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Is the Walk-in Tub a Scam?

By Alan Knight

Financial scams targeting senior citizens have become so prevalent that they're now considered as being one of the top crimes of the 21st century.

There are several reasons why the criminally minded go after the elderly. One reason is the scammers imagine that many seniors have a vast amount of money just sitting in the bank, waiting for the picking. In reality, most seniors are living on a fixed income with little margin for error. Secondly, seniors are often times viewed as weak, both physically and mentally. Scammers think they can easily outwit the elderly to talk them out of their money.

Making matters worse, financial scams also often go unreported or can be difficult to prosecute, so they're considered a “low-risk” crime. However, they're devastating to many older adults and can leave them in a very vulnerable position with little time or hope to recoup their losses. It's not just wealthy seniors who are targeted. Low income older adults are also at risk of financial abuse. Sadly, it's not always crooked strangers who perpetrate these crimes. Over 90% of all reported elder abuse is committed by an older person's own family members, most often their adult children, followed by grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and others.

Let's look at several common scams that target seniors:

Telemarketing Scams

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The first is the “Pigeon Drop.” The con artist tells the individual that he or she has found a large sum of money and is willing to split it if the person will make a “good faith” payment by withdrawing funds from their bank account. Often, a second con artist is involved, posing as a lawyer or banker.

Another telemarketing scam is the “Fake Accident Ploy.” The con artist gets the victim to wire or send money on the pretext that the person's child or another relative is in the hospital and needs the money immediately.

Today, “Charity Scams” are really big. Money is solicited for fake charities, usually after a reported and solicited for following a major natural disaster.

Internet Fraud

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While using the Internet is a great skill at any age, the slower speed of adoption among some older people makes them easier targets for automated Internet scams that are ubiquitous on the web and email programs. Pop-up browser windows simulating virus-scanning software will fool victims into either downloading a fake anti-virus program (at a substantial cost) or an actual virus that will open up whatever information is on the user's computer to scammers. Their unfamiliarity with the less-visible aspects of browsing the web (employing several layers of firewalls and built-in virus protection, for example) makes seniors especially susceptible to such traps.

Consider the “email/phishing” scam. A senior receives email messages that appear to be from a legitimate company, asking them to “update” or “verify” their personal information. Or, a senior receives bogus emails that appear to be from the IRS about a tax refund.

Investment Schemes

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Because many seniors find themselves planning for retirement and managing their savings once they finish working, a number of investment schemes have been targeted at seniors looking to safeguard their cash for their later years. From pyramid schemes such as Bernie Madoff's (which counted a number of senior citizens among its victims) to fables of a Nigerian prince looking for a partner to claim inheritance money, to complex financial products that many economists don't even understand, investment schemes have long been a successful way to take advantage of the elderly.

Homeowner/Reverse Mortgage Scam

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Scammers like to take advantage of many people above the age of 60 who own their own homes (with no mortgage), a valuable asset that increases the potential dollar value of a certain scam. A particularly elaborate property tax scam in San Diego saw fraudsters sending personalized letters to different properties, which appeared to be coming from the County Assessor's Office. The letter, made to look official, but displaying only public information, would identify the property's assessed value and offer the homeowner, for a fee of course, to arrange for a reassessment of the property's value and therefore the tax burden associated with it.

Closely related, the “Reverse Mortgage” scam has mushroomed in recent years. With legitimate reverse mortgages increasing in frequency, more than 1,300% between 1999 and 2008, scammers are taking advantage of this new popularity. Unsecured reverse mortgages can lead property owners to lose their homes when the perpetrators offer money or a free house somewhere else in exchange for the title to the current property.

Sweepstakes and Lottery Scams

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Here, scammers inform their mark that they have won a lottery or sweepstakes of some kind and need to make some sort of payment to unlock the supposed prize. Often, seniors will receive a check that they can deposit into their bank account. While the illegitimate check shows up in their account immediately, it will take a few days before this fake check is rejected. During this time, the criminals will quickly collect money for supposed winnings, which they pocket while the victim has the “prize money” removed from their account as soon as the check bounces.

