My Dolphin: Now I'm getting rid of it

[CarlD]

The only time I know of that walls get slippery with pH above 7.2 is when they're also turning green....

I can't believe they're giving you the runaround. Hopefully they can find the problem and fix it. My Polaris is out of commission right now (need new wheel set and hose, haven't had time to go get them), but the Poolbuster is spoiling me--what a great piece of equipment!!

Janet

Jan, I can't believe it either--I'm still waiting. They said call back this afternoon.

Meanwhile I'm now looking at AquaBot, Tiger Shark and Blue Diamond cleaners--in case Dolphin keeps going down this unfortunate road.

Meanwhile the Polaris 165 is doing a good job and the PoolBuster spoils me too! Since I replaced the motor/battery pack and got the finer filter it's been a real animal! It looked SO much like I was going to be wasting my money but it's really worked out well! I haven't pulled out the suction side vacuum in 2 years!

[CarlD]

OK: Update....
SmartPool says they still can't find anything wrong, but.....
The motor's running "a little" slow so they are going to replace it (the motor has a 3 yr warranty, still active) and I should have it tomorrow (I'm not that far from Lakewood, NJ).

OK, if the motor has all the electronics in it I may be in business. "Slow motor". Yeah, I TOLD them it was slow--32fpm rather than 50fpm on the bottom. That means the pump is weaker too, which means it doesn't suck itself down to the floor, or to the walls, so it doesn't climb the walls. It all fits.

So...when it comes home I'll try it and let you know...

Maybe I'll be happy , maybe I'll be blue

(how did I calculate speed? My pool is 16' wide--I CLOCKED it with a stop-watch using the remote to direct it!)

[aylad]

Keeping my fingers crossed that the Dolphin is well........

Jan

[troykristoffer]

Good luck with that! It sucks that such an expensive thing is giving such problems.

I just bought a Dolphin Diagnostic and it works pretty well. (Doesnt go as high on the walls as I'd like, but that can be adjusted from what I understand.)

I do, however, remember reading somthing in my manual about PH levels. (Not that your levels are unacceptable. Im sure 7.2-7.5 cant really matter that much, and they certainly arent treating you like a good customer. Good luck!

[CarlD]

They could be worse. Maybe the fact that we have 17,000 members across the US, Canada and other sovereign nations (Hello across the Pond and Down Under! Olla!) helped?

I've been treated FAR worse...there's a particular company that makes audio systems for motorcycles based in Europe that is VERY expensive and treats customers like dirt....There's an American outdoor clothing company that's the same way....

[poolbee]

Sorry about your Dolphin. I really hope it is repaired to your satisfaction because I have a Diagnostic. I'd like to know I can count on the customer service should I ever need them..

Blue diamond makes a less expensive Blue Pearl. I saw it on ebay but couldn't find out if the Blue Diamond people made it or not before I ordered the Dolphin. I emailed the Blue Diamond people and yes, it is theirs but it doesn't appear on their website. They directed me to another site www.pooldrstore.com/BluePearlpagenewsite.htm I have heard good things about the Blue Diamond, but the Pearl is new. Hopefully you won't need to look into a new one.

[CarlD]

Now I am ROYALLY ticked off!

The Dolphin was returned yesterday from SmartPool where they allegedly found NOTHING wrong.

I guess they didn't look, or they have a 9'x9' pool. That's because in the first few minutes my Dolphin went to a couple of walls, climbed one, didn't climb the others, then went to the deep end hopper. This is a flat-bottomed rectangular area about 10.5'x14' that is 5.5' deep. It has ramps on all 4 sides.

The Dolphin then proceeded to patrol a 9'x7' box for the next 8 hours. It would go to the base of one ramp, then go back across, stop in the MIDDLE of the flat, and return.

All d*** night. I started it at 8:30, checked it at 11, at 1:35 (don't ask), 2:10 (ditto) and at 6:30, when it had stopped--guess where.

I guess Dolphin can now be counted as another take-your-money-and-run company. Put it with HTH, BioGard and Nature2. I can kiss $1250.-- good--bye. Like one of those cartoons of a bill with wings on it.

I will call them again today, and I will try to escalate it, but I can see I'm going to get nowhere. It's clear they have no intention of diagnosing or fixing it, but intend to use the "Bigger Sucker Theorem".

The "Bigger Sucker Theorem" is this: There's always another and a bigger sucker around the next corner so don't worry about the repercussions from the one you just conned.

The remedy is this:

In my PERSONAL and HUMBLE opinion, buying any Dolphin product is A MISTAKE! I will NEVER buy any Dolphin or SmartPool product again. I will NEVER recommend and Dolphin or SmartPool product again. I APOLOGIZE to anyone who bought a Dolphin product on my say-so. I say to anyone who is considering buying a Dolphin,
DON'T--BUY SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD!

If you have a Dolphin and still have a window in which to return it, it is my opinion that you should try.

That is my personal opinion. It is not the policy of this forum and it is not opinion of this forum. It is not the opinion of the administration or of the other moderators. It is solely my own personal opinion and reflects my own experience and exasperation.

If, somehow, magically, against all logic, they reverse this and actually fix it, I will let you know. Even so, they will have STILL made me ship it to them twice and put me through all this nonsense.

Meantime, I still have my Polaris 165 and PoolBuster to take care of cleaning duties. Both those have given me trouble in the past, but in both cases, THOSE companies responded as I would expect and hope, and both units now function perfectly--without any run-around.

Carl