Rogue pool traders
Stop! Before signing any contract on a new pool, follow these three quick and simple tips and save yourself thousands of pounds and a huge pile of unwanted misery!
All industries have their undesirables, and though the vast majority of us are a great and reputable bunch, even the swimming pool trade suffers at the hands of the cowboys now and again.
You know the sort, they offer some stupendous world-beating deal, which you knew felt too good to be true at the time, but you gave them the benefit of the doubt. Later down the line you end up spending thousands of pounds to put their faults right, not to mention a whole load of wasted time and grief – which probably meant more to you than the money did. By the time the pool is finally finished, the whole saga has left such a bitter taste in the mouth that you can’t enjoy it nearly as much as you were anticipating!
Unfortunately, we’ve recently heard of a number instances where new pool build customers were left high, dry (no pun intended) and out of pocket. The good news is that there are three quick and simple tips you can follow to protect yourself from this, which we have put together in this useful concise guide to ensure that, whoever builds your dream pool, they are a reputable and sound company who’ll look after you right.
1) Check the company is a member of a recognised trade association, i.e. SPATA (the Swimming Pool and Allied Trades Association) or ISPE (the Institute of Swimming Pool Engineers) who operate to strict codes of practice with building standards.
Check them out here: https://www.spata.co.uk/where-to-buy/
Tip: SPATA is a national organisation of pool builders who operate to a code of practice and build pools to a recognised set of rigorous standards, giving you the peace of mind that you are getting a quality pool from a reputable company.
2) Are they a Limited Company and are they financially viable?
Check them out here: https://www.fullcircl.com/www.duedil.com
Tip: Cash in the bank is a good indicator, as it will give you a good idea if they have enough to run a business and finance the materials for your project’s stage payments. Current assets give you an indicator of the size of company, but be very wary of a company whose creditors exceed their assets, or who are behind on their accounts.
3) Do they have a showroom or retail premises? Have you seen their actual work, or are they working from home?
Check them out here: maps.google.co.uk
Tip: Not seeing the actual product is like buying a car without a test drive, i.e. you wouldn’t do it, even though many pool projects cost more than many cars! Pictures can be useful, but are they their actual installs? It’s often not possible to appreciate the detail from a photo, particularly one taken as soon as the pool has been finished.
