Man oh Man.
Advanced Pools, you let me down severely.
I've been patronizing Advanced Pools for almost three years since I moved into my neighborhood. They'd been there for years and many of my neighbors had originally recommended them to me for my pool. As someone who believes in small businesses, I decided to patronize their business.
Everything was great for these three years until the last two times I've been there. Now, I have a regular pool. No dings, whistles, or anything like that. I. KNOW. MY. POOL. It normally takes only 2 yellow jugs to bring my pool back to the regular blue I know when it's a little under the weather with a jug of Muriatic Acid. I have left for vacations before, and it hasn't been too dark - okay, 4-5 jugs of chlorine and we're good.
When I went the last two times, something just didn't feel right. My pool was a light green, and the manager suggested 7 jugs of chlorine with Muriatic Acid. I thought that was a little high, but they'd never steer me wrong before, so I went with it. Dumped about 5 jugs of chlorine in the water. Threw a little stabilizer in it. Expected to see great results in my pool the next day...
THE POOL WAS EVEN MORE GREEN THAN BEFORE.
Mom was the one who realized it before I did, and when I came downstairs to put the chlorine in the water, she was on the last jug. She brings it to me and says "Li, smell this jug" -- I look at her as if she's insane, but I do it anyway.
The chlorine didn't smell like chlorine. In fact, it didn't smell like ANYTHING AT ALL! I smelled the contained of Muriatic Acid, and same thing -- it didn't smell like anything! I ask her where she stored the chlorine, and she says the same place as always: in the garage.
I'm confused and I want an answer, as that's $40 I JUST spent down the drain. I'm PISSED.
So Mom calls Advanced Pools, and the young lady who answers the phone realizes that we've figured out what the company has been doing. Mom speaks to the manager.
So what does the manager do? Tells us to come in with a sample of the water. We come in, he tests the water. Says we need 14 jugs of chlorine. I say to myself "F that" and grab 7. He throws in 4 bags of shock for "Free" as supposed reparations to screwing me over. If this 7 doesn't fix my pool I tell myself, it's a wrap.
Throw the chlorine in the pool with the acid and I let it sit for a week. Rain falls as well.
NO COLOR CHANGE TO THE POOL.
So, I call a guy I know who works on pools and have him test my pool: "Li, your pool has no chlorine in it."
"Marcos... What the hell are you talking about?"
"Li, you have no chlorine in this pool. Are you *sure* you got chlorine?"
"Apparently I've been paying for water this whole time since my pool company screwed me over!"
So by now, you know I'm pissed. I ask him to fix my pool for me, and the money was well spent. The next day, my pool was back to blue. All he did was add the correct chlorine needed to my pool with the acid.
All of the neighbors on my block have told me that they stopped buying from Advanced Pools after realizing that Advanced Pools has been diluting their products with water.
It's a shame to see what greed can do to people.
Save your money and go somewhere else! read more