ComplaintsforUpkeep Techniques, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  05/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I've contracted with *** for several years to install and remove my Christmas lights and wreaths. This year he failed to come and remove the lights and did not respond to any text and phone calls. I messaged and called him for months before I finally had to pay another company to remove the lights and wreaths. I, unfortunately, also recommended him to my brother-in-law and he had the same situation - although *** did respond to his messages, he never showed up when he said he would. Per the attached contract, take down of lights and wreaths is included in the cost.

  Business response

  05/22/2023

  I would give a refund of $25 because I don't charge to take down the lights, I charge to put up lights. I did try to contract another person to come and take down the lights and I'm assuming they never showed up although I paid them $250 for the work, and I thought it was done. 

  Customer response

  05/22/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I’m sorry, this is ridiculous. You have a flat price that includes putting up and taking down of lights. And now you’re going to break it down and claim that $25 of it was taking the lights down? You, supposedly, paid someone $250 to take them down so why would you only refund me $25? You own a business, if you paid for a job to be done, make sure it is done. The least you could have done was tell me someone was coming to do it so I could have let you know it never happened. You never communicated this to me, probably because it’s not true. I paid $175 for the lights to be taken down and that is the refund I would like.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

  Business response

  06/02/2023

  This is the invoice for the Christmas light install and 175 is more than what it cost to install them you need to show proof  that she paid another company to have the light took down when I paid  a guy in the area 250 to take down all the lights I installed that year.

• Initial Complaint

  03/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  We have contracted with Upkeep Techniques for 3 years to put up and take down our Christmas lights on our two-story home. Upkeep Techniques is actually just one guy (*** ********) who owns his own company. He does Pressure Washing and Window Cleaning and does the Christmas light hanging as well. He normally does a fine job, but this year, he put up our lights on Nov 22, 2022, and he has not been back out to take our lights back down. We pay him $250 after he puts the lights up, and that includes the cost of taking the lights back down. I paid him via *****. It is now March 14, 2023, so our lights have been up 2.5 months after the Christmas season. I have sent him several texts over the past 2.5 months. He has mostly “ghosted” me, in that he never replies to my texts. When he does, he either tells me that he is sick, or that his child is sick (and reminds me he is a single parent). Most of the time I don’t hear anything back, which is the most frustrating. I have asked him to ***** me $100 back, so I can pay another company to take them down if he no longer wants to be in the Christmas lights business (I have already contacted another firm to get an estimate on taking down my lights). He did not respond. I then told him he can either, 1) come take down my lights (last weekend – March 11-12) or 2) ***** me $100. And if he didn’t do either of those, I would contact the BBB. He then replied and told me he would try to make it out that weekend. On Sunday late afternoon, March 12, I texted again and told him his time was running out, and that is when he told me his child was sick. So I told him to give me a firm date on when he would be out. Nothing. So now I am contacting you. I would like for him to finish the job or Billing Adjustment.  

  Business response

  03/30/2023

  Sorry that I have not taken the lights down I have other excruciating circumstance that has prevented me from taking the lights down.  I have tried to get out there and I have responded to your message.  We have scheduled days to come out there, but the weather has prevented me from coming out there.  I have called the consumer multiple times to get out there as well as text the consumer and she has not responded.  I do not think it is right that I have been threatened that either I pay her money or she will call the Better Business Bureau for a job that was completed for the installation lights.  The contract does not state anything about removal of light it just says installation of light.  As a courtesy I will remove light for customer at no charge.  

  Customer response

  03/31/2023

  ********** ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1) His comments about trying to reach  me are not true. I have attached an extract of all of my text messages with him (for our whole business relationship) and highlighted our correspondence since January since I have been asking him to take down the Christmas lights. As you will see, he has not been responsive at all. He does not communicate when or if he will be out. I have had the box where he stores the lights on my porch since the middle of January and he can come out ANY time to take them down. We do not need to be home for this to happen. As you can see from the texts, he never has tried to reach out and arrange a time. The one time he said he might come on a weekend, he didn't show. He can come any time.

  2) There is NO contract between us. It was all verbal. He put up my neighbors Christmas lights initially, then she told him I wanted my lights up as well. So he came over and gave me a verbal bid, and I said ok. Then he put up my lights and I paid him via Venmo, like I have every year. Verbally he gave me the price, which included putting up the lights and taking them down. If he has a contract, I would sure like to see it.

  3) While I am happy that he responded that he would take down my lights, he still had not indicated WHEN, which is the same boat I have been in since the middle of January. I would like a firm date of when he will take them down, and then I would like for him to honor that date and take them down!
  
  
  
  ********** **** *********

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