Germantown Pool & Spa

Complaint Very poor inspection of our pool prior to purchase of home. After closing and opening pool, did not disclose issues & bill was higher than quoted. In September of 2013, I contacted Germantown Pool and Spa to conduct a pool inspection at a house we had a contract on to purchase. Charles Long came and disclosed when he got here that he maintained this pool weekly and that the pool was in good shape and no major issues with the pool. He made note that the liner was 3-4 years old and wrinkles and such were normal over time with a pool. We asked if we needed a diver and he said we did not need one. After purchasing the home, he came out and closed the pool for us. He verbally told us the closing would be $250.00 and we received a bill for about $40.00 higher in which we paid. During the winter, we noticed we were adding water quite a bit even with the cover on. I called and asked him about this and he told us that it was normal to add water with extreme temperature changes. I continually added water during the winter. On March 25, I called to schedule the opening of our pool for the end of April/ first of May due to an event at my house on May 7. He told me he would tentatively set it up for April 28-29 but would call to let me know when. On April 28. I heard a knock on my door and it was Charles Long. I was surprised to see him since there were storms projected all day. I walked out to the pool with him and he said he was going to try and open 3 pools that day in our area before the storms came. I explained that we had a gash in the cover and was hoping we had a warranty on it since it was purchased in the fall. I helped him pull the cover back halfway back from the pool and he said to leave the hose in it to fill it and he would be back. I left a few hours later and during that time he returned. He called me later and said he was finished. I was only about 10 minutes away and told him I would come home to pay and get my pool lesson. He said the bill would be sent and he did not have time for my lesson but would come back at the end of the week to meet with my husband and I and go over everything. He said the chemicals would be good for a week. I reminded him that I had an event on Wednesday, May 7 and needed the pool to be in great shape. I never heard anything from him and called him later that week to ask about coming out and explaining the chemicals and such. Again on May 5, I texted him and called explaining that I needed him to come out for a lesson and the polaris was not moving. He responded that it would be later in the week for a lesson and I asked if I needed to add chemicals and reminded him that I had an event at my house on the 7. He replied later that he came by and are things better. By that point I had someone else come out. The polaris was not moving due to the water level being so low. I received a bill for $410.00 for the closing of the pool. This was over $100.00 more than he quoted and his explanation was because he had to have 3 men pull the liner off. I helped him pull the liner off. We have had multiple conversations about this and all of his issues with lack of satisfactory service. At this point, we have had the pump repaired, the gauge replaced, the polaris pump repaired, the switches replaced to the pumps and a new liner put in the pool. The new company quickly noticed a separation in the liner and this was why we were adding water all winter and after opening, we were adding about 10" of water a day. During the process of replacing the liner, we took pictures of the multiple issues they found. Issues should have been disclosed in the pool inspection and definitely during the closing and opening of the pool.The plastic trim was cracked and almost in 2 pieces around the stairs, the screws used throughout the pool were rusted through, the wrinkles in the bottom of the pool were not normal, the large separation in the seam of the liner, the extreme fading/ white vs blue in certain areas of the pool was due to continuous chemical imbalance. When the liner was removed, there was a pool of water underneath showing leakage over a long period of time. Desired SettlementI feel that we received a very poor inspection in the fall and were overcharged for closing and overcharged for opening. The poor inspection has caused us to spend almost $4000.00 since May in getting all of the issues replaced and repaired. I do not feel Germantown Pool and Spa is due the $410.00 he charged us for opening the pool. He should have to pay for part of the repairs that we are making since his inspection was that our pool was in good condition. Business Response Mr. [redacted]Revdex.com3693 Tyndale Drive Memphis, Tn. 38125Reference: Case#40096672: [redacted]Mr. [redacted] I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the above reference dispute between Germantown Pool and Spa and [redacted]. Your records will indicate that we have been in business for over 20 years and have an excellent relationship with both our customers and the Revdex.com of the Mid-South. I do not believe we have had a registered complaint with the Revdex.com. I hope the following facts will clear up any of the mistaken claims that Mrs. [redacted] has discussed with your office.Might I start our discussion with the fact that the client has made it a common practice in our short association to bypass myself in trying to resolve any issues in regard to her swimming pool. We opened her pool on Monday, April 28, 2014. She took to social media on May 5, 2014 -a Monday morning at 9am after I did not return her call the previous evening on May 4, 2014 -a Sunday night as quickly as she had expected. No pool companies will answer their phone on a Sunday night. I was in contact with her the morning of May 5th but she had already decided to attempt to tarnish our reputation on a [redacted] web site. I sent my service technician out at no charge to check the pool at 1:00 pm on May 5th. When we offered further assistance we were told she did not need our help further. I did not hear from the family until several weeks later when Mr. [redacted] called me to discuss the invoice. He agreed we had done the work that we billed for but felt it was $50 too high. I offered to agreeably negotiate that difference but have never heard anything else until the complaint to the Revdex.com.I am enclosing the only 2 invoices that we have ever sent to the [redacted] for work at their residence of [redacted] in [redacted] I will discuss them first.Invoice #XXXXX was for the pool closing on 10/21/13. We estimated the closing to be at our normal cost of about $250.00 including closing chemicals. Any additional product such as winterizing plugs, water weight tubes for the cover or pool covers are not determined until we pull the cover and