Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/24/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I had the two contracts copied at our local library and have enclosed them here. Seven years ago, my husband had a brain hemorrhage and had to learn to walk and talk again.  A year ago, I had a stroke.  We are 75 and 76 now.  I was charged $2,000 the first day ******* arrived on September 6 for an estimate. $400 was added two months later on Nov. 8, 9 and 10th when they arrived to do the work as I had lilac bushes out front that I wanted to be cut back to a lower height.  There were no longer leaves on any of the trees and I was thrown off.  On the first day, when they took the skid-loader off their truck, it had a flat tire and took two hours to repair. My husband brought them an air compressor from our barn to help with it. The second day, their mulcher kept acting up and my husband brought files to help with it.  On the third day, my husband had me ask them if they could cut off the low sucker branches from the trees going out the back of the yard and they said I had to ask the boss.  I texted him with the request and he replied by text that he was charging $200 per three.  Below that he typed the word tree.  I went out and told them it would cost $200 to cut the low branches for each three trees.  They did so.  Some trees only needed one or two branches cut.  My husband had just been to the ER a few days before with hemorrhaging and was inside when the boss arrived.  He raised his voice and told me I owed him $5,000 and that he meant in his text $200 per tree to have the suckers taken off.  I showed him on my phone where he texted $200 per three.  He said he made a mistake and raised his voice again.  We had just sold a piece of equipment and I had $500 in cash in an envelope.  I didn't want my husband getting upset, but I should have just written a check for the $5,000 because I could have stopped payment on it.  When I called the boss a short while later and explained that he had made a mistake in his text and I should not be held accountable, and I told him about the problem with the flat tire and the mulcher acting up, he said in a loud voice that he would give me $600 back. He had intimidated me throughout and his men came and apologized for his behavior towards me.  He is a foreign man and 51 years old.  He is a business man and should make sure anything he texts is perfectly clear.  He wrote "22" as the number of trees on the back drive but there are only 14.  I was manipulated and made the mistake of opening my envelope and taking out the cash to pay him.  I hope this can be resolved. Thank you.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/22/2023

  The original scope of work was for the business to trim 9 trees and remove a tree.  The cost of the project was quoted at $2000.

  When the business arrived, the consumer added topping 10-12 large bushes and trimming 19 huge trees.  It took three days and the business even spread mulch for the consumer.  The consumer was charged an extra $2400 for the additional work.  She paid $5,000 and agreed the job was complete. 

  When the consumer initially complained to the business, the business refunded the consumer $600 as a goodwill gesture.  The consumer has continued to text and call the business owner non-stop, especially when he was overseas attending a funeral for a family member.  The business does not feel the consumer is due a refund at this time.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/22/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  When ******* originally came, he charged $2,000 for nine trees.  The day the men arrived, I added that they trim my lilac bushes out front and ******* added $400.  I then owed $2,400.  They had trouble with their equipment for two days.  On the third day, my husband said he would like the "sucker" branches from the bottom of the trees in our back driveway (the farm is a ten acre farm) going back to the street.  The worker said I needed to ask *******.  I texted him and he replied that he would charge "$200 at 3" The next text said "Tree" and followed by a third reply "$200".  I don't know how this relates to $200 per tree.  There are 14 trees down the back drive.  14 divided by 3 is roughly five.  That would be $1,000.  Instead, he charged me $2,600.  He returned $600 but still charged me $1,000 more than he should have.  He screamed at me in my yard and when I wrote to him that I was writing to the BBB he sent me an ugly long test, which I sent on to you a few days ago.  Please read it.  Thank you.