John Fairley of Ambience landscaping and Irrigation is anything but Fair

In May this year, we noticed that our pool was leaking, so we reached out to John Fairley from Ambience Landscaping and Irrigation to assist us. He came highly recommended by one of my tenants. Initially, we suspected that the motor was in a problematic location, as it was positioned near trees, and we thought the roots might be causing the issue. We decided to move the motor to a new location, hoping this would resolve the problem.

We emptied the pool and, instead of testing it immediately after moving the motor, we decided that the pool needed to be resurfaced. John quoted us for the resurfacing, and later, for repairing the mosaics as well. After completing the resurfacing and mosaicing, we began filling the pool, but when the water reached the lights, we discovered that the pool was still leaking. This made it clear that moving the motor was not the solution, which I understood could be the case from the beginning.

At this point, John agreed that the problem was likely with the pool lights and suggested filling the light cavities with cement and resurfacing that area. There were two lights, and he filled them with cement. However, while doing so, he accidentally dropped cement pieces and stones, which he had used to mix the cement, into the partially filled pool. When we tried to get the pool system working again, we encountered a problem with the handle that turns the pool on. John quoted us for replacing that part, but after that, his reliability started to deteriorate. He would leave without providing clear instructions and take long periods to return. After finally replacing the part, we attempted to switch on the pool, but it wouldn’t start. John then claimed that the supplier had given him a part with the rubber in the wrong place, which I found hard to believe.

He eventually corrected that issue, instructing us to fill the pool again to the correct level and then switch it on. However, when we did so, sand began flowing into the pool from the sand filter, indicating a new problem with the filter. John promised several times to return and fix the issue, but he kept delaying, claiming he was busy with another job and then his car problems. His excuses and lack of accountability have been frustrating, and I now feel that the pool is in worse condition than before.

I no longer have faith in this company. John has treated me badly and has become evasive. When I asked for a confirmed time for his next visit, he refused to provide one. I’ve decided to cut ties with this company, as I am extremely unhappy with the quality of work and the way they’ve handled the situation.