ComplaintsforLCS Lawn Service

• Initial Complaint

  08/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I had this company treat my lawn for the past three years or so, and each year, they sent a discount coupon for prepayment. They sent one at the end of last year too, but I responded late. So I asked if they would still honor the discount coupon past the deadline, but they said no. Since I didn't want to just pay more money than I used to, I hired another lawn care company this spring. Then this company still came to my house and provided a lawn treatment service without my permission. When I asked them why, they said my contract was renewed automatically. However, it doesn't make sense because I never had them treat my lawn "automatically". As I stated above, I made full payment each year AFTER I used their coupon. And I had never been informed properly about this "automatic renewal" option. Also, who would still want the company to treat their lawn when they said no to the request for honoring their coupon?Now they keep sending me a bill and this time, they will list my details with a collection agency. This is ridiculous, and I'd like BBB to help me with this issue.

  Business response

  09/20/2023

  Mr. **** has been a lawncare customer since 2019. We are a continual **********************, as is common in our industry here in the Midwest. We have disclosed this information very clearly on multiple forms of communication throughout the years. I have attached a few of those communication samples for your review and can provide more examples if necessary. We do offer coupon savings in the beginning of a calendar year if customers wish to take advantage of those discounts. If a customer does not prepay for our *********************** their billing will renew at a pay-per-application program. Confirmation of scheduled services is sent out again typically in March, outlining what is scheduled for the year and how to make changes if they wish to cancel or modify the treatment plan. Mr. **** communicated with us April 26th, 2023 after treatment had been applied to his property April 25th, 2023 that he did not order our services. At this point our office staff canceled his account per his request and confirmation of the cancelation was emailed immediately explaining no further charges would be accrued, but he would be responsible for any past due balance. We had multiple email exchanges explaining our policy and product information. Our office staff offered to provide Mr. **** copies of any of the past communications we sent reflecting the company's stance on autorenewal of our services, to which Mr. **** declined. He explained he will not be paying for the service rendered. After multiple attempts to resolve the past due balance owed on Mr. ***** account we were forced to proceed with our accounts receivable process, which ultimately lead to his account being turned over to our pre-collection agency and him filing a complaint against our company. We in no way were deceptive to Mr. **** nor any of our customers. We have provided exemplary customer ********************** to our community for the past 30 years and it saddens us that we were unable to come to a resolution with Mr. **** regarding the service we provided. We welcome the opportunity to continue communication with him and the BBB to reach an agreement regarding this matter.

  Customer response

  09/27/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  I never sign up for automatic renewal (except for Amazon). Please show me a file in which I physically signed for automatic renewal.

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

  Business response

  10/02/2023

  Mr. ***** we have sent over the documents in our last email response. The first document sent was the original sales agreement that explains what you were signing up for for the year as well as ongoing service statement. It also states this same information with every pre payment offer and confirmation letter we send out (again those examples were given with the last set of emails sent to the BBB) We send that same information out 2 times per year.  You are correct you did not physically sign anything, you also never signed anything upon starting our service in 2019, or in 2021, or 2022.  There are no signed contract in the lawn care industry, more of a verbal agreement upon starting services (but again the original service agreement given to you upon starting our service also clearly states we are continual), this is also why we send out the pre pay option and confirmation letter out as often as we do, so we can keep our customers aware that we are coming out to start services again. All of these pre spring notifications say: if you would like to make changes or cancel your service to please give us a call.  We do have roughly 400 customers that cancel service each year with a simple phone call or email.  This information that I am pointing out again in this response is again to reiterate that all lawn service in the state of ** operate in this same fashion.  If you end up looking for another service in the future and don't want those services the next year, it will be a good Idea to reach out to them to discontinue.  There is no more information I can provide that hasn't been given already, we have sent you original service agreement, and each years pre payment documents as well as the confirmation letters. None of which seems to satisfy the Bureau or Mr. ***** rather then to have this continue with limited to no resolution LCS will remove the balance of the treatment that we preformed in good faith to end this dispute.  I again, say, if you do have another lawn care provider and plan on changing that in the future, a phone call prior to applications would be best.

  Thanks,

  If there are any question don't hesitate to call.

  Customer response

  10/05/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  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. 

  However, I must state that what the business, LCS, wrote is not entirely correct. The pre-spring letter doesn't state anything regarding 'automatic renewal', and because of that, customers who don't realize that they are under the automatic renewal setting may not think that they need to cancel anything, esp. if they have been choosing the pre-payment option by using their coupon at the beginning of each year. Also, I am already receiving lawn care by another company, and unlike LCS's response states (i.e., all lawn care businesses work in the same way), this company sends me an email several days before they come out to provide service. If LCS had done that, I'd definitely have stopped them from treating my lawn (which then burned my lawn due to too much treatment). 

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

  
  

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