Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  05/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Pecker head was contracted through a vendor by our insurance company. We had a severe storm in the *** and 3 very large trees destroyed our home. This company put minimal effort forward to remove the trees. The conditions were not great and that could not have been prevented, but that is not the problem. They move very large trees from our backyard to the street, after multiple notifications that it is against the law in our state. We are responsible for disposing of the wood. On 3 separate occasions they still put wood on the sidewalk and then in the ditch (block water drainage flow). I had to pay another company to clean up their mess. Also, they were unable to tarp the roof - had to pay another company 1 day later who was able to do it. They also claimed they couldn't remove the tree stuck in the house after "trying" for a couple days (which delayed all further progress). I was able to hire another company and they removed the tree in 30 min without issue. The amount they charge is absurd and way higher than any other tree company that would have also disposed of the wood correctly and been able to tarp and remove the tree from the house. It is clear this company is literally chasing after storms and taking advantage of people in stressful and desperate situations. They do not care about the service they provide and can't even provide a reliable schedule of when they are providing service in critical moments.

  Business response

  06/03/2024

  Complaint: They move very large trees from our backyard to the street, after multiple notifications that it is against the law in our state.
  
  We were informed there was a state of emergency announced and that the state was still submitting documents to FEMA for assistance. We were informed FEMA would potientially be collecting the debris and we were to hold off on any debris removal. Additionally, debris removal was not assigned to us. 
  
  We were assigned the job as "Chop and drop", which means we should cut the tree off the structure and leave it where it falls. Moving the tree AT ALL is considered "Debris Haul Away" (even moving it to the road) which the insurance company allows for $500 to be applied towards debris haul away. 
  
  We moved the debris by the road as a courtesy to the homeowner. We did not bill the insurance the $500 for moving the debris (which left the $500 still available to the homeowner to be applied to the debris haul away) and by moving the debris to the road, we believed this would help make the cost of debris removal (In the event FEMA did not pick up the debris) less for the Homeowner, as typically debris haul away is $300 to $500 per load when picking debris up at the side of the road. This debris would have been multiple loads. Had we not moved it the homeowner would have had to pay to move the debris from the yard so a debris pick up crew could have picked it up from the roadside. 
  
  Complaint: Also, they were unable to tarp the roof - had to pay another company 1 day later who was able to do it. 
  
  Again, we were assigned the Tree removal portion of the claim. We were not assigned a Tarp/Board up job. Being the preferred vendor of this network, we are only allowed to do the job that has been assigned to us. 
  
  Complaint: They also claimed they couldn't remove the tree stuck in the house after "trying" for a couple days (which delayed all further progress). 
  
  Our crew members are highly skilled in tree removal and are not Structural Engineers. Due to the state of the home, and to keep our crew members safe, we made a decision to not enter the home. We are happy the homeowner was able to find a company willing to take the risk with their crew and removing the tree from the home, which appeared to us to be a total loss (again we are not Structural Engineers or Insurance adjusters). Our crew's safety is of utmost importance to us and this was a calculated risk we were not willing to take on.
  
  Complaint: The amount they charge is absurd and way higher than any other tree company that would have also disposed of the wood correctly and been able to tarp and remove the tree from the house.
  
  Our billing is based on agreed upon pricing, that was arranged when signing up as a preferred vendor for the networks that work direcly with the insurance companies. The pricing is determined by the size of the tree and the equipment used. The insurance company assigned us the tree removal portion of the job (chop and drop), we were not assigned the Tarp/Board up job or the debris haul away. As stated previously, due to our signed vendor agreement with the networks, we are not to do jobs that have not been assigned to us. 
   
  Complaint: It is clear this company is literally chasing after storms and taking advantage of people in stressful and desperate situations. 
  
  We are a preferred vendor with multiple networks.  The networks mobilize us to the areas they need assistance for their customers. We are not "chasing after storms" but rather are asked to mobilize our crews to help the customers in the affected area. We have signed vendor agreements with these networks and the jobs are assigned to us. We do not appreciate the defimation that ***************** is presenting by stating we are " literally chasing after storms".
  
  Complaint: They do not care about the service they provide and can't even provide a reliable schedule of when they are providing service in critical moments.
  
  We handle the claims as they come in. If a homeowner does not get the things we need to allow us to move forward, in a timely manner, other homeowners that have sent the items needed, will be sent to scheduling ahead of any homeowners that are delaying the process. We can not delay a homeowners job because another homeowner will not move forward as instructed by their adjuster. 
  
