What is the worst "pool store" info you have heard?

[Gracy101]

First time I walked into the pool store for a water reading and explained I would be doing the BBB method, the OWNER gave me a looooong speech in which he said and I quote "I not only own this store and been in business for 13 years but I have a minor in chemistry" and then launched into all the reasons why I should not try to take care of this "very big investment" on my own since "there are people who make their living FT doing this!" Twenty minutes later:

When he gave me my Cl reading and I asked if that was FC, he said "no it's TC, we don't test for anything else; you don't need to know that in Miami."

When I asked what my Ch was - again "that's not important right now, you just need chlorine and acid"

"don't let your pool get above or below a 2-3 Cl level - it will dry out your skin"

Finally - when he tried to sell me chlorine in tablets but I said I would rather take it in liquid form (yes I caved! , he ACTUALLY said "you realize those are 2 1/2 gallon jugs - they'll be very heavy for you to carry."

Those were just the highlights I could remember after my head stopped spinning.....

[rak70]

Went in to my local store chain about 2 weeks ago with a water sample. I had just purchased a 5 way test kit from Wal Mart and tested my CYA at only 20ppm. I went in the get some stabilizer so brought a water sample in just for the hell of it. Sample tested at 80ppm. What? I had just tested it at 20ppm at home. Ask him to retest so he did and it came out at 80ppm again. Ask can I see the test vial to look at it myself. He says sure and hands it to me. I said this is showing 20ppm. He says I'm reading it wrong that the max is 100ppm and you have to subtract what you see on the scale from 100. Hence if you have a reading of 100 it really means 0 and if it reads 0 you really have 100.

[sevver]

Well, that is not what my instructions say to do.

[DavidD]

...He says I'm reading it wrong that the max is 100ppm and you have to subtract what you see on the scale from 100. Hence if you have a reading of 100 it really means 0 and if it reads 0 you really have 100.

The scary part about this is what about the poor sap who brings in his sample that actually has 90 ppm of CYA and does not know any better so he takes the 10 lbs. of CYA the guy sells him...

Dave

[rak70]

The scary part about this is what about the poor sap who brings in his sample that actually has 90 ppm of CYA and does not know any better so he takes the 10 lbs. of CYA the guy sells him...

Dave

Yep and after that his CYA mysteriously drops to zero, so better add another 10lbs....