The original purchase was great but the post purchase service is lacking. Have a Jacuzzi hot tub that is currently disabled due to a broken diverter nut. Stopped by the store for help and was told they dont have parts. Asked how I could order some and they said to check the internet. Or you could drive 45 minutes to another town that may have the part. And apparently you can't order from the manufacturer unless you're a dealer. Thanks The Great Escape you succeeded at losing a customer. read more

I went in to get advice on what I could use in my hot tub that had very little chlorine in it. I was sold the Frog@ease system. It ended up still being too much chlorine. This system was $150. Of which I was only reimbursed $86. During the process I was told how great a system it is and it should work. I proceeded to show the guy my legs and the nasty rash because of this product. It took me showing him for him to maybe get the idea it didn't work for me. So I drained my tub to remove the chlorine. I was then told to use Baquacil for my hot tub. They don't sell it so I went on line and bought it for $58. I figured out the dose and put 3 tablespoons in. It immediately started forming a rust colored scum on the top that ruined my net when trying to remove it. After talking with another pool and spa company they told me I should have NEVER been told to use the product as it's for pools only. I immediately drained my hot tub again to stop any damage. It leads me to believe the people at Great escape had no idea about the information they were suggesting. Good thing I could return the bottle for a full refund unlike at the Great Escape. Buyer beware when shopping there. Do your research as they seem to not know what the speak about in some instances. read more

I am replacing our pool equipment (everything but heater and pool frame) We went to Great Escape and Jim helped us out and ordered what we needed. Sadly out liner wasn't going to be in for awhile, but he did everything in his power to reach out and get a better idea of when it could come, but his representative never called him back. Which I feel is negligent on their part. Jim's hands were basically tied being at the mercy of her. I went and got adjustment I needed yesterday and they had my stuff ready the next morning. Their customer service young ladies were kind and helpful. The young man that loaded up our supplies was so nice, courtesies and knowledgeable. I would recommended Great Escape to anyone that ask me where to go! Thank you Great Escape for making this experience so easy for me as I had no idea what I was doing. read more

This store is poorly managed. You will be disappointed if you buy anything from them. I purchased two loungers from them for over $2,000. After waiting for months for delivery, one was defective. It took over five months to get a replacement and when it was delivered the delivery men damaged my new carpeting by refusing not to walk on it with muddy shoes. Don't make the same mistake I did ..... read more

Visited today needing new sand for our filter. The clerk stated that was alot of sand and has not sold that much before. If he had concerns I felt he should have asked for my name and looked my info up to advise how much I would need, he never did. I then asked when the spin lab would be up and running. The clerk stated "not this year" no offer of other assistance like even suggesting test strips. I then stated I was having trouble getting my water to clear up. Again no response to my statement and no offers of any kind of help. Very poor customer service. read more

To be honest, they don't even deserve a star poor management not helpful and the people working at the front desk are very rude. Never buying stuff there again. read more

Best pool store in town! Staff very knowledgeable on chemicals & takes the time out of their day to help when needed.

We scheduled services with AJ Recreational (pool installers for The Great Escape) a month ago to install our pool. They said no problem and got it scheduled. They called us today, 2 BUSINESS DAYS before our install date, and CANCELLED. They just said they are busy and will not be rescheduling our installation. Excuse me?! Now I have to scramble and look for another installer. This is a HUGE inconvenience and the WORST customer service. Let me be clear, when I scheduled the installation, there was NO MENTION of possibly cancelling. Now that spring is here, who knows who I will be able to find. Seriously?! Who does that?! But silver lining, looking at the AWFUL reviews they have gotten from other people, maybe it is a good thing we will be finding someone else. I will never shop at The Great Escape again because of this and will take my pool $$$ needs elsewhere. read more

We had problems with our existing hot tub (that we did not purchase from this store) Rick was extremely helpful so we could troubleshoot the problem. We will be back later this year to purchase a new hot tub. Any store that is willing to help fix something that they have nothing to gain from is one that I want to continue to do business with. Thank you! read more

