Considering a Pool Purchase? Read This First.
This website was created after our own experience purchasing a pool online. We paid a $5,000 deposit after speaking with a salesperson who represented that a pool would be manufactured and delivered after an estimated production period. The pool was not delivered to us, and our experience led us to research the company and discover other publicly reported consumer complaints involving delivery, refunds, and communication.
Important: The purpose of this site is consumer information. Statements about our transaction describe our own experience. Other consumer experiences are identified as reports or allegations and are linked to their original sources. Readers should review the source material and make their own judgments.
Names Consumers May Encounter
Publicly available sources and consumer reports have used names including Pool Store and More and Pools and More. Because business names, websites, ownership, and affiliations can change, consumers should independently verify the identity, address, licensing, payment recipient, and current status of any company before sending money.
Our Experience
We contacted a pool seller after finding a pool website online. A man who identified himself as Reid Lockhart returned our call and said he worked on behalf of Richard Tamberino. We were told that a $5,000 deposit was required and that the pool would take approximately three months to manufacture. We were also told that the pool would be manufactured in Jacksonville, Florida and shipped after completion.
We paid the requested deposit electronically and received transaction and contract documents. As time passed, the pool was not delivered to us. Communications and explanations about timing became a source of concern, and we ultimately did not receive the pool for which we had paid the deposit.
We are preserving our receipt, contract, emails, and other records relating to our transaction. Where documents are published on this site, they should be read as records of our individual experience rather than proof that every other customer had the same experience.
What Independent Sources Report
Better Business Bureau (BBB). BBB currently lists Pool Store and More as not accredited and with an F rating. BBB’s profile also lists consumer complaints, including complaints involving delivery and product issues. BBB notes that complaint information is submitted by consumers and should be evaluated in context.
ABC Action News / Tampa Bay 28. A published consumer report described customers who said they paid thousands of dollars for pool kits and experienced lengthy delivery delays. The report should be read directly for the customers’ accounts and the company response reported by the station.
Read the consumer investigation
Other Consumer Reports
Additional complaints and first-person reports have appeared on consumer-reporting websites and social media. These are allegations made by individual posters and are not independently verified by this website. We link to selected reports so readers can review the original material themselves.
Ripoff Report — consumer report concerning a $5,000 payment
Ripoff Report — consumer report concerning undelivered pool components
Warning Signs Before Paying a Pool Seller Online
- Verify the company’s legal name, physical address, licensing where applicable, and the identity of the party receiving payment.
- Search the company name, phone number, address, principals, and website domain before paying a deposit.
- Read the entire contract before signing or authorizing payment.
- Ask for written manufacturing and delivery terms, cancellation terms, and refund provisions.
- Use a payment method that provides appropriate dispute protections and understand the applicable deadlines before paying.
- Keep copies of advertisements, estimates, contracts, receipts, emails, texts, and delivery promises.
If You Believe You Have Had a Similar Experience
Preserve your records and consider contacting the appropriate consumer-protection or law-enforcement agency for your circumstances. You may also wish to submit a factual complaint to the BBB or other relevant consumer-protection organization. If a significant amount of money is involved, consider obtaining advice from a qualified attorney regarding your specific situation.
Victim / Consumer Accounts
Our SCAM VICTIMS page contains additional consumer accounts and links. Each account should be understood as the statement of the person who made it unless supported by an independent source. We do not represent that every allegation posted by a third party has been independently verified.
About This Site
This is an independent consumer-information website. It is not affiliated with the businesses discussed on these pages, the Better Business Bureau, or the news organizations linked here. Links are provided so readers can examine source material directly. Business names, websites, ratings, complaint counts, and other third-party information can change over time.
Additional Consumer Reports and Archived Links
The following links appeared in the original website material. They are preserved here as source leads and third-party consumer reports. Their inclusion does not mean this website independently verifies every allegation contained in them.
ABC Action News / Tampa Bay 28 consumer investigation
Better Business Bureau – Pool Store and More
Ripoff Report – original site link
ScamPulse – Pool Store and More reviews
Facebook consumer account / story 1
Facebook consumer profile referenced in original site
Pool Store and More Scam Facebook page
Facebook page/posts referenced in original site
Facebook video referenced in original site 1
Facebook video referenced in original site 2
Pool Store and More Facebook page referenced in original site