ohn Townsend Pool Painters (operating via poolpainters.com.au and johntownsendpoolpainters.com.au) is a Sydney-based pool painting and renovation company that has received highly critical reviews from customers regarding severe paint failures, poor customer service, and unhonoured warranties. [1]

A review of public feedback and consumer documentation reveals widespread patterns of complaints:

Core Issues Reported by Customers

• Premature Paint Failure: Multiple clients report that the applied product (BG Pool Paint) experienced catastrophic blistering, bubbling, severe chalking, and peeling well within the advertised two-year warranty period—often within 3 to 6 months of application. [1]

• Unresponsiveness to Warranty Claims: Once a failure occurs and a customer attempts to launch a warranty rectification claim, the owner reportedly ignores all phone calls, emails, and voice messages. [1]

• Outsourcing and Subcontracting: Customers note that the company acts primarily as a sales agent and outsources the physical labor. Reviews indicate that while some subcontractors try to do good work, they are heavily restricted by tight budgets and limited time allocated by the management. [1, 2]

• Hidden/Extra Charges: Some clients report being hit with unexpected fees (e.g., $1,500 extra) for rectification work that subcontractors initially stated would be covered under the company's fault.

Active Strata and Consumer Disputes

The company is currently facing formal escalation from residential and commercial properties in Sydney. For instance, a commercial facility at 105-113 Campbell St, Surry Hills has issued a formal Breach of Contract notice after their pool lining system failed entirely, leaving an indoor pool decommissioned and empty. [1]

Recommended Next Steps if You Have an Issue

If you have had work completed by John Townsend Pool Painters that has failed, legal and technical experts recommend taking these specific steps to protect yourself:

1. Contact the Paint Manufacturer: If BG Coatings was used, call their technical line directly (1300 894 994) to request a field inspection. If they determine the failure was caused by improper preparation or application by the contractor, it voids any defense the builder may have. [1, 2]

2. Get an Independent Tender Quote: Bring in an alternative, highly-rated licensed Sydney pool restorer to inspect the shell and give you a written quote detailing what it will take to strip and repair the surface properly. [1]

3. Escalate to NSW Fair Trading: File an official consumer complaint to trigger government-mediated intervention. If mediation fails, you can apply directly to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) to seek legal orders for a full refund or damages to pay for a new contractor. [1, 2].

ohn Townsend Pool Painters (operating via poolpainters.com.au and johntownsendpoolpainters.com.au) is a Sydney-based pool painting and renovation company that has received highly critical reviews from customers regarding severe paint failures, poor customer service, and unhonoured warranties. [1]

A review of public feedback and consumer documentation reveals widespread patterns of complaints:

Core Issues Reported by Customers

• Premature Paint Failure: Multiple clients report that the applied product (BG Pool Paint) experienced catastrophic blistering, bubbling, severe chalking, and peeling well within the advertised two-year warranty period—often within 3 to 6 months of application. [1]

• Unresponsiveness to Warranty Claims: Once a failure occurs and a customer attempts to launch a warranty rectification claim, the owner reportedly ignores all phone calls, emails, and voice messages. [1]

• Outsourcing and Subcontracting: Customers note that the company acts primarily as a sales agent and outsources the physical labor. Reviews indicate that while some subcontractors try to do good work, they are heavily restricted by tight budgets and limited time allocated by the management. [1, 2]

• Hidden/Extra Charges: Some clients report being hit with unexpected fees (e.g., $1,500 extra) for rectification work that subcontractors initially stated would be covered under the company's fault.

Active Strata and Consumer Disputes

The company is currently facing formal escalation from residential and commercial properties in Sydney. For instance, a commercial facility at 105-113 Campbell St, Surry Hills has issued a formal Breach of Contract notice after their pool lining system failed entirely, leaving an indoor pool decommissioned and empty. [1]

Recommended Next Steps if You Have an Issue

If you have had work completed by John Townsend Pool Painters that has failed, legal and technical experts recommend taking these specific steps to protect yourself:

1. Contact the Paint Manufacturer: If BG Coatings was used, call their technical line directly (1300 894 994) to request a field inspection. If they determine the failure was caused by improper preparation or application by the contractor, it voids any defense the builder may have. [1, 2]

2. Get an Independent Tender Quote: Bring in an alternative, highly-rated licensed Sydney pool restorer to inspect the shell and give you a written quote detailing what it will take to strip and repair the surface properly. [1]

3. Escalate to NSW Fair Trading: File an official consumer complaint to trigger government-mediated intervention. If mediation fails, you can apply directly to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) to seek legal orders for a full refund or damages to pay for a new contractor. [1, 2]

Job looked good at first, although the repairs promised were not done, after a few years the paint peeled where the repairs were meant to be done, paint has peeled. They looked at it twice, have not come back. Changning the pool to a new surface.

Rude, Greedy and they Outsourced Everything - I needed a large rust repair and complete repainting of the pool to a different colour: [Name Removed], the smooth talking sales agent responded quickly to my enquiry and gave what I thought was a reasonable quote, he immediately signed me up and requested a 10% deposit. [Name Removed] the boss came out to show me the colours and insert a hose to drain the pool..... I told him I was going away for a month on 3rd May and was concerned that it should be finished before I left, No problem I was assured... I never saw either of them again: They simply outsourced the job.

