ComplaintsforGrass Works Lawn Care LLC

• Initial Complaint

  01/31/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Tenants hired this company for a fall cleanup of leaves. The company -removed excessive mulch from beds and gravel from walkways and creek bed.-removed a 5-6 anacacho orchid tree -removed several dormant perennials -removed a yaupon tree The damage was extensive. Having these plants and materials replaced will cost over $1000.00 I contacted the company. They sent a ******* to meet me on site. We walked through all the damage. I provided him a list of plants that were missing. He seemed to acknowledge the damage and said they would get back to **** received an email stating that their work was industry standards. I have a landscape design business, so I know it is not industry standards. It is basic plant identification. They ask for photos. I provided extensive photos of the plants that had been destroyed or removed. They again failed to offer a resolution.I wrote a review online where they have several other reviews documenting similar problems. They responded to provide my supposed video evidence.I provided blatant video evidence in several emails documenting workers asking their ******* about all the plants and trees in question, him approving their removal, and them being pulled up and cut down. The video also shows my driveway being filled with gravel several times and raked up and loaded. They gave no response to video evidence that they requested. I called several times to ask if they needed anything else and to follow up, but got no response.Instead I discovered they blocked my number. I emailed saying that I was having a problem getting though and asked if I should stop by the office and later curious if I should reach out to a lawyer or other clients whod had similar issues. They responded by having a lawyer email a cease and desist and threatening that I remove my online review. **** said if everything was true theres no reason to remove it. I did not. For cost of lawyers letter, they could have replaced some plants or a tree.

  Business response

  01/31/2024

  ************************* is not currently or has ever been a customer of **********************, however, due to continued harassment a Cease and Desist Order has been issued against her.  ****************** has been directed to direct any further comments, questions, or concerns regarding this matter to our lawyer.  No further statement is required.

  Customer response

  02/01/2024

  Complaint: 21226076
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I am the owner of the property. A refund can be submitted to the tenants if need be, but an anacacho orchid tree the size of the one destroyed at minimum should be delivered to the property. I can document all the other perennials that were destroyed and an estimate of the amount of gravel removed. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

  Business response

  02/08/2024

  This is our last and final response in regards to Ms. ******** claims.  Let it be clear that our company stands by the decision to deny Ms. ******** claim as stated in our original email on Dec 6, 2023 and that her continued harassment since the date of our decision has not swayed our answer. 

  Our company policy states that any claims pertaining to damage of a property will be investigated on site by a supervisor and documented.  Once the evidence has been fully investigated against the claim, a decision will be made to reimburse, repair, or replace the item(s) damaged if the claim meets the criteria of proof.  If there is insufficient proof to support the claim then no further action is required. If the customer can provide further documentation, we are always happy to re-investigate.

  
  We believe that ****************** has failed to prove that the plants in question were present on her property on the day of service based on the following evidences:

  
  1.      The *********************** that was approved and scheduled by the tenant includes: mowing/edging, **** trimming, leaf removal, and de-weeding.  Our ***********************s do NOT include the removal of plants or landscape materials (i.e. mulch/decomposed granite) in any way (see approved estimate attached for reference of service scope). 
  2.      The crews that are assigned to complete our ***********************s do not carry shovels on their trailers because shovels are not required to complete any part of the *************** scope.  Shovels would have been required in order to: a) dig up a 5-6ft tree or remove a full-grown yaupon ******************* or b) remove mulch or decomposed granite as ****************** claims.
  3.      The photos sent to our office by ****************** as proof that the plants were present in her yard are time stamped April 19, 2020 (3.5 years prior to the day of service and prior to 2 record breaking years of extreme drought and mandatory water restrictions that severely impacted our area). (See provided document showing time stamped photos)
  4.      Video and still shot images from her surveillance camera have been reviewed and do not show any plants being dug up or removed only trimmed as stated in the cleanup scope.
  5.      Video and still shot images from her surveillance camera have been reviewed and do not show any mulch or decomposed granite being removed. What ****************** claims as decomposed granite being removed from her driveway are large amounts of accumulated leaves being removed with a rake.  A shovel would have been required to remove the decomposed granite (gravel) which the crew did not have.
  6.      The video images presented contain a high level of personal narrative and speculation but no verifiable fact to support her claims (i.e she writes on one photo claiming it shows two crew members discussing and agreeing to removing a plant but no audio supports this narrative in the video - it is purely speculation).
  
  Furthermore, due to Ms. ******** continued threatening behavior towards our company since our initial decision we have had to block her phone number and emails to protect our staff from her threats.   After weeks of continued harassment, we chose to take legal action (see ***** and Desist Letter issued Dec 21, 2023) to further protect our company and our companys reputation against her attempts to disparage our business and malign our current and future business prospects. Below are direct statements from ****************** sent to our office immediately following our letter denying her claim as examples of her behavior:
  
  
  Her initial response begins with the following:

  
  "Try again. I'm not going to be polite here. I own my own design and build landscaping company, my boyfriend is a lawyer, and my best friend runs one of the top PR firms in town.  I know industry standards. Your company did not have approval from the owner of the property.."
  
