Aqua Pros Pools & Spas, Inc.

Review: I ordered a new pool liner and cover for my in ground pool in the fall of 2011. It was installed in the Spring of 2012 (approx May). Aqua Pros had been at my home many times to perform service for my pool without basically any problems. When they arrived to install the liner - they stated that no on needed to be at home. They only stated that I would need to have the "water source" ready to fill the pool when they were complete and the liner was in so that the pool walls did not pull away. The water was delivered that day and was a necessary added expense along with new chemicals to go into the pool. I was told that the project was complete and expected the turn key job that was discussed.

Later on I noticed at the step area of the pool that the screws were showing on the face plate part around the stairs. This plate comes down on each side of the steps and under the bottom of the stairs. It is suppose to have a cover - (face cap) that covers this area. I contacted Aqua Pros and asked about this and was told that they could not put the originals back as they were cracked and needed to be replaced. (This should have been a non issue as it should have been replaced with new ones at the time of installation) I waited for a response and gave Aqua Pros ample time to find the caps only to be told later that a service call was not put into their system. When I spoke with [redacted] one of their lead people I was basically told sorry for your luck. I called again to check and sent emails asking for assistance in getting this resolved just a few weeks ago. I have also taken it upon myself to call other Pool Vendors and pool supply facilities to try and locate the caps myself. I am being told that they no longer make the size/type face plate and caps that I have on my pool and to replace it would require that I drain most of the water out of my pool (below the bottom step - ( at least 15,000 gallons) and it would require re-working the liner on that end of the pool in order to install the new plate and cap. I spoke with [redacted] @ Aqua Pros via email and it was brought out that it was purchased and installed several years ago and there was not much they could do. I mentioned to [redacted] that I did in fact contact him when I noticed that those pieces were missing and he stated that he did not enter a service call for it at that time. I asked that he take this matter to Bob Davis, the owner, and was told that he was sure "Bob would not want to deal with this".

As I stated before I contacted several other pool companies and was told that it is standard practice to replace the face plate and caps when a new liner is installed.Desired Settlement: I would like for this to be corrected at their expense to have the finished look with my pool. This should have been done at the time of installation and I should have received some help when I initially contacted the company about the missing pieces right after they installed the liner.

Business

Response:

The service in question was performed in 2012 as stated.We have no record of any complaint prior to now.The faceplates in the swimming pool were all replaced new, except those around the steps (2 vertical, 1 horizontal), because they were sound. Yes the screws are exposed because the plastic strips that snap in to hide the screws holding the stair faceplates in deteriorate with time and since this pool is approximately 30 years old, its not possible to find them. As a practice, we and most pool service companies, rarely if ever replace the sealing plates in thermoplastic or fiberglass stairs upon liner replacement. The trim/beauty strips do deteriorate with time and after the liner is replaced the screws would be visible, but in no way harmful or hazardous to anyone since they're somewhat recessed.In 30 years, we have never had a single complaint from a customer about our practice having done this type of work in this manner.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

To me this is an example of poor business practices and is totally unacceptable. This company did not pay attention to the details of the quality of their services and was apparently only concerned with making the sale. I have attempted many times to correct this on my own and as a business owner myself expect the owner to have integrity and do the right thing. In order to get this matter resolved, I am willing to wait until I close my pool for the winter considering I have to drain the water at that time. As a compromise I am willing to lower the water low enough to have the face-plates and face-covering installed at their expense, with a guarantee that this replacement will not leak. This is a huge allowance. I would like to be contacted immediately and placed on their schedule to fully resolve this matter.

Regards,

Business

Response:

It has been our practice to reuse the faceplates from the pool stairs in over 30 years of business. We are sorry for your dissatisfaction after 3 years of service and no problems. Perhaps had this been brought to our attention at the time of purchase, we would have replaced them, had they been available. Replacing them at this point could very likely cause a leak. We did not charge for replacement of these strips, didn't replace them, and will certainly not replace something needlessly. Again, we only replace them with a new liner when we deem it necessary.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.I did contact your company, that you have staff that feels they cannot carry a complaint to you due to your attitude should not fall on the customer. It is unfortunate that you consider this, even at best, adequate service is ridiculous. On the face-caps, one strip, the break was at the top only about 3 inches, the other side strip was only cracked at the very top approximately 1/2 inch and the bottom one was fine. Your installers took the two broken pieces and left the bottom strip. I should have been notified if your "policy" is to just throw them away. Per your statement you do not replace these pieces unless you "deemed" it necessary. So why didn't your installers at least leave them for me if they were not replacing with new. You are well aware of my phone numbers and could have easily contacted me to get involved at the correct time. Again, this is gross negligence and you can "blame me' but what is comes down too is you let your installers go on their own and you do not follow-up on the quality (or lack there of) of work. My offer at this time still stands, when I close my pool for the winter I will be more than glad to lower the water enough to have your company come out and replace the face-plate and caps to correct this issue, with a guarantee of no leak for the first year. Otherwise, I will have another pool company do this and send you the bill.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Mrs [redacted],After 3 or 4 years, your complaint is very late. You may do whatever you wish, but we will not be held responsible for the bill.Regards, BOB DAVIS

