ComplaintsforUnique Pool

• Initial Complaint

  05/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  We sign a contract with ****************************** LLC. 01/18/2021 for the installation of an inground pool and an auto cover. They have not installed the auto cover, nor have they pull the electrical for the auto cover. We have been lied to over the last few years that the cover was on order, then covid had it on back order and know I can't even get them to answer the phone or return our calls, sometimes I have to call form different number so they will answer the phone. We just want our auto cover to be installed that we have paid 3/4 of the money for and the final permit so we can move on from this company. They have not for filled their side of the contract and we want a resolution to the issues. ************************** are taking our hard-working money under false pretenses, and we aren't getting the good and services promised to use under the contract not counting all the lost hours and stress that this has caused on use. I can go on about all the other issues I have had with this company like tearing up my septic field, pool floor has peddles under the liner that they never fix. We just need them to finish the job that we have paid for. It just that simple.

  Customer response

  05/28/2024

  On 05-09-2024 I call and text the office with no response at all.

  Customer response

  06/06/2024

  
  
  This issues hasn't not been resolved and I haven't been in contact with unique pools.
  
   
  
  Thanks 
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  04/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Provided poor customer services and always a made excuses for everything. Improper installation of pool and never finished the auto cover that was paid for. ****** promised to pay back ******* which he has not paid to date. I am one of the many people that have similar concerns and complaints about his work ethic and poor customer services that is truly lacking with everyone that works for him. You cant trust his workmanship which leads to a poor Overall product.

• Initial Complaint

  12/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I signed a $15,000 contract with ************************** and ****************************** ("Unique Pools") on August 26, 2023 to install a new pool cover and cover housing. At that time I provided Unique Pools with a $7,500 deposit. No work has been performed by Unique Pools since that time.At the time of contract signing ****** informed me that the order for parts would be placed immediately and that he expected the installation to be completed by late Sept/early Oct. Numerous conversations (phone and text) with ****** and ******* (Unique Pools retail office) ensued over the following months. During many of those conversations, I was assured that scheduling of the installation was imminent. The runaround became evident. ****** insisted that I call ******* who would schedule his work. Then, ******* would say that he had to speak with ****** before scheduling any work. By late October I was not getting a response form ****** or his office.On October 27, 2023, I sent ****** a text message requesting that he start the work or cancel the contract and return my $7,500 deposit. Neither occurred. Shortly thereafter, ****** informed me that my pool cover had not yet been delivered by his supplier. After that, ****** stopped responding to my text messages and phone calls.Finally, ******* informed me that ****** would be coming on December 8, 2023 to perform the work. ****** never showed. I then sent ****** a text informing him that I expected a full refund immediately. This prompted a call from ****** and ******* during which ****** informed me that parts needed for my installation had not yet been received from his supplier. I requested that I be given the contact information for their supplier, which they refused to give me. On December 13, 2023, I sent a text message to ****** informing him that I planned to file a "Warrant in Debt". No work has ever been performed on this project.

• Initial Complaint

  08/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On December 15, 2022, we signed a contract provided by ************************* (Build Contract No. UPS2020-45) with Unique Pools and Spas, LLC, to have a pool installed in our back yard. It included clearing trees, leveling ground, building a retaining wall, digging the hole, and installing the fiberglass pool we selected that would be built by ****** Pools. We provided a check in the amount requested in the contract. It was check number ****, in the amount of $39,076.50 and it was cashed by the contractor shortly thereafter.At the time, the contractor was talking about beginning work by March with the intention of having the pool completed by ******. Within a couple months, we were told that our pool would most likely not be made by the manufacturer until Nov 2023 because ****** pools had changed the order they manufacture their pools. We were disappointed in the change, but **************** said he would look at alternatives to possibly get it sooner. He suggested another company (*************) that could make a pool sooner, but they do not have a model that includes a sauna attached to the pool, as **************** Astoria does. We never agreed to switch models of the pool, but according to ****************, he ordered the ************ to be made on our behalf. We never signed any documents approving the change.After months of sparse communication, we emailed **************** on June 19th to inform him that we were canceling the contract. It was explained in full detail as to why, and that we expected a full refund. (He has done no work at our home, and the only evidence that he has done anything on his end is that he emailed a spreadsheet screenshot showing a pool was ordered with *******). Since then, Unique Pools has said they hope to resolve the matter swiftly, and requested a notarized, certified letter to officially cancel the contract. The letter was sent June 28th by ***** but we also sent digital pics and text copies of it as well. There is still no response or refund.

  Customer response

  08/24/2023

  ************************* received the communication from BBB regarding our complaint.  It appears that day that he emailed my wife, ***************************, claiming he "hasn't received any information on your end regarding the certified letter."  (see attached copy of email chain).  I responded the next day with a third digital copy of the certified letter showing (again) exactly what the letter said and the fact that it was notarized as requested.  That letter sat at the post office until this past week and **************** never bothered to pick it up for over a month.  This past week the letter was returned to our residence (the sender).  He obviously has no interest in resolving this matter and it is will become a legal matter in the very near future that undoubtedly cost him more in the long run.

