| Hi there,
This is going to become a big subject soon so this post will likely become very popular over time. In the past few years a new market for vinyl liner sales has come to being. It is the online vinyl liner industry. Manufacturer direct companies are offering liners for low low prices, so low in fact, that they sell to the public for less money than I can purchase from my supplier, and I buy over 200 liners per year. They are discount for a reason, but most people are aware of that already. If a liner costs $3000 from 4 different stores and contractors, but you find one on the internet for $799 and hope that is just as good. It isn't.
Its not always the product itself, sometimes it is the service. Sometimes your liner was measured wrong and does not fit. It is almost impossible to repackage a liner yourself once you have opened the box or drum that it came in so good luck getting it shipped back for alterations.
Measuring a liner is tough if you have never done it. If you have never done this before and you are following instructions from a fax or telephone conversation with someone who has also never actually measured a pool, it will be tough to get a good fitting liner.
As a contractor, I have had a huge influx in clients phoning and asking me to install their liner which they have purchased. Sorry, I am too busy. It is not that I am a jerk, but these liners suck, and I have no one to go to if there is a problem with the liner. When I have an issue with my liners, my supplier will come out, pick it up and alter it in less than 72 hours.
In the event that the liner needs to be remade because it is damaged, or the wrong color, or just simply the wrong liner, they will make a rush order and have it on site in a matter of days. They do this for two reasons:
1) A pool left empty can go bad. Quickly. The pool needs water in it ro retain its shape by opposable forces. When you change a liner you want to do it quickly. In and out. In most cases the pool is empty for less than 24 hours to minimize the risk. I need the liner quickly to ensure that the pool does not collapse which brings me to number two:
2) The liner is made quickly because I purchase 200 liners a year, and I will go into their sales office and strangle the manager with my bare hands until your liner is made, which you can not do through the internet with your supplier.
Basically it all boils down to risk. I might not want to rebuild a pool that has collapsed because a liner took 6 weeks to be remade by a discount wholesaler. I also can't be paid for installing the liner since there is no liner in your pool. So this leaves me with a huge waste of time. When dealing with a pool contractor it is important to recognize that we operate with a limited timeframe for our season. We need to complete a lot of work in a short period of time, so projects that look like they could drag on forever, or projects where the profitability has been greatly reduced and the risk elevated will often get passed on.
Since you only need a liner once every 20-30 years I recommend working with a professional that will stand behind his product and then everyone will be happy.
I hope this information is helpful.
Steve Goodale
Serendipity Pools & Artificial Rock
Vancouver, BC
604-421-8429
1-888-267-0802 | 
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