Grandparents Scam

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This one is so simple and devious because it uses one of older adults' most reliable assets, their hearts. Scammers will place a call to an older person and when the mark picks up, they will say something along the lines of, “Hi Grandma, do you know who this is?” When the unsuspecting grandparent guesses the name of the grandchild the scammer most sounds like, the scammer has established a fake identity without having done a lick of background research. Once “in,” the fake grandchild will usually ask for money to solve some unexpected financial problem such as overdue rent, late car payment, etc., and request it be sent by immediately by Western Union or MoneyGram, which doesn't always require identification to collect. At the same time, the scam artist will plead, “Please don't tell my parents. They’ll kill me!” While the scam may only involve a few hundred dollars, it can be perpetuated over and over again.

The Senior Walk-in Tub Scam

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The Walk-in Tub for seniors is one of the best safety, comfort, and consumer-designed medical devices to come along in years. It offers a safe way for the elderly to bathe themselves, independently, without the fear of falling, and to enjoy hydrotherapy to treat many of their medical conditions.

However, many unscrupulous salesmen have tried to tarnish that image by creating scams around it. For example, prices for just Walk-in Tub itself can vary from $2,000 to $20,000, based on the supplier you talk to. Why such a wide range? There is no justifiable answer, except that some have tried to scam older people into spending much more of their treasured retirement money.

Usually the scammer will play on the heartstrings of the husband or wife by saying something like, “You know she needs this. What kind of price tag would you place on her health? Regardless of the price, isn't she worth it?” Being placed on the spot, many partners will give in and spend 10 times what they should be spending for a Walk-in Tub. Often the scammer will add, “We only have this price available today. It’s normally priced much higher, but since we’re already talking, I can save you a lot of money.” This is a typical, over-the-top sales scamming, and some skilled pros can be very persuasive.

Photo Credit: corbisimages.com

The good news is that many seniors are too smart for this. They’ll shop around and compare prices and features. There is no reason to pay more than $5,000 for the Walk-in Tub and that price includes installation. Obviously, if there’s more remodeling to be done in the bathroom to properly install the unit, or to doorways to be able to bring the unit into the bathroom, it may warrant some additional installation costs.

The Walk-in Tub itself certainly is not a scam, but many who try to take advantage of the elderly by pricing it too high or by adding additional expenses (such high installation fees) have created a scam surrounding it.

As far many other of the aforementioned senior-focused scams go, happily, the truth is, seniors today are not only well-educated, they have more experience in dealing with hucksters. The old adage, “I wasn't born yesterday,” plays well here. Some imagine they can confuse the senior by talking in circles or trying to confuse them. This tactic will normally cause the senior to hang up the phone even more quickly. They don’t call these the “Wisdom Years” for nothing, after all.

In this article, I talked about the prevalence of different types of scams that typically target the senior population. I also pointed out that one of these scams involves the pricing of and installation regarding the Walk-in Tub.

If you have a comment, please type it in the Comment section below. Of course, I encourage you to share this article with your family, friends, and colleagues.

Have a question? Feel free to contact me at the number or email listed below and I’ll personally get back to you. Thanks for reading; it’s been my pleasure to share this information with you.

The Benefits of Warm Water Therapy in a Walk-in Tub

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Alan Knight is the owner of Tub King, Inc., and SeniorBathtub.com in Jacksonville, Florida. He had many years of experience in the antique and senior bathtub industries. These companies not only provide superior products, they are also multi-award winners, receiving the “Best of Jacksonville Chamber Award” four years running. To contact Tub King directly, call (800)843-4231 or email alan@tubking.com.

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HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY FOR A WALK-IN TUB?

LEARN THE FACTS!

