Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/29/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Pool construction. Builder closed his business and walked away from completing our half finished pool. We have paid the builder over $81,000 of a $91,000 contract. The builder is filing bankruptcy according to court papers. The builder owes us at least $40,000 against payments made and unfinished construction per terms of the contract.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/12/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On July 18, 2022, we signed a contract to have Sparkling Waters Pool Construction Owned by David C******* L*** located at **** * **** *** ********* ** ***** to build a pool at our forever home.
  
  In mid November 2022 the hole was dug and the concrete pool shell was sprayed. From then until mid January 2023, they almost completed the wiring, plumbing and tile work, however, since then, there have been zero employees of Sparkling Waters working at our home.
  
  We have paid over $108,000 and have a muddy backyard and a green mosquito breeding grounds.
  
  As a Retired Air Force, 100% Disabled Veteran, I find it very sad that there are criminals preying on everyone that they can. Ready to take advantage of a Disabled Vet.
  
  I have texted and called David L*** daily to hear that they will be here next week. Unfortunately for me, next week never came. Now the owner will no longer respond to phone calls or text messages.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/12/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This pool company took my money, did not pay their bills, causing the concrete company that they hired to place a lien on my home and they still have not finished my pool in 16 months. They also turned off my irrigation for all this time which caused my front lawn to die, which then was a violation of community standards and I had to appear before a judge with the threat of daily fines if my yard was not brought back into compliance.
  This company will not return phone calls, is dishonest regarding completion of my pool and I need them to complete my pool per the contract. This contract states completion in 7 months.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/07/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We are in the process of having a swimming pool installed and came to a sudden halt. No communication from the business nor the owners or project manager, went to the office / store and door was locked and showroom empty, we are halfway thru and nothing after receiving $84,300! They are only owed $9,000.00. We are working with a finance company who having been making the disbursements which is running out of time to start making payments for an unfinished project ??after several attempts to make contact we have no choice but to take action. They also fired all there previous employees.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/10/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Date of transaction: June 2022 thru current
  Amount of money paid to the business? $65k
  Total balance = $71k (balance reduced from $73k due to downgraded equipment)
  What the business committed to provide you: A functioning quality in-ground concrete pool.
  What is the nature of the dispute? Poor quality and non-functioning pool.
  Whether or not the business has tried to resolve the problem? Yes, but was unsuccessful due to inexperience.
  
  I was forced to terminate Sparkling Pools due to extremely poor quality, inexperience and unprofessionalism. The pool has been leaking water from the start of construction thru current day, due to inexperience. Not only is the pool shell leaking, but the PVC plumbing under the incomplete concrete pavers is also cracked and leaking. I am losing 3-4 inches of water per day from the pool. In addition to the leak, the company did not remove their debris, they ruined my property and failed to complete the pavers, wiring and damaged the roof to my home with their excavator. The company does not return calls, yet states they are "accommodating" and "reasonable", which is a complete joke. The company owner Mr. L***, is out to collect a check from the customer and that is all. They utilize third party contractors that they do not have a history with. The company that installed the plaster just started working with the pool company the week they plastered the leaking pool shell. The pool shell continues to leak following the plaster today. Based on the damage done to the property and my roof, as well as the incomplete pavers, wiring and leaking plumbing/pool shell. I am owed approximately $25k in damages, which is why the remaining $8k will not be paid to the company. The company failed to resolve these issues, although they will claim they did, as they are extremely dishonest people to trust with your home. I am requesting a refund of $25k due to damages.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/20/2023

  Tell us why here...

  Response to **** ******* BBB Complaint
  
  This is a direct response to the claim filed by **** ******* against Sparkling Waters Pool Contruction. It is brief and concise because this case is straight forward.
  
  From the beginning, we tried hard to be courteous, but this customer was always aggressive, combative and unreasonable. Despite the nonstop disruptive behavior and constant custom feature demands of the customer during the construction process, this project progressed all the way until completion. Everything on the contract was completed correctly. It was only when the project was finished, and the final payment was due that the *******s started screaming profanities for our workers to "get out of his property." Our workers were there fixing a very small leak in a pipe. When Mr. ******* saw that this was a very simple fix, he started yelling at them that "they were fired" and to "GET OUT!!!!"
  
