Pools By Us Plus

I'll start with the things that were done very well:
- high level of communication throughout the process
- returned same day after a major pool part was missing and it was delivered by the pool place...I'll give them an A for effort but this turned out to be a mistake
- was prompt and polite
A few things happened that made me give the 2 star rating:
- paid an extra $300 to and quot;work with an existing deckand quot; and yet I have very large gaps between the pool and deck...10 inches in some places
- paid an extra $75 to and quot;work with a salt water systemand quot; and yet parts were left out, the system was inoperable and I spent a few days completing the hosing connections and getting it going myself
- some very sharp rocks under the liner that have me worried about holes in the near future
- walls bow in and out of the oval pool where they should be straight
- felt like a rush job, would have preferred they come back the next day rather than come back after pool part was delivered just to get it done
In summary, the husband wife team was polite, professional, and communicated well, but I wasn't happy with the over all experience because I felt nickel and dimed, and that my pool could have had a better level of install had they not been in such a rush.

I had contacted Pools by Us Plus who were very prompt with a response and upon receipt of photo's provided me with a quote to do the work which was very reasonable. I decided to move forward and they provided a date the following weekend to start the work. What I realized after speaking with them was that they had originally installed the pool for the prior owner back in 1988. I was fortunate that they had an opening earlier than the scheduled date and they came right over and knocked out the job in a few hours.

Everything went very well. Phone calls and e-mails were returned that day and the job was discussed in detail. They were very precise on the language of the contract and followed it to the letter. There was no deviation of the price of the job (even though they were 450.00 over the cost of their competitors) it was worth every penny. There was one hiccup with the leveling of the land and in the future I would send a photo but with that said, they dealt with the issue in a professional manner and all turned out for the best. It was 92 degrees on the day of installation and with no complaints the job was done with precision. We are now enjoying our pool!

3 Months after having our Above Ground Pool installed, Hurricane Sandy threw a tree on it. I purchase a new wall, liners several uprights and top rails to replace the damaged ones. I have all the equipment at my house for the install. Pools by us Plus was in the pool stores directory of installers and were local to us so I called them. The owners were very responsive and scheduling was not difficult. The liner is smooth and wrinkle free. Beyond that I have detailed the issues below:
Pool Wall: When I spoke to the owner she said that they generally did not remove the old wall. I told her that I wanted it removed since it weighs hundreds of pounds and I could not easily dispose of it. They agreed, but on the day of the install they only took part of the wall and told the person at home to put it out on trash day. After I called to complain they came back and took the remaining section.
Pump and filter: After telling the person at home that they wouldn't hook up any filter or pump they agreed to. (BTW the contract said and quot;basic filtrationand quot; was included.) I came home the next night to find all the fittings leaking. The installer (owner) said to the person at home it would probably leak. (really) They were right. Although all the parts were there, no shutoffs were installed. When questioned the owner said “they don’t fit”. One shutoff was installed near the pump but the ball that goes on the inside was left out so the shutoff did not shutoff anything. The pressure valve for the filter was left in the open position so water was flowing from there as well. When he came back, being very argumentative, he told me the equipment was old. (The equipment was used for 2 months last summer and stored in the basement all winter. So , no, it was not old). He also told me it is better to stuff a towel in the skimmer to do work on the hoses, rather than have a shutoff. (I can't make this stuff up)
Stone work: I was told that I had move the crushed stone ~3 feet away from the pool in order for the work to be down. I said I wanted them to do that. They charged me $150 to what was later described, by the owner, as brushing back the stone to put in the wall.
Price: I agreed to their price, but they were $500 higher than the entire install of the original pool. They charged me the full price to install a new pool but did not have to excavate, grade, level, install buttresses or bring in sand material. All they did was install a new liner and wall in the existing structure as well as tamping the base. That is extremely high for the that amount and time of work. They also required 1/2 the fee when they arrive and 1/2 when they leave. Both in certified checks, so if problems arise after they leave you have no recourse.
Behavior: After complaining through email and voice mail the owner returned to my house. He parked in the driveway and immediately went into the yard and started taking pictures and walking around. He did not ring the bell and ask if it was ok to go into my backyard. I saw him out the window and went out to greet a very aggressive installer. With this company the customer is never right.
This is the honest, factual feedback