Those of you who have followed my long tale of troubles with my Dolphin Dynamic, Maytronics, and Smart Pool, be ready for some truly odd twists!
I had eMailed the Maytronics rep in Israel saying "What's going on? I have a non-working Dolphin, and nobody's said anything!" He wrote that he was all over Smart Pool and that they said they were "working on it" How's that? Working on what? I have the Dolphin, they haven't contacted me, haven't even returned phone calls.
So yesterday I tried calling Smart Pool again, and got the exact person I had been leaving messages for.
Well, let's just say it got a little heated. I don't curse and I don't get rude on the phone, but I made it VERY clear that all her arguments about why there was nothing wrong with my Dolphin were meaningless--it doesn't work in MY pool (though my Blue Diamond does) or in my friend's pool (though his Aquabot does), and telling my pH needs to be 7.2 rather than 7.5 "because of algae on the walls" is absurd. (Algae, in my pool? Not likely, and the ONE time it happened, I posted it here--I post my failures and mistakes too.)
She said they replaced the motor, I said no way. That got her VERY hot "We don't SAY we do things unless we do it!" Me: OK, but it wasn't on the repair notice I got and it still moves far slower than it is supposed to (32ft/min vs 50ft/min specified).
As I said, it got a little heated. They also don't appreciate me "bad-mouthing" them here on the Forum "we don't bad mouth you"
"Go ahead!" says I...
Seems the Israeli rep has sent them ALL my eMails to him--and they didn't like it.
After all this dancing around she said they would send me another RMA via fax and I should ship it back in. OK, I'm not thrilled to be shipping it and paying for the shipping...AGAIN... but I figured it's what needs to be done, it's the right thing on both sides.
This was yesterday. Now comes the weird part:
When I get home tonight, as I pull in to head for the garage I see what looks like a Dolphin box on the front stoop. What????
My wife and older kid thought I had boxed the Dolphin up for shipping--but I had used that box the first time and Smart Pools returned it in a brown box.
No, It's a BRAND NEW Dolphin!--still wrapped in plastic, still with the manual in its bag. Color ME taken aback! It doesn't look like a returned unit, or a "reconditioned" (ugh--I hate that) one, but brand-spankin' new.
Now I'm not sure what to do! Do I take it out and try it? Or do I put it in the basement for the next few years till the Blue Diamond fails? Sell it as new? Do I still ship the old one back for repairs? Will they keep it or return it? I have NO idea, but I guess I need to contact Smart Pools tomorrow.
If it's a working, viable Dolphin, well I would have to say that's the right thing to do. But why Oh WHY? didn't she tell me this yesterday? Why didn't the Maytronics Rep? SO much agita on BOTH sides could have been avoided.
Now I'm wondering: Is it because they really want to do the right thing, or because of all of you/us, all 20,000 of us? I get the feeling Maytronics just wants to not spoil their American market. I think that's a wise decision.
But as I said, it's taken a truly weird turn, given yesterday's conversation and today's delivery.
Any comments, ideas etc? I must admit I am quite baffled about what this all means, and what I should do next.
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