ComplaintsforThe Swimming Pool Store

• Initial Complaint

  07/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The Swimming Pool Store was contracted to install a new 16x32 liner on a semi-inground ******* Pool. Liner was provided by homeowner through ****** manufacturer. Work was completed by two team members during one day in May, 2022. Employees provided additional sand for the liner base and commented that the pool was structurally sound. Business was paid $1,950 cash for the job. Within a few weeks, owners noticed extreme settling of liner and that the side wall support bar appeared to be piercing through the liner. The Swimming Pool Store was contacted in early June and two new team members came out to inspect. The diagnosis was a potential leak due to the pierced liner but the employees needed to speak with the owner to determine next steps. When no resolution was offered, owner contacted the Swimming Pool Store again in early July as the leak was getting worse and pool was losing water daily. The Swimming Pool Store agreed to send their diver out on 7/16 for an additional inspection. The diver stated the hole needs a patch from underneath as well as additional material brought in to fix the erosion caused by the slow leak. As the diver was inspecting and touching the hole (and provided no temporary patch), the owners suffered a catastrophic loss sometime between the evening hours of 7/16 and the early morning of 7/17. An approximate four-foot-long hole was torn in the pool and 13k gallons of water caused massive erosion and structural damage. The Swimming Pool Store refuses to accept responsibility and offers no attempt to repair the damage. Owners are currently out $2k for new liner, $2k for liner installation and however many thousands of dollars to repair structural issues caused by erosion. Owners are now without a pool and cannot find contractor to perform necessary repairs.

  Business response

  08/03/2022

  On January 19th 2022, the customer contacted us to install a vinyl liner that he had purchased on his own. On May 7th, we installed the vinyl liner, following all industry standards. After completion, everything looked perfect and the customer happily paid their invoice.
  
  
  I've attached a PDF  of the customer's original quote, which includes the scope of the work to be completed (note that his quotation originally only includes "minor repairs to the sand bottom," which is exactly what was completed).
  
  
  I've also attached some photos of his pool just before our installation and just after.
  
  
  On June 15th, the customer emailed us letting us know that one of his side wall supports began to protrude into the liner, he requested we come out and take a look. We came out on June 26th and let him know it was a structural issue.
  
  
  On July 6th he asked us to come out again to install a patch, claiming that he was losing water. We sent our diver out on July 16th, and he did not find a leak at the area of concern. Our diver/tech informed the customer that he would need structural repair done due to the original installation of the pool. We let the customer know that we do not do above ground pool structural repair, and referred him to a company which could do the necessary work.
  
  
  The very next morning, on July 17th, the customer emailed with photos of wear his liner gave way and tore at the problematic area. He insisted it was because of our liner installation, even after agreeing that the pool required structural repair to fix the issue. His wife called our store and used very abrasive language, threatening to sue us. We informed her that the issue was due to the original installation of the pool, and the lack of underground reinforcement on the "aboveground" section of the pool. 
  
  
  It is our professional opinion that the damage suffered to this pool is the result of the original installation, which was completed by ***** *****, a company which is no longer operating due to numerous lawsuits and whose owners received jail time for embezzlement. We ask that ***** **** send out an engineer to observe how the original construction of the pool, and the lack of structural reinforcement of one side of the pool, caused this issue.

  Customer response

  08/03/2022

  
  "We sent our diver out on July 16th, and he did not find a leak at the area of concern. Our diver/tech informed the customer that he would need structural repair done due to the original installation of the pool. We let the customer know that we do not do above ground pool structural repair, and referred him to a company which could do the necessary work."  This is a blatant lie.  The diver clearly stated there was a leak (as he suggested the same when he was out for the first visit) and it should be patched from underneath.  It was suggested the pool be drained, hole patched from underneath and more sand added to the base.  
  
  
  "The very next morning, on July 17th, the customer emailed with photos of wear his liner gave way and tore at the problematic area. He insisted it was because of our liner installation, even after agreeing that the pool required structural repair to fix the issue."  Yes, customer agreed that there was a structural issue due to inadequate sand used during the liner installation and any repairs by a third party would be coordinate and paid for by The Swimming Pool Store. 
  
  
  "It is our professional opinion that the damage suffered to this pool is the result of the original installation, which was completed by ***** *****, a company which is no longer operating due to numerous lawsuits and whose owners received jail time for embezzlement. We ask that ***** **** send out an engineer to observe how the original construction of the pool, and the lack of structural reinforcement of one side of the pool, caused this issue."  While ***** ***** did commit crimes against other clients, it is illogical and irresponsible il to suggest those actions translate into poor craftsmanship.  Customer had so structural issues for two years prior to the liner replacement. 

  ***** **** did not send out an engineer and this conclusion is another lie.  Attached is the report from the firm that was on site and the loss is stated as faulty liner replacement work. 

  Business response

  08/04/2022

  Regarding the leak, customer is correct that there was a very small leak detected on the July 16th at the area in question, I mistakenly wrote otherwise, I conferred with my service tech who corroborated this and apologize for this oversight. Our service technician asked the customer whether he would prefer a patch to be put on or if he would prefer to have the structural repair company come out to repair the area that was washed out. The customer chose the latter option.

  At no point was it communicated or even remotely suggested that the structural repair needed to the pool would be paid for by The Swimming Pool Store or was the result of the work done by The Swimming Pool Store, and no where in our email exchanges is this mentioned, only that we do not do aboveground structural repairs and that we recommend another company for them. 

  The assertion that there was "inadequate sand" is one we vehemently deny. Sand was packed and tamped down in the same manner as every other sand bottom pool for which we replace a liner. We are not responsible for the subterranean composition well under the sand base of the customer's pool, which very well was full of rocky soil which caused the wash out. Again, we were not contracted to ensure that the customer's swimming pool was properly installed, or to ensure the land upon which it was built was receptive to supporting a swimming pool for many years, this was the responsibility of ***** *****, and unfortunately they did not adequately compact the land on this side of the pool. 

  The customer claims  that ***** ***** is not responsible for the failure, or that our mention of them is not applicable to the issue, is also erroneous. In addition to the embezzlement, it is also well-documented, and can be easily ascertained by a quick Google search on the company, that "Roy hired young laborers who were inexperienced and improperly licensed for pool installation jobs" (*************************************************************************************************************************************). This is a complaint that we've personally heard for several years regarding ***** *****, and we are not surprised to find that there is an issue with the construction of one of their pools. The customer may not think the original installer is relevant to this issue, but it speaks volumes that the installer is non-existent and unable to provide any help with this matter due to their criminal and negligent business practices. 

  Perhaps if ***** ***** were around to answer for their improper installation, the customer would not be seeking damages from our company, which has an impeccable record of servicing countless customers in *********** for over two decades. We have several customers who can attest to the fact that we stand behind any work we do, and that we rectify any mistakes for which we are responsible.

  I also learned that customer, in order to drain their pool prior to our installation, drained the pool by cutting the liner and allowing it to drain out all at once. My techs informed me that the customer's wife let them know this was their method. This method is NOT advised, and could have created major issues with underneath the pool that caused the wash out. On the day of installation our technician jokingly asked if a bear tore the liner, to which the customer's wife replied that it was her husband who did it to drain the pool. Our photos of before the installation show large tears that could have saturated a substantial amount of land underneath the pool, which potentially could have contributed to the issue.

  Our commercial liability insurance carrier is aware of the customer's claims, and will be sending out their engineering company to make a determination as soon as possible. 

*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. ↩