Amazing how some "professionals" out right lie

[biosurfer1]

Just bought a new (to me) house and it has a pool, against my wishes..happy wife, blah blah blah.

Anyways this is my first pool and I wanted to make sure equipment was good, etc so I had my own inspection done. The inspector doesn't service the area but my realtor trusts so he came out and did a favor. Overall things look good except for 4 items; the chemistry is way off, the skimmer didn't have a weir, the wireless antenna was broken off but still worked and most importantly, the booster pump for the solar was ceased. I was there for all of this and I have considerable experience with pumps.

We asked for a credit for the items since they were not disclosed so the sellers sent their pool guy out to check things out. They rave about this guy and say I should continue to use him etc. Well my inspector made a couple calls and apparently this guy is pretty new and is not incompetent, but doesn't really know his stuff. Little did I know he is a complete liar.

First he says the weir is there and functioning correctly. I saw for myself this wasnt the case so he threw one on so he didn't look stupid. He says the antenna was weathered but functioning fine, it might be working but the antenna was broken off and the wire was dangling, again seen first hand. He claims the chemistry is fine and gives readings (they were WAY out of whack when we were there 3 days earlier)

The best response was the booster pump. The owners said no to any credit and responded to all the items but the booster pump. My agent followed up and asked about it and their agent claims he said its working fine, but didn't put it writing. My agent says "Fine, please send us instructions on how to operate the pump so we can check the solar collectors" 15 MINUTES later their agent emails saying "The pool guy says it may have been making some noise when he was there and who knows when it may go out so the seller will credit $500 just in case"

BULL$HIT! Azzhole gets called out and all of sudden changes his tune...and this guy calls himself a professional?!?!

[Tobra]

Anybody can "call" themselves a professional.

I nixed a lot of places that had swimming pools. Hope the new house works out for you, still in Roseville?

[porsche4life]

Pool repair guys generally suck. I got tired of dealing with ours and canned him. He woudo fail to maintain things and then expect big money when it broke. Didn't clean that good either.

[MRM]

A pool guy may be considered a tradesman, but he is not a "professional" no matter how good he is.

[johnsjmc]

Pool guys are "professionals" just like professional trash collectors and professional cleaners or professional hamburger chefs.
Realtors are supposedly professional too ,similar to the professional class "used car saleman'. There are some good ones who can be trusted but many are know nothings or outright crooks.

[Chocaholic]

$500 is a drop in the, uh, pool compared to what the future holds for you as a new pool owner. Ask me how I know.

[johnsjmc]

I,ve had a pool in the family since 1904. (My grandfather owned the first public pools in Canada). They are much easier to own and operate today BUT can be as expensive as owning a boat. A boat is often referred to as a hole in the water into which you pour money.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

"Professional" is one of the most over-used, watered-down and now-meaningless words in the English language.

Just because someone has someone else willing to pay them to do something doesn't make them a "professional" even though that's what the definition has come to mean. It used to mean one of the "learned professions" - a person who needed extensive specialized training and special certification to avoid being a danger to the public since they're placed in positions of trust that can result in much injury or damage if they're incompetent or incapable. Doctors, lawyers, engineers, architects, etc. Those are "professionals".

[KevinTodd]

What a crock. I've dealt with just as many "professional" lawyers, architects and other assorted idiots that can't "profess" their way out of a wet paper bag. It always has to do with the individual you're dealing with. Titles and degrees don't amount to squat if you're still just an a-hole at heart.

Anyone that has ever been in business has dealt with his or her share of nonsense from both sides of this particular coin.

[recycled sixtie]

Many professionals with a recognized designation or not will do whatever it takes to make a sale. It is essential I think to get a referral on these profs. Google reviews on them or ask for references before commitment. I am the first to admit that I have been taken when I asked for a house inspection to be done for my daughter and her gf. The realtor recommended one and in hindsight I should have got my own selection which would have been independent of the realtor. Silly me. Buyer beware and do your homework before you sign anything.

[GH85Carrera]

Many "professionals" are only a pro in that they charge (often overcharge) for their services.

I have seen more "professional" photographers that can't take a photo worth a penny. It is refreshing to work with a top professional and marvel at the quality of the final photo and that was in the days long before Photoshop.

One of my friends is a home builder. He actually lives in a neighborhood he is building. Every customer he built a house for knows where he lives, and has his cell phone number. He is proud to build a house for a client the right way, not the cheapest or just good enough for code way.

[biosurfer1]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Hope the new house works out for you, still in Roseville?

El Dorado Hills...easier commute plus we like the neighborhood.

I know there are a lot of scammers out there, this one just rubbed me the wrong way. "Everything works great"...oh ya? Then tell me how it works so I can check for myself. "Oh, it may break at any time so here's a credit"

Just amazes me.

And trust me, I wanted a pool like a hole in my head. But, I'm a hands on guy and once I own it, I'll own it and maintain it like I do my cars, so I don't think it will be too bad, just not extra maintenance I wanted... just keep telling myself, happy wife happy life.

[vash]

congrats on the new house.

my new to me home has a "fly in the ointment as well"..nothing credit worthy, but damn...just call it my "pool" and my wife loves this "pool"

[biosurfer1]

Thanks, excited for the house part, the pool? Well I've made my thoughts known.

When we were looking at the house, the realtor knew my wife wanted a pool and kept pointing out interesting "features" of this pool like the automatic cover, solar collectors on the roof with booster pump...and all I heard was "Here's 14 more things that will break and you'll spend a weekend fixing!"

Does have an oversized 3 car garage so I'll just hide in there

[Por_sha911]

This has no relevance to the OP's issue but I have found the most crooked professionals are home inspectors.

[cabmandone]

Pools are easy. Don't be intimidated. Go to troublefreepool.com and do a lot of reading. It's the Pelican of the pool world. I was scared of the maintenance but it really isn't bad. Just get a good water testing kit and follow the BBB method of pool chemistry and you'll be wondering why you were ever concerned about the maintenance. Best advice I can give you is stay away from almost every chemical the pool store tells you to put in. People ask me how I keep my water so clear and how much I spend on chemicals. My answer: Chlorine and about $90 per year on it. I add the occasional baking soda or muriatic acid to adjust PH. I'm going to play around with the Borax to increase borates in an effort to reduce the swing in PH. I add CYA to stabilize the chlorine and reduce consumption and that's about it. It use a simple OTO test daily (I test and add in the evening) for Chlorine and Phenol Red for PH. I use a FAS/DPD test kit every other week to test Chlorine to make sure my OTO results are correct. I close my pool once the water is below 50 and open it before it gets above and have never taken the cover off and found green.

As for the lying, it's harder and harder to find honest people.

[biosurfer1]

I should add, my new pool is a salt water variation so I hear its slightly easier to maintain but to me, salt and machinery have never gotten along over long periods of time. Salt content does seem very low, guess I just envision having a mini ocean in my backyard

[jwasbury]

Pool School - TFP Home Page is your friend.

The Pelican Parts forum for pool owners.

[BE911SC]

How's a guy supposed to make a buck if he has to tell the truth all the time?

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by jwasbury

Pool School - TFP Home Page is your friend.

The Pelican Parts forum for pool owners.

Hello fellow brethren!