Mission Valley Pools out of business

11 years ago

Sorry in advance if I sound "emotional" about this... but I'm shocked how this all works so easily for bad contractors.

I had my pool built years ago in Scripps Ranch in San Diego (not by Mission Valley Pools... but almost because of their great price). We referred friends of ours to Mission Pools, but long story short, they mistakenly called Mission Valley Pools and were one of the unfortunate people caught when they went out of business. These people at Mission Valley Pools were mendacious, and pushed to make customers make payments for work not yet completed just days before it was public that they were filling bankruptcy. Our friends weren't the only ones... on the evening news Turko Files KUSI News had a segment on other customers being pushed to pay as well.

I'm telling this now because in the area I still live, the Cunningham family members of Mission Valley Pools (involved in trying to collect our friends money) are now trying to sell pools under a different name ( Amazing Pools )... just a couple blocks from me. I told our neighbor that the last name on the business card of the contractor was the same as the guys on the Turko Files KUSI segment. We searched for Amazing Pools website and found they even have the same pictures that are on Mission Valley Pools website! They aren't considering them anymore. These people are ruthless snakes and should not be allowed to already be another business! Where is the California board when you need them...Ugh!

Terri

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Comments (3)

golfgeek
11 years ago
socal fun,
People dealing with Mission Valley Pools should be contacting the CSLB in additional to the local District Attorneys office.
I'm sure it's been tough on Mission Pools as well because the names can be easily mixed up.
It's pretty easy to use a new license, but it usually catches up when the fraud investigation begins.
NOTE to homeowners: Payments you make should not exceed the value of the work that has been performed. This is in fact California law. Your PB shouldn't have more than about 55-60% of your contract amount after the gunite is complete and try to hold on to a minimum of 10%, preferable 15-20%, until all punch lists are complete at the end of the project.
PRO
Aqua-Link Pools and Spas
11 years ago
Wow!You learn something new every day. I just saw them in a neighborhood in Oceanside last year.They have always been one of the bigger companies in San Diego. I have only run up against them once or twice. I do a very limited amount of pools in the northern coastal San Diego area. I do most of my work in Orange County and Long Beach area. Whenever I did run up against them on a bid they were always bad mouthing the smaller builders, saying because we were small we would be out of business when the bad times hit. It just goes to show that it's not how big your business is it's how you run it.
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socal_fun
Original Author
11 years ago
golfgeek,
You are spot on... our friends contacted their lawyer (immediately once the news broke) and now are having Mission Pools finish up the pool. They are out about $30,000 based on what they have paid versus what it is going to cost to finish. Not nearly as bad as many others we've heard.

Pools94,
That seems to be the standard sales pitch when large companies are against smaller ones, huh? Ironically, Mission Pools actually had a similar line, but their solid reputation already had us leaning towards them. However, as you've mentioned, it really is how the business is operated on paper (i.e. cost plus margin, or tiered margin based on hard cost amount)... had our own little business before :) After hearing more and more about Mission Valley Pools ways of operating their "family business" (part of the sales pitch to our friends)... they may have been just taking what margin they could get that was lower than the competition.

Terri