Pool Land — Local services in Christchurch

If I could give a negative rating to these guys I would. Beware. These guys are daylight robbers & want to be pd $86+GST+travel ($105) per hour for coming out to do virtually nothing then they try to push the sale of their expensive robot cleaner on you so you're paying them big money just to come out & do their sales pitch on you. Very smooth tactics indeed. After some bad experiences with a couple of other pool companies in Christchurch charging like a wounded bull for doing nothing because they think they can because not many pool services here. I checked these guys & saw they had ok reviews so I had called them & spoke to Matt who has obviously gone under the radar on the review system until now. I told him I needed my pool vac assessed as it had stopped & needed my pool cleaned & chemicals checked just a basic pool service. He said no problem at all & he'd come out & sort my pool & cleaner for me & told me it'll be $86 for the hour which I assumed included GST etc as it's a high hourly rate for a pool service. He showed up didn't even check my pool vac thoroughly as didn't take it apart which I know is a 10 minute job, he just looked underneath it & said no it's not going to work. He didn't even check the chemicals then proceeded to stand around & brag about how he has a law degree but he's making better $$$ per hour on his easy pool service gig than his lawyer mates do while I did most of the work cleaning off the pool cover, rolling it up myself because he couldn't roll it properly without scrunching up the other end which would crinkle up the cover edge or rip it so it doesn't fit properly or has a hole in it. He wouldn't listen to me 3 times I told him to stop & check it which got increasingly frustrating. Then he got the manual cleaner & was cleaning extra slowly with the manual cleaner which made me wonder how experienced he actually is or if he thought he's above cleaning my pool. He had about quarter to go (of a small/medium sz pool) a 5 to 10 min job to finish then looked at his watch again & said the hour is nearly up shall I continue as it's extra charges after the hour. I said at $86 per hour for that pace youre doing just leave it. So he says oh I'll just go get the robot out of my truck I was telling you about. He went and got it and plonked it in the pool just long enough to do his sales pitch but took it out before it could finish the last little bit of cleaning the pool. I was gobsmacked. If he knew he had that robot in his truck he could've gotten it out & used it instead of cleaning it with the manual cleaner & the pool would've been easily cleaned in that hour. He's a sly dog. I told the boss what happened on the ph when he called & he said he'd talk to Matt again about his side. Then he didn't even call back just sent an invoice threatening to send me to debt collectors if I don't pay it. What is it with people who want big money for a job they didn't even do. I have no problem paying if my pool was left fully serviced & all the work we discussed prior was done by Matt but it wasn't. They think they can get away with ripping us off because pool industry in Christchurch is small. Don't...

Update 31/1/2025

Following my review, I have now received a letter from Pool Land Ltd requesting its removal within 14 working days, stating it has harmed their reputation. I have also been informed by the owner, Gary, that they may pursue legal action if I do not take it down. While I respect their right to respond to customer feedback, I believe it is important to share my experience in a fair and transparent manner.

That said, I would like to acknowledge that Matthew has been professional throughout this process and, in my opinion, should be the one running the company.

Update 3/1/2025

In my experience, dealing with Pool Land Ltd has been a difficult and frustrating process. Most recently, the pool pump—covered under a 3-year warranty—stopped functioning correctly. It displayed a "flow error" message, failed to filter properly, and showed no pressure. When I contacted Pool Land for assistance, I was informed that I would need to either transport the pump to them at my own cost or pay an upfront call-out fee of $422.25 due to their "cash-only terms."

Given that this product is under warranty, I found this response disappointing and financially unreasonable, as warranty services typically include reasonable access to repairs.

Previous Updates

Over the course of dealing with Pool Land Ltd, I have encountered multiple explanations for issues we experienced with the pool, and in my view, accountability was difficult to obtain. Throughout three Tribunal hearings, the explanations provided for the pool’s condition shifted multiple times, which I personally found confusing and frustrating.

While the Tribunal ultimately determined that the responsibility for certain defects did not lie with Pool Land, my experience throughout this process has raised serious concerns about their approach to communication and dispute resolution. We respectfully accepted the ruling.

Customer Service Experience

Throughout my father’s dealings with Pool Land, communication was inconsistent, and attempts to raise concerns were often met with resistance.

Since I became involved, I felt that their engagement was focused more on controlling the narrative than providing solutions.

There were multiple delays and conflicting explanations that left us feeling uncertain about what to expect.

At times, responses were dismissive, and concerns about costs were met with mockery or blame-shifting.

Final Thoughts

While the Tribunal has now ruled on the financial aspects of the case, my personal experience with Pool Land Ltd has been highly disappointing. As a result, I would not personally recommend them and would encourage anyone considering their services to thoroughly document everything and seek independent advice...

BEWARE this business have a no returns policy and appear to over charge. Finally, following a letter from a lawyer, I got a refund for a spa filter I purchased. This happened 7 days after being promised one over the phone by the Christchurch shop manager. I had visited the shop twice and wrote to the MD. I returned the filter unopened due to the fact that it was the wrong one and I had told the shop assistant that I wasn't sure it was the right one and she had said it was fine 'just return it unopened'. In a response to receiving the lawyer's letter, after paying the refund, the MD wrote back saying that he believed I had changed my mind as I could get a similar filter $40 cheaper at another supplier. Apparently they keep an eye on their competitors and it would have to have been an inferior brand. Not so on two counts! Firstly I did point out that the filter they sold me was $40 more expensive which was based on checking a business in Auckland that offered the exact same filter for $65 rather than the $109 that I was charged. Secondly I purchased the same brand of filter from another shop, but they checked with the supplier to make sure that I got the correct one and it cost me $85. Funnily enough that supplier has a lot of customer service awards which from my experience...