ComplaintsforAquaServ Pool & Spa Services

• Initial Complaint

  10/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  Hot tub Topside Control panel stopped working mid January (approx 16th) Contacted Al at AquaServ as part is under warranty This is for a topside panel that has failed for the 4th time (3 different parts already installed by Al) Contact with Al week of Jan 17th Originally contracted Al from AquaServ to do original repairs and replace topside. Cost of topside panel approx $500. Al refused to take the part out and send back to the manufacturer (***) citing them as difficult to deal with. Complained to me that he has to pay for the part and doesn't get reimbursed until a few months later. He confirmed that his work is guaranteed but doesn't want to deal with this anymore. After I spoke with Manufacturer myself and advised Al, he reluctantly decided to help but I had to send the part into the manufacturer myself. (******** ************ *******) He advised that he would take the topside panel out for me (******** ************ **** **** ***) but has not replied to my many attempts and therefore forced me to do this myself. I contacted the manufacturer myself and they have been great and told me how to take this out and what to send to them. I completed this and am now awaiting the replacement which I will also install myself. My concern is that Al has neglected to follow through on his promise of the work and because he does not want to deal with the Manufacturer has left this to me as the consumer to figure out on my own.

  Business response

  15/03/2022

  The customer, **** *********, has not been truthful in his recollection of details. **** contacted AquaServ in May 2019 for service to his hot tub. The issue appeared to be a faulty topside control for his hot tub, a service call confirmed that the topside control needed to be replaced. AquaServ did not supply the original hot tub nor the existing topside, AquaServ was called upon to replace an existing faulty part. The replacement topside control was acquired from *** ***** * ********* since they are the only supplier for the replacement part, and installed on 21 Jun 19, cost of the part to the customer was $245, total invoice which included labour and other unrelated parts the customer asked us to replace plus tax came to $513.70.
  
  The topside in question failed several times, in Mar 2020, Jan 2021 and again in Mar 2021, and each time it was replaced with no cost whatsoever to ****, although there was a labour and administrative cost to AquaServ. AquaServ has a good relationship with ***, unfortunately we find their warranty policy on this particular part sub-standard. As a quick overview, *** will not replace a faulty part under warranty automatically, the part must be removed and sent back to *** at our cost where *** will then test and repair or replace under warranty as they deem necessary. Unfortunately, this process usually takes 4 - 6 weeks and we have pointed out numerous times to *** that on behalf of the customers we service, that this is an unacceptable method to handle warranty on their parts. As a result, customers can expect to be without the use of their hot tubs for 4 - 6 weeks which AquaServ does not believe to be reasonable to the customer. We have had this same issue with other customers where the topside fails in a relatively short period of time and some times repeatedly. This topside control is quite simply poorly designed and constructed. In Jul 2021, *** was informed that if they were not willing to either improve their product or warranty procedure that AquaServ would not be able to continue to provide service ad infinitum to the customers needing this particular part. All of this was explained to **** in brief summary form when he first called AquaServ in Jan of this year to report the faulty topside.
  
  There was no refusal to remove the part, **** was provided with the contact info for *** but for unknown reasons he was unwilling to remove the part himself even though it was as simple as unplugging a phone jack. We also contacted *** on his behalf and provided them with the ****'s contact info. Furthermore, we also emailed the RGA (Return Goods Authorization) from *** to ****. An important detail to note here, **** would not have been able to locate or contact the manufacturer as he claims without first being provided with the manufacturers contact info by AquaServ, since there are no markings on the topside indicating it came from ***. There was also no discussion whatsoever about being reimbursed from *** since there is no provision for reimbursement of anything under their current warranty procedure.
  
  AquaServ has always stood behind the service work we provide. Manufacturers of parts provide their own unrelated warranty, but we are not tied together and we can not be held responsible for manufacturers defects. As a gesture of good will, AquaServ will normally cover the labour cost for other manufacturers defective parts when they provide adequate product support. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide service gratis for an unlimited period of time for service parts that we have no control over.
  

  Customer response

  20/03/2022

  (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
  First off, I stand by my initial statements made. I will admit, that yes, the removal of the topside and installation of the new part was relatively straight forward. This was another part of poor service as Al would not respond to my messages to come and take the part out. He kept delaying and on Feb 1st I asked for an update and also sent him a picture of the part with the date on it asking if this would help save time. I did not receive any response until Feb 11th. At this time, I had already removed the part and sent into ***. I had the new part back from them in approx a week (not the 4-6 week turnaround Al is stating). I would have been happy to do all this myself. I get that Al was probably busy and I was not a priority and this was just poor communication on his part. A simple response letting me know he can't get to this for another week or two would have been okay and in fact had he of explained how to take the part out myself, it would of avoided me not having a working hot tub for 6 weeks.
  The manufacturer also followed up with me to give me a report on the faulty part and why this occurred and how to prevent it moving forward which I have taken action on. This is something Al did not do previously on any of the first 3 failed parts which could of helped avoid this from continuing. There was no response to my email on Mar 22 2021 asking why the parts keep failing.
  Quite honestly at this stage, I would rather this situation be solved so we can all move on. Al and I would mutually be happy to not have to deal with each other again.
  But Al crossed a line and sent a *********** message on Feb 14th to have this complaint removed. Having a young family I do not take these threats lightly. I have been advised to take this further but have held off for now.
  In order to have this whole situation resolved, I really need to believe that the threat made will/would not be followed through on.
  Ball is now in Al's court.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