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:01/11/2024

  Type:Billing 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.

  Charged Late fee when called in multiple times to remit payment and their credit card processing machine was down. Called in today 1/9/24 and ***** stated their credit card machine has never been down. I told him the individual i spoke with ***** said it was down. He was beyond rude and would not waive the late fee charges. Bad Business at its finest.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/11/2024

  Hello

  This former customer's claims are fraudulent and lack the truth.  Riverside has been in business for 30+ years so we all bases covered at this point when dealing with these types of situations. 

  - Service call was completed 09/12/23

  - Invoice was sent out 09/13/23 - Invoice states "A SERVICE FEE OF $25.00 WILL BE CHARGED ON ALL INVOICES OVER 30 DAYS AND WILL ACCRUE MONTHLY"

  - Second invoice was sent 11/1/2

  - Third invoice was sent 01/02/24 (we skip late fees in December because it is the holidays and tends to be a stressful time of the year and we take care of our current customers)

  ******************************* called 01/09/23 and requested ONE late fee be removed because he claimed he called a few other times and spoke with "*****" and claims our credit card machine was "down".

  ******************* is misremembering because our credit card machine has never been down and ***** is not an office employee, he is the technician that was onsite for the original service call and does not and has never answered phones for our company.  ******************** also has the options of sending cash or check to the mailing address clearly stated on the invoice.  We offer payments by phone with a credit card, because we try to be flexible with our current or former customers that *** not be able to make payment by check or cash.    

  ******************* verbally accosted myself using terms like "God **** It", but then claims we were the rude ones because we would not give him preferential treatment.  We have been in business for 30+ years because we treat all of our customers the same.  We care for our customers and that is why we have day one customers that are still current customers.  

  We will not work individuals with these values and will not tolerate abuse.  ***************** is an employee at a company in ****** himself and would most likely not deal with like treatment.  

  The late fees stand, they have been paid, ****************** declared he will "never use us again" and we have moved on.  

  Thank you

  *********************

   

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/28/2023

  Type:Billing 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.

  My new home is supposed to have 1 year warranty on the sprinkler system. Warranty starts on 01/30/2023 and ends on 01/30/2023. On August 18 I had a leak on one of the pipes. I call riverside and they scheduled to see me on 08/22. They do and state that the pipe was wrongfully connected causing the issues, I just needed to sign the order and they will take care of it. I agreed. On August 28 I receive a bill for $177.32. I call customer service for an explanation of why the charge. ******* the person who responded, stated that warranty doesnt cover those parts, either pay or they will sent me to collections. He wouldnt explained what the warranty actually covers or even itemized the charge of $177.32. Due to the threat of being send to collections I send payment on August28,2023. My worry is, that I might have more problems on my system that I have to resolve. It looks like they do a poor installation in order to do service calls and force you to keep paying for their mistakes. Im not happy with their customer service or their predatory techniques.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/29/2023

  Hello

  Attached is the work order the customer signed before the service began stating "I authorize Riverside to perform non-warranty work necessary" and again at completion of the service call stating "I accept all work complete and satisfactory.  I accept all financial responsibility for work performed within this work order".  

  Everyone is *********** their opinion.  We point to 30+ years in business to answer any accusations of predatory practices and poor quality workmanship.  

  The system had been damaged.  It passed city inspection when it was installed by our company.  A customer damaging their system intentionally or unintentionally is not warranty.  

  *********************
  Riverside 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/29/2023

  Complaint: 20531495
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  I never received this form. They have doctored my signature. That is not my signature. 
  Regards,
  
  *************************

  Business Response

  Date: 08/29/2023

  Correct, we stated "the customer" on the previous message.  

  ***** scheduled the appointment.  ****** was at the home at the time of the service and signed the work order in both instances

  One of the most important reasons we have stayed in business for 30+ years is that we treat all of our customers the same. 

  The customer accusing us of forging a signature is criminal and he can now communicate through his lawyer for any further correspondence.  The invoice does stand and there will be no reimbursement. 

  *********************

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/03/2022

  Type:Billing 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.

  Terrible customer service at the office! Very very rude. I called to get a breakdown of the invoice for $204 and there isnt a breakdown. $175 service call. No actual breakdown. And they surprised me with a hidden $15 fuel surcharge. When I booked the appointment, I was not told about this charge. I suggested the office lady inform customers about this so that others were not surprised and caught off guard. Its not right to be hit at billing time with hidden fees. She told me we all sit together in a bit open space and I can hear them tell customers. I said, well I was not informed, are you implying that I am a liar? She became very confrontational and said youre implying we lied. I reviewed with her again and said that I never said that, but as a customer I shouldnt discover surprise and hidden charges on my ****. I asked for a supervisor and she said she is the supervisor. How scary! You know a company is awful when the terrible customer service and surprise billing come from the top down!At least the tech was nice. They were in an out in 9 minutes including time to write up a handwritten invoice and have me review and sign. Of course, the sites of repair were open and ready for repair. I checked security cameras for accurate time. I didnt think 9 minutes was worth a $204 **** which is why I called to inquire about a breakdown. They dont give itemization apparently, which makes sense for a company who has hidden fees and prices gouges!I also have concerns with how shallow the drip lines are. They should be a good about below the surface of the grass, but they are not. They sit on top the mulch in the garden and at the surface of the grass. This makes it impossible to weed without hitting them. I wouldve selected a company with better quality work, but my builder, Antares, likes to pinch pennies and got the cheapest bid from Riverside. You get what you pay for!Avoid at all costs. Wish I wouldve called a different company.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/04/2022

  Hello

  Unfortunately we cannot set prices based on an individual customer's opinions on what our service provided should cost.  Our billing is communicated when the service call is scheduled by phone including the service call rate, fuel surcharge, and any parts the customer can verify we may be using to complete the repair when they are scheduling the appointment.  Giving preferential treatment to a customer would be poor business practice, therefore we treat all of our customers the same.  Riverside has maintained day one customers for 30+ years and we do so by carrying ourselves with integrity.  

