I've seen numerous, negative reports on the Internet regarding this company and I'm finally adding mine to the list. Believe it or not, the following is a brief summary of my complaint (if I included everything that happened, it would be too long to read).

1)The Salesman promised they would install the fiberglass pool and breaking through the rock in my yard would NOT be an added cost. They later told me it would cost extra, but retreated when I told them what the Salesman had promised (numerous arguments back-n-forth w/them to get this resolved). I was later told the Salesman no longer worked there.

2)I warned Island Pools a month in advance about the extensive amount of rock in the yard and that they should survey prior to pool arrival. They didn't show up as promised. The installer showed up the day the pool was to be delivered and said he couldn't install due to the amount of rock in the yard (I tried to tell them that). He'd have to come back and postpone the delivery.

3)Island Pools had to think my situation over (after signing a contract with me), and finally decided that the extra expense of breaking through the rock was an OK risk for them. They rented a large tractor and got to work (there's still a huge pile of large boulders and rock in my back yard that I have to remove myself).

4)They lowered the pool into the hole and asked me how I planned to fill it. 'Huh?' They informed me that I had to provide the water (news to me). Not a problem, so I thought. Because I chose to fill it using my well, I had to backfill around the sides of the pool with gravel myself - a detail left out during the sales negotiations and not stated in the contract. OK, my bad... so I backfilled without complaint.

5)As I filled the pool (16'W x 41'L x 5.5'D = a lot of water from my well), I noticed all the water seemed to be at one end of the pool. I mean, the pool was over 2' off-level. I called the installer out and he had to call the owner of Island Pools. After long debate, the installer emptied the pool, lifted it from the ground, removed the gravel, excavated a little more, and put the pool back in the ground. My water-filling, gravel-backfilling adventure begins again. More water from my well! Ugh.

6)As I filled the pool a 2nd time, I noticed it's still not level. I looked at it for a day and realized there's no way I could live with it that way, and called the installer. The installer came out, inspected it, had an argument with the owner of Island Pools, and informed me that Island Pools was not going to do anymore work on my pool (the hadn't even poured concrete yet, done the plumbing & electrical, or installed the lights). They just left my property. I called the owner and threatened him with 'Fix this pool or give me my money back and talk to my lawyer.' The installer said my threat worked. I shouldn't have needed to do that; lots of anger and stress!

7)The installer actually tried to blame my backfilling the sides of the pool as the cause of the pool not being level. I informed him that it was not backfilled UNDERNEATH the pool (if you stomp your foot on the floor of the pool, it echoes); backfilling below the pool is his job and he clearly missed some large spots!

8)The installer came out again, emptied and removed the pool, put it back in... yes, my water-filling, gravel-backfilling adventure occurred a third time. It's not perfect, but it's level enough. It still echoes if you stomp on the floor, though... I just want it done at this point.

9)After pouring the concrete, they tell me they won't install the safety cover they sold to me (it's in the contract). They refused and I had to install it myself. It takes a special drill that will take a large masonry drill bit (not something the avg homeowner has in their possession). This took all weekend for a non-experienced homeowner.

10)They put a foam strip in-between the concrete and the fiberglass shell before pouring the concrete. The concrete didn't cover this foam. I find out later from a reputable pool contractor that the concrete should have come to the very edge of the pool and be coped at the edge. What I have looks horrible and is NOT correct-it doesn't adequately protect the edge of my shell (which is now cracking from exposure). After the install was completed, they actually asked if they could use me as a reference. Yikes! I now need to have a different company fix my problem (more money). I signed the contract in January, the pool was to be completed in February, but wasn't finished until June. Yeah, they can use me as a reference ;-)

11)I posted a complaint w/the Better Business Bureau and got nowhere. My complaint went unresolved, but didn't show up that way on their website. I'm not sure what they're good for.

RESULT: I wouldn't recommend Island Pools of Fredericksburg, VA to my worst enemy... I wouldn't even let them build my dog house!