Buying Through Home Depot, Amazon, or Menards vs Direct From Ella

Where you purchased your Ella walk-in tub decides who handles the order itself: delivery scheduling, tracking, items missing or damaged on arrival, and returns belong to the seller named on your receipt. Warranty, technical support, manuals, installation guidance and replacement parts come from Ella's Bubbles no matter where the tub was bought. Ella's Bubbles builds and tests every tub in Chicago, and the same models reach customers through authorized retailers such as Home Depot, Amazon and Menards, through online distributors, through regional Ella dealers and through Ella's own network. The tub is the same Ella product whichever way it arrives, and Ella's Bubbles supports the product in every case. Knowing which party owns which question up front saves a lot of back and forth.

Watch: The Same Tub, the Same Testing, Whichever Way You Bought It

Watch: Our Quality Walk-In Tubs Made in Chicago, IL with chapters and a full transcript.

This short tour explains why the channel does not change the product. Each tub is built to the customer's chosen features and electrical standards in the Chicago facility, and quality control fills the tub, runs the motors for several hours and completes mechanical, electrical and water tests before the tub is cleaned, packed and shipped. A tub ordered through a retailer goes through exactly the same build and test process as one arranged through an Ella dealer. For a closer look at packing and shipping, see the video tour of how your tub is assembled, tested and packed.

Purchased Through a Retailer or Distributor

When you buy from Home Depot, Amazon, Menards or a distributor, that retailer is your seller and owns the order. This matters in three situations:

• Delivery and order status. The retailer arranges shipping and holds the tracking. If a delivery is late or the carrier has not called, contact the retailer's customer service. Ella's Bubbles cannot see a retailer's order records.
• Missing or damaged items on arrival. Report them to the retailer, which handles replacements, credits or returns under its own policy, and report them promptly, since freight damage must be noted within 48 hours of receipt. Ella's Bubbles can still help you identify which part is missing so the retailer sends the right one. The delivery inspection checklist shows what to check before you sign.
• Returns. The retailer's return policy governs, not Ella's.

Warranty, technical support, manuals, replacement parts after delivery and installation questions come to Ella's Bubbles regardless of where you bought the tub. Keep your retailer receipt; it is your proof of purchase for the warranty. The full picture for retailer purchases is in Bought Through Home Depot, Menards, Amazon or Another Retailer?

Purchased Through Your Ella Dealer or Ella's Network

When your order was arranged through an Ella dealer or Ella's network, the team can see the order, the proposal it was built from and the shipment, so delivery questions, missing-item reports and warranty registration are handled in one place. You will have received an order confirmation and a shipment notice with tracking by email, and the ticket you open for any question is linked to that record. What happens between order and delivery is covered in I just placed my walk-in tub order, what happens next?

Watch: What a Dealer Adds, and What You Can Do Yourself

Watch: Why Choose Ellau2019s Walk-In Tub Dealers: Key Benefits | Voted Best 2020 with chapters and a full transcript.

In this video an Ella dealer explains that installation is never bundled into the tub itself: a buyer can act as their own general contractor with a carpenter, plumber and electrician of their choosing, or a dealer can provide a single installation team, haul-away of the old tub, testing and one number to call for follow-up service. Ella's Bubbles can route callers to their dealer when the dealer handled the installation. Either way, technical support for the tub comes from Ella's Bubbles for the life of the tub.

What Stays the Same in Every Case

• The warranty. The published Lifetime Limited Warranty applies to the original owner at the original installation address, whichever channel the tub came through. Ella's Bubbles is not bound by warranty promises made by outside sellers, so the published terms are the ones that count. Dealer and installer purchases are covered in detail in Bought Through a Dealer or Installer? How Your Ella Warranty Works.
• Warranty activation. Activate at ellasbubbles.com/warranty-activation/ with a copy of your sales receipt, whether that receipt is from a retailer or a dealer. See how to activate your warranty.
• Technical support. Free lifetime support by phone, email and live video for you and your installer.
• Parts. Replacement parts are matched to your serial number by Technical Support; see how to order replacement parts.
• Documents. Manuals, spec sheets and drawings are on every product page's Downloads tab.

Not Sure Which Applies?

Check who issued the receipt or order confirmation. That party is your seller. If the paperwork shows Ella's Bubbles or your Ella dealer, the team is your first stop for everything; if it shows a retailer, the retailer handles the order and Ella's Bubbles handles the product.

Related Guides

• A Jet Nozzle Broke Off: Why Some Jets Are Directional and Others Fixed, and How to Get the Right Replacement
• How to Order a Replacement Part for Your Ella Walk-In Tub
• What Proof of Purchase Do I Need for a Warranty Claim?
• Are Ella tubs sold at Home Depot configured differently from dealer tubs?

Common Questions

For anything specific to your own tub or order, open a ticket at ellasbubbles.com/support or call (800) 480-6850 and the team will take it from there.