I am livid right now!!!!!!!

**kcsmom76** · 05-25-2009, 08:27 PM

~This thread was posted on another forum. I wanted to get some thoughts and help with my dilemma so I posted it both places.~

Dh bought a cheap no-name brand motor for our pool pump on Friday evening. He didn't get around to installing it until after lunch on Saturday and by then the pool place was closed.

When he installed the pump the motor started smoking. He called our "other" pool place and they were nice enough to give him the number of a tech. to see if he maybe had done something wrong. The tech told him everything he did was right and that it must just be a bad motor.

So since I am the only one home today I get the chore of taking it back. That sucker is heavy. So anyway, I have to wait until they open at 10am. So I get my other errands done and then stop at the pool place. I take it in and this lady is helping another customer. So I go ahead and put the motor on top of the counter since it is so heavy. Well another lady comes in and asks if she can help me. I told her I wanted to return the motor. She starts taking it out of the box and checking it out and I voluntarily tell her that when my dh hooked it up it started smoking. She then put it down and said I can't take it back. Your dh must of crossed the wires and burned it up. I said, I don't know if he did that or not. I said it started smoking when he turned it on and it could of already been damaged. She told me she couldn't take it back. BTW, this lady is the owner of the pool place.

By then I was really pissed. I started getting louder and I said well I am just out of $230 then??? And she says YES!! I was really, really pissed now. The other customer was standing there and I asked her what she thought and she said it wasn't her problem. So then I asked her isn't there anything we can do. And she said I could leave it there and have their people look at it and they could tell if it was our fault or not. I told them I would not EVER buy anything from them again and I told that customer she shouldn't either. So of course I grabbed the box away from her and stumbled out of the store with it.

I got in my car and slammed it in reverse and spun out of there. I can't believe they won't take the pump back!!!!!!!!!!!!

So anyway, I went to "our regular pool place" and I asked them what they would do in that situation and she said she would take it back and return our money to us. No problem.

You know what this is called?? It is called stealing. I can't believe they can get away with that kind of practice.

Thanks for letting me vent.

ETA: Dh and I both went back this evening and the lady said the same thing again. Dh asked the cashier what she would in our situation and she said she would want her money back. Then dh asked the owner and she said she would be understanding of what "the owner" had to do.

**Missy** · 05-25-2009, 09:00 PM

are they listed with the BBB? Launch a complaint. is it a chain and she just owns the particular store? if so, climb the ladder. complain to whoever will listen...local rip-offs are local tv news here...

**mauimagic** · 05-25-2009, 09:05 PM

How totally frustrating, exhausting, disgusting, unprofessional and rude!! I'm sorry that you're having/had to go through all of that. Unbelievalby professional and kind of the 'good' people to take it back for you.

Contact BBB definitely and never do business there again..... and make sure that your DH doesn't either.

Take care.

**wanna_homestead** · 05-25-2009, 09:16 PM

That is awful! Definitely file a BBB complaint, and I'd also pen a letter to the owner stating that you are doing so. This might make her change her mind...

I hope the situation gets fixed for you.

**kcsmom76** · 05-25-2009, 09:28 PM

I can't believe this either. I just checked my online statement and she has already cashed the check!!!!! She didn't' receive the check until Friday after 4pm and it says the check cleared on the 22nd!!! I don't understand this at all!! I used to work for a bank and all checks after 2pm didn't post until the next business day.

We are really totally out of this money.

**cab54** · 05-25-2009, 09:30 PM

I hope I don't upset anyone when I say this (no offense intended if you have a pool business). But we had a pool for 15 years and it was a nightmare from May till October---every year.

If we tried to get help from pool 'professionals' they didn't come out when they said they would,

didn't fix anything right 90% of the time, didn't give us any problem-solving advise at all---just acted like it wasn't their problem, each employee had a different idea of what we should do about a problem, they WAY over charged for supplies and chemicals, and were just plain LAZY.

Last year, with our kids grown and no one swimming much.....we kicked the walls in and buried it, filled in the hole with dirt, threw grass seed, and had a celebratory glass of wine. I was sooooo relieved!!

**CrazyHomemaker** · 05-25-2009, 09:55 PM

Originally Posted by Missy

are they listed with the BBB? Launch a complaint. is it a chain and she just owns the particular store? if so, climb the ladder. complain to whoever will listen...local rip-offs are local tv news here...

I totally agree with Missy...getting their mug or storefront on TV may change something. We have a segment on our local news station about this kind of stuff. Check friends who have done business with this store and see if they'll go on TV with you to complain, too. That's a lot of money to lose, these days! Good Luck!

**whoapony** · 05-25-2009, 10:00 PM

I'm sorry this happen to you I would be beyond mad myself... I would write a letter to the BBB and as far as you check clearing so fast... alot of companies now have scanners where the company itself runs the check through the scanner and it is electronically debited to the the consumers account so it can clear the same day you write the check. again I am sorry this happen hopefully the bbb can clear it up for you
Christy

**forHISglory** · 05-25-2009, 10:10 PM

1. Get your story to the BBB.
2. Go back to the bad pool place and ask the owner to write down why she would not refund the money, and to sign it. Just stand there and smile sweetly at her until she does it. Let her know that this is for the media and BBB and attorney general, etc. Sometimes this alone will convince them to give your money back. Be sure to mention to other customers in the store why you are standing there smiling.
3. Contact your state attorney general, who protects consumers against fraud. They are very thorough!
4. Contact the media and let them know about a consumer scam.

Don't ya just hate being ripped off? It makes my blood boil.

**craftypam** · 05-25-2009, 10:39 PM

I would definately go to the news media. My brother was overcharged on his phone bill and since they were the only phone co where he was located they wouldn't credit him. Then he contacted the news media. He was credited and when it happened again he called the phone co and they credited him right away. The best way to get them is to ruin their reputation pubically.

**2ndGenGranola** · 05-25-2009, 10:46 PM

Great suggestions. Don't forget to contact the manufacturer of the pump too. Maybe they will stand behind their product even if their rep won't. Maybe you can get them to put a little pressure on her too.

**ArmyOfFive4God** · 05-25-2009, 10:52 PM

I haven't read all the replies, but I agree with the BBB & the news media as well as climbing the ladder. I also suggest you spread this on as many websites as you can, including review sites. Please also be sure to share the name of the store. It isn't slander if you word it professionally & it is true

**Missourimom** · 05-25-2009, 10:58 PM

That's just wrong. I'm sorry and I hope you can get it resolved.

**rasilla** · 05-26-2009, 04:35 PM

Another thought, if it is a chain store, see the Consumerist.com A lot of complaints on there get national attention really fast. It is the equivalent of going to the news station, but may be easier. Be sure to post the document that she signs stating that she recognizes there is a problem, your receipt and anything else.

**Homekeepn** · 05-27-2009, 09:24 PM

I am frustrated with our pool company right now too. Our pool was damaged over the winter (in March). We called the company that installed the pool not even 5 years ago about what happened to the pool. He said that the that it must have been an "act of God" that caused the pool wall to buckle, and that it wasn't covered under warranty. He didn't even look at it. He was supposed to show up three different times. He didn't even call to cancel or postpone.

I can see why you are so upset. I agree with other posts. Go public with this companies bad customer service.