In April 2021, we purchased a patio set which was to include a table, six chairs and an umbrella/umbrella stand. While we were shopping for the set, many of this store's competitors were honest and told us that they would be unable to get the items for 3 months. Since this was our first patio set, we did not want to wait that long to make use of our new deck and decided to purchase from The Great Escape (who told us that all of the items were in stock and we would just have to wait about a month for delivery). We purchased the set and waited for delivery only to be called the night before the delivery date to say that they would not be able to deliver because the items were not in stock. We were told we would hear from a manager the next day to receive an updated timeframe of when the items might be in and delivered. After waiting 3 days with no call from the manager, we called them and were told they "might" be on the truck later that week. Although we requested that someone call to let us know whether or not they were on the truck, no one called us and the items were not delivered. Again, we had to reach out to them, and they stated that they could deliver everything but two chairs and gave us a delivery date. On that date, only the table and two chairs were delivered - nothing else. When we finally decided to just cancel the rest of the order and receive a refund since the process was becoming such a nightmare, we were left on hold for 30 minutes before we finally drove to the store to deal with the matter in person. We were then told that the other four chairs would be there in just a matter of days. This had never been communicated to us, which we were not surprised by since communication had been lacking since the first delivery failure. We decided that we still wanted to cancel the umbrella and umbrella stand, but were then told that those items should have already been delivered since they were in stock and in the store. Still wanting to cancel that portion of the order because we were tired of dealing with them, we were told that they couldn't just refund the credit card that we had used to pay them, but instead we had to wait for a refund check to be mailed to us from the corporate office. After two months from our original order date, we finally received the rest of our patio set and also eventually received the refund from the umbrella and stand and well. Although we are very happy with our patio furniture, the deception, lack of communication, and horrible customer service we received at The Great Escape will keep us from ever purchasing from this store again. read more

I have nothing nice to say about these people. I was in a joliet store and called down for a price on a pool. The manager I spoke to told me that he would beat the price I was quoted for the current pool I was looking at. "I will make it worth the drive" he said. Lie. I drove from joliet to Bloomington for him to tell me the best he could do, reluctantly, was match the price. Don't lie to get people in the door. Joliet store is better in every way. At least they didn't lie to me. read more

Recently went into great Escape to return a product the return policy is 30 days written on the receipt you will get a full refund as I approached the counter and told them I had a return the lady behind the counter acted like I was way past the 30 days obviously she can't do her math because it was within the 30 days Jim Chamberlain the manager tells me that it's a seven day return policy This is not stated on the receipt it is stated 30 days is a refund after that will be store credit he comes up with something in his head that it's a seven day refund and after that is store credit that's not what's written on the receipt something is sounding like a scam He refuses to give me a refund I go home to tell the wife the wife calls and asked for an explanation he says It was an open product in other words if you open the box you void your return policy that's funny when I went in there to begin with the lady behind the counter said that as long as it hasn't been in the water it's refundable two people are telling two different stories here number one their Is clearly printed 30 day refund on the receipt I feel like I'm being scammed by this guy and I'm sure he scammed other people no wonder why they only have a one star rating be careful shopping here you may not be able to get any of your money back If something fails or if you just don't like it or maybe you changed your mind I feel that this place is an absolute scam and the ocean is full of them It's called scam artist! read more

Awesome service at Great Escape! Thanks to Rick for your help and assistance.

Staff was very friendly and welcoming. They have a wide variety of choices which was a big help compared to other local stores. The prices are one of the better finds in town and they are always straightforward about things. They will definitely help you find what you are looking for! Highly recommend! read more

I went to this store April 13 to purchase pool supplies for spring opening. Told supplies are on back order and would be in store in 3-5 days. Went back 2 weeks later, supplies still on back order. Went to The Great Escape in Peoria,Il and they had all the supplies. Since our above ground pool was purchased at Peoria store, Bloomington store was very unhelpful with assisting me.Will always go to the Peoria Great escape from now on. They are very helpful all the time! read more

I have had the worse experience! I was lied to about financing and the free installation! The sales rep was trying to say I would receive 60 months 0% interest but then when I went to make a purchase there was interest and a $480 fee that I had to pay the installers for materials. Then the installers hit a septic line they were told to stay away from, left their taco bell wrappers ALL over the yard, left the pool boxes all over the place, and huge mounds of dirt all around pool. It has costed me hundreds already to fix septic line and will cost me hundreds more to remove all the mounds of dirt. They have also torn up my yard. When I addressed this to the installers and Great escape management I was told that they are not taking responsibility for anything. On top of that the pump seal was leaking water into the motor and the wrong pole extender was sent so have not been able to vacuum pool. The whole experience but how it has been handled has been worse. I still have not heard from customer service. I will not be purchasing a hot tub or anything else through the Great Escape. I suggest no one does from the Bloomington, IL store or else you will be paying alot more in the end instead of enjoying your pool! read more

Recently bough home theater seating and a massage chair. Great experience and great price! Did you know that these items are "seasonal?" It's worthwhile to check end of season prices. Store prices reflect website prices. I LOVE this store! clean, bright and full of indoor/outdoor fun items to buy. Eric, store manager in Bloomington Illinois was the person I worked with. I highly recommend. read more