I'd like some advice please. sorry for long post.

We have been having a pool installed along with a terrace surrounding it.

Problems.

Order was for a 10 x 5 pool to be built 4 metres from our existing patio with the top of the pool level with this.  Depth to be 1.1m - 1.75m.

A terrace to be built around it and tiled with the pool flush to the terrace.

Plus a large cover to be built over our irrigation access so we could step from the patio to the car park without fear of falling down the pit.

When the hole was dug for the pool we pointed out that it wasn't deep enough. They treated us like idiots and said it was fine. Despite our  repeated concerns... They went ahead.

We now have a pool which is 1.1m - 1.5m

The terrace around the pool is higher than the patio so they built in a slope.

They also built a six inch upstand to the pool to aid with the depth.

The whole thing now stands 3ft  above the garden instead of the proposed 1ft.

The skimmers were connected in line instead of centrally, so are not balanced,  which causes most of the water to be drawn in through one instead of two.

They backfilled the whole area with just soil and when asked about hardcore, they said it wasn't needed. We disagreed and bought 20 tons of it and insisted they put it in the void.

The retaining wall at the rear of the  terrace  sank by a foot  as soon as they started watering the soil to bed it down, so they poked cement in all the holes and piled bricks on top to level it up.

The mosaic tiles in the pool have been fixed on a slant so that there are two tiles more showing on one side than the other and a slope along the ends.

We accidently stood on an air bubble in the base of the pool and  after the air came out, it left a nasty little ridge in the tiles.

The shower has a leak underneath and because they connected the pool direct to the water supply without a stop tap, we can't turn the water off.

The cover over the irrigation area was built totally incorrectly  and they have left no access for our sump pump which feeds the water round the garden.

There is builder's rubble all over what was once a garden and big hollows in the ground from the excavator and big piles of soil from their excavations.

They had the cheek to use and wreck my brand new wheelbarrow. Took and used  20 blocks that we had bought for things in the garden and didn't replace them.

Anyway..... Now they have decided that they misquoted on the terrace and it's far bigger than they quoted for so they want an extra 1000 euros from us.

We were thinking more in terms of us paying them less for a bad job.

What do we do?

btw... so far we have paid half up front but not the second half.

Any advice please?

Laury

 I take it you didn't use Vox then......?

Who was it?

Laucry

how many times have we heard this in Spain??????.  Bloody disgrace as usual.

Is there a 'Trading standards' body in Spain that you can take your complaint too?  Have you got all pool specifications clearly written on a contract sighned by the builder?  I would want that as a minimum requirement before having any work done in Spain. Not sure about Spain, but in UK  I  think you would be in your rights to hold balance of payments until the job is finished to a reasonable standard.  My guess is that with Spain being so useless on regulation, you will probably have no option but to be ripped-off or threatened  if you don't pay, or face a long and costly court battle with little chance of a fair result?

I really hope i'm wrong, and it will be sorted out ok, but it sounds like you are going to need a good lawyer fast.  Good luck!

No Georgia.

We slipped up. We heard that they had let some people down and they had only been going for 5 years.

The company we used had been going father and son for over 20 years and also built community pools. I wish we had gone with your suggestion now.

They are such a slack set up bunch. I now hate them with a vengeance because we told them from the beginning that things were going wrong. ,,, But who are we? Stupid Brits who know nothing.

We want to hold back some money until everything's corrected but, although they will deal with the minor problems... they say.. the major ones like the sloping tiles in the pool and the raised bottom, they say they can't deal with because it would mean draining the pool.

It cost us 400 euros to fill the pool and I assume they don't want that expense?

If we withhold money... what do you think would happen?

Ta

Laury

Laury

..........so is there a trading standards?, or are they so slack because they know they can con you and get away with it?

 Hi Laury,

Its a far too familiar story unfortunately.

I have learned the hard way too at times and you do get very sceptical i have got to the point where i only use 2 or 3 companies that i know can be trusted.

I do hope you get things sorted,just with hold the money and get a lawyer to speak to them....

Goodstich,

We really need a Rogue traders show on the tv like you have in the UK, they could spend a few days chasing the dodgy builders here like they do there. 

georgia

yes, that would be a great idea. Due to hopeless lack of regulation in Spain it would be far more worthwhile than in the UK. At least here we have some protection as long as you don't use a cowboy. There are court cases stretching out years in Spain for shoddy work, and not all by cowboys.

 Goodstich,

Agree,the legal system is slack here when you are trying to get money out of people,fortunately i have always had good advice here and never found myself in any major situation.

I have only been had or nearly had twice,it was in my early days in Spain when i thought using my fellow country men was a safe bet...........how wrong can you be.........now if i use brits they have to Friends and mostly i use Spanish or Russian Tradesmen that i know.

I met Laury recently & saw the pool. I'm appalled at all of this. It's unacceptable & a nightmare for her & her husband.

I can well understand that you & your OH are so upset, Laury. Wish we could help, sadly we can't.

Go and claim against this in the Local Consumers Office of the municipality they are based.

Thanks Maria. Does it cost a lot and what do we claim?  A reduction in price or corrective work?

It's interesting that I checked the contract again and it says on there something about any disputes to be dealt with at Torrevieja something or other. My Spanish is still a bit iffy after 6 months of living here... I'm getting there though.

Do we tell them that we will do this first and hope they see sense? Is  it considered reasonable to expect a level pool and no lifted tiles after a week of being built?

Can they claim the extra for the larger terrace that we never asked for or agreed to? The contract states 40sqm of tiling and I went and checked just now. It measures 70 sqm. Surely that's their own fault?

regards

Laury

 Hi Laury,

It should state in the contract that any disputes will be handled in the local court,yours being Torrevieja.

Ask a lawyer to sort it for you and don't pay them untill you have.

Dear Laury:

I would need to see the contract for a complete advise. Please send it to me.

Best regards,

Maria

Thanks Maria.

PM on it's way.

Laury

Georgia. You must have an honest business there because as you state. If you tell the truth you dont have to remember anything.

Good on you and the people like you. Much needed.

Well I got them back. They are now digging under the shower to find the leak and they have put a plastic valve in the mains supply where they linked in... which happens to be in the car park near the back door.  I asked for it near the shower so it was accessible.

Now we have a choice of trying to bury it, so we won't be able to get to it to  turn it off, or leaving it sticking up in the middle of the path/carpark link. Nice to trip over.

They are not addressing the other big issues and want paying after they have dealt with these problems.

I  told them we will not talk money until my husband has seen everything on Friday night and they can come back saturday morning.

Laury