  Customer response

  08/24/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates that the business has not responded to you directly.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by Unique Pool regarding complaint ID ********.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I entered into a contract with this company in April 2022. Paid $30,000 first payment. the pool was to be delivered sometime in mid-September. I was supposed to have a date for me to be there and then delivered. It was delivered unannounced, I was unable to be there. the pool stayed in my backyard for about a month. He then picked up another check for $32,217.20. They dug a hole put the pool in the ground and backfilled it. that was in October. He wanted another check this one for $20,135.20. We talked about Pouring the Concrete and also an extra for the patio part. He informed me that only one company should be pouring the concrete because the color would never match with 2 different pours. I did not sign a contract for the other concrete something we talked about. I gave him a check for a portion of that work. One further review I did not want him to do the concrete portion. He agreed to remove that from the original contract (-$4860). at this point, he stopped all work and said that he want the concrete poured before the lights and pumps got put in. the electrical is under the concrete, so his portion needs to be completed 1st. He informed me that I needed to remove him from the permit he pulled on my property. That I need to put this in my name or the other contractors' name. I then called the **************************** permits ***** They informed me that if I took him off he would not be obligated to finish the work because I took him off. I did not tell him what he told me. But he was upset that I didn't remove him. Mid-January he and his assistant ****** came to my house to get this job resolved. That is the last time I have heard from them I have reached out and when I call they ask what they can help me with, and say they will get back to me but never does.

  Customer response

  03/17/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates that the business has not responded to you directly.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by Unique Pool regarding complaint ID ********.
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Contract with Unique Pools and Spas of ****************, ** was initiated Sep 1, 2021. Pool in the ground, March, 22. *********************, business owner, assured us we would be in the pool by ***. Neither weather conditions, nor equipment availability has held up this job. They simply chose not to finish it. $10,700 of the $56,000 we have paid was for equipment, which was never purchased by contractor. We agreed by phone today that they will pay me $5,000, which means I lose out on a few thousand dollars, but I will take it to be rid of them. Others have lost far more.

  Customer response

  02/24/2023

  I really do not know what to do on this site.  I have a paper contract which I am able to mail to BBB.  The complaint is just what I said on my initial contact with BBB.  What can I do to proceed?  The business owner, ***************************, said he is agreeable to paying me $5,000 to part company, leaving him $5,700 in the good.  I lose.  But I am shed of him and his.  He also said I would receive a follow-up email and I have not.  Also said the building permit would be transferred to me.  No email.  Status of building permit?  Unknown.   

  Customer response

  03/19/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates that the business has not responded to you directly.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by Unique Pool regarding complaint ID ********.
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  01/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We signed a contract with Unique on 8/27/21, with a 30% down payment. The pool finally arrived on 7/14/22. We paid another 30% of our contract. The delivery driver could not get our pool down our driveway, so it had to be offloaded and set in our neighbors front yard. It took two weeks to move it onto our property. They dragged our pool down the driveway, taking down a beautiful mature tree during the process. Unique finally got the spa delivered weeks later. We broke ground on the pool on 7/27/2022. Once the pool is in the ground and backfilled, Unique states it is time to pay the next 30% of the project so they can pour concrete. We pay that fee; at this point, 83% of the project cost has been paid to Unique. After this, the pool shifted in the ground and was no longer level; this stopped the concrete from being poured. We realized that Unique had ordered the wrong pool color during this time. Two months go on at this point, and our project is not progressing. Finally, Unique Pools schedules a concrete pour date of November 1st, 3 MONTHS later than our original pour date. Once the forms were removed around the spa and coping, you could see a lot of work needed. We emailed these concerns to Unique on 11/9 with no response from Unique. Uniques progress on our project continues to crawl through November. They would send out their crew for a few hours every other week. These were not weather-related delays. The project continues to drag on through December with no end in sight. We have been under construction for five months for a project quoted with a completion of 4-6 weeks. December 19th was the last time Unique Pools was on our property. After multiple emails asking for the completion of our project, even getting our lawyer involved. With no response to our requests, we considered it a formal abandonment of our project and have had to pay for other contractors to complete the job.

  Business response

  02/03/2023

  The clients decided to get their attorney involved because they did not like the timing of the project during colder months. Their project was not abandon as we still have communication with them till this day. They still have the option of having our company finish the project as our attorney has indicated. Now all communication has to go through our attorney first which has extended their timeframe even longer. Thank you  

