Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/27/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The business charged me a monthly fee of $160 to test and treat the pool water, empty the pool basket, brush the pool, and more. I expressed concerns that these items were not being done, and gave video proof. The business owner claimed to have resolved the issue, but did not, nor did he offer any refund for services not completed. Furthermore, after 3 months of continued issues, I had the pool water professionally tested - a service they claimed to be doing. Test results came back showing the pool water had dangerously high levels, and was unsafe to swim in. This was not a result of something that happened within 3 months, but was actually an existing issue which should have been caught from the first day of service. Due to their negligence, the issue was only exacerbated by the company dumping unnecessary chemicals into my pool without proper testing. I've tried to resolve this amicably with the business owner, who has since stopped responding. A small claims demand letter has been sent, and will be taken to court should I hear no response from the business.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/10/2023

  To address the first issue, she mentioned that my pool tech was not brushing the pool. She said she had video proof. I asked her if she could send me video of what she had so I could see what the tech was doing during the visits. The one and only video she sent me in text was a 6 second video of my tech brushing the pool (Tried to attached video but didn't work). Didn't know how to respond to that so I just said thank you. The only complaint she had was he wasn't brushing the pool but send s me a 6 second video of him brushing the pool. I was dumbfounded. 
  I never claimed to resolve the issue but reassured her we were doing our best to address the issue and that it could take a few visits to get it resolved. We started service on this pool just before the weather started to get too warm to drain the pool and as we addressed issues with timer settings that were incorrect and the cleaner that was not operating properly (which we repaired and billed her for the repair and she never mentioned it didn't work after that because it did work flawlessly). We did notice the water was old and was causing the issue. This is a very common issue with pools in ********* and not an issue that cannot be resolved even though it was too late in the season to drain the pool as it would likely cause issue to the pool surface. However, it was fixable for this swim season so I added a 6-month algaecide at my expense.
  Her professionally tested water (have file but would not attach) came from a local Leslies pool store that is not in the business of testing water for free for their customers because they want to help but rather to sell them products. However, she mentions that the tests came back as dangerously high levels and unsafe to swim in (and has used the words toxic) which is absolutely incorrect and a flat out lie. 30% of the pools in ********* and likely more have similar test results. These issues are address by the additive that I paid for and did not charge her for (which I normally charge for) to address these issues to appease her to ensure her swim season is as expected. 
  She believes these tests should have been done on the first day of service which is incorrect as there are many other metrics that need to be addressed, and they were, as ensuring the filters were cleaned and they were, ensuring the water was balanced, it was. As weekly service continued we then found issues with the timer schedule and the cleaner issue. As you can note this pool was not in perfect condition when we received it and we worked diligently to make it as optimal as possible. Take that in consideration with receiving the pool a bit later in the season to address other issues. We did our best to address the issues that were handed to us and I personally fronted most of the cost to ensure her pool was ready as could be for swim season. We did not cause these issues but addressed them as fast as possible to minimize their effects.
  She mentions unnecessary chemicals because I mentioned to her the pool RX additive I added to her pool in attempt to remedy her situation. Her lack of knowledge about pool and pool chemistry makes her believe it was unnecessary because we didn't address the issue sooner. However we were dealing with other issues that took priority as she had many to deal with.
  I stopped responding to her text messages once she threatened me with a lawsuit. As I felt it would be in my best interest to do so. I have been nothing but reachable, helpful, and respectful to her concerns. However, that has fallen on deaf ears and she seems to place all blame on me and my team for a pool that was not in optimum condition and required multiple adjustments, repairs and attention to get it to the point where it was in swim condition. 
  With all that said her pool had minimal algae in the pool. Certainly, nothing to be concerned of and was being addressed. It was not toxic in anyway. Maybe not pleasant to look at maybe something for someone that has zero knowledge of a pool may find concerning but by far nothing to **** complaints, lawsuits, also claims and outright lies about a company and an individual that was truly trying to hep her out even at his own expense. 
  I have had thousands of customers in my time in business and have never had a customer that was so egregious in her efforts to demise and demean our efforts to get her pool in order and take it so far to create terrible reviews, complaints, and lawsuits over our extensive efforts to satisfy her pool situation that was handed to us. I am truly amazed at this situation and hope it gets resolved swiftly. 
  Regards,
  *************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/13/2023

   
  Complaint: 20243501
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  *****'s responses are highly inaccurate and beyond unsatisfactory.

