ComplaintsforNorrenberns Pool & Spa

• Initial Complaint

  08/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On April 10, 2023, I ordered a pool liner through Norrenberns Pool and Spa. I wrote out a check for 75% of the liner, $6,168.10. The owner of Norrenberns Pool and Spa told me it would take 3-5 weeks for my liner to come in. The liner took 3 months to come in; the month of July was half over. The pool liner did not fit our pool. We were given 2 options: 1) we, the customers, order a new liner and wait 3-6 weeks which we did not believe or 2) they construct our pool to make the pool fit. Construction was made to our pool seats to make the liner fit and we were told that we would get a discount. The liner popped out of the pool 3 times in different places the first week and the company used a hammer to put the liner back in place. We fear the liner is too short and that is why we had issues immediately after installation. The liner also has air or water behind it. We can see it moving. There is also a dip in the seat where the company constructed the seat. We never received the warranty information the day of installation. They also installed a pool cover the same week as the liner that we ordered in the summer of 2022 and were not given warranty information on it either. We received the bill and were only given a $500 discount which came from *** **** ********* the pool liner company. We wrote a letter 3 weeks ago and hand delivered it to the owners that explained our frustration and the stress this situation has caused us. The owners have made no attempt in contacting us. We have a liner that was installed a little over a month ago with many issues and we have been treated unfairly by the owners of Norrenberns Pool and Spa. We also paid $586.86 for a pool opening and the week after our pool was opened, we received the form from Norrenberns to close the pool and the money we owed for that. We only were able to use our pool a few weeks before school started and we feel the closing should be on the owners, not the customers. We feel we have been taken advantage of.

