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:11/22/2023

  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 engaged sparkling kleen to resurface our pool and the process was started in early 2023. The original work was completed in a timely manner. However, after a few weeks, there was significant discoloration as seen in the attached photos. They were not able return the pool to its normal base color and suggested that the pool be entirely drained and acid washed.and they agreed to do so under warranty. They came out in the spring of 2023, drained the pool, and acid washed the pool as they indicated this process would solve the discoloration problem. Unfortunately, it did not solve the problem. If fact, when sparkling kleen refilled my pool, they left the water running for 5 days and ran up a $1900 water bill. When I complained about the bill, they admitted fault and said they would take care of. ****, the business owner said he would work w the **************** water department and get me full credit.and when the credit came back, it was only for $1200, so I believe they owe me $700 for that and should have to resurface my poolor reimburse me for what i paid they them so i can get it properly resurfaced. I continued to have conversations with **** over the summer and early fall to address the pool color and his only recommendation was to brush the pooland my pool guy has done so many times. We also had a 3 way conference call between my pool guy and **** to address the problemand now after repeated texts and phone calls to **** over the last 30 days, he has gone dark.and hence the filing of this complaint.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  As the owner of Sparkling Kleen pools I would like to apologize for the lack of communication in the last three weeks. I was abroad and couldnt communicate during that time. I contacted the home owner this morning and we discussed his concerns. The new plaster we installed is under the manufacture warranty. We have to contact the manufacturer and schedule a time for them to come and advise as to what needs to be done. When we finished the project, the pool was in perfect condition. The plaster color was even. At this point there are many variables that can cause uneven color to the plaster, and the biggest one is unbalanced chemistry. Since the homeowner does not spend all his time at this property, he is relying on his pool maintenance guy to keep the pool perfectly balanced. The manufacturer specifically states that the warranty will not be honored if the chemistry was not kept balanced. Once we have the manufacturer input we will proceed accordingly. The homeowner is aware of the procedure and he will be present when the manufacturer rap comes. I will attend the meeting as well, and we will do our best to resolve the issue.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/27/2023

   
  Complaint: 20904931
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  the business owner did contact me and relayed the reasons for his inability to contact me and I accept that part of his response.  He did so immediately upon his return from overseas and I appreciate the follow up.   I also accept the invitation to visit with him and the manufacturers rep.

  I do not accept the remainder of his response.  It may be an attempt to lay the foundation for the ability to blame  the pool service person who recommended this business in the first place and/or the pool chemistry which is never really  perfect as he describes(it may be perfect for an instantaneous moment it time)as  it changes hourly based on many factors that are not appropriate to be discussed in this format.  The reliance of improper chemistry is the natural response to pool discolorations that are found in BBB by this same vendor and i do not accept it as an excuse in the present situation.

  All that said, I will be happy to meet with **** and his rep and discuss what might be required and or necessary to bring the pool back to a consistent pool color.  I am hopeful that we are able to find a mutually acceptable solution.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************

  Business Response

  Date: 01/10/2024

  Sparkling kleen together with the Manufacturer rep met with the home owner in December. The manufacturer rep determined at that time that the discoloration of the plaster is caused due to improper chemistry. ******* suggested a course of action for the homeowner to take in order to fix the discolored plaster. Sparkling Kleen does not warranty the material. The material is warrantied by the manufacturer not the installer. That is the reason the manufacturer rep was brought into the picture. When the pool was transferred back to the homeowner after it was resurfaced, the plaster color was even and the pool looked beautiful. The homeowner would not have finalized and paid is final balance if it looked the way it is now as well as sign our customer satisfaction sheet stating the pool was too their liking (See attached customer satisfaction form signed by the homeowner during the finalization.) I understand the homeowners frustration with the manufactures response. However, the homeowner does not reside at the property full time. After the pool was transferred back to the homeowner he was not there for a long time. It is not our intention to point blame at anyone, however, the pool was in perfect condition when it was transferred to the owner and a few months later it is discolored. Our company tried to help the owner remedy the problem and preformed an acid wash free of charge. Usually when a pool get refilled it is the owner responsibility to monitor the water level and turn the water off when the pool is full. Unfortunately since the owner does not live there full time, nobody turned the water off and our company incurred the charge of the excess water. Short of having the manufacturer change their assessment regarding the reason for the staining, there is nothing our company can do to help the homeowner. We did our best to help the customer but our hands are tied at this point. This issue needs to be addressed between the homeowner and the manufacturer, not the installer. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/23/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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.