  
  Given the nature of the customer, the motive is clear - fire the company immediately AFTER the project was completed to avoid making the final payment. Asking for an additional $25k in penalties is defies logic or common sense for four reasons; 1. The claims of damage are extremely exaggerated and mostly untrue, 2. The entire project was completed, 3. They never paid the final amount, and 3. The current cost of the pool is well over $140k; More than double the cost of what they paid. So, they really got a huge deal. In the end, the *******s built huge equity in their property at the expense of good hard-working people.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/28/2023

  Tell us why here...In the response to **** *******, it is important to note that yelling and aggressively firing a contractor after they have finished the job is a strategy that they use to refuse the final payment and it has worked for them in the past. They have made many threats, verbally and in text messages, so it's important to put this whole situation in context. At the beginning of the project Mr. ******* was bragging about having done that very same thing to the contractors who built their barn. This is a pattern of behavior that continues to work for them. In this case, they have taken a brazen step to the next level to ask for money. They need to be stopped of this behavior so other contractors don't fall victim to their deceitful tactics.
  
  
  
  
  Now that we addressed the point above, we will respond to **** *******s' 7 (seven) items mentioned in her claim.
  
  
  1. Pavers were left incomplete.
  
                                                      Response - We encourage Mrs. ******* to send full pictures of the project and all equipment. The pavers were completed. What was not done was the sand because her husband, Mr. *******, violently threw our workers off the property. The sand                                                        is a very fast process that may take about 1 (one hour). It is insignificant compared to the countless hours we performed to cut and place the pavers for the entire deck. It also doesn't make sense to claim this when she knows that we couldn't go back.                                                      In other words, the sand was not done because of their actions not because we didn't want to do the job. If she sends the pictures of the full deck and the spa any reasonable person would understand what the *******s are trying to do here.
  
  
  
  
  2. Main pool drain leak.             
                                                      Response - The picture provided had to be an old picture sent with the purpose of misleading the BBB because after the finish was put in the pool, the pipe shown was removed and the main drain cover was positioned in its place. Additionally, A                                                            third party company was sent out to provide an unbiased report of the situation. They did not report a leak of the main drain. The only leak they found was between the pool and the house a few inches below the pavers that were placed. That                                                                    is addressed in the response below.                                  
                                                      
  
  
  
  3. PVC plumbing leak, due to a cracked 90 degree elbow on deep end of pool. 
  
  
  
                                                    Response - Our team was there fixing that problem which is extremely easy and cost nothing but glue. At that very moment is when Mr. ******* started to shout for our workers to leave his property immediately. So, we had our crew there 
                                                    addressing the problem but when Mr. ******* saw how easy it was, he took the opportunity to use that as an excuse not to pay the final $8,000.00  USD.
  
  
  
  
  4. Lighting wiring incomplete.   
  
                                                     Response - We were not aware of this issue, have no idea what the cause could be and were never given a chance to go there to see because it happened after Mr. ******* kicked us off his property. 
  
  
  
  
  5. Roof Damage from Pool contractor equipment.
  
                                                    Response - This was a minor scratch to the corner of the house that was estimated to cost about $200. Mr. ******* spoke with the owner of Sparkling Waters and insisted that $2,000 be taken off the final bill. The owner of Sparkling Waters gave in                                                      and agreed in order to avoid any problems. At that point, it was obvious what the *******s were trying to do. This example illustrates the mentality the *******s have when it comes to dealing with contractors. They will always try to squeeze them                                                      for as much as they can.
  
  
  
  
  6. The equipment was downgraded by the pool contractor. 
  
                                                    Response - Once again, Mr. ******* had complained to the owner of Sparkling Waters about this and asked for a reduction. A concession was made, and Mr. ******* had agreed to it.
  
  
  
  
  7. No final inspection by the County. 
  
                                                    Response - No final inspection could be called because Mr. ******* aggressively kicked us out of the property. We would have to have access to the property in order to make that inspection happen. When they started yelling threats to our workers                                                        and owner, they broke the contact. They thought they outsmarted everyone and got off from having to make the final payment, but they forgot a few things before they did that, and this was one of them.
  
  

   

  
  
  
  In conclusion, I hope everyone can see through this claim. It is clear that the *******s are only focused on the money. They didn't pay the final bill and now they want the company to pay them for no reason. They don't care about the quality because if they did, they would have worked with us to get any little item resolved. Instead, they chose to fight in order not to pay and then go to the BBB to ask for more. They should pay the final bill and stop wasting everyone's time requesting money that is not justified. We again encourage Mrs. ******* to send the full pictures of the project with the equipment and not the very old "cropped" pictures she sent. This way everyone can see the full scope of the project. The pool they have now cost almost double what they paid, and they should be content with that. Their claim has no merit, and they should pay what they owe.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/01/2023

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because the owner of the Pool contracting company continues to lie and provide false information. I will provide a response and have pictures and text messages to support all responses, as I've stated in my prior messages. Let's address these 1 by 1. 