  The drip irrigation that this customer is referencing in the complaint was installed according to spec as well as city/state rules and regulations and approved/passed by the building inspector.  We cannot break water conservation state laws because a customer has a lack of knowledge of ********************** installation.  The parkway drip is installed on top of the grade in the parkway and then sodded over (burying it would cause it to clog and furthermore would not be getting water to the roots of the grass because of the existence of gravity).  The flower bed drip is installed on top of the grade and then mulched over. (mulch is a maintenance product and will dry, thin out, washout over time) Without proper maintenance drip irrigation will begin to show.  
  

  Riverside creates and distributes invoices based on the state comptrollers rules and regulations.
  

  We understand that some customers do not have the knowledge of irrigation installation and we understand that some customers do not have the knowledge of correct invoicing based on ***** state comptroller practices, but again, that does not mean we can or will break regulations or laws to satisfy their wants.

  The invoice and amount of the invoice does stand and will incur a late fee and the customer signed work order will be turned over to collections if not paid by the due date as clearly stated on the invoice
  

  Have a great day
  

   

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/20/2022

  Type:Billing 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.

  Charged $150 to come out to tell me that problem wasn't with irrigation system despite water leaking from faulty T-connector area they had to replace ~6mo after install. Literally here for 5 min. and charged $150 for a "service call" when providing no service. Totally understand there would be a trip charge but $150 is extortion. They sent me invoice several months after the fact for the $150, I thought first notice was a mistake, they then sent 2nd notice a few weeks late with an additional $25 "reminder" fee. Absolutely ridiculous. Left a message on Monday 5/16 to discuss, no one returned call. Spoke with ******* on 5/17 who insisted I actually owed $200 now as an additional $25 fee had been added. Ended call and he offered to have a manager call me back to discuss which never happened. Finally I called back on 5/20 and paid the $150 extortion fee. This company is absolutely ridiculous to do business with- there should be no balance but ******* insisted the $50 balance will remain on my account if I ever want to do business with them again.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/23/2022

  Hello

  A complaint about the billing of a service call that is clearly stated at time of the appointment being made and the signing of the work order accepting billing responsibility for the non-warranty covered service call is not a valid complaint.

   

  It is unfortunate the customer believes our prices are higher than he would like, but we treat all of our customers the same and preferential treatment would hinder our ability to operate an honest company.  The late fees are also clearly stated on the invoice.  (see attached - the boxed area near the bottom)

   

  As for the service call, the customer asked us to check for a leak.  We checked for the leak and confirmed the source of water was not from the lawn sprinkler system.  It seems the outcome that would have pleased the customer would have been to locate and repair a leak, but again, nothing was leaking. 
  

   

  We value all of our customer's opinions and have done so for 30+ years.
  

   

  Have a good day

   

  *********************

  Riverside

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/23/2022

  Complaint: 17234554
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

  
  

  Appreciate the response, but your B- rating on BBB prior to my complaint may indicate you have a more systemic issue at hand.  Your techs are actually great.  Your office personnel have an extremely condescending attitude when dealing with customers.  Here are some facts:

  
  

  You installed the sprinkler system in a new Home sometime shortly prior to 9/2020.

  Issue 1- Within 6months, you had to come out to replace a faulty part/work which was covered by warranty.  The leak there came from the same location as the leak from the electrical box in the issue on this complaint- had you installed with quality parts properly the first time I would have had no reason to suspect there was an issue with your work or materials again.

  Issue 2- You charged me $150 to replace a bubbler hose a few months later... which somehow was not covered under warranty (that's fine- I paid it without issue as you actually did perform a service)

  
  

  My 3rd issue was the show up, 5min look "that's not our problem" in Feb, invoice didn't come out until late April and then you expect me to pay you $150 for 5min, no service and then start tacking on completely arbitrary $25 fees (which, annualizes to 200% of the value of the "service fee"--- that is virtual extortion).  I have paid you the $150 already.  I filed the complaint for how I was treated during this process.  Frankly I would be embarrassed if new work of mine required 2-3 trips back to the jobsite within 1-2 years.  Apparently this doesn't embarrass you at all as you have been able to collect an additional $300 from me to effective change a bubbler hose and then say "that's not our problem"

  
  

  I understand you are a business and have to be compensated for your time, but applying your blanket policy to each individual case or circumstance with no consideration of the total picture will lead to reviews.  ************ companies charge a $50-$100 trip fee regardless of work performed.  Yours is extremely high and particularly high when you don't actually do anything.  People have a right to know this is how you do business.  You can say all day "that's our policy" but what you are in effect saying is "this is how we treat people.  It's wrong, it's bad business and your ratings and reviews should suffer accordingly.  If it's worth that incremental $75 or so to you to collect but receive a bad rating or review, you may want to rethink your math.