Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  07/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On April 14, 2023 Sunshine Pools and Billards send me an estimate to have the sand in the filter replaced. The estimate was $375.91. ***** came to the house to replace the sand in the filter. We talked to him about replacing the motor too. He told us the cost and it was almost the same as replacing the whole system so we agreed to replace the whole system. We also indicated that we needed two replacement top connectors. He left. We were charged $100.65 for the visit and the two connectors. The bill was sent on April 28, 2023. May 8th they came to install the new system. While installing the new system, ***** accidently broke a piece of the pipe. He had the majority of the new system set up when he stopped and said he needed help to finish the job. He said he could not do the electrical work. Also not all the piping was complete. He left. May 10, 2023 we received a bill for $1,469.75. Several days later ***** returned to our home with another tech. The senior tech told my son that ***** had gotten in over his head with our install and that he was not ready to be on his own. They finished the installation together and left. Before they left my son voiced concerns about seeing air bubbles coming out of the jet. They told him it was normal and left.The next day the pool had been running about 40 mins and my son went to check on it. He found that it was leaking a significate amount of water in multiple locations. He then shut the pool off after filming and photographing the leaks. My son also back washed the pool and a significant amount of sand came out. I called Sunshine Pools and let ****** know that the pool was not acting correctly. I told her I was not ready to have someone come out yet. The new equipment may just need to be broken in. The water leaks continued and I called Sunshine Pools and asked them to schedule a time to come out and fix the leaks. When the techs came out they discovered that some of the work had not been sealed or taped which was why it was leaking so much. I also voiced that the motor, which was previously sitting level on a platform, was now half on the platform and half off. Due to vibration this would eventually cause the *** pipe to break. ***** dug a whole under the motor and shoved a brick underneath the motor as a way to help stabilize the motor. Then they left.The next day or so, my son noticed that the pool did not look like it was running. He went to take a closer look. He discovered that the secondary filter was filled with air instead of water. Water was trickling into the secondary filter from the pool while the motor was running. The secondary filter was not filling with water, thus causing the pool water not to be circulating. Next my son shut off the pool motor and popped the top of the secondary filter. When he did this the air rushed out and the secondary filter filled with water. When he turned the pool back on it seemed to function normally again. Not every day but most days my son was noticing that the secondary filter was filled with air and not water. He would need to manually open the filter to release the air and let the filter fill up with water. We noticed that when the pool shut off the air would be blown into the pool, the basket lid for the main filter would be blown off and the secondary filter would again be filled with air instead of water. To my son it looked like water and air had flowed backwards. Due to the fact that this was now occurring almost daily I called Sunshine Pools again to request a service call. The senior tech came out on June 8th. We turned off the power to the pool that day so that the tech could see there was no water in the secondary filter. When he took the lid to the secondary filter off he said there was a leaf that might have caused this to occur. We said no, it was happening almost daily now. My son described what was happening and also told him that he has hear a hissing sound coming from near the basket but could not pinpoint the location of the sound. The tech agreed it could be an air leak but said he had no way of knowing where. He left, and said if it did it again tomorrow to call. It happened again so I called on June 9th. A gentleman answered the phone. After listening to me he asked me to wait a minute and then put the tech on the phone that was out the day before. He just said, well I guess we will have to put you on the schedule again. I called the next day, June 10th to ask when I was scheduled for another tech appointment. I was not scheduled. Instead the woman who answered the phone said that ****** would be in and would give me a call. ****** texted me instead. She asked that we video the issue. We did that evening and I send them to her the evening of June 10th.I called Monday afternoon, June 12th, to make sure we were on the schedule. We were not. Instead ****** asked me to hold while she watched the videos I had sent on Saturday. She offered her option, said it was electrical. What she was seeing was the pool filter pushing water out, then the timer turned the pool filter off, within 30 seconds it looked the filter was back on due to the water and air being pushed out of the system. She would not schedule a tech to come out. Instead she said she would show the videos to someone and that they would call me. No one called **** had lost faith in Sunshine Pools knowing how to fix the issue and/or being willing to fix the issue so I reached out to ********** Services. He was the person who had previously recommended Sunshine Pools. He agreed to come out on June 14. He agreed it was an air leak and said that there should not be bubbles in the secondary filter. Within a half an hour he had fixed the issues and our pool runs fine now. I texted ****** at Sunshine Pools on June 19th and told her that another company had come out and fixed the air leak. I told her it cost me $100.00 and that I needed to be reimbursed the $100.00 due to faulty installation. She requested documentation of the other company. I sent her a copy of the check I used to pay the other company. I have not heard from Sunshine Pools since then. I am requesting to be reimbursed the $100.00 I had to spend to get the new equipment properly installed. Sunshine Pools and Billiards already has multiple pictures and videos of the issues as well as a copy of the check for ********** Service.

  Business response

  07/08/2023

  ******************* contacted us in May to install a new filter and pump to the aboveground pool. We installed a new sand filter and pump on May 8th. On May 15th we were called back out to the property due to leaks at the new equipment. We located the filter leaking at 2 connectors and we tightened them back up. Before the technician left the property, he did an equipment check and all was running properly. On June 5th ******************* contacted our office and stated the pump was not priming. The technician came back on June 8th. He preformed an equipment check and located no issues with the pump. The technician showed the homeowner how to operate the new system. No leaks or problems with the equipment. The customer contacted us back one week later and said the pump was not operational. It would be working fine until the system shuts off and then the lid would pop off. We informed ******************* that we would get her scheduled to return the following week. We made an appointment for the 19th. The homeowner contacted us back and said she had another person come out and address the issue. ******************* demanded we reimburse for the repair. We told her that we would need a copy of the invoice from the other company and we need to know what was found out with the issue. ******************* refused to give us a copy oy the invoice from the person she hired to come out. She then stated that a copy of the check was sufficient and she demands a refund. Again, we told ******************* that we will not issue a refund or store credit unless we see an invoice stating what was done to the equipment by the other company. She then states she would take it up with the BBB. We would like to resolve this complaint, but we will not reimburse another company without a copy of the invoice stating it was something to do with the installation of the equipment. Thank you for your time. 

  Customer response

  07/14/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:   I provided a copy of the check and the technician from SUNSHINE POOLS agreed there was an air leak on his last visit. 

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