spa to dry out and we thought we would give it another try. Anyway, it did not work, but we phoned Bestway and received another replacement within a week. This lasted a further week and then it wouldn't heat the water yet again. We were now told that there was no stock until 6th August, so this was nearly another month without it. I was also told that our warranty would be extended by the amount of time we had been without a spa, so I must be due to receive at least 2 months extra. Bestway are also now expecting customers to return their pumps for a replacement, which is going to be interesting, as the cost of returning one is about £30 a time. I on the other hand did not have to return the whole pump, but just the valve on the top, due to all my previous problems. My new pump arrives on the 13th August so lets see how long this one lasts.

(Date 17th January 2008 update)

Our pump is amazingly still working, but now the inflatable lid which was replaced in March is as flat as a pancake and full of water, my husband only just managed to lift it out of the spa so we do not know what has happened to it and it would be impossible to get all of the water out. I am just going to buy a replacement.

(Date 29th January 2008 update)

The bottom section of the inflatable liner is now full of water, we assume that one of the seams has given way, as we do not use knives when we are using it. This looks like the bitter end for our spa. £350 for just over a years use, lots of hassle and big electricity bills from persistently reheating it from cold. Is it really worth it? I think not.

(Date 26th March 2008 update)

Well we did not replace the liner as it was not worth the expense and we continued to use the spa for a few months. We now thought that it might be a health hazard due to the water logged bottom section, which might not have been getting chlorinated properly. My husband has now had enough of the spa and has just cut it into pieces with a Stanley Knife and taken it to the tip. The pump is amazingly still working, so we will see if anyone wants to buy it as a spare. I will also sell the new lid and all my filters and chemicals to recoup some wasted money.

Sorry that this is a novel, but I thought I would write as much information as possible, so that at least you can make up your own minds, when deciding to buy one. I have also had many other Ebayers contact me with their own pump problems.