We started this complete nightmare in May when we relocated to the Allentown area and started looking for custom pool construction companies, of which there are few in the area. A co-worker was currently building with Carlton and they responded quickly to our request for quote on construction. Given assurances about the timing of construction start, which was in our contract, and a verbal commitment from the salesperson that the construction would take 6 to 8 weeks, we entered into a contract in early June.
This experience has been horrific at EVERY stage since. After arriving a week late for the construction start with completely inappropriate equipment for excavation, we waited almost 6 weeks for the company to show up with the rock excavation equipment we told them they needed based on feedback from the person who excavated our home foundation. We even had the infamous "Rock Certificate" from Carlton given the rock we knew and they knew we were going to hit. At the point our pool was supposed to be complete, we barely had a hole in the ground. Forget attributing this to weather, as Carlton let on of the leads of their construction crews go on vacation for a month in the midle of summer.
Every step of the process since has been equally delayed and imperfect, from the electric lines sticking straight out of the ground, to Carlton almost refusing to build the pad to locate the filter and pumps on (specified to be built and located on the blueprints), to pumps, filter and heater that did not run. To get them to show up this and every other time took inordinate amounts of negotiation, begging and imploring. This has been the most humiliating, frustrating process we have ever been through. I would not wish this nightware on my worst enemy.
Now, in mid-November (suprisingly), our construction is still not complete, we have leaks in the pool (3 or 4 already repaired but we are still losing water), cannot seem to get it closed and spend numerous hours cleaning up leaves, dirt and debris from the pool, not to mention hundreds of hours on the phone and with the numerous ill-prepared teams that come out to address the problems. This wasted time is on top of massive hours of discussion on the phone with the various departments of Carlton Pools that cannot find a way to discuss our problem internally. Communication in this company is completely non-existent.
Our entire summer has been wasted and the pool construction has caused massive delays in the completion of our landscaping as well. Our kids have been relegated to playing in our garage for the entire summer and fall. We have tried to set meetings with the owner of the company, contacted the manager of sales and spoken to vitually every member of the sales, design, construction and services department. Last week, after confirming twice with 2 different people in the 3 prior weeks that our custom pool cover had been ordered, we were told measurements had never been taken and it was going to take 4-5 weeks after they had taken these measurements, in the busiest construction time of the year for the cover manufacturer, to get us our cover. Given they have yet to show up to take these measurements, maybe Santa Claus will bring us one for Christmas. Maybe he could Carlton a jackhammer to remove the bronze Carlton medallion that they put on the top step without our permission, that will remind of this nightware every time we step foot in the pool.
While there may not be a "good" pool building experience by definition, surely customers deserve more honesty and respect than we have ever received from Carlton Pools.
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