Unlicensed Sauna Seller Aggravates Customers

KIRO 7 Consumer Investigators have a warning about a national vendor that's been selling saunas at local home-shows: not only is Saunas Today not licensed to do business in the state of Washington, the company doesn't always deliver the goods, even after consumers hand over a lot of money.

Saunas Today, also called Infra Red Heat Consultants, has been selling at the Western Washington State Fair in Puyallup for the past three years. But not anymore, in part because of what Consumer Investigator Amy Clancy has uncovered. In fact, Clancy learned the company shouldn’t be doing business in the state of Washington at all.

Alec Sprouffske of Olympia learned that the hard way. He had hoped the heat of a sauna would help his chronic pain, so he bought a 3-seater infra-red unit from Saunas Today while it exhibited at the Puyallup Fair last September. He told Clancy, the salesman was the same man KIRO 7 Consumer Investigators shot undercover video of at the Seattle Home Show in February. Sprouffske claims the salesman promised him a $5000 deluxe model, for just $1600.

“He made some statement like, this is my ‘don’t-walk-off-the-carpet offer,” Sprouffske told Clancy.

Not wanting to pass on a great deal, Sprouffske handed over his debit card and was told the sauna would be delivered within six weeks.

When November rolled around with no sauna, he called and emailed the Illinois-based company which told him, delivery would be made on December 30th between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

"The day came and went. Nothing,” says Sprouffske. “No sauna. No phone call. No email. Nothing happened.”

Clancy: “Did you get another delivery date after that?”

Sprouffske: “Yeah, we finally did get another email telling us that it had been rescheduled to January 13.”

But many months and many promises later, the spot on Sprouffske’s deck where he had hoped to put the sauna is bare: “As you can see, it’s still empty. Nothing there.”

Sprouffske filed a complaint with the Washington State Attorney General's office, but KIRO 7 has learned, he isn't the only Puyallup Fair visitor who's had trouble with Saunas Today.

Dan Sharp manages exhibits at the Puyallup Fair and says, because of the at-least five complaints he has received about no delivery or slow delivery, Saunas Today is no longer welcome.

“This year, they will not be here,” Sharp tells Clancy.

But KIRO 7 Consumer Investigators have learned, Saunas Today should never have been doing business at the Puyallup Fair, or anywhere else in the state.

Shari Purves-Reiter of the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries regularly attends local home shows. She investigated Saunas Today and tells Clancy “I can’t find anything on the company. There’s no record with the Department of Licensing, Department of Revenue, or Labor and Industries. So I can find nothing on them.”

Clancy: “Which means?”

Purves-Reiter: “They’re not a legitimate business in the state of Washington."

According to Purves-Reiter, L & I is now investigating Saunas Today.

Dan Sharp has now strengthened The Fair's vetting process so businesses that claim their licenses are, quote: "pending," as he says Saunas Today did, will no longer be allowed to sell their products.

Meanwhile, Alec Sprouffske wishes he were warming up in his yet-to-be-delivered sauna, not getting all hot under the collar as he did when Clancy showed him the undercover surveillance video of the Saunas Today salesman at the Seattle Home Show.

Clancy: "What do you think when you see that guy?"

Sprouffske: "I’m getting angry. I can feel it in my stomach. The adrenaline’s pumping.”

Clancy repeatedly called Saunas today asking for comment. So far, she has received no response.

Meanwhile, another complaint filed with the state Attorney General’s Office was filed by a woman who said she didn’t get the sauna she had bought at the Puyallup Fair last year.

After filing the complaint, she received the sauna a month later.

Saunas today currently has an “F” rating with the Better Business Bureau. A majority of the complaints are because of delivery issues.

L & I suggests, if you don't know a vendor well, delay full payment until delivery. Or don't buy at all.

To check whether a company has a license to do business in this state, visit the Department of Licensing website @ https://fortress.wa.gov/dol/dolprod/bpdLicenseQuery/

To check whether a contractor is licensed, visit the L&I website @ http://www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/Contractors/HireCon/