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.I have had the pool strips replaced. It was a minor fix, by a company that understands what customer service means. It is apparent that your staff did not know what they were talking about because my pool did not have to be drained ,replace the face-plate, additional liner work or restore my chemicals. The main difference is that you have created a culture of a "sorry for your luck" attitude and that is what I find totally despicable. The real problem is that you expect others to always do the right thing but somehow you feel exempted from conducting this same business practice. Fortunately for me your services will never be needed again.

Because your company did not resolve this issue, my complaint will not be removed.

Regards,

Review: I went to Aqua Pros on Tuesday, July 22 to buy some chemicals for my hot tub, and a couple of new insert seals for two of the valves on top of the hot tub that were slightly leaking. [redacted] was my advisor and he helped me with the products I bought. I asked about a technician doing service call and he said it would cost 595 for the first half hour and then 525 for every 15 minutes. I asked how they would determine where it was leaking. He replied that they would do a visual inspection, and probably put a dye in the water to see where the leak was coming from.

The hot tub holds 350 gallons of water. I told them that I was waiting for 2 months of pay from workmen's comp. Therefore, I was trying to be very frugal knowing that my funds were indeterminate

as to when they would come in. I said I would think about it and call back to let them know if I wanted to have the work done, I called Aqua Pros to request a service call and they assured me that they could detect and repair the leak of my hot tub.

Since I purchased the hot tub from Aqua Pros in 2010, my house is only 2 miles from the store. The technicians came to my house on Thursday, July 23 and I had already done everything I could to help them, (ie. Taking off panels and lift bar giving them easy access to save time and money.) They sent [redacted] and [redacted], I was being helpful and friendly by telling them where it was leaking, how much, how long, and the parts I had replaced.

The water fall valve was slightly leaking on the top side of the tub. This was the only place they thought was leaking, they unscrewed that valve and said it needed an O ring similar to the one used around your faucet stern . They didn't even bring the drill, much less a little box of various O rings with them to the back of my house. Instead, they made multiple trips to the front of the house to the truck where the supplies were, but this equipment was mandatory for a service call anyway. This seemed to be deliberate time wasting practices that was costing the customer money. They were sure that the problem was fixed. I asked why they didn't put dye in the water to be sure that was the only leak. They scoffed, seemed to be in a hurry to leave, and said that if the hot tub did leak, it would be a minor leak and only occur when the pump was running.

So, we closed up the hot tub and I said that I really hoped it was fixed. They were at my house less than one hour. I asked how much the bill was and [redacted] said $180, I said, "You can't be serious and, he said,"Two of us came out, I said,"it was supposed to be $95 for the first half hour and then $25 every 15 minutes after that." He then said, "Let me see what I can do to help you," He then said,"How about $120, and I am left a little unsure if I was getting a fair deal at all. I paid him $120 that day with a check. The next day, my daughter was visiting us. I showed her the leaking tub that was turned off, and she was appalled that we had obviously been taken advantage of. She called the store to complain about the problem and was referred to one of the techs. That came out. The tech told her that she would have to talk to the owner, [redacted], who was the only one who could remedy the problem. [redacted] personally handles and oversees service calls and she was told that he was unavailable until Monday. She was told that they would pass on the message to him and that he would return the call when he got in. When we hadn't heard from him by just before noon on Monday, I called him. I told him nicely what the problem was, and it seemed like he was stalling for time. He said he would talk to him crew and give me a call later that day. He never called me back so I called the store and was told he wasn't there. So, I e mailed him at his office store letting him know I had a serious complaint with the whole service call situation.

