Business ProfileforPool Stop Custom Pools

We went into contract with pool stop. Paid them a deposit, picked out design, had the city inspection, gave them our hoa approval then nothing for over 6 months. We just assumed they were backed up so we didnt pressure them. But once we heard a neighbor who went under contract after us had their pool already done we decided to reach out. We got every single excuse as to why they hadnt started from waiting on hoa. Which we handed to the sales guy in person. To loan approval. Which we did shop but decided we were going to pay cash. But no solution. Just wanting to argue with us. We never received deposit back and to get a lawyer it would be $500 to get $1000 back. The only thing we could think of why they didnt build our pool was because of costs. It was around the big freeze. Which we understand costs went up but if they couldnt follow through they should have atleast given our deposit back not just excuses.

As stated in a previous review this person left over 2 years ago- this review is factually incorrect and leaves out several key points of information.1- They never stated they were "paying cash" for the pool build- they had only informed us they were going to finance the project through a loan. In fact, they hardly responded at all- they stated after the cancel notice that was due to them not wanting to respond to messages from our project management platform. However, our project coordinator also reached out multiple times via phone over several months with no response. Once they informed us they wanted to cancel the contract, they had no issues whatsoever communicating on the same platform they refused to communicate on before when trying to get their deposit back.2- they state they gave the *** approval to a designer, but none was ever logged nor was it provided to the construction team. Could that have happened? possibly, but unlikely since the design team has every motivation to get the pool started, and none to wait.3- they then cancelled the project after waiting over 6 months to respond to us in any way, after we had paid for the permit, after we had laid the pool out on-site, and offered the reason as "We just wanted to see how long it would take you to reach out to us". We started and finished multiple other pools while we were waiting for their loan approval and closing. We cannot start on a project that is financed until we receive approval from the bank, and there was absolutely no indication from them they were going to pay cash. In fact they applied to 2 different lenders over several months (the only way we knew that is the lenders reached out to us about a conditional approval- we heard NOTHING from the client). The idea that we just "forgot" to coordinate on their project is laughable at best.4- per the terms of the contract, we created construction documents, paid for a permit and went as far as we could with the facts we had- and we are entitled to be reimbursed for expenses should a client cancel a contract after those items are paid for. In fact- I incurred more expenses than the deposit covered, but I wrote the rest off as it was obvious they would not pay for them beyond the initial deposit.5- I informed them after they insisted they could pay cash that I would dig the pool within 10 days with the original contract amount- negating the comment that prices had increased, therefore I didn't want to build the pool. We were well positioned as the largest builder in the area as far as pool equipment was concerned- one more item they use to explain away any culpability on their part.The worst thing about this "review" is that they have falsely accused us of ignoring or forgetting them- and just them- while we continued to build pools for other people. It just doesn't make sense that we would single them out.The fact is- no financing was ever approved, no offer to pay cash was ever received, and they are angry that I incurred expenses in good faith that I expect to be reimbursed for (at least partially).