Pool Companies to stay away from

[KJB]

I want to post a warning for anyone in Minnesota who needs pool work done - Either New construction or Renovations. Dolphin Pool and Spa of Plymouth is the Company to avoid - They have taken on a new partner that is unethical and very dishonest. We hired Dolphin Pool and Spa to replace liner - replace concrete around the pool and move the pool equipment - the Bid was $24,000 - My wife and I agreed that we needed the work done. So we signed the Contract. The Job was quoted to be 4 to 6 weeks to complete. 2 and 1/2 years later the job still is not complete - the Concrete in not what we asked for and is Majorly Cracking in 12 spots so far. which 9 of them started with in 1 week of being poured. The color is not correct - the boarder was not poured - the boarder was supposed to be tan in color - they painted it blue because the forgot that the boarder was supposed to be different. The contract they bid was only half of the amount of concrete. When I asked why it was only half the response was I only bid 5 feet around the pool, I responded with well I helped you messure all of the concrete to be replaced. He said thats not what I bid. Later he changed his story and said he mis-calculated the amount of Square feet. I told him that he was being dishonest. he didn't respond. So as it sits today - Dolphin pool and Spa has put a lein against my property for the outrstanding balance of $4900.00 which $2000.00 of it was work they never did. They have filed with the local courts to have our house forclosed on and with the sale have the lein satisfied. This has casused me to obtain a lawyer and defend this defimation of title. and Now I have submitted a lawsuit to cover the cost of having the Concrete redone correctly. - This company is a nightmare - So stay away from Dolphin Pool and Spa of Minnesota. I could go on for hours with everything they did wrong to us. So to End They took me for $45,000.00 so far and are sueing us for $4900 more and still never finished the job. I don't want anyone else to get taken by them. So any help with speading the word would be greatly helpful

[Larry]

I'm sorry to hear of your bad experience KJB

So we signed the Contract.

Were the colors of the borders and the amount of concrete and paving not in the contract?

A good quote and a good contract should list everything down to the last nut, screw, tile and final cleanup. The time frame should be implicitly stated with a penalty for late completion. Often a good contract from a reliable contractor or company may seem high, but the job gets done right and gets finished on time (after all each day delayed results in a further penalty). In the long run it doesn't work out more expensive and you save on the frustration.

Larry

[KJB]

yes in the contract - minus the Exact colors to be determined at a later date

[KJB]

What I didn't realize was that the contract I signed was for only half of the amount of concrete. The workers came out and poured half the job and the next day they showed up to work and I received a call from Dolphin infroming me thaqt I need to sign the change order to complete the job. I responded with why do you need a change order - and he responded with for the additional concrete you ordered. I said I didn't order additonal concrete. He said If you want the rest of the concrete poured you need to sign the change order. I ask what is the change order for and he said for the remaining concrete at the cost of $20,000 more. My wifr and I went through the roof - and said that can't be right. His response if you don't sign I will send the workers away. I said we need to discuss this. He said he was coming to the house. After he hung up the phone he called the working crew and told them to leave so they did. My wife was crying to the workers asking them to please get the job done - they said they were instructed to leave so they did. Another night mare when he showed up to the house. He was very rude and said either you sign or the work won't get done, because you signed a contract for only this certain amount and they poured it. so if you want the rest of the job done you need to sign. Very upset - we just wanted the job done so we signed - bad mistake.

[Guest]

What a bummer

Just goes to show that you gotta read the fine print before signing on the dotted line. You can't trust anyone nowadays it seems.

[XtremelyTropical]

I am not sure I understand why they would have written 1/2 a contract. If they measured they knew up front how much concrete is was going to be. Sorry to hear about that. Good luck.

[Me...]

Almost sounds like a chapter in a "How to bid Commercially" book.

Analyze the job and bid low enough to get it and have such a convoluted set of documents that the guy signing them, who doesn't understand the job anyway, doesn't have a prayer of catching the missing work. Then, when it comes time, the term to complete the job to an original spec or request is known as an "Extra". Sometimes I think the entire trick to bidding is how to leave enough gaps in a contract so that you can make a killing on the extras.

See a job for a house built with 2x2 construction for instance. Don't breathe a word of it to any owners/architects/engineers but laugh like hell while you bid super low. Then charge double what it should really cost to actually build the house properly. Silly analogy but .............................

[ML]

I purchaced a 15 foot by 27 oval, above ground in June of 2005. As of today 3 upright supports on the ends were leaning to the side. At the time of purchase I was told theres a 10 year warranty on the structure however the company ISLANDER POOLS in Colonie New York states the frame upwrights that hold up the pool up are not considered structure.They consider structure damage to be rot,rust,and finish problems. I will be contacting the pool company and installer as this pool company does not seem to want to remidy this problem.