Beware of dodgy swimming pool companies

[carla&trev]

Hi

It's been a while since I posted on here but felt compelled to post something about our disaster.

 

It's usually the newcoming Brit's dream to have a lovely house and with that a sparkling blue swimming pool. We thought the same and after some tough working out of the finances, decided to take the plunge (excuse the pun!).

 

However, since our job started, it's been nothing but a nightmare. Firstly the excavator contractors left our property in such a sorry state, they lied about dump fees, didn't dig the hole deep enough as requested it goes on and on. Then they sent the installers to fit the pool. When it arrived on a big trailer, we could see that the pool mould was bent. We waited to see what it would look like in the ground because having inexperienced eyes, we were not sure if all were like that (?). Once the pool was filled, the water clearly showed how out of line the pool was and that is what we've been left with. They also have not supplied our skimmer box lid and other accessories that we've already paid for.

 

Then the company tried stinging us for dump fees when I know that the excavator contractors dumped it for free at a site near us because they told me! When I approached the company about this they hung up on me because I used one colourful term (s***bags) to describe their contractors!

 

They then refused to speak to either me or my husband and ceased work unless we pay all the dump fees of $870! I had done my own calculations and worked out that these dump fees should only have come to $408!

 

To cut a long story short, we have an unfinished defective pool which is too high in the ground and they refuse to do anything about it. The letter I have received today is extremely unprofessional and abusive. I can see no way out now other than for my husband to take them to court and sue them but as it stands we have a huge pool in our backyard that is not correctly installed with 55,000 litres of water in it!

 

If any of you are wondering exactly which company this is please pm me and I would be glad to tell. It's a company that is very well known and quite popular and I am not the first person they have tried to con money out of and offered NO customer service whatsoever. It's such a big expense and I'm not saying every other company out there is perfect but if I and others have had problems with this one, then why not minimise the risk of it happening to you by steering well clear?

 

Carla & Trev

[Diane]

What a rotten situation to be in! Have you considered contacting someone like A Current Affair or Today Tonight and seeing if they are interested in covering your story? Even the threat of doing so to the company might be enough to get them to back down a little and offer to sort things out for you? Alternatively try contacting a consumer rights agency - I am not sure if swimming pool agencies have to be registered at all but if so, that might be a place to start as well. I really hope you get something sorted out - it must be very upsetting and frustrating for you.

[cormcvcr]

Hi Carla & Trev,

 

so sorry to hear of your ordeal, it must be very frustrating for you.

 

There is a pool and spa organisation, who may be able to help you, have a look at this link and hopefully they can offer support. www.spasaadelaide.com.au

 

Good luck x

[carla&trev]

Thanks to everyone's kind words of support and advice. We will certainly be reporting them to SPASA and OCBA and also approaching the media.

 

I have received another letter today containing a racist comment about being British! Such a nice company - NOT!

 

Cheers guys and hopefully by passing on the word it will stop them doing this to anyone else!

 

Carla

[Guest Nick11]

Thanks to everyone's kind words of support and advice. We will certainly be reporting them to SPASA and OCBA and also approaching the media.

 

I have received another letter today containing a racist comment about being British! Such a nice company - NOT!

 

Cheers guys and hopefully by passing on the word it will stop them doing this to anyone else!

 

Carla

 

I find that quite ironic as the majority of his customers are british.

With regards the landfill - this is a common practice for contractors to overprice the landfill and pocket the cash. I've heard of it being done several times.

Get in touch with today tonight - as the guy has appeared so often on there putting dodgy pools right - maybe the threat of it might just do the trick.

[Guest Wersal Gummage]

What a rotten situation to be in! Have you considered contacting someone like A Current Affair or Today Tonight and seeing if they are interested in covering your story? Even the threat of doing so to the company might be enough to get them to back down a little and offer to sort things out for you? Alternatively try contacting a consumer rights agency - I am not sure if swimming pool agencies have to be registered at all but if so, that might be a place to start as well. I really hope you get something sorted out - it must be very upsetting and frustrating for you.

Great ideas there.

hope you're able to get it rectified Carla.

[Guest redfoxy]

Any more News ?

 

How are you getting on with sorting the pool out ??

 

We were considering going to the same company for a price on a small pool for future consideration !! But maybe not now !!

[Guest Nick11]

We chose adelaide pool and spas over the company in dispute and are so glad we did. Excellent service - never seen contractors work so hard or clean up so well after themselves.

[carla&trev]

Hi

 

Well two guys turned up after receipt of my letter (which I also sent to the managing director in Perth) to measure the pool - I guess to prove us wrong but lo and behold the guy agreed that it was out of line!! They went away, but we still haven't heard anything. I still think they will ignore us now and we will have to take them to court or something.

 

Will keep you all posted - watch this space!

 

Carla

[Guest redfoxy]

Hi

 

Well two guys turned up after receipt of my letter (which I also sent to the managing director in Perth) to measure the pool - I guess to prove us wrong but lo and behold the guy agreed that it was out of line!! They went away, but we still haven't heard anything. I still think they will ignore us now and we will have to take them to court or something.

 

Will keep you all posted - watch this space!

 

Carla

 

 

Keep us informed please !

 

I reckon they are "bothered !"

[Guest motlyman]

You dont say if your pool plant is up and running yet.

Just thought i'd mention if its not, it will soon be going a lovely shade of green:shocked:

If this is the case you need to mix up some chlorine and get some in.

