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Sunday, January 17th
Pool Central strives to bring pool owners a large selection of not just pool maintenance products but also outdoor furniture, toys, and other pool-related items. Pool Central is a division of Gordon Companies Inc., which has been in business for nearly four decades. While we were not able to find a listing specifically for Pool Central with the Better Business Bureau, another division of Gordon Companies Inc. currently carries an A- rating.
Pool Central's website is relatively easy to use: product categories such as Chemicals, Recreation, and Outdoor Furniture are prominently placed at the top of the page, and each category has a dropdown to more specific items within each group. Within each category, products can be browsed individually or sorted by price. While prices were very competitive, overall selection was limited, and we were surprised to find categories without any products at all (for example, Shock).
Pool Central doesn't seem to stock more well-known brands; for example, people shopping for goggles would expect to see Speedo and TYR, but there appear to only be off-brands available in that department. The widest selection was in the Outdoor Furniture category, which might leave customers who need basic pool chemicals somewhat disappointed.
Shipping costs are low: a flat fee of $5 per order for ground shipping, regardless of item or order size. Expedited shipping is available if needed.
We also did not see a customer satisfaction guarantee for Pool Central customers. Their return policy requires that returns be made within 30 days of receipt, and that merchandise be in unused condition. Also, certain items, such as snorkels, pool chemicals, and patio furniture sets are not returnable under any circumstance other than an order error on the part of Pool Central. We'd like to see a more customer-friendly satisfaction policy, to encourage customers to consider Pool Central as a retailer of pool supplies.
In general, though we'd like to see a wider variety of products and an established customer satisfaction policy, we can recommend Pool Central as a solid provider of basic pool supplies whose low shipping costs may make larger purchases more affordable for the average consumer.
If you're in need a new pool liner, cleaners, covers, chemicals, pool toys or any other pool supplies, you already know how limited your options are. Most local stores have a very limited selection of pool supplies in stock. What they do have is usually priced with high markups.
Online swimming pool supply stores, however, can carry a much larger selection of pool supplies than a traditional store. Online stores are available all year round, usually at prices that can't be beat by local swimming pool supply stores. This is because online pool supply stores typically have fewer staff and less overhead - and they usually pass that savings on directly to you, their customer.
While online swimming pool supply stores provide a convenient option for those looking for pool supplies, not all online pool stores are alike. Before making your next pool supplies purchase, consider the following:
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