If you want a pool installation to run smoothly from beginning to end, DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY.

Early in March, I approached a few pool companies for quotes to have a small pool installed. I ended up going with the quote from Pieter of Tuscan Rock Pools. He seemed very pleasant to deal with and answered all my questions, which came from my research on pools and maintenance. He sent me a quote with a 15% discount, which I know is a common trend for many pool companies going towards winter to keep up business and later in the month, he offered that 15% discount to all prospective clients via his website (I have a screenshot of the post). While we were discussing things, he asked my age and when I said my husband and I would be 60 this year, he offered us an additional 5% discount for which we were very grateful. His quote included a “kreepy” (which I had assumed meant a kreepy krauly, but found out later was an IPP Poolmaid). As my husband and I are honest people and we knew our roof had a large slant (we had asked for solar panels to be installed), we asked Pieter to come and do a site visit before we accepted his quote. He said a site visit was R450, which would be refundable if we accepted his quote. He did a site visit on 13/3/2021, saw our roof, agreed that It might pose some challenges, but that they could do it and the quote would not change. That day, we accepted his quote and we also agreed to buy a quality cleaning kit from him, which comprised of leaf rake, poles ,vacuum, brush and net. I had intended to buy a cleaning set online but he assured us that the one he sold was much better quality and I paid the 70% deposit required on acceptance of the quote (redone to include the price of the quality cleaning kit. The remaining amount was due as follows (according to his quote), 15% on the start of work and the final 15% on completion of the work. On 23/3/2021 Pieter started work on the site and the first 15% payment was made as agreed in his quote. On 24/3/2021, the second day of work, I noticed that work seemed to have halted outside and when enquiring the first of the excuses started coming. Allegedly, he was waiting on a payment from a previous client, so did not have money for petrol etc to continue with our job. Now…….its my understanding, that if you hire someone to do a job, accept their quote and make your payments when stipulated, that your job should not be held up by money owing from other clients or lack of money by the contractor. The money I paid, should pay for the completion of my job and therefore my job should not be delayed by Pieters money problems. However…..at that point, we were stuck between a rock and a hard place, because its obvious that no further work would be done unless we paid the final amount before the due time. We did not want to do this and I expressed my concern to Pieter and also said to him that our job should not be delayed by other issues. He apologized but basically said there was nothing he could do about it, so after discussing it with my quadriplegic husband, we realized to get the job done, all we could do was make the final payment against our better judgement. When making the final payment, Pieter promised to send me guarantee certificates for his work, but we never did receive them. We made the final payment on the second day of work and work then miraculously proceeded very well. I admit that on the whole, apart from some minor issues, the work that was actually done , was mostly done neatly and to my satisfaction from what I could see at the time. On 26/3/2021 the pool was delivered and installed and to my pleasant surprise, was filled with water from an outside source. I had assumed that we would need to supply the water, so was glad to see that and Pieter also did supply the first months chemical floater. These were both good things, which were not actually specified on the quote. When the pool was installed, piping etc done, connected to the filter, pump, solar panels etc, then the backfilling began. They did use levels on string to get the pool level while doing this and filling with water, but in the days following, I did notice that when looking at the mosaic, the level of the pool was a bit off, but not by much, so I will let that slide. Pieter told me that his coping supplier had given him two pavers short, which were needed for cuttings to complete the coping so he could not finish the coping on that day. Pieter said that he tells his paving supplier the size of the pool and they give him the correct amount of pavers needed for the coping and cuttings. I have subsequently contacted his paving supplier who said that is not how they work. It is up to the person buying the pavers to know how many they will need. I did ask Pieter if when having the sand taken away, he could take away some branches I had cut down, he said he would do that, but I also did not deduct the refundable call out fee when paying him, so in fact I paid him R450 to take away the branches, which would be about a small bakkie load. Pieter left that day, saying I could use the pool on the Sunday and that he would contact his supplier of tools about the ‘kreepy’ (IPP Poolmaid) and the Quality cleaning kit as well as get more pavers to come back and finish the coping cuttings. That was the last I have seen of him. Then the problems started and the excuses started. We had endless whatsapp chats in which I tried desperately to ascertain from him when the coping would be finished and the paid for Quality cleaning kit and ‘kreepy’ (IPP Poolmaid) would be done. He told me he was waiting for his supplier to get the tools (kreepy and cleaning kit) for him and he would then come once to deliver them and finish the coping. The delays and excuses kept coming and at one point, I insisted that he finish the job and supply the above mentioned tools by a particular date, to which I received via whatsapp (so I have proof) the following veiled threat….and I quote…”I think you better go back and rethink what you are saying because I am not gonna be dictated by anyone especially not people who I gave more than enough discount and that’s the thanks I am getting will find out Tuesday and let you know please contact me in office hours”. This ‘throwing in my face’ of the