  His first statement says I sent him only ONE 6 second video. Per my screen shot attached, you see that there are several photos and videos sent, one of which was over a minute long and shows his tech brushing only a small portion of the pool - and that was after over a month of reaching out to ***** stating his tech was not brushing the pool at all. This was NOT my only complaint to ***** in the few months of service we had with him.

  As ***** went on to state, they started pool service "just before the weather started to get too warm to drain the pool." This is accurate, as service began in the start of April, where temps were barely reaching the low 80's. Had ***** and his team properly and professionally tested the pool for chemical balancing - a service included with the monthly maintenance fee but never completed - he would have been able to advise that the pool needed draining and could have been completed BEFORE temps became too high to do so. This statement of his further proves my complaint. He goes on to later state they had noticed the pool water was old and causing the issue, but it was too late in the season to drain the pool. Reiterating this again, an issue that could have been resolved if it had been properly cared for, tested and chemically balanced from the beginning.

  He did repair the vacuum, but I never received any invoice stating WHAT was repaired, cost of parts and labor, etc. to confirm the cost, nor did I receive an invoice for that month's service. There was no scheduling issue with the pool, as it was set to run for 7 hours every night. At the advice of *****, we started running it all day in additional to running it at night, but the filter was never NOT running at all. 

  ***** stated that my "professionally tested water (have file but would not attach)" is not true - again, see attached photo showing the last photo sent to ***** being those test results - which he replied to shortly after receiving. His statement that ******** pool supply is not in the business of testing water for free for their customer for any reason but to make money is merely his own speculation, and irrelevant. Furthermore, my own testing at ******** was a second test to corroborate the professional pool cleaning business I had come out to remediate what ***** and his team couldn't. Not only was my testing accurate, but it was more testing than ***** and his team had ever done for my pool; which begs the question, how could you properly chemically balance and maintain the pool without first testing it?! 

  I did advise ***** that the levels came back dangerously high, as was advised by the professional who tested the water. This can be seen in the photo of the test results, where the *** level is nearly double, and the Phospate level was more than 25 times what it should be at **** ppb. Anything over **** ppb can affect health - so the verbiage toxic was not a flat out lie as ***** accused me of.

  ***** then claimed that he ate the cost of the additive that would "fix" these issues. Not only were these issues not fixed, but he could've avoided eating the cost by NOT using a chemical that was ineffective and unnecessary - the pool needed to be drained, simple as that. My "lack of knowledge" is WHY I hired *****'s company - I'm not a pool professional, but the proof is in the pudding. This complaint is due to ***** and his company's inability to resolve issues, maintain the pool as he is paid monthly to do, and finally, take ANY accountability - all things one should expect from a "reputable" professional.

  While I appreciate that ***** was responsive, a point I was very adamant to make to him, it does not account for the inabilities of he and his company. To say it fell on deaf ears is egregious, considering I gave months of opportunity and communication trying to resolve this. I can guarantee that I am not the only one who's pool was not in "optimum" condition at the start of service with ***** - but my pool did nothing but decline since he began servicing it. I have photos, videos, text messages - and yet still no accountability. I drained the pool myself, treated it, and began service with a new, PROFESSIONAL company - and have not experienced issues since. I'm sure my "lack of knowledge" played a vital role in this.

  When requesting my next month's service free considering I was paying for services NOT rendered, ***** declined and only offered to eat the cost of the chemicals he put in - which I must reiterate, did not resolve the issue. The ONLY thing that remedied my pool, was draining and refilling with NEW water - something ***** and his team should have done from the start, but went unnoticed due to his lack of water testing. When I stated I no longer wanted service, and wanted the remaining portion of that month's service refunded, ***** stated he would do so. I've yet to receive any refund.

  ***************** have had thousands of customers, but his reviews show I am not the only one in recent months with this SAME complaint.

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

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/28/2023

  I would like to put this behind me so the best way to do that is I will refund the money paid for the monthly service from the very start of service if the complaint on BBB is dropped and removed and if the yelp review is removed. I will send out a check on Monday. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/05/2023

   
  Complaint: 20243501
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  A check was supposedly mailed this past Monday, but nothing has been received. Once a check for the full amount is received, I will accept to close this complaint and remove the Yelp review. If no check is received, I will continue with proceedings in small claims court.

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/07/2023

  Why is this being closed out when the business has not held up their end of the agreement to pay what is rightfully owed to me? This complaint should remain open until a refund is received. Please re-open so the business will hold up their agreement to refund me.