I felt like I was being ignored and not being taken seriously. So, me and my wife, [redacted] felt like we needed to go to the store to see if he was there or at least find out what was going on. I wanted her to go with me so that she could be a witness to whatever took place in the store because I did not trust them. There wasn't anyone inside the store except for his employees. They asked why we were there and once we told them, they were very unfriendly. They had a very uncaring attitude. We tried to state our case and did it without using any hand gestures or yelling or using any profanity. They, in turn, seemed to be very defensive. WE are just two unhappy customers unhappy with they way we were being treated. They said they would e mail him because he was in the bottom of a hole digging a pool. I finally heard back from [redacted] on Tuesday evening, July 28.

[redacted] did not express any empathy or concern and failed to apologize for not responding back in a timely manner as he had promised. He muttered something like my hot tub leaking wasn't a great priority. He had other issues that mattered more like digging out this new pool for someone. When I tried to explain, he cut me off and wasn't nice. He insisted that my wife and I had created a scene and acted out in his store that day. He then said that I was not allowed back in his store again. He said he didn't care what I did (ie protest with signs , post a blog on social media, or go to the Revdex.com), When I tried to speak to see if there was any way to resolve the issue, he hung up the phone on me.

In summary,

I have respectfully attempted to go through the proper steps to resolve my unsatisfactory experience with Aqua Pros. This meant multiple phone calls, giving them an e mail, another store visit, and now finally he left me no choice but to appeal to the Revdex.com. To get back what was taken from me ie. my money, aggravation, travel, and time, and to be restored to where I was before all of this took place, I can't believe a man that owns a successful chain of stores and has been in business for 30 years would be so rude, uncaring and unprofessional to his customers.

Sincerely,

[redacted]Desired Settlement: To get back what was taken from me ie. my money, aggravation, travel, and time, and to be restored to where I was before all of this took place, I can't believe a man that owns a successful chain of stores and has been in business for 30 years would be so rude, uncaring and unprofessional to his customers.

Business

Response:

Response to [redacted] complaint.Initial rate of 595: We don't charge 595 for 30 minutes or even 3 hours for one technician.Our technicians were there for close to an hour which would have been a $140.00 charge for one technician (based on our rates). The 2 technician charge would have been appropriate because in most instances we send 2 in order to repair the leak on a first call if 2 sets of hands are called for. Its not possible to know from our office whether 1 or 2 technicians are needed, thus the initial charge for 2 techs, but at Mr [redacted]'s request, the charge was reduced to less than a charge for one tech for an hour to $120.00Deliberate time wasting practice: We would rarely unload equipment and materials from our truck not knowing what we are facing, especially when we can do a quick evaluation. Initially, the hot tub control panel was not functioning and our lead technician could see no water leaking from anywhere. It was necessary to get a topside control panel to turn the operating system on so we could pump water through the system. At that point a leak was found in the waterfall valve. The technician then went to the truck again, to get a gasket to repair the leak.After that, and approximately an hour into it, our technicians left. Mr [redacted] was told that the leak was in all probability attributable to the waterfall valve.Dye test for leak: Since there was no visible leaking as Mr [redacted] had removed the side panels, there was no need to add dye to the water. Dye testing is not that effective in miniscule leaks.Mr [redacted] called me to tell me he thought he was losing 1/8" of water in 6 hours. He was upset and pretty much demanding that we respond immediately. I explained that was impossible since my lead technician's son was hospitalized, and in light of such a small loss of water, which could be due to evaporation, we would address it within a week if he really felt certain it was still leaking. Also, in many cases of leak repairs, one repairs the leak that is found. There may be more, but if they aren't quickly found, much costly time can be wasted searching for a leak which may or may not exist.Mr [redacted] and his wife came into my store on Timberlake Road and he and his wife actually told my staff that "we aren't feeling any love". That seems a bit excessive. When I called Mr [redacted] to discuss his suggestion that the spa still leaks and he insisted on a resolution, I did tell him that if he could not behave better, I would not welcome him in our stores. He became very vocal with me and I will not listen to such banter, and I hung up. Our company has thousands of customers. We service at least 30 to 50 accounts per week. The technician in question, [redacted] has an outstanding record with our clients and many request him. Our complaints are minimal, practically non existent and we do fulfill our obligations.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