By Kerry Knight

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When the Wild, Wild West was first opened to settlers, anything and everything was going on. Today the Internet is a lot like the Wild, Wild West was in the1800s. Especially if you are buying products. Pretty much anything goes.

I recently received a phone call from a potential customer and she said, “The prices for Walk-in tubs are all over the map. How do I know what I should pay?” Good question. I’ve heard every price you can imagine. Some have been as high as $20,000, and that’s without installation. Let me offer some observations that may help.

Enjoy a soaker walk in tub.

When considering a Walk-in Tub, decide which features are important to you. Sometimes I hear from people who say, “I don’t want anything fancy, just a safe tub that I can get into without falling.” The soaker tub is designed without any electrical parts, with no jets, motors or heaters. The customer can enter the tub with a slight 6 inch threshold, close the watertight door, and sit down, to bathe in comfort and safety. The grab bar is right beside the seat, and the faucet handles are within easy reach. The hand held shower comes with a four foot, metal braided hose that retracts back into the tub with a counterweight when not being used. This allows a person to enter safely, sit down, lean back and relax in warm water. This is the Soaker version. A fair price for this tub is around $2,000.

The next step up would be the air jetted, hydrotherapy model. It typically comes with 18 jet ports that create thousands of therapeutic bubbles for helping with many medical conditions. An air pump brings warm air into the water to create the effect of a hot tub. It relaxes the body and helps with tired aching muscles. Water therapy has been used for thousands of years in the healing of the body. A fair price for this version of the Walk-in Tub would be around $2,500.

Here you can see the jets and the heater.

The next step would be to add the water jetted massage system. This model really helps when treating an injury or back and knee pain. There are typically six water jet ports: two ports behind the back, two behind the knees and two across from the knees. The great thing about this version is the jets are moveable, so you can direct the water force at key points of the body. You can also adjust the amount of force coming through the jet as to reach your perfect comfort level. This model comes with the air jetted system, water jetted system, AND the inline heater. The heater helps in keeping the water warm, so that you can remain in the tub longer. A fair price for this deluxe model would be around $3,000.

So, my conclusion is you should be paying between $2,000 and $3,000 for your Walk-in Tub, based upon the unique features that you want.

The shipping and delivery of the tub can be another place where companies sneak in excessive fees. Our tubs come with free shipping to the lower 48 states. In many cases, companies will any anywhere from two to four hundred dollars for shipping.

Some companies also charge a separate fee for the fixtures, adding another $200 to the price. Always ask what’s included with the Walk-in tub.

Then there's this question. “How much is the installation cost?” There are many ways to answer that.

Benefits of the Walk In Tub

You may be one of the fortunate ones who have a family member that has handyman skills. I know in our case, many of our customers install the tubs themselves, sometimes using a licensed electrician or plumber on the side for the delicate work. There are also technicians out there who specialize in installing Walk-in Tubs. Our technicians have installed hundreds of these tubs all around the immediate Southeast.

These should be included.

Unfortunately, some Walk-in Tub companies try to hide much of their profit by charging ridiculous prices for installation. They may say, “I will sell you the tub for $3,000, but the installation is $10,000.” More often, they combine the two together so you don’t know what you are paying for each one separately.

Typically, an installation takes two days: one for demolition (taking out the old tub, if there is one), and the second day for installing the new Walk-in Tub. This sometimes requires widening a door if the tub won't pass through, or doing extra tile work. A basic installation of setting the tub in place and hooking up the plumbing and electrical, should cost no more than $3,000. The bathroom will be put back into working order, cleaned up and all debris removed. The technician will also test the tub to make sure it is working properly and demonstrate to the customer how to operate the tub. There should also be an owner’s manual left for the customer. The phone number for the technician should also be left in case there are questions.

