Complain about a product or service

Dover Pools

Besides the complaints, we have received numerous responses from this company.

Trisha of Toms River NJ (09/09/08)
We had recently replaced our pool liner in 9-06 using Dover Pools in Toms River, NJ, upgrading the gauge thinking we were going to get many years out of it. Well, we now have a huge hole in our line where the ladder was and found a rock under the liner in the low end which is eventually going to break right through. I am outraged at these findings because Dover Pools in no longer in buisness nor or they anywhere to be found!

So now what do i do? Replace my liner again? This is rediculous. The liner i had before was 27 years old and was replaced only for the look. Never once did the old liner have a rip or tear or rock pertruding through! They sure dont make products like they use to and good workers are definitly hard to find! And to really top it all off, when they replaced my liner they closed my pool when i wasnt home. So the following pool season i opened the pool only to find tons and tons of leaves in what was suppose to be a pretty much brand new pool! I am so furious! The time and effort and money i spent for absolutly NOTHING!

Kathy of Howell NJ (03/01/08)
I got an email today from the Better Business Bureau in NJ. They informed me that mail sent to Dover Pools was returned as undeliverable (which I told them), and they asked ME for another address to use. If I had that I would have gone THERE to get my money back. If you have a problem with Dover Pools, don't waste your time with the BBB in NJ.

Kathy of Howell NJ (02/15/08)
We put a deposit of $550.00 on a pool on 10/20/07. The pool was to be delivered in March. I called today because I drove past the store on Rt 9 S and there is a sign for another pool company CARLTON POOLS over the Dover Pools building. I called to see if they just changed their name or what and found out that Dover Pools and my money are now MIA- and apparently other peoples money too from my conversation w/ someone at Carlton Pools. We are now out $550.00 and have no pool

James of Toms River NJ (02/15/08)
Dover Pools closed without notification. Have pre-paid contract for pool opening 2008. Unfortunately paid by check, not credit card. Only reason I found out is I was contacted by a new pool company trying help out with discounts.

William of Toms River NJ (02/15/08)
Dover Pool closed and who ever bought them out isn't honoring Dover Pool's agreements. They have our money to open our pool for the summer of 2008 and our Polaris pool cleaner which they take each year for maintenance. pool opening $225, Polaris Vac-Sweep 380 $650

Ann of Middlesex NJ (02/11/08)
Dover Pool closed business without notification. They have our pool robot cleaner and our money to open our pool on 5/08.

$250 for robot cleaner and $250 for pool opening.

Martin of West Long Branch NJ (11/05/07)
We purchased a jacuzzi spa from Dover Pools in July, 2007.  We noticed tape on the inside of the spa cover and assumed it was a joint.  In October we went to Dover Pools to purchase a new filter.  At that time we observed nonoe of the display spas had the tape.  After returning home, I inspected that tape and discovered it was an attempt to repair the damaged cover.  Dover Pools will not send a service person to inspect and says that since it is three months since delivery, they will not honor the warranty.

Barbara of Pine Beach NJ (09/23/07)
I purchased an above ground pool from Dover Pools 11 years ago. The original winter pool cover amazingly lasted all 11 winters with a few minor repairs. Every winter Dover Pools sends me a postcard that if I make a purchase during March they will give me a 25 or 30 per cent discount. I usually just buy my chemicals but this year I also decided to buy a replacement pool cover. They quoted me a price of $92.95 which minus the discount and with the tax came to $74.59. They did not have any in stock so I did not get to see one but they offered to order it for me.

It came in April and I picked it up and paid for it. It sat in the box for the summer and today we went to place it on the pool. It is a piece of garbage. The grommets are already pulled/pulling out even though the wire isn't in and it is soooo thin. It is definitely not the same quality as the original cover and it is doubtful that this would last even one winter.

I expected so much more for that amount of money. If it was $30 or $40 we would just say oh well we got what we paid for.... I then looked on line and the same covers are selling for $30 or $40!!!! I can't believe how ripped off I feel. I called Dover Pools and they said that I have to deal directly with the manufacturer.

Samir of Morganville NJ (09/20/04)
We signed our contract on 5-23-04. We hired a local pool company who is aware of all local rules and regulations. The permit application was rejected several times due to imporoper installation of silt fence. Tha company kept arguing with the Townsip officials rather then complying with the rules. The permits were eventualy issued on August 20, 2004.