  Additionally, roads were icy and trees had fallen blocking roads which did sometimes make it difficult to arrive to a location in the time provided. Also, cellular service was spotty, if there was any at all in some of the areas. Most times communication was down and it was impossible to communicate with the crews to get an exact arrival time.  Due to these obsticles we advise the homeowners that a crew will be arriving by the day, not the hour or minute. Typically in these situations, our arrival time is within 24 to 48 hours. 
  
  To sum up, we work directly with the networks providing EMS tree removal for their customers. The jobs are assigned to us. We work the jobs in the order they come in. If the homeowner delays the process, others may be sent to scheduling before them. We are payed based off of pre-determined and agreed upon pricing. This agreed upon pricing has been put in place to ensure the customers are not price gouged.  Do to our pricing agreement, the conditions worked in and costs incurred with mobilization, we are unable to provide a price adjustment. 
  
  Photos and documents have been uploaded to support our response. 
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  08/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Company over charged after a sever storm hit my house. I would like the bill reduced as they charged more than companies that are local.

  Business response

  08/16/2023

  We are writing in response to the recent consumer complaint
  filed by *************************** concerning our tree removal services. We value the Better Business Bureau's
  role in facilitating fair and unbiased resolutions, and we would like to provide additional context
  regarding this situation.

  The essence of the complaint is the perceived overpricing of our services in comparison to local tree
  companies after storm damage to the customer's property. We wish to address this matter with the aim
  of achieving a balanced understanding and fair resolution.

  1. Service Agreement and Pricing: It is important to clarify that our process commences with a
  signed work authorization. This document outlines the scope of services required for the tree
  removal service, without specifying the cost. The pricing is determined following the approval
  by the insurance company, as a means of ensuring accurate and transparent billing.

  2. Insurance Approval and Payment Process: In the context of insurance claims, we collaborate
  closely with insurance providers to establish a fair and industry-standard fee for the services
  rendered. We would like to confirm that the insurance company endorsed the fee of $11,750 for
  the tree removal task, as evidenced by the line item confirming the amount due to our company.

  3. Comparative Pricing: While we understand that local tree companies might offer varying
  pricing, these differences often stem from factors such as equipment quality, staff training,
  safety protocols, and the extent of services provided. Our pricing reflects our commitment to
  maintaining high standards, professional expertise, and safety measures.

  We kindly request your review of this matter and consideration of its removal from our BBB profile.
  Our goal is to resolve misunderstandings and provide a balanced perspective on the situation. We
  appreciate your assistance in facilitating this communication and fostering a fair outcome.

  If you require additional information or would like to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to
  contact us at ************** or ********************************************************.

  Thank you for your time and attention.

• Initial Complaint

  07/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Pecker Heads (PH) Tree and Environmental was hired by our ************************************ *** for limb cutting services in *****. My townhouse at **************************************** was under contract to be sold. It had a new roof installed by Ridgeline Construction within the prior month or two. On May 23rd of this year, PH was on the roof of the garage of my townhouse to cut limbs. One fell and made a hole in the roof resulting in damage to the new roof and water damage to the garage ceiling below. I was unable to find out from the *** who did the service for about a week. PH inspected the roof and ceiling on 6/5 (roof already had a temporary plug in it) I had the roof fully repaired to ensure continued full warranty and I had the garage ceiling repaired - total cost of $3515. E-mail with receipts and photos sent to ** (sales rep who did the site visit) at PH on 6/18 with follow up e-mail 6/22. No response. Finally able to contact General Manager ******************* on 6/27. Sent another e-mail with photos and receipts on 6/27. Despite multiple calls and messages, I am no longer able to get in touch with management (*******************). No returned calls or reply to e-mails. ***************** ***** is aware and that he wishes ***** would act on this but that he has no control. I would like to have my costs of the repairs totaling $3515 refunded to me by PH and to communicate.

  Business response

  08/02/2023

  Business response taken verbally by BBB:

  Performed a job for the *** to trim trees. more than 30 days later this person has attempted to report damage to their roof from a fallen part/limb of tree. This person was not our customer. As this was not a result of our service we are not responsible for the damage to their roof.

  Customer response

  08/25/2023

  They are incorrect with their timeline.  They cut the branches while on our roof on 05/24/2023.  I first noticed the damage after the Memorial Day weekend on Monday May 29 but was not able to find out from our HOA who cut down the branches until late that week.  I have photos that were taken around that time.  Pecker Heads came out and inspected on Monday, June 5th - after a roof plug had been done.  They also saw the ceiling damage.  The problem that followed was lack of responsiveness of PH General Manager.  He would not return calls or messages.  That dragged out his insurance claim to his insurer.  Bottom line, PH was notified of the damage as soon as they were identified as the tree company.  

*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. ↩