Knock-offs with the Jacuzzi name on them? With a Jacuzzi serial number, Jacuzzi guide, Jacuzzi warranty card, sold by a fortune 500 company (Lowes)?
Out of production, but you can special order through Lowes right from the Jacuzzi factory?
I'm afraid I'm going to have to respectfully agree to disagree with you on this one, that Lowes is selling knock-offs of Jacuzzi, or the difference in price is a reflection of quality.
Yes, the big boxes have lines of products made for them that are not of the same quality as other lines made by the same company, such as Glacier Bay faucets in HD, but Jacuzzi is not making a Jacussi for Lowes. Once again, the Jacuzzi 3004 you get from Lowes is the identical Jacuzzi 3004 you buy at any other store, the difference is that Lowes is going to move 10,000 of them and gets a deep discount compared to the other guy who will sell 20 of them in a year.
I suspect your customer's situation was somewhat different, or he just got a faulty unit.