Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  07/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This is my second complaint with the BBB about the Pool Doctor of Brevard, Inc. The Pool Doctor refinished my pool in Nov 20216 and provided me with a 10 year warranty. My initial contact was on 06 February 2023 that the pool finish was delaminating. I made a complaint to the BBB in March after calling and e-mailing them multiple times and they continued to avoid honoring their warranty. On 28 March 2023 this was the Pool Doctor's reply to the Better Business Bureau "Customer called and I spoke to her and told her we would take a look at her pool surface in approximately 3 weeks. Our superintendent did look at the surface and verified the places where the surface was coming off and told her we would get back in touch with her, which we did. Doug looked at the surface last week and told her we would repair the areas in the pool in the next 4 to 8 weeks under the warranty but we will not resurface the entire pool. She has not been chasing us, there has been communication via phone and email" The Pool Doctor has STILL not honored their warranty. To be clear, I have been chasing them for almost SEVEN MONTHS and my pool is only getting worse. I have almost two dozen e-mails and a dozen phone calls to Barbara the owner, with no truthful dates of when the the Pool Doctor plans to rectify their poor workmanship. My pool has several areas of the finish buckling and totally cracking, one is at least a 4ftx5ft area. I was hoping not to have to hire an attorney or go through small claims court, but I need my pool repaired. I plead with the BBB to give this company an unsatisfactory rating. Consumers need protection against companies like the Pool Doctor of Brevard. Thank you.

  Business response

  08/01/2023

  First of all she has not been chasing us. My name is not Barbara.  I have communicated with her by email and text and amazingly when I emailed her last week she did not respond until days later, instead she proceeded to make this complaint.  We have looked at the pool and said we would repair the spots, which we will do but it is not poor workmanship. We have been in business for 53 years and always answer compliants.  She has been given a date that we will repair the pool.

  Business response

  09/10/2023

  On August 20, 2023 we responded to the BBB.  Our response is the same:   We have been in contact with the customer on multiple occasions.  We drained her pool on August 14,2023.  Upon inspection of the pool surface, it was evident from the discoloration of the plaster and all the plastic fittings throughout the pool, there was definitely a chemical imbalance.  It was NOT poor workmanship.  My head pool plasterer has been with us for 20 years and has resurfaced thousands of pools, remembered this job in 2016, 7 years ago.  The job was properly bond coated and prepped.  We have offered to resurface her pool, labor and materials for the pro-rated price of $2,500.00.  On our last on site conversation with the customer, we told her $2,500.00 to resurface the pool she asked if we could do it for $2,000.00. Our attorney sent her an agreement.  She had issue with some of the items so our attorney is looking at her responses.

  Customer response

  09/12/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I do not agree with the assessment of this business. I've had multiple pool professionals who have stated the delamination of the pool surface is most likely caused by poor preparation of the surface, poor workmanship, or poor material. My pool has been maintained with records by pool companies for over a decade. Records were kept that verify the pool was continually balanced. Although I agreed to paying $2500 for the Pool Doctor to repair my pool, the document they are requiring me to sign is a very one sided agreement that provides no consumer protection against a bad business. My attorney has reviewed the document and recommends I do not sign until the document is fair and equitable to both parties. I can't withdraw this complaint until my pool has been repaired satisfactorily. I can't imagine how anyone could disagree. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** * *******

• Initial Complaint

  07/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In 2019 pool doctor resurfaced our pool with a 10 year warranty. I have been trying to get ahold of them for over a month now via phone calls and emails to let them know the work is failing / potentially done incorrectly and would like them to come out and at least take a look a look and honor their warranty. There is a spot in the pool where the resurfacing material is now falling off but it also looks like it may not have been done correctly as there are dried "runs" or "drips" of surfacing material on the other ring of said spot. It's about the size of a half dollar now. A larger spot I would say 8 to 12 inches sounds to be hollow behind it as well and sir bubbles are coming out. It was extremely hard getting them to come out to begin with and it has been impossible this time getting even a call back. I hate to do this but am not seeing any other method to at least even get ahold of them let alone have them honor their warranty.

  Business response

  07/23/2023

  We have spoken to the customer on several occasions, most recently last Friday.  He was told we would look at the spot in the pool to determine if there is a warranty issue. In our 53 years of being in business and doing 250 pools per year, generally issues are not the product or the application, but improper chemical balance.

  Customer response

  07/26/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  

  They did finally reach out to me, have attempted one repair which did not hold. Their superintendent visually noted, no tests run, that it was high in calcium but began chipping away anyway. A faulty patch was applied, but agin they did mention they will be back out. 

