Blue World Pools Investigation

It advertises a refreshing pool at a low price, but a 7 On Your Side Investigation found some people who say a pool company’s sales pitch, is deceptive, and it leaves some consumers with pools they cannot afford.

Blue World Pools says it teaches its employees not to talk negatively about its advertised, inexpensive pool. Our hidden camera investigation shows not every employee follows the rules.

Linda Callahan at Blue World Pools is one of them. She says she wants to give you a good deal to cool you down during the summer.

Here’s just a sample of the company’s its television commercial advertising its econoline pool, “Right in your own backyard. The big 15 by 24 econoline pool from Blue World Pools is only $399, that’s right only $399.”
Faith Breland saw the same commercial a few years ago and called the phone number in the commercial. The foster mother of five in Charleston says she quickly found the pool company employee did not want to sell the advertised pool. The Atlanta pool compnay sells pools across the country.
 
“We’ll take care of you on the expensive pool, but that $399, you’re kind of like, you’re on your own,” Breland says describing how her salesmen explained the advertised pool.
Breland first agreed to finance a more expensive pool, but when she reconsidered her decision and tried to cancel her contract by fax and over the phone days later, Blue World Pools threatened to put a lien on her home if she didn’t pay.
“That pool came out to be almost eight thousand dollars,” Breland said. It took a second mortgage on her home to pay for it.

Georgia’s Attorney General launched an investigation into the company earlier this year. In court documents, it claims the company engaged in “unfair” and “deceptive acts by “advertis[ing] pools for one low price and then used high pressure sale tactics to convince consumers to purchase a much more expensive pool.“

To find out if the claims were true, a News Channel 7 producer called the company. We requested more information about its advertised $399 above-ground pool and a site visit.
About a week later, Linda Callahan from Blue World Pools arrived—-ready with her sales pitch.

Here’s a portion of what she told our producer:

Blue World Pools: “…and if I could be perfectly candid with you, if you’re going to spend that kind of money for a swimming pool, I’m not sure if I have the best thing for you.”

Listen to how she describes the liner of the pool, the cost to pick it up, and the price of chemicals.
Blue World Pools: (talking about the liner) ”… that thing is not made to stand up against the harsh elements.”
News Channel 7 Producer: “So, essentially does this pool cost, this pool would cost us $3,000 dollars and could wrinkle, that’s the gist right?
Blue World Pools: I’m afraid so…”
 
Blue World Pools: (talking about the cost of chemicals for the advertised pool) “So, is it worth it? Not to me.”
   
Callahan did say its more expensive pool is worth it, if we wanted to finance a $10,000 pool.

Sawn Conroy, with the Georgia Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs, listened to the Blue World Pools Sales pitch and says it matches the definition of baiting.
Callahan says she provided her own opinion on the advertised pool, and not the company’s policy on selling.

We took those concerns to Blue World Pools at its Atlanta headquarters, and tried to talk to a manger.

No one wanted to talk at the company. , or bothered calling us back to reschedule a promised interview.

While the company’s president avoided talking to us in his upscale Atlanta home, Breland will soon sell her home. Re-financing the home to pay for the pool cost too much
“The bottom line, my fear of what was going to happen, basically happened,” Breland said.
Blue World Pools fired the Callahan shortly after we let the company listen to the audio of her sales pitch.
While it never admitted fault, its owner settled for more than $300,000 with the state Arizona for bait and switch claims.

The Federal Trade Commission has a guide against bait advertising: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/guides/baitads-gd.htm

Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs
2 Martin Luther King Jr., Drive SE, Suite 356
Atlanta, Georgia 30334-4600
Phone: 404-651-8600 or
800-869-1123 (toll-free in Georgia, outside of the metro Atlanta calling area)
Fax:  404-651-9018