  I am coming at this as another business who deals with sparkling clean quite a bit. As of late they have had a lot of defects in their works and they way they wiggle out of it is this impossible claim of chemicals being imbalanced. First of all as a contractor myself you can't have a ** in a resurfaced pool at 7.2-7.6 no matter how hard you try for at least 2 months. The mix will spike the ** above 8.0 everyday and this is normal. So that's a scam claim. Also they have had several pools with rust stains coming from their tools or lack of clean up afterwards. Tons of their pools have defects and issues afterwards. And again they use the chemistry as their way out. A pools chemistry being bad for a few weeks does not make defects in mix happen that fast. Impossible. They even pull this chemistry claim even when they know they mess up. I would advise to stay away and any company servicing one of their redone or new pools to have them do a 3-4 month break in themselves because they will throw you under the bus quicker then you would ever think. Just absolutely untrue their claims of chemistry causing all the problems especially in that time frame. Having rust spots and streaks in a new surface two weeks after is clearly bad practice. Come on guys. Own up to your mistakes

  Business Response

  Date: 08/25/2023

  Hello sir, thank you for your feedback. I would like to clarify a couple of things regarding our warranty process to clear the air here. 

  Firstly - as licensed Pool contractor, we of course warranty our labor. I have attached our warranty terms here. If you read them, you'll see we warranty all labor we complete on contract for each and every client up to 1 year after the date of resurfacing. We have found that this is standard in our industry. This, of course, includes the application of material.

  Second - as the manufacturer of the interior finish we apply, PMM of course warranties its material - *As long as it can be shown that the chemical ranges of the swimming pool remained in the acceptable ranges it defines for the product it manufactures* . I have also attached these warranty terms above as well. 

  Since you're a professional in this field, you are probably aware that discoloration in a pool's interior finish can occur from a variety of sources. If this source is something like iron, or trace metal - then it can be reasonably assumed that the source is either leftover metal from the construction process (covered by our labor warranty as the applicator), or from leftover trace metal in the interior finish itself (covered by the manufacturer's material warranty).

  This is exactly the reason why test kits exist, to identify the root cause of discoloration. ****** test kits are industry standard. Jacks #1 tests for exactly this - trace metal such as iron. Jacks #2 tests for copper & scale staining, which are both the results of chemical maintenance of the swimming pool. And Jacks #3 tests for organic staining. As standard practice, we ALWAYS test discoloration in interior finish, if it occurs. When tested, this particular case reacted not with Jacks #1, but with Jacks #2. Therefore, it could be reasonably concluded that the root cause was not metallic, but either copper staining (from chemical reaction inside gas heaters copper heat exchanger), or scale staining (from high pH in pool chemical balance). This is caused by chemical balance outside the manufacturer's specified ranges.

  Let me ask - how often were you servicing this pool? The client had a copy of the manufacturer's specifications from the time we resurfaced it. If you noticed that they were not within the ranges specified by the manufacturer, did you notify the client, and recommend servicing the pool more often? Some pools, and some finishes, require more care than others. I am sure you know that. 

  In any case - the chemical maintenance of the swimming pool is the responsibility of the pool service provider, not the pool builder. If the stain had reacted to Jacks #1, we would have brought the regional representative from the manufacturer over, to evaluate the warranty claim. And either we as the pool builder, or they as the manufacturer, would have worked on a solution for the client. I hope this makes sense to you and others reading 

  As always - if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our office at ************

  Thanks so much, 

  SK

• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/31/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 company resurfaced our pool that has an inground popup system. Upon replacing the popups, they failed to tell us that the * rings should be replaced. They just put them back in without them. *nce our popups started popping out we realized that there were no * rings and called the company to have them put on. The technician ****** came out and was combative from the beginning and also challenged my husband to "come outside the fence" after he threw up his hands and said "I'm out of here". After FINALLY getting a call back, we were told that the replacement of the * rings would be $300.00. It seems that if the previous * rings were bad that someone should have let us know instead of just putting the popups back in without them. I also asked for the previous * rings back so we could see that they were actually bad and was told they don't have them. We don't feel there should be ANY charge because that is part of the job of refinishing our pool (which we paid over $11,000 for) We are only looking to have the * rings replaced at no charge to us.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/10/2023

  ?The Harringtons contracted with our company to resurface their pool and install new waterline tile. Their BBB complaint pertains to their existing in-floor cleaning system which was not on their contract with us to replace. 

  
  When a pool gets resurfaced, the in-floor pop-up heads at the bottom of the pool need to be removed. The existing pop-up heads are reinstalled after the pool is refilled with water. At this point the technician reinstalling the existing pop-up heads is unable to determine if the o-ring is worn out or in disrepair by looking at it. The client would have needed to tell us that they were not working. As such, Sparkling Kleen was not contracted to replace or to repair the pop-up system, or the individual pop-up heads. The Harringtons pool is approximately 15 years old. Their pop-up heads were installed when the pool was built, typically pop-up heads are replaced every 10 years.