  Not sure how this works, but they did not speak to the customer, me. They yelled at the customer, me, various insults for leaving this complaint, said 16 weeks they would be out hung up, called back a frw days later, then said didn't we say next week, hung up, then ironically did show up. It was a mess, but yes if they follow through I am satisfied.

  Just want to be detailed on all accounts, given they for sure said they will be out, but were completely unruley this entire time. 

  Their rendition of how this unfolded is far more seamless that it actually was. 

  Sincerely,
  
  *** ******

• Initial Complaint

  11/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We contacted Pool Doctor of Brevard, Inc in May 2022 to have our pool resurfaced, and we we received a proposal dated 5/24/2022 and signed by Diane H****** (see attached). They requested $2,233.00 as a deposit, which we provided via check (see attached). The time was in may, and they promised us the project would be completed around July. Starting in July, it became "just a few more weeks" and then "just a few more weeks." This have been going on since July. Fast forward to Now (October/November 2022), all calls to the company are unresponded to. No one at all has visited our property since the deposit was paid, but the deposit has been cashed by the company (again, see attached). There is no excuse for a project taking this long, and the utter lack of communication is even worse. We are asking for the project to be started AND completed this week, as the time for stalling has run out. OR we are asking for a full refund of the $2,233.00 deposit on terms of breach of the repair contract by the Company.

  Business response

  11/22/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/11/18) */ It did take longer than we anticipated but we had product delays and a hurricane. We did not take her money. I offered to return her deposit but she wanted the pool resurfaced. We do not visit the property until we start the job. Resurfacing of the pool is complete. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/11/21) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) Business finally contacted us the day after the complaint was opened. They agreed to start the project that Monday (stating they couldn't start the next day due to Hurricane Nicole scheduled to hit Florida) or they would refund our deposit if they did not start. That Monday, they were, in fact, at our property and started the job. They finally completed the project on Friday 11/18. It took a BBB complaint to get the company to communicate with us for the first time in months, but the project has now been completed. Thank you.

• Initial Complaint

  10/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In 2022, a contract was signed with Pool Doctors of Brevard to resurface the pool and expand the pool deck. June 15 the pool was drained empty. June 20th pallets of patio block were delivered to my front yard. Since then, 4 days of work have created piles of gravel all over. The pool is half full of green slime, drink cups, broken bags of cement, tadpoles and other disgusting creatures. My backyard has been totally unusable all summer. The HOA is complaining about the pallets of blocks still on my front yard. I'm supposed to swim every day for medical reasons. And we're planning a backyard wedding for November! I told the company about this in June. I don't understand work being done on 4 days for about 4 hours a day. Not a professional company!

  Business response

  12/06/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/11/01) */ The blocks are the pavers for her deck expansion. The surface material was a special order which we had to wait until it came in. At this point the pool has been resurfaced and operational. The paver deck is near completion. We were never told that there was a wedding planned. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/11/02) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Doug measured in March when the contract was signed. It clearly read the perimeter of the pool and a walkway were included. A few weeks back supposedly they realized they were short of retaining wall blocks and supposedly ordered more. Today he came up with a deal. I wouldn't have to pay for the shortage (which was already included in the contract), if I would change my comments! Is this bribery or extortion?!?! And meanwhile he's telling me about his 22 employees and how rich he is that he owns a lot! Is this his mo for getting rich? Definitely a weird conversation. Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/11/18) */ We did not measure wrong, she added pavers. WE have ordered more pavers and wall blocks. The delivery is suppose to be November 28. The product was not available so we have to wait until they actually make it and is ready to ship. Product delays have been a constant problem for the past year. For example it took 5 months to actually get the surface material for the inside of the pool. We have no control over our suppliers. Being in business for 51 years, this is the first time anyone has accused us of bribery or extortion. We run a legitimate business. These issues may simply be a communication issue of where we were going to put pavers and what she thought. She was charged for the pavers which are installed on her property, no less, no more. We have already done extra items, adding 2 steps to her deck and installing tile on her step ups.

• Initial Complaint

  10/11/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On April 25, 2022 I signed a contract with Pool Doctor of Brevard to remodel my pool. This included laying travertine tile over the existing pool deck, resurfacing the inside of the pool and removing the old tile in the pool and installing new tile. The price to complete this work was $24,200. I was required to give a third of the cost as a down payment when I signed the contract. I signed the contract and gave a check for $8,766 on April 25, 2022. I didn't hear from the company for 90 days so I gave them a call to get an update. Diane and Doug, the owners of the business said they would start the following week. They finally started working on the pool project on July 20, 2022 almost three months after we signed the contract. Today is October 11, 2022 and the travertine tile is partially finished and the pool has not been resurfaced. We are coming up on six months and they have so much work to do. The contact we signed indicated that they would complete the work 90 days after they pulled the permit. I have contacted the company via email, phone and text every week for the past two months to get updates. They rarely contact me with information on the status of the job. Since the day I signed the contract, Doug has never come to the house to inspect the work or give me updates. Their employees come for one or two days then weeks go by before they come again. They never clean up after themselves and the backyard is a mess.