discount, really annoyed me, because I know pool companies often offer discounts going into the winter months and I had already expressed my gratitude to him for the extra 5% discount. He did this to try guilt me into seeing him as the victim in this and not me, but I am not a fool, I was in the right according to his own quote and he was in the wrong according to his own quote. On 6 April I asked Pieter if he had heard from his supplier and he said he would find out during the day and it should have come so he was positive to sort it out that day and do the coping either the next day or Thursday. After that it was just one excuse after the other. I was worried about the sand in the pool from the installation and it not being cleaned, so I suggested to Pieter that he refund me for the ‘kreepy’ and cleaning kit and I will buy my own. He did eventually agree to and asked him to send me the invoice for the ‘kreepy’ I bought, of course I expected a full refund for the amount we paid for the cleaning kit I went into Makro and walked out with an actual Kreepy Krauly and cleaning kit the same day, so I do not know if Pieters suppliers were getting their stock from China or somewhere because I cannot understand how it could take so long to get them. Maybe Pieters tool suppliers if they see this, can advise on this, I’d be interested to hear their side. From then on, it was me constantly trying to get a date from Pieter for finishing the coping and supplying the equipment paid for. I admit I started losing my patience and kept telling him that we had paid him IN FULL and IN GOOD FAITH, the full amount before the work was completed, so which he always threw in my face the discounts he gave and my lack of gratitude. As mentioned before, the original 15% discount was offered to all his prospective clients and is normal practice for many pool companies going into winter. His excuses for not coming to finishing the coping varied, but with regards the tools, he always blamed his supplier. By 15 April 2021, I had had enough and demanded that he refund us for the tools and finish the coping or I would get our paver to finish the coping and send him the invoice so he could refund the amount for the tools and coping. Our paver is coming on Tuesday to finish the coping and do a bit of additional paving, so I gave Pieter his invoice for finishing the coping and gave Pieter one last chance to come and finish the coping himself before Tuesday when our paver will arrive and do it. He did not like the amount quoted for my paver to finish the coping and his response was he will not pay that amount and that he would finish the coping “when he can”. What does that mean, days? Weeks? Months? Years? We are having a solid pool cover installed (we have dogs, so it is safer) and right now, the coping that the cover needs to be affixed to is not supported by cuttings, so would most likely crack when drilled into. We also want to have the extra paving done, which cannot be done without the coping being finished. Part of his excuse was his unreliable car and I said that if he has an unreliable car, he should not be taking on new business if he does not know if his car will enable him to finish it. He did not like that and told me that how he ran his business, was none of my business…..however……..as soon as I agreed to his quote, how he runs his business very much became my business, because it impacted me adversely.( Oh and with regards that unreliable car, that meant he couldn’t come finish our coping….apparently he has managed to have a car to do a job in Stellenbosch and is busy with it now 16/4/2021.) At this point, I got another veiled threat from Pieter via voice message, and I quote “I don’t want to get nasty, but……”. He then changed everything and said he refuses to refund anything and that he will go to his suppliers tomorrow (16/4/2021) and will bring me the cleaning kit and kreepy (IPP Poolmaid) and then he is done with it. I then asked him for the name of his supplier of the tools and his full name and address (in preparation for scc). He then blocked me on Whatsapp. I sent him an email and a message on fb, in which I also asked for date of purchase and proof of purchase for the pump and filter because that is required for the warrenty. Without date and proof of purchase, the warrenty I have on those items is totally useless. Its now the next day, 16/4/2021 and he responded to my message via facebook saying that he is busy with a job in Stellenbosch at the moment (so he can do other jobs, but cannot finish mine???!!!), but that when he is finished, he will deliver the tools……so now I wait to see if that happens. At approximately 5pm today, I messaged Pieter via fb messenger to ask if he was on his way with the cleaning kit, kreepy and proof of purchase of the filter and pump. Its now 6pm, the end of his work day according to his website and there is still no sign of him. To be honest, I’m not surprised and I’m sure if he responds to my message it will be to give another excuse. However, if a miracle happens and he does in fact deliver the tools and proof of payment, I will update this review by doing a comment below. I am not the stupid old lady that Pieter seemed to think I was. I gave him leeway and then put pressure on and when he became the bully, then I backed off and became pleasant again, because I wanted to get the most I possibly could of what I had paid for. As you can see from this review, this happened a few times and honestly my anger at how he was treating me made it very difficult for me to be pleasant to him again. Ultimately I will NEVER, EVER recommend him to anyone else, because I do not want anyone else to go through what I had to. He was NOT the victim in this situation, I was, and I hope this review will save others from learning the hard way. In my opinion, Pieter has a glib tongue to get your business, but when it comes to holding him to his word and his quote, he becomes a bully and I am not afraid of bullies. My opinion of Pieter, is just that, my opinion, based on my dealings with him, but the facts of this matter are all in my whatsapp chat as proof if needed. There is more I could add to this review and I have whattsapp chat to back me up, but its already so long and you have enough info to now make an informed decision.