  
  Upon completion of the project, the *********** received their final documents, paid their balance owed, and received instructions for the care of their newly renovated pool. A few days after this, the Harringtons reported to us that a couple of the pop-up heads were not functioning correctly. We sent a technician to assess the problem and found that the o-rings on the pop-up heads were not working correctly. The Harringtons were advised of the situation and we gave them a quote of $300 to replace the faulty o-rings. They did not want to pay and became belligerent, insisting that it was our responsibility to repair the pop-*** at no charge.

  
  Sparkling Kleen has been in business for over forty years. Our contracts are very clear as to the scope of work to be performed. We sent a technician to check the problem and did not charge for the service call. We offered to repair the pop-up heads at a minimum charge that would simply cover our cost. As previously stated this work was not part of the contract.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/22/2023

   
  Complaint: 20389833
  
  I am rejecting this response because almost none of this is true!  We did and have the receipt hire them to work on the popup system.  Also, I disagree with the fact that it is stated that the technician couldn't determine if the * rings were "good" .  They removed the * rings C*MPLETELY, and never told us that we may need to get new ones.  Also, when the technician came to our house, he ABS*LUTLY DID N*T GIVE ME A QU*TE.  I received the quote of $300.00 from ******* several weeks later, which she resented because my husband gave them a 1 star review on Google.  She called me within a few minutes of the review being posted and said she would not honor the estimate and removed from *************.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business Response

  Date: 09/22/2023

  As stated in our original response, repairing the  pop up system was not included in the original contract. However, as an act of good will  we will send a technician to install new Orings on the pop up heads at no extra charge to the customer. 

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/25/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/15/2023

  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.

  I paid extra to have my pool color to be very blue. There are white spots as if there wasn't full coverage in the middle of my pool and on the stairs. I spent $7,300 and they balked at sending someone out, then they did. I did exactly what they said to do and it did come back to blue but only for a week or so. I take my water to be tested and told them it is a new surface and that the ph and chlorine has to be a certain number. I am by far a pool expert, but I have done what they told me to do and actually fired my pool guy because he was clueless. This company has no customer service for their product at all. I called again after a few weeks and they wanted to charge me $155 to come out to look at my pool. it has been a few months later and this dishonest company has an excuse for everything. They think they can intimidate you by having their employee call and yell at you. I did everything and they have dismissed my complaints.I paid $7,306.00 and $1,663.00 was for the upgraded Freestone Pebble Finish. They say their "LImited Lifetime Warranty" does not cover their terrible job.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/16/2023

  ********************, we have made every attempt to educate you on the importance of maintaining your own pool's chemical balance properly. As a CPC builder, we were responsible for safely and effectively re-surfacing your existing swimming pool, which we did. After the swimming pool was resurfaced, we maintained the chemical balance of the pool for two weeks at no additional cost to you, to ensure this critical time in the new finish's infancy was handled properly. The swimming pool experienced no material defects, blemishes, or staining during this time. After the final payment was made, we turned the pool's ownership over to you, which of course included the chemical maintenance of the swimming pool. Issues that arose with the interior finish after our two week complimentary service were caused by poor pool maintenance, are therefore not the pool builder's responsibility to handle under warranty. We can corroborate this with evidence:

  On 3/31, field supervisor *************************** evaluated your pool's chemical balance to determine if blemishes you asked about fall under warranty or not. The pool was scaled up - because the pH of the pool was higher than the manufacturer's 7.6 specification by a good margin. Your tab feeder was inside the pool at that time - this is poor maintenance practice. See photos "******** 1 and 2." When we informed you of this, you notified us that you were servicing the pool yourself. We will repeat ourselves when we implore you to use a licensed pool service provider moving forward

  After this, you continued to ask us for advice on how to service your own swimming pool. Remember - we are pool builder, not a service provider - so we are under no obligation to provide guidance on this matter. However, because we wanted to help you, we again scheduled a time for ****** to meet you, on site, to explain how to service your own swimming pool to you on 4/25. Again - this was done at no cost to you as a courtesy.

  Last week - the week of 6/12 - you, for a third time, attempted to have this matter addressed under warranty. At this point we do not know how to make it any clearer to you that the specifications outlined in both the *** Warranty" and the **** Warranty" documents attached (which were originally given to you at the project's end), MUST be met in order for the pool finish to cure properly. How can we warranty blemishes or stains that are caused by poor chemical maintenance of the pool? That is your sole responsibility sir.

