Blue Ribbon Covers 2020-02-05

I have a hot tub, and until recently the cover was getting pretty heavy. Now I have a new cover and it is so light that it almost feels like something is wrong. That's good by the way. In any case, I bought my new cover from Blue Ribbon Covers and it was pretty cheap compared to some of the alternatives. Now my tub is indoors, so I didn't need a huge amount of insulation and was able to go with the cheapeast option (the least amount of insulation), so it was $383.07 after taxes. If you are reading this because you live in Canada and are considering buying a new tub cover then you may have to get one of the thicker ones.

The purchasing process went reasonably well. I just followed the instructions on how to measure the tub and then paid. Yeah, of course that went easy right? Anyways they had warnings saying that in peak season (May - September) it takes a couple weeks to make the cover and then 1-5 days to ship it. I waited a couple of weeks, and since it is not peak season, I emailed them for an update. I got one a day or so later that even had a tracking number for the family owned Nationex shipping company which I have never heard of. Turns out the tracking information said that they only deliver to my area on Wednesdays. I thought that was a little lame but figured when you get something that big shipped for free then you kind of get what you get eh? That means the cover should have been arriving today, but in fact it arrived yesterday some time between 1pm and 8pm while I was out.

Now most folks would be happy that their online order arrived a day early. But those who read the warnings on the Blue Ribbon Covers web site might be a little worried. I mean stuff like this:

DELIVERY OF SPA COVER – The responsibilities of the Customer.

   All covers must be thoroughly inspected by the receiving party BEFORE signing the delivery receipt. Please inspect the box for any visible damage. If you see damage to the box, please open the package while the driver is still present. Note any damage to the cover on the delivery receipt. IF THE COVER IS DAMAGED, DO NOT SIGN THE DELIVERY RECEIPT.

   IT IS THE SOLE REPONSIBILITY OF THE CUSTOMER TO THOROUGHLY INSPECT DELIVERED COVER FOR DAMAGES.DO NOT SIGN THE DELIVERY RECEIPT WITHOUT FIRST INSPECTING THE PRODUCT. NEVER SIGN FOR A DAMAGED SPA COVER.
   If you discover damage after taking delivery, call both the Delivery Company and Blue Ribbon Covers immediately. The sooner you discover the damage, the easier it may to get compensation from the delivery company.

IF THE PURCHASER OF THE COVER (OR THEIR AGENT) SIGNS FOR A DAMAGED COVER, THEY WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR FILING A DAMAGE CLAIM WITH THE FREIGHT COMPANY AND THE COST OF A REPLACEMENT SPA COVER. NEVER SIGN FOR A DAMAGED SHIPMENT NO MATTER WHAT THE DELIVERING DRIVER OR COMPANY TELLS YOU. IF THE SHIPMENT IS DAMAGED, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE THE DELIVERY.

And this was not the only one. They made it sound like the delivery company might be unreliable or might damage the covers, and that it happens often enough to deserve multiple warnings during the purchasing process. So I took some photos of where they left it, and the minor damage to the box before I took it inside and opened it up. I was a little worried that I was going to be having arguments about who is responsible for the damage on a box I obviously didn't sign for and had no opportunity to refuse. The cover turned out reasonably undamaged and even lighter than I expected. Perhaps I am just accustomed to lifting a ridiculously waterlogged cover that I am now imbued with super strength.

Oddly, when I came back to my PC and rechecked the tracking, it said this:

My tracking info.

I guess they don't update tracking when they drop stuff off. It also seems as though they had trouble getting in and/or out of my driveway because there are tire tracks in the snowbank that made me laugh. Anyways, the cover is not the most rugged cover I have ever seen, but it seems to be doing the trick so far. If there was any advice I could offer to people researching these covers, it would be to not worry about over measuring. I followed their instructions exactly and my cover fits slightly loose compared to my old cover. I guess my old cover may be a little worn and crusty which makes it fit tighter but basically just follow their instructions for measurements and do not worry about providing conservatively large values. It should fit if you do what they say.

Just be prepared for anything when it comes to delivery.