  Business response

  11/18/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/10/24) */ We did not receive the travertine until the second week in September. Customer also added extra work which was not in the contract. We resurfaced the pool last week and are working on completing the travertine. Everyone has their own time frame but does not realize what is involved in getting the product and materials.

• Initial Complaint

  09/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On June 7 2021, met with Pool Doctor and we agreed on a scope of work for the project for our pool and back yard. We entered into a contract with Pool Doctor of Brevard and paid an initial deposit of $9376.00. We were told that work would commence within 8 weeks. Work did not commence until November at which time they drained the pool and demolished the pool surface. On November 9, 2021 we paid Pool Doctor another $6,500 for a new pool heater. On November 19, 2021 we paid a second installment of $9376.00 under the contract. The Pool Doctor then left and did not return until May 2022. The pool remained in a dangerous condition for over 6 months, despite my numerous requests for updates on when they would return to complete the work. I have text messages and photos supporting this. When they returned in May to actually resurface the pool, we also discussed adding a pool control system. On May 13, 2022, we paid an additional $10,000 to cover the cost of additional equipment and the work completed to date. We paid Pool Doctor for all of the materials. We have paid Pool Doctor over $35,000. It is now September of 2022 and the work under the contract remains uncompleted and the work that was done was done shoddily. We have equipment that is not installed, other work that has not been completed and have had to pay others to finish some of the work. Pool Doctor has not completed the work that they agreed to when we entered into the agreement, and we have paid in full for all materials. At this point, after over a year of waiting, we want to sever the relationship with Pool Doctor, but they are demanding that we pay an additional $8600 for work that has not been done.

  Business response

  10/24/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/09/08) */ The delayed start was due to the fact that we were waiting for pavers to be delivered and a special order pool surface material to arrive. The heat pump was a separate contract, delivered and paid for. The contract payments were as follows: 9376.00, 9376.00, and then on May 12 they paid $10,000.00 This third payment of $10,000.00 was for the $9278.00 balance on contract and $800.00 for the skimmer. All items on the contract dated 6-7-21 were complete. He did not pay for the other items on the invoice dated 5-11-2022 which he received a copy of that day. The automation was added on 5-13-2022 and was sold to him at our cost. We do not give equipment away.It was only when we asked for payment that he wrote to the Better Business Bureau, that is outrageous. So if he believes there are items on the contract that we did not do, make a list and we will look at it. I am attaching copies of contracts and invoice. If we cannot reach an agreement we will file a mechanics lien and go to small claims court. Consumer Response /* (3000, 8, 2022/09/14) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Please see the attached response to the statements made by Pool Doctor including supporting information. This supplements the information and photos that were provided with our original complaint. We are reiterating our request that both parties walk away. No further work to be done by Pool Doctor and no further payments to be made by me. Business Response /* (4000, 12, 2022/10/03) */ We do not accept the consumer's response. The customer added additional pavers that is why he was charged for them. He did not pay for the lights in the pool and spa and he did not pay for the automation, these were extras not on the contract but he ordered them. He received the invoice the day he paid $10,000.00, leaving a balance of $5603.00 plus the automation that we sold him at our cost. We do not give equipment away. He never said he disagreed with the charges, only when we asked to get paid did he say he was not going to pay and at that time he filed the complaint with the Better Business Bureau. We will not walk away from the $8603.00 that he clearly owes.

• Initial Complaint

  07/29/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Pool Doctor pulled the plug on my pool June 17th. I have only seen the tile guy and no one else. I have had no communication with them except through text messages occasionally. I have now found out that a neighbor on the same street as myself had their pool drained after mine, and they are now completed. I have been told on several occasion that they are coming and never do. I have a cesspool in my back yard. It smell and is very nasty. No one answers my calls or text. **********

  Business response

  09/01/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/08) */ The neighbor's pool was started the same day as her pool and yes one has to be done before the other. Can't do both the same day. I responded to her texts. This is a customer who said she was not in a hurry to get the job done. At this time her job has been completed.

