April Fool’s Day is a popular time to play practical jokes on friends and family. For the most part, it is all in good fun, and many laughs are shared. It is no laughing matter when a company you trust pulls a “bait and switch” and you do not receive the product you were promised.

Unfortunately, this bait and switch tactic is on the rise in the pool industry. There are companies that use the LOOP-LOC brand name to try and sell our safety covers and luxury pool liners, but then supply an “off” brand pool cover or pool liner. Here is what you can do to not fall victim to this dishonest—and illegal—method of conducting business.

First, visit LOOP-LOC’s official website to find a qualified dealer in your area. You can also call our customer support department at 800-562-5667 for assistance. Our dealer network is comprised of experienced professionals who have extensive knowledge of LOOP-LOC products.

Second, remember that you will not find LOOP-LOC products on websites such as Amazon or eBay. Our covers and liners are manufactured in accordance with ASTM safety standards and U.L. certification standards. To maintain this quality, we only sell our products through our dealer network, which specializes in measuring and installing our full line of safety covers and liners.

Third, carefully inspect your order form/invoice to make sure it clearly states LOOP-LOC, and once your cover arrives it will have the LOOP-LOC name sewn into the webbing ensuring its authenticity. Do not be fooled by imitations. All of our covers are clearly labeled “LOOP-LOC” and have the name “LOOP-LOC” sewn into the webbing. You can’t miss our elephant logo, which is a testament to how strong our covers are.

Some companies may try to tell you that our covers take too long to arrive, and urge you to buy their covers immediately. All of our stock-sized covers ship in 24 hours, our custom covers ship in under two weeks (year-round,) and our luxury liners ship in five to seven business days.

Following these simple guidelines will ensure that you are using a genuine LOOP-LOC product on your pool. Your family’s safety and well-being are of the utmost importance to us, and we don’t want it jeopardized by a false claim from a disreputable company.