ComplaintsforTexas Blue Lake Pools

• Initial Complaint

  07/21/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On or about June 12, 2022 I took my Sandpro 75D pool pump and filter to Texas Blue Lake Pools for service. I instructed Bryan to "make sure it is good to go for the season", and he said that he would. On June 14 I picked up the pump and filter unit and was charged $196.99. My wife was having guests over the weekend of June 24th through June 26th. She indicated that having the pool operational was very important. Due to the high number of tasks needed to be performed by me for the weekend, I requested 2 technicians on June 24th install the newly serviced pump and filter. The 2 technicians installed the pump and filter and immediately announced that "it's broken, and it's kicking sand back into the pool". I verified this visually. Additionally I noted that the pump only ran for about 5 seconds and shut down repeatedly. The 2 technicians tried to vacuum the pool with a faulty pump and filter, racking up about another 1.5 hours of exorbitant labor charges. The pool was non-functional for the weekend and remains so still. My wife was furious. I was charged an additional $500.00 for the labor. I met twice with Candia and Bryan at Texas Blue Lake Pools. Initially Candia offered to "refund the service charge, or apply it to the labor charge". Further discussion on July 20th, the refund of the service charge had morphed into only applying the service charge toward the purchase of a new pump and filter. The pump and filter were non-functional, despite being serviced by Bryan. The pool was not operational during an important weekend, and remains non-functional. Their refusal to take responsibility for their failures, or to negotiate reasonably due to their failures is at best a poor business model, at worst fraud.

  Business response

  08/12/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2022/08/04) */ ******* ******** Bryan asked that I contact a customer to setup installation of their SandPro that he had serviced because the customer did not feel like they could do so. Per my conversation with Bryan prior to the visit, he had filled the filter at the customer’s request and the technicians simply needed to install. When I contacted the customer, I found that they were needing our technicians to also clean the pool “since they would be out there” and because the customers were planning a gathering. The equipment had been picked up by the customer and it was on site at their home. The customer was scheduled for the next available day of June 24th, 2022, a Friday (my understanding was that this is the day before the gathering). The technician, Haddon, went to the property to install the pump and filter system. He had to get additional items to do so because the customer did not have usable hoses and clamps. The pump and filter system were obviously dated according to the tech. We have no record of the pump and filter system being sold by TBLP. The pool was in no condition to be ready for a gathering within 24hrs. When Haddon installed the pump and filter system, he was asked to clean the pool with tenants of the home watching directly while others were nearby doing other work at the home. He expressed to someone at the home (I believe Mrs. ********) that there were problems with the equipment, he even contacted me by phone when he noticed the problems. He stated during our call that when he told the customer that he was having issues they requested he keep vacuuming to clear the pool. At one point during our multiple phone calls Haddon expressed that there was sand going back into the pool and he felt that his request to keep vacuuming was going nowhere and he did not want to cause additional charges for nothing. I agreed, asked him to speak with the customer and that I too would give the customer a call. Haddon later told me the customer would be contacting me, I also had left a voicemail for the customer to do so. I later spoke with ******* ******** and told him that Haddon was concerned about the sand kicking back into the pool as well as the pump seeming to overheat and shut off. I expressed that there could be damage to the internals of the filter and/or the valve on top of the filter. I told him that I could get a quote for replacement parts since we did not have the internals in stock. I told him that my personal recommendation to avoid increasing costs would be to replace the pump and filter system. I told him if we replaced the valve for a couple hundred dollars with labor and then needed to replace the internals, he would be spending the same as replacing the filter. I repeated this opinion multiple times during our call. He told me he would think about that and call me. I did not hear back from Mr. ********, so I sent the bill. Shortly after the bill was mailed, it is my understanding that Mr. ******** came into the store while I was out. He was advised by Shannon to come when I returned so he could speak with Bryan and I together. I returned and was told about him coming in. Mr. ******** did indeed come into the store and spoke with Bryan and I in our office. He expressed that his wife was very angry about the bill. He stated he was charged $500 and nothing was done. Bryan and I went step by step through the service provided in store and the service provided at his property. Again I explained that it would be cheaper to replace the system than to have us fix part after part not knowing what needs to be done. We asked if he had attempted to turn on his pump since our visit, no. He said he works at Pantex and when something doesn’t work, they shut it down. I expressed that my husband too works there so I understand, but we don’t know if the pump is working or not if it isn’t turned on. This meant the pool had now been sitting for weeks not running and untreated. Our boss, Shannon sent me a text message while listening from the other room stating if Mr. ******** would buy the replacement pump and filter, we will credit the original labor done by Bryan to that purchase or towards the bill. When this was proposed to Mr. ********, he said he would have to speak with his wife and let us know. He called a couple of weeks later stating that he would like us to credit Bryan’s labor towards his open bill, to which I asked if he would be purchasing a new pump and filter, No. I told him I believe that was the agreement, he disagreed. I told him I would speak with Shannon and Bryan and call back. I did, and confirmed yes, the agreement was that the credit would go towards a replacement pump and filter being purchased. He told me he disagreed and that he would handle this another way.

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