Complaint Review: Great American Pools

What I wrote to company:

Dave and Scott,

I hope your Monday is treating you well. Mine is good except my pool grows greener by the minute. I am not very happy right now and as a professional in the customer service business like yourselves, I expect better service
and do not feel I am getting it.

A couple of weeks ago I contacted Dave to inform him that my pump was not priming. After conducting research on my own, I figured it was probably a clog somewhere. Dave came by, two days after he said he would, and told me he was "almost certain" the problem was my filters. I clean them fairly regularly, and doubted that was the problem, but cleaned them the next day or so and still the pump did not prime. At this time, I took the filters out completely and ran the pump, still did not prime.

Dave referred me to Great American Pools and Scott Cruikshank. In just a short time talking with Mr. Cruikshank, I felt comfortable that he knew what he was doing, would resolve the problem, and get my pool back up and functioning! I felt as though I was in good hands. Mr. Cruikshank dismantled my pump and found that the impeller was clogged w/ pellets from my son's air soft guns. I was not surprised, the basket filter into the pump had cracked and they were just the right size to slip buy it and clog it. He stated that it could be repaired for $75. I was happy to move forward.

Upon trying to remove the pellets, Scott said that they were so lodged he would probably have to get a new impeller but he wanted to take it back to the shop and put it in a vice. The cost of the impeller, should he have to replace, would be $35 he said. He returned the next day, hooked up the pump, and it primed! At that time, he said, "sounds like you have some bad bearings in your pump". Ironically, both Dave and Scott had been here, heard the pump before, and neither said ANYTHING about the pump bearings or it running loud or anything, because it wasn't until it was removed and placed in a vice.

The other day, Wednesday I believe, I heard a major racket from the pump and when I went out to check, it was leaking all over the place and sounded horrible! It stopped working moments later. I called Scott and he came over and checked it and said "it looks like the impeller is clogged again but I don't know how it could be with the new basket there". At this time he stated that "you are dave's customer so you need to call him". I texted Dave and told him this on Thursday at which time dave replied "he said he is coming by tomorrow" meaning Friday. It is now Monday afternoon and I have
seen nobody.

This is very troubling from both of you. Nobody seems to care that my pool is green through no fault of my own other than the impeller being clogged which was repaired improperly. I don't feel I am asking too much, I just want my pool to be operational. Please let me know if one of you will be stopping by today to fix it.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

His Reply:

Hi Rick,

Your memory is as selective as your language is offensive. 

Let me remind you what occurred. 

The first problem you had was a clogged impeller.  I told you I thought it might be necessary to remove the impeller but once I had it on the bench, realized it was not necessary to remove the impeller to accomplish this task, and never did I tell
you that the impeller had been placed in a vice. 

You called me a week and a half later to say the pump was acting up again. I said I was in the area and could come by. I turned the breaker on and the pump turned once or twice and
ground to a halt. After that, it simply 'buzzed'. I told you that I was late
for an appointment and would be back later to pursue the problem. I mentioned
several causes of a 'buzzing' pump including more debris clogging the impeller,
a bad capacitor, a bad starter, an axle bent by the torque from debris and
possible bearing burn-out.

In the meantime, you texted Dave that I had 'f(((REDACTED FOUL LANGUAGE)))
' your pump. 

If you are capable of diagnosing pump problems from your front door without every viewing the pump, your incredible talents eclipse my own 35 years of experience. 

Rick, your insinuation that I caused harm to your pool pump is personally offensive to me and I do not offend easily. You are a foul mouthed lout and I feel no obligation to help you. 

Proceed carefully in any direction you believe you can support.

Scott Cruikshank