  1.The pool contractor states that Mr. ******* was bragging about not paying the barn contractor. Do we truly believe this statement? Would a contractor truly take on a $73k job from someone who brags that they don't pay contractors? Does that sound believable at all? In addition to the false comment, Sparkling Pools is the ONLY contractor that has EVER been hired to do work on this property. My wife and I built our barn ourselves and I have progress pictures and receipts to prove it.
  
  2. Pavers were left incomplete. The Pavers are incomplete. Placing sand in between the pavers and correcting sinking pavers would be considered complete. The pool contractor is admitting in his response that this was not completed, therefore it would be considered incomplete, as I paid for complete paver installation. I would never pay for something that is incomplete. 
  
  3. Main pool drain leak. The pool contractor states that "a third party company was sent out to provide an unbiased report of the situation". He states the Third party company "did not report a leak of the main drain. The only leak they found was between the pool and the house a few inches below the pavers that were placed".  This is completely false and I have included a copy of the invoice. In addition, I (the customer) hired the third party company and paid the fee (over $500) to apply a temporary patch) at the bottom of the pool. The third party company also called the pool contractor owner (David Lapp) and informed him of the leak and was being done to temporarily stop the leak at the bottom of the drain.                         
                                                      
  4. PVC plumbing leak, due to a cracked 90 degree elbow on deep end of pool. The Pool contractor states "Our team was there fixing that problem which is extremely easy and cost nothing but glue". Please see the picture I've attached. The 90 degree angle is CRACKED and cannot be fixed with "glue". I have videos of the pool contractor at my home on video stating they did not know how to fix the issue. 
  
  5. Lighting wiring incomplete.  The company was completely aware, as I have texts between myself and the company. 
  
  6. Roof Damage from Pool contractor equipment. I have texts to support the agreed price of $2k to be paid, which was never paid or reimbursed by the company. I've included a picture of the "Scratch" descrbed by the pool owner David L***. 
  
  7. The equipment was downgraded by the pool contractor. Correct, the price was negotiated, but once you reduce the negotiated price, along with al of the other incomplete tasks and damage done, I am owed $25k from the pool contractor. 
  
  8. No final inspection by the County.  Pool contractor Response - "No final inspection could be called because Mr. ******* aggressively kicked us out of the property. We would have to have access to the property in order to make that inspection happen. When they started yelling threats to our workers and owner, they broke the contact. They thought they outsmarted everyone and got off from having to make the final payment, but they forgot a few things before they did that, and this was one of them".  This was not forgotten by me or my wife, we paid for the permit at the start of the project and again did not get what we paid for. (no final inspection) Just like the items noted above. The pool would've failed which is why the inspection could not be completed. 
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  **** *******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/23/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We hired this pool company to build a pool. Our contract stated 6 months or less and we are now 11 months since signing contract and 10 months since initial dig and still have some time before it will be complete. This company has used third party contractors with sloppy work. We have been pushed back for months while they seek other jobs. Communication has been extremely poor and work has had to be redone several times. They lack the experience and resources to perform the job using third party contractors without disclosing this to the client. We were constantly told they would be here to conduct work and never show nor contact us, we have to constantly reach out to them for updates and then told, sorry, we had another job or the other job is running late. Deceptive work practices, shotty work, total disregard for the clients time, and property. How can you accept work when you don't have the resources in which to complete at the contracted time frame? How do they determine whose job should be completed first? Is there discrimination involved?
  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/16/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 8, 2022/10/14) */
  We are saddened and surprised to see this complaint at this time. In effort to respond as thoroughly and accurately as possible, we will address this complaint one line at a time.
  
  1."We hired this pool company to build a pool. Our contract stated 6 months or less and we are now 11 months since signing contract and 10 months since initial dig and still have some time before it will be complete."
  
  Reply -
  1. The above statement says - "and still have some time before it will be complete."
  At the time of this claim, we needed to touch up a spot on the floor and wait for the final inspection. There was 1 business day between the time the complaint was filed (9/23) and the time it was deemed as "Final" by the authorities (9/27) (Please see Final inspection date below). We have also attached pictures to demonstrate the stage at which the project was at that time (please see below). Everything was completed - Water in the pool, up and running with all equipment installed.
  