• Initial Complaint

  06/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We contracted to have our pool, driveway, flower beds and sitting area done by this company in November 2021 which was 8 months ago and no one will answer the phone or texts and everything is still sitting unfinished. They have worked 4 days 4 or 5 hours each time in the past 8 months and then they didn't come back despite numerous texts and phone calls. Our pool area has been sitting with muck and filth in the bottom , a breeding ground for mosquitos and garbage along the perimeter of our porch. Also there is a tripping hazard because they left random bricks sitting all around our pool and pavers that are missing and uneven all around our pool. The pavers which they had delivered in March, at least 20 or more pallets, have been sitting all along the front of our house on our sidewalks which is also creating a liability issue as our neighbors are upset that no one can use the sidewalks now and if someone happens to get hurt because of this we will have another problem. When someone from their company finally answered their phone they told my husband that they would be out to work every day this week and they would make us a priority. This week again they did not show up as promised. Came one day and never showed back up again. They stated that had to let concrete set for a few days but failed to realize that we still have all of the above mentioned pavers that still need to be levelled/installed and missing pieces around the perimeter of our pool that still need to be cut and installed, the skimmer needs to be finished, prepping the shallow end of the pool to be resurfaced, the drain next to the porch that they installed needs to be levelled and have concrete poured to set, pick up the garbage that has been sitting by our porch from them for weeks and pavers by the grill as well that could have been taken care of. This company is disreputable and we are very upset with how they are stringing us along and not completing our work promising to finish and not doing so.

  Business response

  09/01/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/07/01) */ There were numerous labor and supply chain issues. It took several months to receive the pavers and the permit for the driveway. Once we started working on the pool there were existing structural cracks in the deep end of the pool that needed to be addressed before the pool could be resurfaced. This was extra work not part of the contract, which we did not charge the customer for. This was a cost of approximately $2,000.00 labor and material. At this time the pool has been resurfaced and the paver deck is completed. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/07/03) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) #1. The cracks in the deep end was one of the main reasons for the pool repair along with non working main drain, cracked deck, bad light and leaking skimmer. The contract clearly states; Line Item #5. Install steel staples in cracks in the deep end of the pool. "We were charged for this." #2. We were made aware at the end of November when we paid our first draw that the pavers would take 12-14 weeks for delivery which we fully understood with the current supply chain problems and they were delivered 14 weeks later in mid March. No work was started until the end of March and here we are the end of June and the pool was finally resurfaced and "ALMOST" complete. I was a pool builder myself and myself and one other worker could build a pool from start to finish in less that 3 weeks, this included using two other sub-contractors for the gunite and plastering. It doesn't take 14 weeks to do what has been done to date. Maybe two weeks #3. There are still things not finished. The pavers are not complete. (a) Applying the sand to the joints and fixing a few small issues are still required. (b) The Stucco still needs to be applied to the step down from BBQ area to the pool area. (c) one screen door still needs to be lifted so it will open because of the paver height. (d) fix white tile grout that was covered with tan grout from the paver coping. Interim summary: Lack of communication and ignoring phone calls and texts is completely unacceptable. This is the biggest issue with this company. Second issue is the workers would randomly come and only work 3 hours or so. Work would have to be redone over and over to get it right and it still is not right. We feel the Pool Doctor should have set aside the time on their schedule for right after the 14 week delay in delivery of pavers and set aside a full two weeks and get the job done by say mid April but it's now July 4th weekend and there is still work to do. That's 14 weeks alone. 3-1/2 months. It was not until my wife complained here on the BBB that we started getting any action, calls and texts answered and we are very appreciative of that. We did this because we knew how many other jobs The Pool Doctor had taken on after we signed our contract and paid our first draw. There were at least 19 other draws and contracts signed by others after ours was signed in the county alone not withstanding the any city permits like Titusville, Melbourne, Cocoa, Palm Bay etc. We still need our driveway started but we are patient because we know sometimes things don't always go right with weather, labor and supplies. It wasn't until a friend of ours signed a contract a couple weeks ago in Titusville and they knew the issue's we were having but didn't know it was with The Pool Doctor. They did the same thing to them before finishing our pool, drain and destroy and then nothing. Here we are waiting for 14 weeks and they start another job. Here's the Modus Operandi of pool builders. Do everything to get the job and then come drain the pool, remove the tile and other things, make a mess and then put you on the back burner because they get a draw from you to pay for the next guys job materials and labor. I know, I worked for one and I explicitly refused to work that way. Get the job, start and finish ASAP. Not get everyone's 1st draw after draw and delay everyone. It doesn't have to be that way. We would have been glad to have been called and explained things within reason and accepted it but NO COMMUNICATION AT ALL for weeks at a time. So this was our only route to communicate. I tried to be nice and patient and thank them every time they would send the workers out but that wasn't working. Our whole back yard and porch area has been a mess for months now and we still cannot get back to normal until they come back and finish the job. It's not too late to do the right thing and make us happy with the pool. Next we need our driveway and other contract fulfilled in a expeditious manner. We can't have that take 14 weeks. Thank you for your quick response to our complaint Pool Doctor. Now lets get the job done and close this case. Business Response /* (4000, 12, 2022/08/08) */ They have been swimming in their pool for over 6 weeks. Most of the items on the pool punch list have been completed. The pool area is not a mess. We do not need advice from a customer on how to run our business. We have been in business for 52 years and do 280 pool renovations per year.