  Customer response

  02/06/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ******** and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  The company has officially abandoned and ceased to make any forward progress since December 19th, 2022. We have reached out multiple times, in writing via email and certified letters. Our attorney contacted them multiple times, asking for a plan of completion, which they could not provide. Because Unique Pools took so long on this project ( 6 months for a project that was supposed to take 4-6 weeks), the building permit was about to expire, and it still was not close to completion. We had no choice but to move forward as the project manager and seek contractors who could complete the job. These delays had nothing to do with the weather, and Unique continues to use this as an excuse, even though it is invalid. They continue to use contracts with no project completion timeline, even though **** has already cited them for doing so. They fall back on excuses and faulty business practices, leaving their customers in a bad spot. We are a military family, and my husband served 20 years in the Army. We have saved many years to put in a pool for our family. Unique has taken all that money, abandoned our project, and left it incomplete and dangerous. We have had to spend a substantial amount of money to move forward and complete the project, and our lawyer has contacted them with these costs and offered to settle out of court. Unique refuses, saying that someone we have tricked them out of money. They continue to drag out this horrible situation. 
  This situation has taken so many hours of our precious time. Sadly we are not the only people in their path of destruction. This explains their F for their BBB accreditation. Unique Pool faces lawsuits from other clients in Gloucester County and other areas. 
  Regards,
  ***********************************
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Business response

  02/06/2023

  This response is simply not true, our attorneys are in the process of coming up with the resolution on this project. Our offer still stands to come back and finish the equipment and tidy up the remainder of the project. I dont know how a client can consider something abandon when they initiated the work to stop when they got an attorney involved.

  Customer response

  02/06/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  What is simply not true is that we (the client) or any extremely limited weather issues have in any way contributed to the unreasonable delays plaguing this project. We accepted the fact that the pool took more than 10 months to manufacture and deliver, but after it arrived, Unique Pools expanded the pool install completion time from 4 to 6 to 8 to 10, to 12 weeks. Then after more than 5 months of unreasonable delays due to Unique Pools habitual lack of communication, astonishingly poor project management, inability to secure reliable/licensed subcontractors, and absolute failure to provide any timelines to complete their next steps (much less forecast project completion dates), we were forced to move the project into legal channels to protect ourselves.

  After more than 5 months of painfully inconsistent, often stagnant work, Unique Pools was given 2 separate opportunities to provide a basic projected timeline for project completion, but they chose to delay and provide hollow responses that still failed to meet this simple request.  We clearly stated that their inability to provide a timeline would be perceived as abandoning the project. How long should a client reasonably wait for Unique Pools to complete their obligations? 6 months, 8 months, or a year? We dont have the time or money to fight this battle, but we will do what we must. 

  The truth is, we (the Clients) assumed the project manager's responsibilities and in 2 weeks, have vetted and secured licensed contractors to complete all remaining work on the pool, with clear timelines, transparency, and communication. If Unique Pools really wanted to resolve this issue, they would reimburse us for this cost out of the money we paid them to complete these tasks, instead of trying to blame the customer or the weather. Take responsibility and do the right thing.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************************
  
  
  
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  12/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  May 19, 2022 we purchased an automatic pool cover from Unique Pools. We paid $7.385.00, 50% deposit.We were told it would take 4 - 6 months to receive.November: 6 months I called to find out the status of order. Spoke with ******. Was informed he did not know and would contact the pool cover company and get back to me. After numerous calls to ****** to find out information, just kept receiving the same information, "I will get back to you", of which I never have received a return call from him or the company.December 2 called again, spoke with ******, received the same run around. I informed him at that time we were cancelling the order and send a refund check.We feel this company is spamming us. They have taken money and not produced product.

  Business response

  12/16/2022

  Good afternoon, yes the top track system has been place on back order due to shortages of the system housing. The office has reach out to the clients and she has two options. First is canceling the order and wait on a refund form ****** to us and then to her. Second is waiting on the open order that has a delivery date of 01-22-23. Thank you 

  Customer response

  12/20/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the offer and/or response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  

  We do Not agree with waiting for our refund. Business should immediately issue a refund to us, the business can wait for their refund from ******. We did NOT pay a deposit to said ****** Company; deposit was paid to the business.
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************************
  
  
  
  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  09/26/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Contract with this company signed on July 1, 2020 for an inground pool. On 9/16/2020 received a text from owner stating "I'll be ordering the pool today. Can you send a picture of the pool in the Brochure I gave you. I want to make sure we have the exact same order." The hole for the pool was dug on 11/17/2020. On 12/13/2020 received text stating "liner and spa shell on order. On 4/8/2021 received a message that our liner was out of stock and we needed to pick a different one. No liner until August and when it was installed on top of the horrible concrete job it looks like it is pulling. He placed foam underneath the liner on the steps that we did not ask for (we were supposed to have a tanning ledge) to smooth the concrete that was badly botched. Spa too close so automatic cover will not cover entire pool. Concrete cracked in several places. No heater or lights installed. Pump has been installed but not operational so water in pool turning green destroying liner.

• Initial Complaint

  09/01/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Hired to replace pool liner and replace pool light. Paid for all and they have not replaced light. States they can not find one. They cut hold in liner and destroyed the original light. They have cashed the check. They Need to return *******. I found one and had it installed by ******* ********* I have requested the return of the funds, and it has not been done.

  Business response

  09/17/2021

  a refund check was issued on 9/2

*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. ↩