Some Walk-in Tub companies will not give you a price over the phone. Always beware of that. They want to send a high-pressure salesman to your home to talk you into spending $20,000. They will try to scare you with statistics about falling. They will appeal to your spouse and shame them over their lack of concern. Anyway, it often works. Don’t get caught in their web, just say no!

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Just like in the Wild, Wild West, anything goes if you’re uninformed. Remember our prices, (which are very competitive); the very best model (with all features mentioned) is $3,000 and with a thorough installation of the tub, the price should be in the $6,000 range. Don’t make the mistake of overpaying. Compare quality, features and include shipping and installation. Don’t let high-pressure salesmen treat you like it’s the Wild, Wild West!

In this article I provided a detailed description of what you can expect to pay when investing in a Walk-in tub. My discussion also provides a detailed description of the many tricks companies use to increase the cost or hide their higher inflated prices to fool the average consumer. Knowing these tricks and actual fair prices will help any consumer make a wise decision when buying a Walk-in tub. Take the time to shop and compare our Tub King products with that of any competitor, and we're sure we'll come out on top. We offer a guaranteed low price, high quality, plus provide free shipping in the lower 48 states.

Walk-in tub Buyer's Guide video

If you found this article useful, please share it with your friends and co-workers. If you have a comment related to this article, leave it in the comment section of this blog. If you’d like to receive a FREE Walk-In Tub Buyers’ Guide, click here. Have a question? Feel free to contact me at the number or email listed at the end of this article and I’ll personally get back to you. It’s been my pleasure sharing this information with you.

Thanks again for visiting with us.

Alan and Kerry Knight are the owners of Tub King, Inc., and SeniorBathtub.com in Jacksonville, Florida. Together they have many years of experience in the antique and senior bathtub industries. Their companies not only provide superior products, they are also award winners, receiving the “Best of Jacksonville Chamber Award” three years running. If you’d like to contact them, call (800) 409-3375 or (800) 843-4231; or send an email to alan@tubking.com.

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Scams to Avoid When Buying Your Walk-in Tub

I speak to dozens of people every week about Walk-In Tubs. Most are excited about purchasing one due to all the safety and therapy features these tubs bring to bear.

Short Tub King Walk-In Tub Testimonial Video

However, I also talk to people who have previously purchased a tub from other companies who are concerned about some of the questionable “sales techniques” that were used to close the sale. The old Latin term caveat emptor, “let the buyer beware,” warns of falling victim to scams. Let me list a few scams that are often associated with purchasing a walk-in tub.

“PRICES ARE GOING UP” SCAM. When a sales person tells you that you need to buy today because prices are going up tomorrow, it is best to step back and question the urgency of this statement. Think about it, were you that lucky, to have called the very day before prices were set to increase? Probably not. In fact, it sounds a little “pushy” doesn’t it?

“WE HAVE THE ONLY TUB” SCAM. Usually the pitch go

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es something like this: “Our walk-in tub is the only one out there that offers FREE shipping.” It is easy enough to do some checking around and confirm that this statement isn’t true. Another might be, “Only our walk-in tubs have ADA compliant seats.” Again, do your homework and make a few phone calls. Any time the sales person states that there tubs are EXCLUSIVELY UNIQUE” in some way or another, check it out.

“FOR AN ADDITIONAL THOUSAND DOLLARS WE CAN ADD AROMATHERAPY” SCAM. Sometimes a potential customer will ask me if we carry aromatherapy. My stock answer is, “why pay a thousand dollars more when you can simply light a candle or incense.” This scam is designed to line the pockets of the walk-in tub company. They will charge you ten times more than it will cost them to add such a feature. Plus the benefit factor to health is questionable.
“FOR AN ADDITIONAL THOUSAND DOLLARS WE CAN ADD INTERIOR LIGHTS TO THE TUB” SCAM. This one would be funny if it wasn’t so sad. As long as you have lights in the bathroom, why would you need them in the tub? We’re not talking about a swimming pool here. There is plenty of light to see the bottom of the tub. This is just another way to jack up the price in order to take advantage of gullible buyers.