The actual time that the technicians spent on the service call was 45 minutes which is documented on the receipt. Is there anyone who wouldn't agree that these rates are extremely steep? Furthermore, am I wrong forexpecting results and a more accurate analysis on any service call? Since I purchased my hot tub from this company and they advertise that they are the specialists in serving hot tubs, naturally, I expected them to be competent ¡n the repair of my hot tub.The technicians replaced an O ring and they assured me that if there was a leak, it would be small and only occur when the pump was running. However, I wanted and asked them to check to make sure the leak was fixed and they seemed to be in a hurry and didn't want to check anything else for leaks. I turned off the pump since we weren't using the hot tub and the next day, I discovered water leaking underneath the hot tub. It wasn 't condensation but truly a leak that should have been fixed. I timely notified them the next day that the problem was still occurring , After speaking with the owner and explaining that my hot tub was not fixed, he did not offer any resolution . It seemed as though he didn't want to deal with the problem at hand.After I contacted the Revdex.com with my complaint, I did receive a letter from the Aqua Pros owner. In his letter, he continued to deny any responsibility to fix my hot tub. He was upset that I would even voice a complaint even though it was clear that I deserved a resolution to this problem. This owner stated that he fulfills his obligations and that he has an outstanding record for customer service. But, I ask you, would you call his refusal to fix my hot tub, good business practice?I cannot, in good faith, recommend Aqua Pros to anyone since I have had such a unsatisfying experience with the company owner of a chain of stores as well as the technicians. For all my time, trouble, and stress, I am unhappily out of the service fee that I paid and rny hot tub is still leaking. The only thing I asked of the owner of Aqua Pros is that they fix my hot tub in a timely manner or refund my money. As of this t¡me, the owner still refuses to act on my request and he doesn't went to be bothered anymore. Frankly, he just wants me to go away even though he has been unethical and dishonest and fails to acknowledge his responsibility.Still waiting l!!Regards,

Business

Response:

Mr [redacted] stated "After

speaking with the owner and explaining that my hot tub was not fixed,

he did not offer any resolution . It seemed as though he didn't want to

deal with the problem at hand."I replied in my prior response that my senior technician's son was in the hospital and we were struggling with a difficult workload due in part to that. Mr [redacted] told me that his tub was losing only a small amount of water long period of time, no big emergency. I asked him to be patient and we would get to it in no more than a week. He was obviously displeased with my reply and here we are.Mr [redacted] permitted no resolution.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Regards,

Near the beginning of June 2015 We called a total of three pool and spa companies listed with A+ reviews on the Revdex.com site, to get quotes on replacing our inground pool filter and pump. One company never got back with us on an estimate, even after we sent email pictures to clarify what type and size of pump/filter system we needed to replace, and initially they told us they wouldn't be able to do the work till July or August. The second company took a week to get back with us on a quote and they wouldn't be able to perform the work until mid july. Aqua pros gave us a quote within days, were a couple hundred dollars cheaper than the second company and they installed the pump/filter system within 1 week. There was some air coming in the drain line, yet not the skimmer line at that time....so we turned off the drain line. Two weeks later there was air coming in both lines, yet the filter was staying primed. I called Keith (the installer), and explained the problem, telling him it was probably a bad part, which he thought was possible. He came back within a week and fixed the issue, without charging us...it was a bad o-ring. This company was very receptive to our concerns, quick to do everything and I will definitely use them again for any pool repairs or replacements that we need!!!!

When calling for a quote to change the sand in our pool filter and open the pool, I was given an initial quote of between $500 and $600 and agreed to that as long as it didn't exceed the $600 limit. The time was set for a certain date and time but I was called to move the appointment up to the next day because they had the time available. I asked that they not come until 2pm so that I could be there when the work was being done. It had rained that morning so I was glad that I had put it off until 2:00 in the afternoon. However, when I arrived home, I discovered that the workers had already come and gone and there was a bill for $1133.96 left in the door. There was a long list of things on the bill, most of which meant nothing to me. I called and spoke with the owner and he told me that they got to the house sooner than expected and realized that a part ($186) had to be replaced. I was and am still confused as to why the quote was so different from the actual amount I was charged. Of course, I would have had them put the part on if I had been there to approve it but since they came early, they took it upon themselves to replace the part. When you get your car serviced, the mechanics don't automatically put a part on the car to get it running without first asking permission. The cover was balled up in a corner and of course, was wet from the rain and the pool filter was leaking. I insisted that they come back and correct the leak, which they did. I was not dissatisfied with the work done, just that I was not informed that the price had practically doubled and that I was not consulted before they did extra work above the estimate. I have spent a lot of money with this business in the past, including the purchase of a hot tub. I will not purchase any more goods or services from them in the future.