This is a summary of my complaint that has been filed with the Tarrant County District attorney's office. Oh yes! It is a criminal offence to have fake companies and rip off people. Especially the volume and period of time he has been doing this.
Last October I obtained estimates from pool repair companies to resurface the pool at my residence. I obtained three estimates with the estimate from Dallas Dan Ward being the lowest. I had to take his written estimate to my bank to get a home equity loan to this end. I also searched the Better Business Bureau website for the company All Pool Renovation Services which displayed no negative information.
On October 5 he commenced work on the repair. He asked my wife for half down ($2,250) and the balance on completion. She wrote him a check which was cashed. After the resurfacing was done, he replaced a pool vacuum timer and asked me to start filling the pool the next day.
He promised to return and complete the pool startup (which involved priming the pump and delivery of the Warranty, ensure proper functionality etc.). We paid him for the balance of his work ($2,275). That was the last time we saw or talked to him.
After the pool was filled (which took 2 days) I tried to call him as he requested. There was no response. After 3 days of no response, I contacted another person to help me.
Here is what we discovered:
The pool vacuum timer that he installed (and charged me for the installation) did not work, and as a matter of fact, the pool timer itself also did not work either.
I paid him for the installation of a DE filter to replace the cartridge system I had. His plumbing still uses the old lines and I now have to STILL use the old cartridge so dirt will not accumulate on the floor of the pool as a part of the circulation never even gets to the sand filter. This has to be re-plumbed properly.
One of the nozzles in the pool is turned backwards thereby disrupting the natural circular motion of the water and so now leaves and other debris are not directed toward the skimmer. Also, the gelcoat started to peel within a month and has been getting worse ever since.
I also never received the Lifetime Written, transferable warranty which was explicitly promised as part of the work and which was the basis for our granting him the contracted work.
Repeated Violations of Texas Law:
Initially, I attempted to trace Dan Ward's company (All Pool Renovation Services). I quickly found out that the address he wrote down for me on the estimate (enclosed) as business location was fictitious. My next step was to do an assumed name lookup for the same company on the Tarrant County website. There was none. I further verified this with a follow up phone call to Tarrant County. They confirmed that no such company was registered.
I then looked through Public Data and found an address that matched his drivers License. I contacted an attorney and he drafted a demand letter to Dallas Dan Ward. This was returned as insufficient address. (See enclosed).
I now searched for his name on the Better Business Bureau. I am enclosing copies of what I found.
It appears that Dan Ward has been using fake company names with fake addresses for sometime with numerous victims.
For example, All Pool Renovation Services has an address on the estimate 6920 Ridgemar, Fort Worth 76116. This address does not exist. His business card states he has 19 years experience. The phone number listed on the card (817) 416-6944. A reverse lookup on this phone on this takes me to another company name DANCO in Grapevine, which is also not registered legally in Tarrant County.
There are several other BBB entries that only show up if you use his name Dallas Dan Ward for a keyword search.in July (3 months before I was given an estimate) is the Company:
AAA All Pool Services Inc
8601 Vanderbilt
Fort Worth, TX 76120
Ph: 817-442-1237
BBB closed this case as the company could not be located. It is ALSO not registered with Tarrant County.
Additional company names that Dallas Dan Ward has used are:
AABCO Pool Services
A Pool Service
AASAP Pool Service
ABACA Pools
Mid Cities Pool and Patio
When Dan Ward was doing work on my pool, he had two employees. If NONE of these companies mentioned above are even registered to business in the State of Texas, how does he even pay State payroll Taxes or Federal Income Taxes? I know he does have a prior drug and illegal weapons conviction from 1991 (which would make me question the 19 years of experience) but is probably not relevant to this case.
Dallas Dan Ward has shown a consistent pattern of fraud spanning quite a few years. It is nothing more than theft as for all practical purposes he stole my money.
If the others that have also been made victims would like to contact me, we can all add our names to the DA's complaint. We DO have recourse!
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