• Initial Complaint

  05/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Signed agreement 3/2021 to have pool resurfaced which was completed 9/2021. In March 2022, a section near our spa started to bubble up and our sand filter has a leak & I called and left a message. I called the 2nd week of March & was told, Jimmy, would be there next week. No one showed up. On 4/4/22 we emailed them with pics and video and didn't hear back. Reached out again via text, call and sent emails on 4/8, 4/21, 4/27, and 5/1. As of today, 5/19, the bubbling of the pool deck has gotten much, much worse and we will not be able to turn the jets on to the spa as it will cause more water to go underneath the pool deck surface and the rain is making it worse. The sand filter is still leaking.

  Business response

  07/01/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/02) */ The leak was at the o-ring in the filter and we fixed it. The loose section of the deck was removed and we are in the process of fixing it.

• Initial Complaint

  03/23/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Signed a contract on 1/12/21 for a spa to be added to our pool, and redo the deck. The project was done on 12/8/21 - 11 months. Communication was and is still a problem. I have sent several emails, text and voice mails with no returns. Currently I have two issues: 1 - The concrete that was replaced is now cracked. I sent an email with pictures but given their past I don't expect them to fix it or contact me. 2 - Signed a contract on 12/8/21 for them to resurface my pool at a discounted rate BECAUSE, they were not able to clean the discoloration off the bottom of the pool in many places. This was caused by the construction process several times. I was told by Them that they would clean it up when they were done - Remember that it took 11 months to do this job. The reduced price was the result of them not being able to clean the stains off the pool. 3 - The contract for the resurfacing was to start "middle to end of January" . I sent email, text, and left voice messages because they refused to answer my calls, asking for them to move the start date to February. They have not started any work, Not communicated with me at all, Have not stated they do not want to do the work. The final payment was reduced because there were a few changes. No change order was made. I sent an email documenting the items that I did and the damage that their workers did and I had to replace.

  Business response

  05/18/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 11, 2022/04/21) */ We did build a spa, but we did not damage the pool surface. We did offer to resurface his pool for 1/3 of the going rate and have pushed him way ahead of other customers. Consumer Response /* (3000, 13, 2022/04/25) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) HIS COMPAMY did CREATE THE STAIN. Jimmy, his #1 guy stated on numerous occasions that they would fix it when they were done - It was too late as the chemicals increased the stain - I was told this by two other pool companies. In Doug's voice mail on April 11 stated that he did not cause the stain because the surface was original. Jimmy and co-worker H, stated that the pool had been resurfaced at least twice. I spoke to Doug after I listened to his message and told him what his guys said about the resurface. In my attachment, I told him his communication sucked. He gave me a lame reason. I again, stated that I added more fish tiles and need a new pool light that linked up with the SPA light (first asked for on 21 March. I stated that I expected to pay for these. He said that he would not charge me for the installation of the fish tiles. Yes we agreed to a price (half of the current price and signed a contract on Dec 8 2021. Again, the reason for this discounted price was because his company created the stain and did not clean it up because it can be removed. The original complaint was also for the cracked patio where they replaced concrete. I showed Jimmy several places that are also rusted - corrected when they resurfaced the patio. I asked them to show me how to fix these for future issues. Jimmy stated that they would when they came back to finish (last week). Business Response /* (4000, 17, 2022/05/10) */ If it was something we got on the pool surface then acid washing would have removed it, but it did not. We installed his mosaics at No Charge and purchased a new pool light for which he paid for. We repaired the crack in the deck and the pool resurfacing is complete. Consumer Response /* (2000, 19, 2022/05/11) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) Yes they finally completed the pool resurface on May 6 that they started 7 weeks before (Monday 21 March). I was told they would be done by Friday March 25. They were supposed to do this work in Jan 2022 - 5 months ago. The company has been in business for 50 years and are still doing business the way they did 50 years ago. They need to get current - hire more workers, hire office staff to keep up. I am washing my hands of this Company. They are the worst people to work with as they do not communicate unless you threaten them. The work is good but they are not dependable. YES IT WAS THEIR FAULT. The worker agreeed.

*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. ↩