Avoid Smart Pools at All Costs – Unprofessional, ***********, and Possibly a ****!

I hired Jaco from Smart Pools to repair my fish pond after he contacted me through a platform where I requested quotes. He assured me that his team would fibreglass and paint the pond, guaranteeing the work for 15 years against leaks and cracks. Based on this promise, I paid him a pre-payment of R2,000.

The nightmare began immediately. Jaco promised his team would arrive at 10:00 the next day. By midday, after several calls, he said they were “struggling to find stock” and would arrive an hour later. His team finally showed up at 16:20 – six hours late – only to spend about 10 minutes removing the existing membrane from the wall before leaving. They said they’d be back the next morning at 9:00.

The following day, they arrived late again – at 11:40. When they eventually started working, I came back to find them sleeping on the grass! Their workmanship was atrocious: the fibreglass was full of bubbles, and it was clear the edges would peel off within months, despite Jaco’s so-called 15-year guarantee.

To make matters worse, they wasted so much resin that I had to buy a new tin at my own cost (R680). They then couldn’t complete the job because they didn’t have the paint – the same paint Jaco claimed they had obtained on the first day. His guys also wanted more money, that was supposed to be paid after the job

What was supposed to be a two-day job has dragged on for four days and counting. The pond is half-done, and now neither Jaco nor his team is responding to my calls or messages. I don’t know if the job will ever be completed or if I’ve been outright ****med.

Avoid Smart Pools at all costs. They are unprofessional, unreliable, and clearly lack the skills and resources to do the job. Don’t waste your money or time.