As of September 20, 2004 the excavation has not started yet. There is no cordination from Dover Pool with their subcontractors and the home owner. If you want to pay the top price and become your own general conrator go ahead and hire Dover Pool. You are expected to meet with each of their subcontractor and tell them what to do. You will see the sales men for contract signature and never again. The construction departmen is always behind schdule. I cannot imagine what will happen when they start the work.

I am a president of a Mechanical Contracting business, and I have never seen a company that is more incompetant than Dover Pool & Supplies. We asked the company to let us of the contract several time in writing and they refused to do so, with more promises of expediting the construction after the permits were issued. We do not see any effort to do so. At this point we are stuck with this company, however we would not recommend this company to any body.

Gregory of North Brunswick NJ (01/26/04)
On Saturday 01/17/04, I signed a contract with Dover Pools and Supplies to have an ingound pool built. I did not want to sign right away because I had to make sure my finances were all in order. Alex the sales rep. said "No problem. Do the paper work (contract) today, and let me know about your finances in a week. If you can't do it we'll just cancel the contract and you'll get your $500 deposit back, no problem." Alex also wrote in the contract that the contract was contingent upon me getting satisfactory financing.

I called to cancel the following Friday, sent a fax on the following Saturday. Alex said no problem andthat I'll get the deposit mony back. However, the next day, Sunday, I get a phone call from Alex saying that I can only cancel the contract if I sign a release saying that I can't build a pool with anyone else for a year. I said I would not sign anything that prohibits me from doing anything with/on my own property. He proceeded to say that I then needed to get the financing to do and pay for the pool. I said I can't and I won't.

Linda of Old Bridge NJ writes (9/9/02):
After purchasing a Jacuzzi-pinnacle model from the Manalapan, NJ office I required repair work. I contacted the Toms River office as requested to schedule a repair. After numerous calls and not receiving a response and cancelled appointments I finally had a repairman repalce a faulty heater in May. Due to the water shortage I did not refill the jacuzzi until late July. The heater worked for a day, then after a power outage of 4 hours failed to heat again. I tried resetting all breakers and the still does not work. I have called and left messages with Mark in Toms River since July and still have not received a call from him.

The company responds:
In regard to Linda of Old Bridge, we determined that when refiring the spa, it had what we call a "dry fire" (heater went on without water in it). We checked with our service department and there is again, no record of this complaint. Furthermore, there is absolutely no record from you.

Michael of Spotswood, NJ, writes:
My wife and I were in Dover Pools's Marlboro office on May 2, 1999 looking to buy a spa. The store manager, James S., waited on us. When we found a spa we liked, I asked him about the motors, how many and how much horse power they were.

He told me it came with 2 2 horsepower motors. When I told him others we have looked at elsewhere came with 2.4 horsepower motors, he said it's a false rating and that theirs was truly rated at 2hp.

We gave him a deposit on it, then 2 weeks later I found out they sold our spa and we would have to wait for a new shipment to come in.

Week after week we called and nobody knew when we would receive our spa. Finally I called their Toms River store and spoke to one of the owners whose only response was, "Just be glad you're getting a newer model fresh from the factory."

I asked him if it was identical and he told me that it was. After 7 weeks it arrived but not with the bar package we also purchased.

When the electrician came to hook it up I found out that there weren't 2 2 hp motors but 1 3 hp. I asked him if that was strong enough and he said its a good size motor for pushing water but that the 2 2hp motors were better.

At this point I thought it was something new for that year's model and didn't want to go through anther big hassle to exchange this one for another one and have to wait a year and a day for it.

It wasn't until 2 weeks ago when I called the factory about a heating problem that I found out the reason I have a 1 3 hp motor instead of 2 2 is that he described the high end model to us and sold us the low end model.

I tried to call James S. on this and he doesn't respond to my messages. This has to be some sort of bait and switch or consumer fraud because if it was just a mistake I am sure he would have called and explained what happened. The actual bill does list the low end model on it, but that is not the model he described that we were purchasing.

Unfortunately, oral promises mean nothing since they cannot be proven in court. If the sales contract specifies the low-end model, that is probably what you're stuck with.

The company responds:
I am writing in response to a complaint from Michael of Spotswood, NJ of 5/2/99 in our Marlboro, NJ office. Please be advised of today, this is the first time we are hearing of this complaint. We have no prior correspondence pertaining to this matter.

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