ComplaintsforFirefighter Lawn Care, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  09/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  7/20/23 Hired Firefighter Lawn Care to pull weeds in flowerbeds. Promptly paid for service but grass/weeds continued to grow in beds. 8/15/23 hired to service irrigation and set timers for the sprinklers. Invoice for $900 promptly paid. **** was contacted to inform him the grass and weeds were still growing in beds & requested treatment of the weeds. I provided weed killer concentrate & tank sprayer. 8/28/23 Invoice received $160.00 for weed control but treatment ineffective. Requested service repeated. Second invoice received $293.56 "Past Due" - included $133 for 2nd weed control treatment. Again - no results from the weed control ***************** continued to grow in areas **** treated. 9/10/23 photos of the weeds in flowerbeds sent to **** & clearly confirmed neither first or second weed control treatment had been effective. When I objected to the 2nd charge to repeat the same service after the 1st treatment was ineffective - **** insisted concentrate I supplied for the 1st treatment was likely old and defective. I informed him the amount of product gone from the container indicated the concentrate had not been mixed as directed and was too diluted to be effective. The remainder of the product was used in another area and effectively killed the weeds. ****'s explanation for the absence of any results from the 2nd service was that sprinklers had sprayed water over the treated areas and washed off the product. I reminded him I had recently paid HIS COMPANY to service my irrigation and set the timers on the sprinklers, and it was reasonable to expect his technicians to be knowledgeable & check the system to prevent sprinklers from washing the product off. **** proposed after I paid for 2 ineffective weed control treatments, $293.56, he would return to treat weeds again at no cost. He insists I am obligated to pay for service even though no benefit was received. He reported he would contact a lawyer for collection if invoice wasn't paid.

  Business response

  09/28/2023

  Customer complained that the chemicals we sprayed were ineffective. I informed her that the chemical she provided was mixed according to the label and applied. Customer placed allegations on my company that we did not perform the service and/or that we were incompetent to perform the service and refused to pay her invoice for services that were rendered. 

  I did suggest that there was a possibility of the chemical being old or bad but did not claim that to be the reason rather a suggestion of to why it was ineffective. Customer requested it be sprayed again so we did that service however I opted to use our chemicals. This was sprayed and customer continued to claim it did not work. I then suggested that there was a possibility the sprinklers ran after being applied and diluted the chemicals. I find it bizarre that the chemicals did not work after 2 applications which tells me there is a problem such as sprinkler running and diluting out the chemicals or something else unexplained.   I explained that regardless of result these services were rendered and that she is obligated to pay the invoice as per terms and conditions. I also offered a solution to the complaint by spraying again at no charge that she refused. 

  While my company was hired to check the sprinkler system and make necessary repairs, it is not our responsibility to turn sprinklers on/off after a chemical application. This is the responsibility of the customer. Customer have responsibility to take care of their landscaping. The fact is the expectation of this customer is not realistic. If customer wanted my company to take care of all of these items on a reoccurring basis then the customer should have signed an ongoing maintenance contract for us to care for all of the items including irrigation maintenance, flower bed maintenance, etc. ****************** in the flower beds is not the best solution for ''maintenance'' and weed prevention. It is recommended that the flower beds be maintained weekly or biweekly by pulling the weeds. 

  I offered the customer the opportunity for us to spray again at no charge and she refused the offer and refused to pay my company for services that were rendered therefore she is being sent to my attorney for collection activity as stated in the terms and conditions. 

  Customer response

  09/28/2023

  Complaint: 20667396
  
  

  ****'s response is a rather dramatic reflection of events.  At no time have I accused anyone of incompetence, nor have I reported doubt about whether or not the weeds were sprayed.  When I received the invoice for weed control, I made **** aware the treatment was not effective and weeds continued to grow in the beds.  He challenged the chemicals I had provided but he offered to re-treat the areas & scheduled a 2nd visit.  I informed him of my suspicion the chemicals had not been mixed per directions because of the small amount missing from container.  