  
  She has also posted multiple negative reviews on Yelp and ****** and has left multiple voicemails on our office number and has continued to send harassing emails such as the one shown below:

  
  "Havent received response to emails. I will be calling daily next week if need be and stopping by address on file for the business if that doesnt work. Believe it is a residential property in *******. My PR friend has contacted a number of the folks who left unsatisfied reviews online. Ill continue building that list if we cant reach a resolution and bring everyone together to see what can be done."
  
  As a company, we always strive to do what is right for our customers.  We are always willing to investigate any claim and, if sufficient evidence is presented to verify the claim, we are always willing to offer an agreeable remedy.  However, in the instances where the proof does not substantiate the claim, we will not make such offers and furthermore will not be bullied into doing so by threats of negative PR campaigns or legal retaliation. 

  
  So we repeat, as stated above, based on the information provided, we have made our (final) decision to deny this claim and request that ****************** not have any contact with our office again in any way. Any further communication including questions, concerns, or comments can be directed to our lawyers.  ****************** has been provided with their information.
  

  
  

  Customer response

  02/08/2024

  Complaint: 21226076
  
  I am rejecting this response, because I provided ample evidence as to the destruction of the property, as well as had confirmation from the ******* on site.
  My neighbor witnessed the cleanup crew damaging the plants. We are both gardeners and he is very familiar with my gardens. I have no reason to lie. Why would I have complained at all??? Why would I waste my time? The reviews I left for Grassworks are the first reviews Ive ever done in my life, but felt it was necessary to warn prospective clients of how the company had conducted themselves. Leaving negative reviews is not a pattern for me, but receiving them seems to be a pattern for Grassworks. 

  My emails indeed were very upset, because the ******* acknowledged the damage himself, had me make a list and point out  the holes & patches of mud. In addition to this the company was informed that the tree they destroyed was where we placed my mothers ashes. I am utterly disgusted by their response to their massive mistakes.  
  

  I dont expect resolution through BBB, but feel free to post my experience on your site. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  07/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We had an agent come out and discuss the work we wanted done to our flower bed. After about 15 minutes of discussing we settled on the design one of my neighbors had. The agent agreed said he wouldtake photos and send us a quote for that work. We got the quote with no photos attached and even had phone calls discussing the work again. They came and did not do the work that was discussed. We had discussed a perimeter with their field agent and instead got a border around the front of the flower bed only. I have been calling and trying to discuss the issue with some and they have been ignoring my calls. To the point where I had to call from a different number. They finally sent another quote with the amount of zero attached and said they had now attached photos so we could review the work that would be done. The photos were not attached so I called to ask for them. They then sent the quote again with pictures but had now changed the price to $3500. I called to talk to them asking what happened they said it was a mistake, and we should have known better because the square footage was on the original quote. I told them I could know less about square footage and that's why I was hiring them, they should have attached photos in the first place. They charged us over $2000 for an ll foot line of brick. I just want them to finish the work they said they were going to do in the first place. I feel like they're likes and taking advantage of people.

  Business response

  08/07/2023

  We are aware of *************************************** complaints regarding her service.  She has left negative reviews on multiple social media sites including ******** and ****** referring to our company as a scam and vocally criticizing our company and calling into question our service standards and ethics.  We have responded to reviews such as the one shown below with facts showing that her claims are incorrect and are bordering defamation:

  
  ****** Review posted July 27, 2023
  *******************************
  
  Reviewer stats1 review 0 photos
  Review left by *******************************
  
  "DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THESE PEOPLE. ***y will send someone out to quote you for work you want done. That you thouroughly discuss with them, and then not complete that job. ***n they will ignore your calls, and when they finally talk to you, they'll send you a new quote with $0. Making you think they are correcting their mistake, only to turn around and charge you $3500 and claim its because of materials. ***se people operate in bad faith and lie. ***y are a scam."

  
  Our Company's Response posted July 27, 2023:
  Hi *********,  we are sorry to hear of your frustration but would like to reiterate (as our office has discussed this with you more than once) that your original quote was for a single line of limestone edging around the front of one bed.  You approved this estimate with the measurements and description clearly stated and the service was completed.  You are now asking for 2 rows of limestone edging around the full bed in addition to a 2nd bed so an estimator was sent back to take new measurements but was sent away from the property.  A second estimate has been provided for the additional materials if you would like to move forward.  If you have any further questions, please contact the office directly at **************.  
  
  
  Ms. ********* claims that she was never allowed to speak with a supervisor, however, I am the office manager and was the first person that spoke to Ms. ********* following the installation in response to her voicemail that was left after hours on July 13th, the day of her installation.  I called and spoke with Ms. ********* at 8:08am the following morning and we discussed her estimate and the service completed.  I let her know that the back of the bed was not included in the estimate which was emailed and approved by her prior to scheduling.  We are always happy to make adjustments and revisions to the scope of work but none was requested as you can see by the **************** email chain.  In fact, she did request for one revision to remove the mulch from the quote because she wanted to provide that material herself but she never mentioned nor commented on the scope of the edging installation which clearly states, "35 linear feet white limestone chop block for edging single row and mortared" as you can see below and on the estimate approved by the customer (also attached).