  2."Our contract stated 6 months or less and we are now 11 months since signing contract and 10 months since initial dig."
  Most, if not all, pool construction companies are 1 year out before they even entertain a consultation. This one was completed within 1 year! They would be getting a consult now and still be in the construction phase if they had chosen another company. Instead, they are swimming and entertaining with an amazing swimming pool. We will add that this project was started during Covid 19 when there were some serious supply chain and labor issues. These issues are not unique just to our company. We went above and beyond to deliver this pool as quickly as possible.
  
  ******************************************************
  
  
  2."This company has used third party contractors with sloppy work."
  
  Reply -
  It is common in the construction business to hire 3rd party contractors. These companies are licensed and insured, which provides added workmanship guarantees to the project. Additionally, these are people we've known for over 10 years, servicing the same customer base in the region. In some cases, we've worked together for many years. It's the best way to deliver a quality product.
  Responding to the "sloppy work" comment, I can only say look at the pictures or go see it in person. It's easy to hurl baseless accusations, but if you look at all of the inspections that passed. There were zero issues with the project.
  
  3. "We have been pushed back for months while they seek other jobs."
  Reply -
  This is simply not true. There are no facts to back up this claim. We work to finish projects as fast as possible. Every project is unique and has it's own challenges according to the design and specifications.
  
  4. "Communication has been extremely poor and work has had to be redone several times"
  Reply -
  This is subjective. Some people want more communication than is necessary for their own comfort. We communicated everything that was important to the project. At the end of the project, we went to the house many times in order to address this issue for their comfort. Ultimately they wrote this complaint. It's very difficult sometimes to please people with their emotional needs.
  
  5. "They lack the experience and resources to perform the job using third party contractors without disclosing this to the client."
  Reply -
  This is another baseless claim. There are over 100 years of collective experience between the team it took to deliver this pool. Every contractor has their own equipment, trucks, shops, etc... They have ALL of the resources to complete the job they were tasked to do. For many, they specialize in only one task they offer. With regards to disclosing "third party contractors without disclosing this to the client." It is not required to disclose this to the customer nor is it common practice in the industry.
  
  6. "We were constantly told they would be here to conduct work and never show nor contact us, we have to constantly reach out to them for updates and then told, sorry, we had another job or the other job is running late."
  Reply -
  It is true that we communicated to them work was rescheduled. In one instance, we conducted the work for them on September 26 and 27, two days before hurricane Ian destroyed the southwest part of the state. We were working hard ahead of the storm to make sure all of our sites were safe. One of our employees personally went to their house on the day this complaint was written (9/23) and explained the situation to Mr. Rodriguez. We informed him that the crew would complete the last punch list items the following Monday, after the weekend. The hurricane made landfall the next day after we finished the work.
  
  7. "Deceptive work practices, shotty work, total disregard for the clients time, and property."
  Reply -
  This is the way they feel despite the fact that the entire project was delivered to their satisfaction. During the last visit, shortly after this claim was written, we asked - is there anything else you would like from us? Their reply was - No, everything is done. So there are no "deceptive work practices" here. Just a lot of hard work and transparency. It is important to mention that this pool was delivered 40% under market value. There is no company that would deliver the value we gave this customer. It would be interesting to have the house appraised now with the pool and see what the new value is after the "Shooty work" was completed. We wouldn't be surprised if the equity increased more than double the cost of what we charged them.
  
  8. "How can you accept work when you don't have the resources in which to complete at the contracted time frame? How do they determine whose job should be completed first?"
  Reply -
  We addressed the "Resource Issue" above on No. 5. We have the resources and our contractors do as well. The customer can not dictate the workflow because they don't have all of the information that's involved. This particular customer wants to micromanage the timeline and that's simply not possible. Not for us or any other company in the industry.
  
  9. "Is there discrimination involved?"
  Reply -
  This is a very offensive and hateful comment that's not worthy of a reply.
  We will only say that we are a diverse group and come from many different backgrounds. In fact, over 70% of the company are minorities. From senior management to the newest employee, we respect everyone.
  
  Conclusion -
  In summary, we feel that this claim is unwarranted and not based on the facts. When we first saw this, we went directly to them and politely asked them to retract it. They were given the opportunity to remove it, as we acted in good faith to the very end. Since they refused, we replied as it's understood this is a time-sensitive matter.
  We felt compelled to respond and defend the company by stating the truth backed by the facts. Overall, we delivered a beautiful pool as agreed. In fact, the customer has even chosen our service company to continue the weekly cleaning services indefinitely. We hope they can find love in their hearts and appreciate all of the hard work it took to deliver such an amazing poolscape. We wish they enjoy it with their family and friends for many years to come. Regardless of this claim, we are here for them. Always at their service, with professionalism.