In December 2019, much to my surprise, I received news that Hayward has halted the ability for many of their current products to be sold online. Complete filter units, pumps, salt systems, and pool automation can no longer be sold online. With the caveat, that new "W3" online versions of some of their products can be sold online with a shorter warranty term and at a higher price than the original version of the product. For example, The Hayward C9002 complete filter used to be available online in our store for $320.00. Now the W3C9002 which is the exact equivalent of the original just with a specific online part number will be sold in our store for $368.99. They have basically levied an approximate 15% online penalty cost to try to level the playing field with brick and mortar stores.
To enforce their new rules they have actually threatened distributors that they would stop providing their products to them if the distributor is selling these "brick and mortor only" products to known online retailers.There could be other restrictions that I am not aware of, but it appears replacement filter cartridges and filter parts can still be sold as of now. As a business owner and as a consumer I find this behavior ridiculous, and you should too.
Below is a list of the Hayward complete filter units no longer available online. Please note, filter model parts and replacement cartridges are still available for sale online for these particular filter models under the Hayward new restricted online sales policy.
- Hayward SwimClear Single Element filter models: C100S, C150S, and C200S
- Hayward StarClear Plus filter models: C751, C7512
- Hayward StarClear models: C250
- Hayward MicroClear models: C225
The United States is a place where people like me try to work hard and create a piece of their American dream. I opened my business 10 years ago as a result of being a pool owner that found retail prices for pool products at the local pool stores to become unaffordable. I worked with the largest distributors in the country to establish my business of offering all pool equipment products online to consumers for a better price than I was able to buy them in a brick and mortar store. I registered with some of the big pool equipment manufacturers such as Hayward, Pentair, and Jandy to become authorized retailers. Yet, today, they are attempting to stop allowing me to sell their products to online consumers. As a consumer that owns these brands, I would contact them and insist they stop this behavior. Capitalism is functioning just fine in this country, there is no need for them to interfere with how business is working to protect brick and mortar pool stores by hurting online pool stores.
Feel free to reach out to them and make your voice heard.
Hayward Customer Support 1-908-355-7995
