These people are crooks. This is my first time ever writing a negative Yelp review, and Wendy, the owner, with her team stole my money then called the police on me. These events are not exaggerated and completely factual, which I have waited since last October to write, so that you, the consumer, can make an informed decision now that pool opening season is here. I also apologize for the lengthy review since I want to be precise as possible about how Hooton ripped us off.
We purchased our home last year and the previous owners used Hootons, which they referred us to. When we purchased the home, the pool's tarp was nicely covered with no steps in place and full complement of water bags. We booked them to open our pool, which they installed our steps and put our equipment away. Over the summer, we spent thousands of dollars on chemicals and parts since we've never owned a pool before, and relied on Hooton expertise to guide us in what to purchase. They always recommended us to buy parts, which later on found out that we didn't need a new pump gasket, or phosphate for the water. During my frequent weekly visits, one of the associates knew me my face because of my frequent purchases.
When it was time to close our pool, we called Hooton and they said they were busy with closings since it was in October, but give them our credit card info and they will stop by to close the pool whenever time permits. They will call in advance to let us know their arrival. Well they never called in advance, charged our credit card $350, and showed up late one evening to close the pool. When they showed up unannounced, they didn't remove the steps, which they said was bolted down. However, they were the ones who installed the steps during the opening. Then they threw away our water bags because they had holes in them. My wife then asked if we should get new bags, and the older gentleman said that it would cost us a fortune that we can use flower pots or bricks instead. This made no sense to her since she just had given birth, so picking up heavy objects would not have been ideal, and I work long hours so I wouldn't know where to pick up bricks on my off time.
When I went and asked Wendy to rectify the problem, she defended her workers saying that they would never suggest anything like that and she would get back to me. I work with children, so honesty is something that I value and teach, and her workers actually said that to my wife. Wendy said that she will call me back which she never did. When I went in store in person, the male manager called me a liar and that my wife and I need to get our stories straight. Then he slammed his hand on the desk and told me to leave the store. NOW I felt so violated. All we wanted was them to fix the problem, not to reimburse us. Then he called the police on me since I refused to leave unless they complete the job, or give us our money back. Being a black man, I found this very offensive since all I wanted was a solution to the crappy job they did. The police even suggested that I take them to the Better Business Bureau to file a complaint. Yes the cops suggested taking them to court.
PLEASE don't use these crooks. They are overpriced, dishonest, and confrontational. The customer is never right with these people as is evidence by the bad reviews that they've received. Pool boy, Pool sitter, Paradise pools, are all better solutions and reputable companies that get the job done to your satisfaction. Even industry insiders have said that Hooton provides FAKE service. If they can rip me and others off as you can see on these reviews, they may do the same to you. read more