Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  06/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  An incorrect pump was installed on pool equipment and doesn't work properly. Owner will not take responsibility and does not respond to text, phone or email messages. Will not come out to inspect. He has been paid in full. Contract requires indoctrination of customer by pool company, this was never done and the customer never accepted the job as completed.

  Business response

  07/21/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/24) */ Mr. ********* paid for his final pool installation bill in November of 2021, and even marked final payment on the memo of the check. There was a warranty issue after final payment that was taken care of immediately. He and his wife were indoctrinated by our service manager, ******. I, myself, was witness to this. After the indoctrination the pool was turned over to another service company. That service company maintained the pool after installation, closed, opened and currently performs weekly maintenance on the pool. Mr. ********* was told over the phone that this would be a service call as we do not take care of the pool, based on what he described. He was also told that if it was deemed a warranty issue, we would file the warranty claim on his behalf and fix at no cost. A service agreement then was emailed to him on June 8th to which he refused to sign and stated it "wasn't fair". We then suggested to have his pool maintenance company diagnose the issue and if it was a warranty issue, we would help file the claim and take care of it. His pool maintenance company suggested to him (coming from Mr. ********* not the maintenance company that the pump was too large and that we needed to install a 1/2 or 3/4 hp pump. This is incorrect, due to the friction loss and requirements of the laminar fountains that this pump supplies. It requires a minimum a 1 3/4 hp pump. Therefore, we installed a 2 hp pump. This system ran flawlessly when installed. Mr. ********* called several times after they were installed and said they were not working properly. I sent a technician out, and I even went out on different occasions. Each time myself or tech discovered that the valves that control the height of each individual fountain were out of adjustment. We readjusted several times and tighten back down the set screws. The only way for the valves to move would be to untighten the setscrew and adjust the valves. This was done on numerous occasions and never billed. After the last time in mid-October and after he paid his final bill in November we have not heard from him until now. It sounds like the same issue again he is describing, which is not a warranty issue. It should be in the hands of his pool maintenance company. We were in communication with him via text messages on June 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th. I even spoke with Mr. ********* on our recorded phone line. He signed the service agreement on June 16th and hand delivered. Tentatively, Mr. ********* is on the schedule next week. Again, if it is a warranty issue, we would be glad to assist and file the claim on his behalf. Mr. ********* texts after hours and on the weekend. The text messages go to our portal not to a company cell phone. We check each day and return messages. Again, I have a voice recording of our conversation and all text message communications. Consumer Response /* (3000, 12, 2022/07/05) */ ------- Forwarded message --------- From: Peter ********* <*****************************> Date: Tue, Jun 28, 2022 at 9:08 AM Subject: Re: BBB Complaint Case# ****************************************** To: Better Business Bureau***************************** Regarding Mr *****' response. I did provide final payment even tho laminars were not working because he refused to submit warranty until I did so. New laminar was subsequently installed without notice to me... I didn't even know they were installed until we opened the pool this spring. They are not operating properly. I contacted Pentair and they said correct pump should be Superfluous variable speed, 11/2 hp pump, part 342002. Both Mr and Mrs ***** commited to be out here last week, no one showed and no one called. I have texted and called twice with no response. This is normal poor service. Sent from my iPhone Business Response /* (4000, 14, 2022/07/08) */ We have been in contact with Mr. *********, even though he alleges we have not. We have text messages (through our computer software) date and time stamped, which I have attached. Our service manager, ******, did in fact go out to Mr. *********'s home to diagnose. He found evidence that someone had tampered with the inside of the laminar which caused it to not work correctly. In terms of the pump (this is the correct pump) as there are different options. This is what we always install on our laminars. Attached is email correspondence and text message correspondence. To say we are not communicating is atrocious. The pump was installed over a year ago and worked properly, please see the photo from the fall of 2021. The pump was installed prior to pool plastering. The pool was plastered on June 21, 2021. Mr. ********* is correct that we worked with him and filed a warranty claim on his behalf with Pentair (not through KustomScapes and Pools). The warranty was filed due to a faulty light in the fountain, not the water stream. We replaced and all worked perfect on September 17, 2021, as dated in the picture. He came to our office last fall questioning when the warrantied laminar would be replaced. We explained it had been replaced as it's a quick fix. There was no mention of any issues at all during this visit. He came into our office again at the beginning of the spring asking when the warrantied laminar was to be fixed. Jon told him again this had been taken care of last fall. Mr. ********* never mentioned any issues at this time either. Our office manager kept Mr. ********* in the loop on June 29, 2022, about when our service manager could come out. Mr. ********* replied and said he and our service manager will do this together. Mr. ********* was on site and even spoke with our service manager on June 30, 2022, during the visit. Please see the attachment of our GPS records. To say no one has been out is a lie and demeaning to my company. The text from Mr. ********* on June 30, 2022, at 2:23 pm even states "Thanks, good visit." The following day a service form was sent over to Mr. ********* for us to supply and install a new 1 1/2 hp pump. He refused and said it doesn't work. I tried to explain that we would not be swapping out the pumps, as it was installed and worked properly for over a year and that there is evidence of someone tampering inside the laminar. The request for replacing the pump is not necessary as the laminar worked properly when put on last year. Mr. ********* did not respond back on July 1, 2022, to the last message of the date referencing the plaster date and the pump was installed prior to. He sent a text message to our service manager over the holiday weekend on July 2, 2022, asking if he (*********) were to purchase a pump could he (Service Manager) tell him what parts he would need and if he would install. Our company has a strict policy against "moonlighting", and this would be a violation of that policy. The service manager did not respond to him as this number is to be used as an on-call emergency number for our clients. He is not one of our clients anymore and has had his own pool maintenance company for over a year taking care of the pool. We have tried working with Mr. ********* and even offered a large discount on the pump, he requested for us to install. Our service manager went out again on July 6, 2022 to take pictures of the evidence that the laminar had been tampered with. The office manager for KustomScapes sent Mr. ********* a text letting him know the service manager would be out. There has been no response at all from Mr. *********. Please see the attached pictures. The spout should be in the middle to allow the stream to come out properly. All of the laminars were correct except the one Mr. ********* claims is not working. The laminar Mr. ********* claimed did not work was due to someone (not a KustomScapes Employee) tampering with the spout. As one can see in the photo this spout is pushed all the way to one side. This will cause it to not work properly. The service manager adjusted and took photos of ALL laminars working properly.

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