  Business response

  09/13/2023

  This is in response to **** * **** ******* response to the BBB.  First, I want to say that **** * **** are good people.  And I say that they should be a bit frustrated about the timeline of their new liner.  So, let's start from the beginning of this project.  First off, their pool is 8 years old.  In the fall of 2022, we were talking with **** * **** about their auto cover and the wear on a couple of areas that needed attention.  So Norrenberns Pools had a rep from the manufacturer come out and address the issue that they were having.  Once again, the cover has a 5-year warranty, and this cover was 8 years old.  With that being said the rep gave **** *** **** 30% off the price of a new cover, something that he did not have to do.  At the same time, we also talked about their LINER.  Remember this is the fall of 2022 and their liner was getting wrinkles and faded quite a bit and we gave them a price to replace their liner.  We also have photos of both liner and cover to show the wear.  They ordered their cover but waited the whole off season to get their liner on order.  They finally ordered their liner April 10, 2023.  Our policy for any special order is 75% down for the reason that once we place the order it cannot be cancelled.  Once again, they waited until April 2023.  This is the busiest time for our manufacturer to be ordering.  We sent the dig drawing for their pool in to be made the same day we received their 75% down payment.  Weeks after this was all done, we received an email from our distribution center that since there was so many different angles and steps in this pool that the manufacturer wanted to have the whole pool remeasured, something we call A/Bing a pool.  This process takes about 4 hours to remeasure the entire pool, 1 foot at a time.  Once we had this done, we sent all the numbers back into the distributer to do what is called an overlay and matched all the numbers with the original drawing.  While all of this is said we do not go directly to the manufacturer with this, we send it to our distribution center who then sends it to the manufacturer basically like a triangle.  Dealer – Distribution – Manufacturer…this is a process I do not like because of the problems that we run into.  But due to the time frame being April the manufacturer does not want 100’s of dealers calling the liner shop asking questions about their liner.  They would not get anything done so we have to go through distribution and/or our rep for the liners.  Once their engineering department redraws the liner with the numbers we resent, they then do a new dig drawing.  They sent it back to the distributer who forwards this to the dealer, once we receive the new drawing if we approved the drawing we would sign off and send it back through the same process.  After we reviewed the new drawing, we did have issues with the drawing, we made the changes and sent it back and once it made it back to the engineers, they wanted us to remeasure the area that was incorrect (once again).  I totally understand that they wanted the liner to be correct, but I also felt this was a stall tactic on their part because they were so busy.  At this point we got our rep involved to be sure that the liner was getting the attention so we could get this liner issue resolved.  After all the measuring and remeasuring the liner shop still got it wrong.  The bench area was 14” too long.  Contacted my rep once again we talked about the options.  Except for the bench area the liner fit perfect and looks great.  So, I talked with the homeowner about their options…1. Remake the new liner – time was the issue or 2. Add on to the bench to fill out the liner (14”).  This was the homeowners (****) decision to add the 14” to the bench (talked with ****).  Once the process was complete, we stretched in the liner, filled pool with water and you would not even notice we added onto the benches.  The liner was installed on 7/6/2023. I do have pictures with dates showing the liner installed.  Not 2 weeks after July 4th per your letter.
  On 7/8/2023 **** came into the store to have her pool water tested.  She commented how beautiful the liner looked and she was very excited to have the project finished.  The following week the homeowner (****) called and said that a 16” piece of liner came out of the liner track.  This is not uncommon for this to happen, we put the liner back in the track, not a big issue and this is not a reason to believe that this will be an issue in the future.
  Approximately 4 weeks after the liner was in we mailed the final bill for the remaining liner and cover.  This is when it got ugly.  **** called and said another area of his liner pulled out.  I sent my employees out to put bead lock into the whole liner track to avoid the liner from pulling out again.  To install the bead lock it requires a rubber mallet to hammer and squeeze between the liner and liner track.  NO we were not beating her liner in with a hammer per ****’s remarks.  Had she come out of the house and talked with us she would have then understood what we were doing. This is the process it takes to install the liner bead.  Like I was saying once they received their bill, they felt they were due all these discounts.  **** *** **** wanted a FREE pool opening, more discounts off liner and wanted to have discussion with the rep (I’m sure to give him a hard time).  I do know **** tried to contact the manufacturer on her own.  I do not know who she talked with but according to my rep she wanted to know how much a liner cost and had many other questions but received no satisfaction.
  As I was saying before, that once she received her final bill is when the Beckers felt they deserved and were entitled to more discounts.  We disagree!  They knew the cost of the opening which was not $586.86.  Opening cost, them $300 and the rest was for preordered (discounted) chemicals.  They knew the cost of the remaining balance of the cover. They knew the cost of the remaining balance on the liner.
  So now let's talk about who’s to BLAME!  Personally, I say everyone in the process has a share of the blame starting with the Beckers. (1) You knew in the fall of 2022, and you pushed it off until April of 2023.  Had you ordered in fall or even January – March of 2023 we could have avoided a lot of this frustration! (2) Some blame could be placed on distribution.  I have no idea what their scheduling when they sent this over to manufacturing, but I think I do know according to my rep was that it took several weeks for distribution to email drawing to Norrenberns Pools for approval (per rep).  (3) I also believe the manufacturer could share the blame; I am positive their workloads this time of year is crazy.  According to once again my rep, the manufacturer makes 30-50 liners per day.  So, I feel that with that type of load they had their engineer's slow pace all new orders???  Also, finally Norrenberns Pool & Spa could share the blame for not checking on the process often enough.  So, with that said we can all share the blame.
  Norrenberns Pool & Spa is a 47-year FAMILY business.  We always try to put our customers first.  Running to some of our customers problems on Saturdays and sometimes Sundays.  We understand that we don’t live in a perfect world.  Things happen.  Prices have gone crazy.  If you don’t see it go to the grocery store, check out lumber prices, look at automobiles.  The world has gone crazy since Covid.  We have no control over this.  Some people understand and some do not.  The Beckers received discounts on both their cover and liner.  Not as much as they wanted but it’s better than nothing.
  I also think this letter to the BBB was unnecessary and used to slander our company.
  The Beckers know exactly where our store is located if they had issue’s they could have come in and we could have discussed any of their concerns.  All the statements about them trying to contact us is untrue.  We have store hours.  Come in and talk what’s on your MINDS.  We are easy to talk to.  You don’t need to hand us a letter to read.
  My final thoughts on this.  Your pool (**** & ****) was installed by us (Norrenberns Pool & Spa).  No one and I mean no one knows your pool better than Norrenberns Pool & Spa.  The liner that was installed with the benches extended is a perfect fit.  Any other information from outside sources I will disagree with.  I am a pool professional for the past 47 years! Since 1976.  If issues from your outside source was remotely correct, I would NOT have installed this liner or given options and just had manufacturer make a new liner.
  We (Norrenberns Pool & Spa) do expect final payment on or before 10/1/2023 unless payment arrangements are made.  We will proceed with further collection action.  Once payment has been received and paid in full, we will also make necessary repair to bench area at no cost to the Beckers.
  Life is too short and too much stress.  Hopefully, **** and **** can see their way through this.
  
  
  Thanks
  **** **** ******** *****  (Owners)
  Norrenberns Pool & Spa

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