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This is one of those blog articles that I really debated on writing. Why? Because it's one that shows the ‘ugly side' of the fiberglass pool industry. And as all our readers are very well aware, we have done everything we can at River Pools to educate the world, via this blog, on the GOOD of fiberglass pools. So as you read the following, I'd ask that you remember this key phrase, which applies to any pool, any industry, and any company:
Do not let poor actions of the few influence your good feelings towards the many.
And with that, let me explain something that is happening in the
fiberglass pool industry right now. Many builders, as well as certain manufacturers, are in financial trouble. And because they are in financial trouble, they are doing some very, very shady things. I was sadly reminded of this last week when I got an email from a pool builder out West. This builder was called to a house where the original pool installer had started the project only to stop before even completing pool backfill process. The pool then sat for months and a 2nd builder (the gentleman who called me) was called in to clean up the mess.
What the builder then found still makes me cringe. The large fiberglass shell that had been installed in the ground was a PREVIOUSLY USED and DAMAGED/REPAIRED SHELL. The homeowner had no idea of this fact until the 2nd builder pointed it out. If you view the following photos, you'll notice repairs in the blue gel-coat (that don't even match) as well as repairs on the outside of the shell where it had cracked previously.
Such a disturbing scene begs two questions:
- How would a fiberglass pool manufacturer ever allow this to happen?
- How could a pool builder lack so much integrity to allow such a train-wreck to go in the ground?
Both of these questions will be answered over time, as the homeowner is obviously seeking legal recourse to remedy the situation. This much we do know:
- The manufacturer was made aware of the situation by the homeowner and said they would call back. That was 5 months ago and they now appear to be seriously ignoring the issue. (Now granted, there is the possibility that the builder could have bought this 'used' pool from someone other than the manufacturer, but such appears highly doubtful at the moment.)
- The original sales contract, reviewed by the builder, does not notate that this was a damaged, repaired, display or even a discounted model.
I have seen some shady builders over time, but is it possible that a manufacturer actually sold such a pool to a builder? Now granted, the manufacturer may have sold the shell to the pool builder in an ‘as is' state, but I would certainly think that anyone with any integrity whatsoever would have wanted to know the homeowner's information so that they could have informed them of what they were actually buying. Either way, and regardless of what happened, both parties are down-right accountable in my book and I truly hope this homeowner is able to recover the $30,000+ they have invested in this sad project thus far.
As I viewed these pictures, my thoughts turned to a recent email I received from Curt Prystupa, owner of Sun Fiberglass Pools. In his email, Curt discussed with me some of the disturbing trends he was seeing in the industry:
"The times are changing quickly in the industry. The big guys are crumbling from inflated sales by dumping pools on the lots to show production and shipping but the losses mount on the aged inventory. ... So now we (speaking of Sun Pools) compete with 2–4 year old shells on the clearance rack that have been sitting in fields with bankrupt companies looking to raise cash. The days of laying pools around and pay us as you go are done..."
Those were some strong and telling words by Curt, and I appreciate his candor. He also pointed out that manufacturer warranties usually start from the day of the pool's production, not from the day the pool is installed in the ground. In other words, if a pool has a 3 year finish warranty, and it's over 2 years old when it goes in the ground, then the warranty, at least in the eyes of some manufacturers, is just one year. Therefore, as a consumer, make sure you get this semantical issue written down on your contract so as to avoid such a problem.
Now many of you may be wondering who manufactured this pool and who the original builder was. I can clearly understand your desire to know this and you can be rest assured that once the legal proceedings on the matter are over, I will be writing a follow up piece to put all of the facts on the table. Until that point, we'll just have to let the story unfold in court.
So What Does This All Mean?
Let me reiterate what I mentioned at the start of this article. Do not let the actions of the few dictate your feelings regarding the many. By simply following the advice we've hammered home over and over again throughout this blog, as well as our ebooks, you, as a consumer, should have no problem picking a reputable manufacturer and builder for you swimming pool.
After having spoken with literally thousands of pool builders and pool owners across the country over the past few years, there is much good to be said for many in this industry that I've grown to love and appreciate-which is the whole purpose for me even writing this article.
Your Advocate
We at River Pools are here to be your advocate. What makes this blog so very popular in the industry is its extreme candor and willingness to explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of what's happening in our world of swimming pools. Whether you already own your swimming pool or are in the research phase of making a decision, we wish you the best of luck, and we also invite you to comment on this article with any thoughts or questions you may have relating to this topic. We truly value the thoughts of you, our readers.
At River Pools, we manufacture high-quality fiberglass pools for customers across North America. If you want to get a fiberglass pool for your home, you can browse our pool models, try out our fiberglass pool cost calculator, or request custom pricing using the button below.
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