The actual workman [Name Removed] did an excellent job, finishing 3 days before I left. But I was infuriated to discover that they actually did nothing themselves.. [Name Removed] then informed me that the pool could not be filled before I went away, it had to be "cured" ... which took 15 days. This was a shock but on Tuesday the 4th May I paid the progress payment ( three days late ) I explained that this was because on the 1st I was travelling. I received an extremely rude email from [Name Removed] demanding the final payment immediately, saying I had breached the contract terms. I was shocked at this attitude and replied that I would pay when I got back after seeing the pool filled with water. I was told that was not their job and if I did not pay them within 7 days they would set debt collectors onto me..l paid up but did not receive any acknowledgment of my final payment. I told them I was nearly 80 but they didn't offer to clean and fill it for me. So I came back to a dirty, partially rain filled mess which I now have to empty, clean and fill myself.

I hope as many people as possible see this and ring around to find [Name Removed] the contractor to do the job ( much cheaper ) and bypass those two nasty rude greedy pair.

RE: MATERIAL AND APPLICATION FAILURE OF COMMERCIAL POOL LINING SYSTEM Project Date: September 2025 Coating Material Specified: BG Pool Paint

Dear Mr. Townsend,

We write to you formally on behalf of the Owners Corporation regarding the commercial pool resurfacing and painting works undertaken by your company at our premises in September 2025.

1. Catastrophic Failure of Works & Breach of Contract The BG Pool Paint system applied to our facility has suffered widespread, severe, and premature failure well within your advertised two-year warranty period. As documented in the attached photographs, the coating has developed catastrophic blistering, bubbling, severe chalking, and premature fading directly below the waterline.

This level of degradation within 12 months constitutes a direct breach of statutory consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). Specifically, the services were not rendered with due care, skill, and appropriate substrate testing, and the finished product has failed to remain fit for its core purpose.

2. Failure of After-Sales Care & Strata Loss Our strata management team and executive committee have attempted to contact you repeatedly via phone and email to launch a warranty rectification claim. Your total lack of responsiveness and failure to return calls has left our indoor commercial pool completely empty and decommissioned during critical operational months, causing substantial loss of building amenity and distress to our residents.

3. Formal Demands & Deadlines The Owners Corporation requires a formal response from you in writing within seven (7) business days of this notice (by 5:00 PM on 29 September 2026). Your response must provide:

1. A confirmed date within the next 14 days for you to physically inspect the failure alongside our building committee.

2. A definitive written rectification plan to completely grind back, properly prepare, and re-apply a stable coating system to professional trade standards at zero cost to the strata scheme.

4. Intention to Escalate Legally If you fail to provide a satisfactory written schedule of rectification by the stated deadline, we will immediately lodge an official consumer complaint with NSW Fair Trading to initiate government-mediated intervention.

If mediation is unsuccessful or ignored, we will apply directly to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) to seek legal orders compelling a full refund of contract values, alongside damages to cover the cost of hiring an independent, licensed pool restoration company to strip and fix your defective work.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Name / Strata Committee Representative] On behalf of the Owners Corporation (SP [Insert Number])

💡 Core Evidentiary Actions for Your Committee

• Engage BG Coatings Directly: Call the technical line for BG Coatings Australia (1300 894 994). Explain that a contractor used their pool paint at your building and it failed within 12 months. Request that a technical field representative inspect the peeling pool or review your photos. If the manufacturer documents that the failure was caused by "contractor application error" (such as over-thinning or skipping substrate moisture tests), it nullifies any defense the contractor can use.

• Obtain an Independent Tender Quote: Bring in an alternative, highly-rated commercial pool painter in Sydney to inspect the shell. Ask them to give you a written breakdown of why it failed and a formal quote to repair it (e.g., "Full abrasive blasting to bare concrete to remove unbonded layers"). This exact quote amount is what you will claim as damages at NCAT.

To finalize the legal wording of this template, could you tell me:

• What is your building's Strata Plan (SP) number?

• Do you want a recommended list of independent commercial pool painters in Sydney to inspect the pool and provide a repair quote?

Overcharge, underdeliver. Terrible company to deal with - Subcontract out all work and subcontractors can only do what the owner tells/pays them to.

Subcontractors redid some work (they weren't happy with some work a trainee did), but assured me that they would not charge as it was their fault and it would only take just over a day to rectify. Pool painters charged an extra 1.5k - when I raised this with the subcontractors they were shocked as they said not only should I not have been charged (and

+2

especially that much, but the owner kept all that money to himself and they didn't pay any of that to them.

Paint failed within six months. They say that all materials and workmanship comes with two year warranty but as soon as owner has your money he totally ignores all emails/voice messages and doesn't answer his mobile phone or landline. From first emailing the owner with photos of the paint failure to getting the

"repaint" done took nearly six months - maybe he hopes that the customer will just give up? "Repaint" lasted three weeks before it started bubbling/blistering - back to square one of trying to contact the owner again.

We've missed nearly two summers use of the pool because of Pool Painters incompetence. The subcontractor did the best he could but if the owner tells them he is only allowing 1 1/2 days pay to strip and repaint a pool with one coat of paint then what can they do? I feel the owner wants to drag out the time taken to do the repair and do the absolute bare minimum until your warranty runs out.

Completely unprofessional with non existent after sales/customer service. Doesn't look after his customers and doesn't look after his subcontractors. I do not recommend them in any capacity - absolutely terrible experience dealing with JT at Pool Painters in Warriewood.

• Product Failures: Reports of coating breakdown—including blistering, bubbling, chalking, and flaking—occurring within months of application.

• Warranty & Post-Service Support: Complaints regarding difficulty reaching management after full payment is made or when lodging claims under warranty terms.

• Workmanship & Subcontracting: Discrepancies between quoted specifications and applied coatings, alongside reliance on third-party sub-contractors for physical labour.

A midday walk isn’t just about stretching your legs—it’s a reset for your mind and body. Discover how even a 15-minute stroll can boost creativity, reduce stress, and improve your overall focus for the rest of the day.