Three time award winner and working on more.
“WE MUST SEND A TECHNICIAN TO YOUR HOUSE TO MEASURE” SCAM. The truth is, they are sending a high-pressure salesman to the house to get your money. In 90% of the cases, measuring the opening where the walk-in tub needs to fit can be done by the customer. If more remodeling needs to be done, such as moving a wall or taking out a door, that’s different. But anyone can measure a bathtub. As long as the company knows the size of the existing tub, choosing the right size walk-in tub is easy. It is helpful also to ask the homeowner to measure door openings.
“OH BY THE WAY” SCAM. This is a good one… but only if you’re the salesman. It goes something like this. The salesman comes to the house to do a hard sales pitch to the customer. When the salesman finds resistance to the high price, he says, “Oh, by the way, I may have a solution. I had to cancel my last appointment, and I just happened to have the very model you need in my van. I don’t want to have to take it all the way back to the warehouse, so I will take $2000 off if you just take it off my hands today.” THIS SCAM IS ACTUALLY USED QUITE FREQUENTLY.
“I CAN’T GIVE YOU A PRICE OVER THE PHONE” SCAM. Again, the company probably prefers to send a high-pressure salesman to your house. They can’t justify their price, so the only way they can close a customer is face-to-face. Beware of any company that will not give you a price over the phone. They have something to hide…. like a high price.
“FEAR” SCAM. Let me be delicate with this one. There is some room for fear. After all, each year one in three people age 65 or older will suffer an injury from falling. Some might simply produce a sprain, but many produce serious head trauma. Falling is the leading cause of fatal injury among seniors. With that being said, let me warn you about how some salesmen for walk-in tubs go overboard. First, they come to the customer’s home. When the customer doesn’t appear to see the urgency of buying today, the salesman begins to bring out all the gory details of what can happen if you don’t have the walk in tub. They give illustration after illustration of those who have suffered serious head trauma by falling in the bath. Here is an example. “She fell while trying to get out of a huge garden tub. She fractured her skull and lay on the cold tile floor all night. She lost so much blood that she almost died. Unable to call anyone, she was dependent on her daughter showing up the next morning to save her life.” A little over the top. It could happen, but an extreme measure by the salesman to try and sell a bathtub.
“BARGAIN BASEMENT” SCAM. This tactic is particularly prevalent if you shop for the lowest price, especially online. I have seen tubs listed for thousands of dollars below wholesale, only to find out that these units are stripped down or that the cost of shipping the tub is exorbitant. If that low, low price means that you have to pay hundreds or even thousands more to add needed fixtures and plumbing, then you will find that the “bargain basement” price is anything but. It’s like the old saw about the guy who goes to buy a car only to have the salesman ask him, “So, you want an engine with that?” More importantly, anyone who tries to suck you in with a lowball price that they can’t deliver on is not someone with whom you need to do business in the first place.

Another Walk-In Tub happy customer.

I’m sure there are many other scams that could be mentioned, but these will suffice for now. Do your homework. Be a smart and informed buyer. Walk-In Tubs serve a purpose, but make sure you aren’t pressured into buying features you don’t need or paying too much. Have a pleasant buying experience.

In this article, I discussed nine scams Walk-In Tub vendors and salespeople use to trick seniors into over paying for their Walk In Tub. I provide these nine scams in detail so that any senior will be armed with the knowledge to keep from being fooled and make a wise purchase.

Short Buyers Guide Video

Until next time.

Alan and Kerry Knight are the owners of Tub King, Inc., and SeniorBathtub.com in Jacksonville, Florida. Together they have many years of experience in the antique and senior bathtub industries. Their companies not only provide superior products, they are also award winners, receiving the “Best of Jacksonville Chamber Award” three years running. If you’d like to contact them, call (800) 409-3375 or (800) 843-4231; or send an email to alan @tubking.com.

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