equipment out and take inventory. Mrs. [redacted] needed an additional 2 water tubes to hold the cover down properly. Every year a few of these are replaced due to freezing, animals chewing on the bags, etc. We never know how many new ones we need until the time of the closing. The invoice was for $272.81, NOT THE $290.00 Mrs. [redacted] referenced in her complaint. At the time they paid the bill and never questioned the $22.81 difference which is accounted for by the 2 water tubes and sales tax.Invoice #XXXXX was for the pool opening, chemicals and other materials and labor to install a used [redacted] on a used [redacted] booster pump which had not been used in at least 3 years by the previous owner. We estimated the opening to be $350.00 but we had to install the following extra parts which are not part of a normal opening:1- [redacted] Pump Hose Set - $40.00 plus tax 2- [redacted] Universal Wall Fitting - $32.00 plus tax 3- [redacted] Tail Scrubber - $4.95 plus tax 4- 15# Alkalinity Up - $15.00 plus tax.These 4 items add up to $100.87 which are not part of such a normal opening. They are "Add - On " items which we bill out of the office. We don't have that pricing in our trucks to give exact quotes. This should account for the $57.99 overage that Mr. [redacted] referred to in our conversation.OTHER CLAIMS BY [redacted]:Pool Inspection: We never conducted a pool inspection for the [redacted] family in the fall. I informed her that since I had serviced the pool for the previous owner that I could not work for both the buyer and the seller. They were welcome to get another company to do the inspection if they so desired. When they decided not to get an inspection from another company I agreed to share with them my past experience with the pool. I gave a truthful history that we had serviced the pool for Mrs. [redacted] for about 2 years and had no major issues with the pool. We cleaned the pool weekly for Mrs. [redacted] and would occasionally perform minor repairs. I DID NOT CHARGE FOR MY OPINION AND DID NOT CONDUCT A POOL INSPECTION!! She cannot produce an invoice or pool inspection report because there is not one!In regard to pool inspections they are simply a "Snapshot" of the pool at the exact time and date of the inspection. They are not valid for an unspecified time in the future. A pool inspection in September of 2013 can show no problems but after a harsh winter like that of XXXX-XXXX problems can develop with a pool that cannot be forecasted or predicted.We simply gave an honest history of the pool as we knew it and have no obligation as to any future problems that occur 7 months later.Pool Cover: The pool cover installed at the time of closing was indeed a new cover that MRS.[redacted] PURCHASED. The [redacted] inherited a new cover. When we removed the cover we found 12”- 16" tear in the cover. It was apparently damaged over the winter or spring by a tree limb or possibly an animal. That is common and IS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE. COVER WARRANTIES ONLY COVER POOR MATERIAL OR A BAD SEAM. That was not the case with this cover.Question of a Diver: At no point and time did we ever discuss a need for a diver at the pool. The only unusual water loss that I was aware of was in the spring when we realized the cover pump had been pumping water out of the pool due to the RIP IN THE COVER. As a matter of fact, Mrs. [redacted]' water was too high on May 5th - a week after the opening. I was never told in that 7 day period after the opening that there was any water loss.Pool Lesson: I did agree to give Mrs. [redacted] a pool lesson on the pool. We were backed up the week of the opening due to rains and bad weather. I was to give her one the week of May 5th We never got the chance. I was NOT GOING TO CHARGE FOR THE POOL SCHOOL. However, Mrs. [redacted]' impatience cost us the opportunity to discuss the operation of the pool.Multiple Conversations in Regard to Unsatisfactory Service: This simply is not true. She got another pool service before we could show her how to operate the pool because of her lack of patience. I offered to help after that but was told not to bother. Her husband and I had a conversation about the amount of the opening invoice and I thought we had come to an agreement but NEVER RECEIVED ANY PAYMENT.Other Repairs to Pool After the Opening: A new pressure gauge, [redacted] pump repairs, electrical switches and liner were installed.None of these were apparent at time of the opening. We were not asked back or informed of any problems after we checked the pool out at NO CHARGE on May 5, 2014. You cannot identify problems, nor fix them if you are not communicated with or let back on the property.Such follow up repairs are always additional charges anyway. Nothing like those repairs were billed on the opening invoice so I don't understand our responsibility.At the time of the opening and a week later on May 5th, all pumps were operating. Any repairs after that date were suggested by another company. The validity of these repairs and their necessity is questionable to me.The Liner:This is the glaring issue that I believe Mrs. [redacted] was a victim of being in too much of a rush to resolve. It possibly cost her $3500. We did not install the liner. Another company that I know did the installation. Any problems should have been taken up with them in regard to warranty.Being only a few years old, it could possibly have been under FULL WARRANTY or PARTIAL WARRANTY depending on the manufacturer. A SEAM SEPARATION as Mrs. [redacted] claims the other pool company found is indeed a WARRANTY ISSUE. That company failed tothe possibility of having this covered under warranty. NO ONE CONTACTED ME or I would have gladly put them in contact with the original installer. If we had been involved the SERIAL NUMBER IS ON THE BACK OF THE LINER AND ANY COMPANY CAN TURN THAT IN UNDER WARRANTY. This apparently was not checked. Mrs. [redacted] should be turning that company into the Revdex.com not Germantown Pool and Spa.IN CLOSING:Germantown Pool and Spa has only charged [redacted] for work we completed on her pool.Her claims of our liability for a cover, a pool inspection, old equipment, a liner and incorrect billing are totally unreasonable and invalid. Hopefully the above mentioned facts will prove that in the eyes of the Revdex.com. We are owed the full amount of $407.99 for Invoice Number XXXXX for the pool opening.I am prepared to collect that amount and prepared to take further action if Mrs. [redacted] decides to slander our company any more on her social media outlets that she prefers over handling issues face to face in a reasonable manner.Thank you for your time and my opportunity to share my facts in regard to this issue.Respectfully, [redacted] Owner,Operator Germantown Pool and Spa