JOHNSON COUNTY — The Better Business Bureau has issued an alert about a Greenwood-based pool company, alleging they have a pattern of complaints.
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The warning alleges Smarter Pools, LLC:
- Collects down payments but fails to finish contracted work
- Becomes hard to reach and/or fails to respond to consumer requests for updates
Christina Dean is a single mother and veteran living in Edinburgh.
She wanted a piece of paradise in her backyard: a saltwater pool and a hot tub.
“I deserve it, I’m retiring now,” said Dean. “It was like my last big hurrah, you know.”
She hired Smarter Pools LLC after seeing a Facebook advertisement and checking their website.
“It looked good,” said Dean. “They had what I wanted, so I went with them.”
Dean said she paid $59,000, which is half of the project.
Smarter Pools stopped responding to her, according to Dean.
- WRTV Investigates: Did you get anything for your money?
- Dean: No, spray paint on the ground where they marked out where they were going to put my pool. This was the ground my pool was supposed to be on.
Heith Moles of New Palestine said he had a similar experience with Smarter Pools LLC.
He hired the company based on a recommendation.
“This is all the dirt that they pulled out of the ground,” said Moles.
Moles said the contractor dug a hole in his backyard and put in a pool, but he alleges the project was not completed.
“We had a pond with frogs in it,” said Moles.
Moles said he paid $75,000, but alleges Smarter Pools never finished the work.
Moles’ attorney sent a certified letter to Smarter Pools asking for a resolution.
According to the Better Business Bureau, Justin Carter is the owner of Smarter Pools.
Carter responded to Moles’ certified letter via email on September 19, 2025, saying, “I have received the notice and will respond this afternoon.”
Heith Moles said he never received a resolution.
“That was the last I heard from him,” said Moles.
Both Heith Moles and Christina Dean hired other contractors to finish their pools.
They also filed complaints with law enforcement, the Indiana Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau.
“Pools are huge investments,” said Jennifer Adamany, Communications Director at the BBB Serving Central Indiana.
The BBB issued an alert for Smarter Pools, LLC, which you can see on the company’s profile.
“Businesses get complaints every single day. The difference is what the business does to try to address those complaints,” said Adamany. “Complaints that are very similar, and there are multiple of them, and they’re not responding at all. That’s enough to issue a warning, which is not something we do for every business that gets a complaint.”
The alert is specifically for the company’s “pattern of complaints.”
"Collecting large deposits for projects, causing delays or incomplete work on those projects, and then stopping communication with their clients,” said Adamany. “All things that erode trust for people."
The BBB also issued an “F” rating for its lack of responsiveness.
“The rating system for the BBB is the likelihood of how a business is going to interact with a consumer,” said Adamany. “It’s not how good a service. It’s if there is an issue, how likely are they going to be able to try to correct it.”
WRTV Investigates emailed Smarter Pools as well as the attorneys listed for them, but we never heard back.
The Smarter Pools website no longer works.
WRTV Investigates found court documents that show financial firms have filed lawsuits in multiple states, including Indiana, Florida, New York and Utah, alleging Smarter Pools and Carter owe them money.
Courts have handed down $208,699 in judgments against the pool contractor since April 2025.
WRTV Investigates went to the Greenwood office on Airport Parkway, the address listed on customer contracts.
However, the tenant told us Smarter Pools moved out months ago.
So WRTV Investigates went to Carter’s house.
- WRTV Investigates: Hi, I’m looking for Justin Carter
- Carter: Yeah, I got your message
- WRTV Investigates: We want to get your side of the story.
- Carter: My attorney told me not to. I appreciate it. Um, but they told me not to.
- WRTV Investigates: Are you going to give people their money back?
- Carter: Thank you. You can get off my property.
WRTV Investigates left the property without answers.
Customers like Christina Dean say they are still waiting for answers, too.
“It’s just a pain, you know,” said Dean. “Who has that to throw away?”
Dean is a disabled veteran, a retired colonel who deployed overseas four times.
“It’s instilled in us to do right and to tell the truth,” said Dean.
Dean is encouraged that the Better Business Bureau took action.
“I am really appreciative of their help and your help," said Dean.
She hopes that by speaking out, she can help protect others.
"I want to see them held accountable,” said Dean.
At this point, no criminal charges have been filed.
WRTV Investigates has also reached out to the Indiana Attorney General to find out if they’re investigating, and we are still waiting to hear back.
The Better Business Bureau offers the following tips on hiring a pool contractor:
- Talk to friends and family
- Search BB for pool contractors
- Check the years in business
- Compare costs
- Check organizational memberships, certifications and licensing
- Verify insurance
- Understand the payment schedule
- Check background and criminal history
- Call references
- Ask for all details in writing
- Watch out for scams
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