The following was put together from call and text records:
April 12th: I contacted Aquarama
April 19th, A tech diagnosed the issue and stated they would order the needed part for a faulty pool pump.
April 26th: I called. They did not return the call.
April 27th: I reached out via text, Aquarama stated they would reach out with an update by the next morning. They did not. (The pool is now green.)
April 30th: I texted. Aquarama responded stating the part would ship Monday.
May 6th: After reaching out via text Aquarama stated that the shipment should arrive within 1-2 business days.
May 12: I texted. No response that day.
May 14th: Aquarama responded via text, stating that it would ship out on Monday.
May 19th: I reached out via text, "Please tell me the part shipped on Monday" Aquarama stated they would track it and get back with me. They did not. It has been 30 days since I first contacted them.
May 21st: I called. They did not return the call.
May 24th: I called. They did not return the call.
May 25th: I called. When the individual stated the person I needed to talk to was "at lunch" I told them I would wait on the phone until they returned. I was put on hold and the head of the department, Sandy, was on the phone within 2 minutes. She stated they did not have the part.
Sandy seemed professional. I gave her the timeline of events I had prepared prior to the call. I told her about the condition of the pool. I maintained a completely respectful tone the entire conversation and I also communicated my disappointment. She was polite, said she would figure it out, and the call ended with me thanking her for taking the time to resolve the issue.
May 25th: Sandy called back that evening and said she had waited "all day" on hold with Hayward. She said she would try again the next day. I thanked her.
May 26th: (Strap in!) Sandy called at 2:00. She said that there had never really been a problem. That somehow it had been "sitting on a dock and waiting" all this time. She insisted right out of the gate: it was not Aquarama's fault at all, but Haywards. Thankfully after her call to them, Hayward reported the part would now be expedited. This bothered me. I told her even if what she was saying was true that it took almost a month and a half for them to make contact with Hayward. That Aquarama had not returned even 1 of my phone calls. I had been lightly and respectfully informing them of the condition of the pool. Texting them. It took me refusing to get off of the phone when I last called to get any action. The pool water might be ruined: It was black. Maybe they could absorb the cost of sending someone out to help? She said no, it simply "wasn't their fault" and if I would like she would write a "maintenance letter" to my utility company. "Maybe they would give me a break on my utility bill" for replacing the water she said. I told her that Aquarama of course bore some responsibility, it was ridiculous to insist otherwise. (It would also be fundamentally dishonest to claim this to the utility company. She knew that.)
But Sandy did insist, throwing everything but the kitchen sink: It was the Pandemic...It was manufacturing issues...They were swamped in her office unlike anything she had ever experienced in her 30 years. She talked about how the price of lumber had gone up and this affected her as she was in the middle of renovations after moving into her daughters in-law suite. She insisted I should be grateful for her recent efforts. For all these stated reasons: It was Hayward's fault completely. This seemed silly to me, I told her even if Hayward had issues, it had no bearing on "Aquarama never returning any of my calls". You kept saying it was being shipped when it wasn't and now the pool is a wreck. I would have bought another pump in the interim had I known. Surely Aquarama bore some responsibility in this? She said they did not accept any responsibility and that I would also be charged for installing the drive because the warranty only covered parts, not labor. I told her I would be giving a very honest review of all that had happened and to just get me the part, I would install it myself. She then said I would be charged for the original diagnostic. I told her "Fine. I'll give you your money, just get me the part".
She seemed insulted, and this is when she showed her colors, "You know what?", she said. "You can keep your money, and you can get your part from somewhere else!"
And then she hung up the phone.
6 weeks, 2 days, and one ruined pool later I was literally back to square one.
Trust me: Aquadrama isn't worth it. It would be less emotionally taxing to get a double major in chemistry and engineering and take care of your pool yourself. Or you could simply call someone else at the onset. Your choice. read more