  I contacted **** again after receiving a 2nd invoice for weed control - which included the same charge for the 1st visit for ineffective service PLUS the charge for a 2nd treatment.  I communicated my objection to the expectation he assume no accountability with the expectation I should pay for a service I did not receive any benefit.

  I remained in contact when the 2nd treatment failed to produce results, which **** promptly dismissed.  He reported it was likely my irrigation sprayed and diluted the chemicals - but still accepted zero accountability for the failure to deliver his end of our agreement & insisted I pay for 2 treatments that produced no results.  

  His accusation I expected him to work for free has no merit.  He collected payment for 2 prior services - promptly. His suggestion he is *********** charge customers whether he keeps his end of the contractural agreement or not - is ludicrous.  He was given access to my property twice for one reason only:  to spray for the removal & control of weeds in flowerbeds.  To date - he has delivered no benefit of our bargain to me.  If **** invested the same energy into the quality of service delivered to his customers as he does in the collection for work that is below trade standards - there would be no need for this interaction.

  I am rejecting this response because ****'s lack of accountability leaves the public at risk for his continued misrepresentation of his business practices.
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  09/12/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On April 27, 2022, I hired Firefighter Lawn Care, LLC to install a French drain because water was standing in my back yard. The work was completed about May 18 and cost $4.500. The original plan stated that the drain would empty into the street in front of my house. The revised plan, which was not discussed with me until after it was implemented, empties water directly on the public sidewalk and in the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street. The sidewalk is constantly wet, and slippery algae is growing on it, causing a slipping hazard about 5' wide by 7' long. It is dangerous and also an eyesore for me, my next door neighbors, and countless others in the neighborhood who use the sidewalk to get to the mailboxes. I stated my dissatisfaction the day the work was finished. He verbally assured me that the water would evaporate. In July, after multiple days of 100+ degree weather, I sent Firefighters picture of the large patch of algae and water on the sidewalk. His reply: "As I previously explained . . . the drain will not work properly going under the sidewalk to the street. That was the original plan but after digging and evaluating the way the sidewalk was installed it is not going to allow the proper slope which. . .would prevent it from draining properly in the street. This is the reason we altered the original plan during install so that the drain would work correctly. . . The only thing that can be done is to shorten drain so that it emits in the grass instead of directly on the sidewalk. The water will still have a chance of running through the grass and on the sidewalk, but the grass will help absorb it." From his own words, I gather that his alternate solution will not solve the problem of water standing on the sidewalk or my lawn. I am a monthly customer who has hired his firm for other work. I expected better.

  Business response

  10/11/2022

  When the crew was installing, we found that the original plan to dig under the sidewalk and drain water into the street was not feasible due to the way the utilities and the sidewalk were installed when developed, so we had to change the original plan. If we had run the drain under the sidewalk as originally planned, it would have created a low area in the drain that went under the elevation of the sidewalk which in fact would have caused problems with the drain. The drain has to have the correct slope and if there is a low area in the drainpipe which there would have been under the sidewalk then the drain would not properly drain. This is the reason we had to make changes during the project to terminate the drain at the sidewalk. This customer requested that I (****) Meet with her to discuss so I went to the job site after completing the job and explained all of this information to the customer. I advised her that the water would drain on the sidewalk and the only other solution would be to shorten the drain to emit water in the front side yard which would create a muddy area in that section of lawn. The request to reconstruct the drain is not necessary as the drain works great as evidence by the water draining on the front sidewalk. The area in the back lawn is emitting water from a natural spring which is out of everyone's control. There is nothing more that Firefighter Lawn Care can do in this situation other than shorten the drain to emit water in the front side yard. The drain was installed properly with the proper slope. The issue at hand is that we cannot go under the sidewalk and maintain the proper slope to the street due to construction of the sidewalk and utility lines (main water lines, electric, sewer, etc). Even after meeting with the customer and explaining this in person there was concern communicated to me from the customer in which I again explained the situation and that there is nothing more that FFLC could do other than shortening the drain. Even after shortening the drain to emit in the front side yard the customer would still not be satisfied with the outcome, so I feel there is no solution to satisfy this customer.

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