  We wish you luck on servicing the swimming pool in the future

  SK

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/22/2023

  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.

  I hired the company to build a pool, spa and install a new deck at my home. From the beginning of the job, there were problems stemming from a lack of supervision which required my attendance on site every day there was work to be performed. For the sake of starting this claim, I will provide narrative information and can furnish photos and supporting emails at a later date. The pool was not surveyed and initially resulted in an incorrect shell placement and inaccurate grading of the pavers. A new retaining wall was part of the contract, but it was poured poorly and was not vibrated as it should have been. The result created large voids in several places which required filling and cutting after I pointed out the defects. The shell was shot, but the shotcrete was dry and was not cured at all. This also left major voids which needed fixing which was performed only after I mandated the removal of the formboards which they were not going to remove. Upon removal, the voids and blowouts were obvious. Neither the pool walls nor the retaining walls were properly buttressed which resulted in problems with the concrete work. The main drains were plumbed incorrectly which resulted in ****** gallons being wasted during the initial fill. I noted the problem and they had to modify the main drain connections. The underground skimmer line was also plumbed incorrectly and had to be redone by excavating and replumbed. The spa was plumbed wrong and the fittings are in incorrect locations. The fittings are dysfunctional and the contractor is aware. They are supposed to work with a venturi line that was not installed and the blowers which were incorrectly selected and installed do not function.I had to replace the majority of the pavers and the deck drain which settled so badly that I decided to install a concrete pad around the pool to support the new pavers. The fix for the spa may necessitate drilling into the walls to access the jets and I cannot see this company responding.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/27/2023

  Our company was hired to build a new pool, spa and deck for the homeowner. An existing pool, spa and deck had to be demolished and removed first. The homeowner wanted to be involved in the project and hired his own subs to do the demolition work, as well as the construction of the new pool cage. The homeowner interviewed other pool companies prior to contracting with us. He actually hired another company to do the job. For reasons unknown to us, the contract was terminated  and our company was retained instead. We were given working drawings done by the previous company and were told to build the pool according to those drawings. From the start of the project we had problems with the homeowner who wanted to micromanage every aspect of the job. Since I, the owner of Sparkling Kleen Pools, live in the same community, and know the homeowner personally, I instructed the project manager on the job, to be flexible and work with the homeowner. Unfortunately this was a mistake. The homeowner who is not a pool contractor, inserted himself into making decisions that were not in the best interest of the project. Despite all the obstacles, the project was completed in a timely manner and it is beautiful. The homeowner is requesting a refund for work not completed, or completed in a manner unacceptable to him. We tried to fix the issue he is referring to, the spa jets, however, he refuses to let us do the repair, stating that he does not trust us. The repair is only necessary because the homeowner decided to change the type of jets used after the contract was signed and the work commenced. Let it be known that the homeowner did not as of yet paid his contract in full. Sparkling Kleen has been in business since **** and built and renovated thousands of pools. We take pride in our work and want to see satisfied customers. We already gave the homeowner credit for work he wanted done in a different manner. At this point we dont know what the request for refund means. If the homeowner doesnt want us to repair the spa jets, we will be happy to refund him the cost of the repair. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/27/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  The information submitted Sparkling Kleen is erroneous on several levels. I never had contracted with anyone else to build a pool or do any aquatics work at my home. I had received a proposal and preliminary drawing from another company and provided it to Sparkling Kleen so that they could develop a quote. They did so and this was the basis of our contract. All the terms and conditions were identified including the selection of equipment that was ultimately furnished installed by Sparkling Kleen. They are responsible for the performance of the products that they picked and installed and unfortunately the jets for the spa have never functioned. The statements about not paying in full are lies and the owner is well aware of the financial agreement. He agreed and proceeded with the plaster and the balance of the work to offset other expenses I incurred to redo his defective paver and deck work. If he is willing to refund the value of the jets, blowers and the cost for the remedy of the defective jet design and performance, I will accept those funds. The rest of his narrative regarding site work and accommodations is a farce. If he had proper supervision on site while his non-employee sub-contractors did the work, the numerous mistakes and problems would have been minimized. I am trying to avoid litigation by having the BBB help with this situation and I appreciate your participation. He is one of your members and you should be aware of the level of my dissatisfaction. I have sent him numerous emails, texts and lefts phone messages over the last 4-6 weeks to remedy this situation before contacting you, but he has ignored all the outreach to directly remedy my problems. I am skeptical of his sincerity to resolve the situation, but I will give it this last chance.

   

  Again, thank you for your assistance and cooperation.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  Business Response

  Date: 04/06/2023

  This response was taken verbally by BBB:

  We have resolved this with the customer as of last week.