  
  **Service Completed July 13th**
  ************************* (****** - Clean & ******* Flowerbeds + Landscape Install: Clean & ******* Flowerbeds: Clean front flower beds + Landscape Install: 35 Linear feet white limestone chop block 1 bag mortar 0.5 Yard sand 150 Sqft weed mat 1 yard black mulch Install single row mortared limestone edging around front yard flowerbed. **customer will provide mulch) ************************************************************************

  
  We've also only missed 1 call from Ms. ********* since the installation and the call we did receive on her day of service was after office hours (almost 6pm). I've included a copy of our phone log to verify this information.  Her claims that she's called many times and we are avoiding her are false.  
  
  *** customer also states that she requested photos of the installation multiple times prior to the installation.  I've included the before and after service email chains and a screen shot of a search for the customer's email showing that no correspondence happened between the date the service was scheduled and the date of installation.  *** customer states in her complaint filed with the BBB that she repeated requested photos of the proposed installation before the service was completed but the "before" service email chain does not include any such request.  This is another false statement.

  
  In cases such as this where the customer is asking for additional work,  a change order can be provided.  We notified the customer on July 17th (please see "after service" email chain for verification) that we would be sending an estimator back out to the property the following day (July 18th) to take measurements for the additional materials but was sent away by the customer.  He was able to get the information needed prior to being sent away so a change order was sent for the following materials and labor needed for the change order.  A copy of the change order was sent to the customer and stated:

  
  Additional Work Quoted:  
  127132-Landscape Install:
  
  205 linear ft of white limestone chop block
  Mortar
  Sand
  
  Add a second row to the existing limestone border at the front of the left bed (orange line).
  Install a 2-level limestone border along the back of the left flower bed and along the sidewalk (pink line) so that the left bed is fully edged on all sides with 2 rows of limestone.
  Install a 2-level limestone border along small bed on right side of sidewalk leading to the front door so that both beds match.
  
  

  I appreciate your time in having reviewed this complaint, however, as you can see by the facts presented that Mr. ********* is only selectively presenting information and not the full story.  *** services that were quoted have been provided in full and are complete.  Any additional services will be presented only at the quoted price.  

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I complained via email about being charged for service 2 weeks ago where I stated that the mower did not do any work on my lawn and mentioned weeds growing in my backyard.Their replied email said they did the best of their ability and suggest I pay for additional services to remove leaves.Today I received another **** and have pictures to prove that the mowers did no work whatsoever. I have been home and the mowers did not turn on any machinery in my yard nor even entered the backyard.It is common practice for mowers to mow over leaves in the yards of customers.I respectfully request a refund of at least the last two services and a cancellation of my contract immediately for fraudulent charges and no service performed.

  Customer response

  04/18/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  After presenting the company of photographic evidence of failure to provide service, along with mentioning that I have submitted the evidence to the BBB, the business has refunded me for the two most recent (and complained about) services.  They also cancelled my contract with no further questions when requested.

   

  
  
  Regards,
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  02/11/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Lawn service is more than mowing & edging grass. Includes such tasks as raking leaves and trimming bushes. When grass is dormant, there is still service needs but reduced from every week to every other week. The 1st time of no-show I agreed to start the once a week service, one week earlier. However, the "landscape" has changed. Our agreement was based on the assumption I would not lose 4 weeks of service. I'm billed by CC monthly for $205.68 including sales tax. It seems only fair that I be refunded/credited that amount. I don't want extra weeks of service during the dormant season. All the leaves are gone, bushes trimmed....the grass is dormant. Just like a favorite restaurant, I wouldn't drop off a check every month because the employees are not able to work. Is it fair that I should have to subsidize a lawn service for the same reason? I have not approached the owner. (**** ******) I thought I would try this method first. It's crazy times, but what is fair is fair.

  Business response

  02/11/2022

  All services are built based of off 12 months of the calendar year and have easy monthly payment.   Customer is still receiving service whether is delayed due to weather and or covid.  Full service scope of work is still being provided just delayed to current events outside of Grass Works control.  

   

  Management:  Grass Works Team

  Customer response

  02/12/2022

  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting the business response, because we're actually at an impasse.  The matter was complicated more by sending out a crew without me being notified.  Since I was not at home to give them specific instructions, things were done that were unnecessary and other things that needed to be done weren't done.  One thing that was done wrong and I hve to remind the crew every visit is it's better to leaves leaves in the beds rather than blow out the mulch with the leaves. 

  
  The premise is I don’t want extra workdays in March to make up for lost service over 4 weeks. I’m making the “reasonable” business request to receive one month’s refund for one month of  no service. (The band-aid service attempt today is MORE upsetting than missing the 4 weeks because not notified, grass mowed, etc.)

  I think we have to agree to disagree.  He can keep his money as I guess he needs it more than me.  It's the principle, not the money that is an issue with me. I'll just on...........
  
  
  Best regards,
  

  Customer response

  02/16/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. The dispute/complaint has been settled.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ********

*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. ↩