ComplaintsforSCV Designs

• Initial Complaint

  08/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Landscaping complaint:I asked ***** for a ************ opinion of my yard. I told her I already had a confirmed contract with a contractor to fix most of the brickwork and replace my lawns with artificial turf. She pushed for her design anyway. She asked and got a copy of my contract with Ideal Engineering.***** said she usually got paid through the construction firm; but my yard's need was so small, she would not get paid enough, thus she wanted me to pay her $1000 for her design.Her design was mostly my existing layout, with some non-doable items; a few exceptions Landscape construction fee: ***** was the one handling the landscaping spreadsheet all along. She rushed to get bids and the landscaping work going. Her spreadsheet was super confusing and tedious; high price for each task, especially while I had a bad cough and did not have the energy nor capacity to understand the mumble, jumble she put together. With a friendly battlefield approach, ***** said whatever to gain my trust and stopped questioning her. ***** also complained about having serious arthritis to gain my empathy. She belittled me when I was confused with her spreadsheet. I also felt ashamed and humiliated to question her paperwork. I was shocked at how high the bids were.I was coercive to sign the ridiculously high price contract. Neither ***** nor Brain mentioned the 3-business day or 5-business day for senior cancellation policy.Some works on her design were not done; many tasks were of poor quality and overpriced.After the project is done, I questioned ***** and ***** about the excess charge and poor/wrong works multiple times, she had ***** send me a $265 and a $1685 check as a refund.After combing through each section, compared with my others bids, I expect ***** and ***** to refund me another $21,744.See attachments for detail.

  Business response

  09/01/2023

  ugust 26, 20241
  BBB Complaint #********
  
  
  In February of 2022,  I was contacted by  ****** **** regarding her landscape issues. (She was referred to me by her daughter who is in my ********** ) I walked the job with her and agreed to provide design and bid assistance at a reduced rate of $1000 for 10 hours of design work.  Scope of work included re-design and repairs to many areas of the property and re-planting.  I prepared a plan layout and revised the plan several times to meet her expectations. I prepared a line item by line item Excel bid form and provided her with 2 bids. The bids I brought her were from local licensed bonded and insured contractors, and were  for CTR.#1 :$64,755 and CTR#2 $70,865, respectively. Owner provided me with a copy of the bid from the Contractor that she had previously met with, and all bids were put into an excel spreadsheet.  Her Contractors bid was $96,988, significantly more than the two bids I brought her. (see attached Project Summary SV22-409.xls).  I presented the bids in person to ******, and explained them line item by line item.  She appeared to understand all the items and spreadsheets at the time, and even provided her own recaps to the document.  Now, in her complaint she claims to have been confused, ashamed, and humiliated and not understand the spreadsheet.  We walked the job prior to signing any contract with Ctr.#1 that she chose to meet with. We went over the scope of work, line item by line item and answered all her questions.  The Contractor presented her with his contract to sign. Contract clearly stated  the standard  three day cancellation clause as well as provisions for arbitration in case of dispute, which ***********; states was not brought to her attention.   All work was performed in a professional manner and the contractor even provided her with refunds for deleted items and her feeling that she was overcharged for an item that was a scope change.
  
  
  Im sorry that ****** is now unhappy and now claims to be confused I feel that I provided services over and above the $1000 design fee that I received.  Ive been a Landscape designer/Architect for over 28 years, and have never had a complaint.  I do not feel that I owe ****** **** any money at all, let alone the $21,744 she is asking for.   Also, in my professional experience, the Contractor provided quality service and work to the client, and went out of his way to make her happy. 
  
  
  
  
  *********************
  SCVDesign
  *********************
  650-245-3348see all attached

*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. ↩