 

Colin

[carla&trev]

Hi Colin

 

No, it isn't up and running. We have been told that it will go green if we don't get it going but we don't really want to touch it, in case it doesn't work and then they'll say we did something to it!!! I just figured that if we don't hear from them and the pool goes green, it will be another cost we'll have to add to the court claim!

 

Thanks for your advice. How much would you charge for a complete clean of the pool if we have to get it done ourselves?

 

Cheers

 

Carla & Trev

[Guest motlyman]

If you dont want to "run the equipment", for the cost of the chlorine i would suggest keeping it up together. You would probably find it would be "down to you" to keep the pool up to scratch once installed.

Not only that, green pools will be a health hazard and will damage pools and equipment. In some cases they will never be the same again.

What suburb are you in? Might pop in and have a gander.

 

Colin

[carla&trev]

Hi Colin

 

It's not that we don't want to do it, but they haven't done the official hand over yet, not been shown the equipment or anything so we didn't want to risk our position by starting the pump etc. The pool still has all the dirt and stuff in it from when they installed it. We do have some bags of salt but other than that we don't really know what to do!

 

We are in Seaford and it would be very much appreciated if you could pop in. We have given them 7 days from the date of our letter (29th June) to sort it out and we haven't heard yet - after this time we will carry on with the pool in terms of cleaning and then proceed to seek reimbursement from them.

 

Thanks Colin

 

Carla & Trev

[Guest motlyman]

pm me your address and i'll pop in on Tuesday

 

Colin

[Guest bishop3912]

OMG how awful, I am so glad that I read your post, and definately feel that posts like these are so helpful to all newbies arriving in Adelaide. Yep thats our dream to too have a pool for the kids (and us), will pm you to find out the co you are talking about to make sure we avoid them xx

[Moosh]

That's crazy! I remember Today Tonight or A Current Affair doing a thing on a pool company some time ago. It's probably the same one! I definitely wouldn't be parting with any money until they get it sorted, take them to court, what a bunch of b@stards.

[Guest Nick11]

It's not the same company Michelle - it's the guy who's company normally go on there to sort out the dodgy pools!!!!!

[carla&trev]

Hi guys

 

Just thought I would post an update.

 

As expected, the company in question didn't reply to our letter. However, they did send a guy round to 'adjust' the pool but he could only raise one side (and that was by 20mm - which is a lot to be out where water is concerned). To rectify the other side would mean pumping all of the water out of the pool and risking damage to the pool mould! Obviously not acceptable so another letter is going off today stating that if they don't respond satisfactorily then I will commence proceedings in my local magistrates court. I still don't think they'll respond though. Customer care is just not high on their list of priorities!

 

Many thanks to Colin, aka Motlyman, who came and had a look at our pool and gave us some good advice on stopping it from going green. It was just on the turn so we got some chlorine in quick!! Thanks Colin!! We'll be using Colin to do the initial clean and start up as I am sure we won't get what we have paid for with this company!

 

It's awful, we feel like they have stolen our money and done a runner! Even though we have a pool in the ground, because it's not perfect and it's not up and running as they promised us we feel a bit lost.

 

I have emailed Today Tonight, waiting for a response from them. Fingers crossed they will have a few complaints from others and it will be worth a slot on their programme!!

 

Will keep you all posted on developments.

 

Carla & Trev

[carla&trev]

Hi All

 

Just thought I would let you know that as they have refused to respond to both of my letters I have passed it to OCBA. SPASA said that this company are a 'notoriously difficult company' to liaise with, so that doesn't fill us with much hope. OCBA said they will insist that the trader put the work right, and if that means replacing with a new pool, digging the hole deeper etc etc that's what it means!!! I was told though that there is no guarantee that they will comply and we could still end up in the courts trying to resolve the issue.

 

As ever, will keep you all posted.

 

Cheers

 

Carla & Trev

[Guest redfoxy]

Hi All

 

Just thought I would let you know that as they have refused to respond to both of my letters I have passed it to OCBA. SPASA said that this company are a 'notoriously difficult company' to liaise with, so that doesn't fill us with much hope. OCBA said they will insist that the trader put the work right, and if that means replacing with a new pool, digging the hole deeper etc etc that's what it means!!! I was told though that there is no guarantee that they will comply and we could still end up in the courts trying to resolve the issue.

 

As ever, will keep you all posted.

 

Cheers

 

Carla & Trev

 

Feel so sorry for you !! what should have been fun and pleasant has been a nightmare !! How can they do business like that ?? how do they sleep at night ?

[carla&trev]

I know. It's looking more and more like we won't even have a pool for this summer. The pool is even more out of line now. We have put a string line down one side and the 'banana-ing' of it is unbelievable! It's all a bit of a nightmare!!

 

Thanks for your concern.

 

Carla x

[Guest Nick11]

I know. It's looking more and more like we won't even have a pool for this summer. The pool is even more out of line now. We have put a string line down one side and the 'banana-ing' of it is unbelievable! It's all a bit of a nightmare!!

 

Thanks for your concern.

 

Carla x

 

Could you take some piccies of it and threaten to send them to the advertiser.

[Guest guest569]

My mate in mclaren flat is having his pool put in soon with them !!!!!

[Guest Fancy a Beer]

These sort of situations make me so cross, why should people like this be able to run companies?? Hard earnt cash is used by people to buy what they want and instead they are given this awful situation and a HUGE amount of stress!!

 

Like many on here we have our own company here in Adelaide and often called to put jobs right by other companies, have to say nothing surprises us anymore finding a company that give that little bit extra and do a great job at a great price is very hard work!!