Community Forestry Consultants

RE: Case ID [redacted] Dear Ms [redacted] : I am responding to the case referenced above and the customer's ( [redacted] ***) statementI am the president of Community Forestry Consultants, Inc(CFC)CFC is an independent arboriculture, urban forestry, and horticulture consulting firmWe provide expert advice and information for a wide variety of clientsWe do not perform any type of arboriculture, urban forestry or horticulture maintenance for residential clientsA consultant is an experienced professional who provides expert knowledge for a feeHe or she works in an advisory capacity only as part of a consulting exerciseI was introduced to Ms [redacted] at two separate social gatherings in the span of two yearsThis does not constitute classification as friendsI do not engage with her on a social level and would not consider her a friendOur relationship in this matter is consultant/client in natureShe was referred to me by a neighborThe neighbor indicated she had questions about tree issues at her residenceMs [redacted] is under the assumption consultants work for freeI explained to her before starting the walk around her property about the process and the feeShe states in part about taking notes which was part of the explanation provided to her at the onset of the consultationI was not hired by her to perform tree maintenanceI was asked to provide an opinion of tree maintenance requiredI discussed all trees located on her property (three ponderosa pines, one Japanese cherry, one honeylocust, one Japanese maple, one callery pear, one cherry plum, and one flowering dogwood) with her during the walkIn addition to the trees I also provided information about the shrubs growing on her propertyMore than shrubs were discussedWe also discussed the English ivy invading her deck and hot tubIt is physically impossible in twenty minutes to review the quantity of plants I discussed with herThe fact is I spent one hour and fifteen minutes at her propertyThis included further discussion at her kitchen counter about recommended arborists to perform the work, questions about irrigation contractors, and priority of maintenance requiredI received an email (copies attached) from Ms [redacted] the next day (Sunday July 19) requesting a written report and receiptA written report was never part of the consultation as explained initiallyShe was directed to take notes as we walked aroundShe quit taking notes early on in the walk aroundWritten reports are detailed and require a great deal of time to generateWritten reports are not included during a walk around consultationHowever I did send her a reply the same day with a brief summary of the discussion regarding the treesOn July I mailed (USPS) a receipt to her from a Lynnwood, [redacted] post office boxAside from the emails, Ms [redacted] never contacted me to discuss any of the issues she raises in her statementWhen our indoor discussion was near conclusion Ms [redacted] asked what she owned meI responded with my fee of $Ms [redacted] implies some malfeasance regarding the paymentThe fact is I own the companyShe was given the option of writing a check to Community Forestry Consultants, Incor Jim F*She opted for Jim F [redacted] as it was easier to writeThe fact is I am the companyThe payment is applied the sameMs [redacted] account is a misstatement of the facts, including statements made regarding dishonest business practicesPlease contact me if you have further questions or need more information

August 27, [redacted] Accreditation Services SupervisorRevdex.com SJefferson, Ste200Spokane,WA RE: Case ID [redacted] Dear Ms [redacted] ,I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this does not resolve my complaintFor your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below MrF [redacted] makes wrongful allegations about the services he provided while at my propertyI would like to clarify them one by oneThe goal is that Revdex.com gets a clear idea of the wrongful business practices conducted by MrF [redacted] at my property, while warning him to not conduct malfeasant acts towards other people in the future First, I never suggested that MrF [redacted] and I were friendsWe have one friend in common and we have met at social gatherings, one time at the common friend’s residence and the second time, at MrF*’s, per his invitationI do not consider MrF [redacted] a friend either Second, I am not under the assumption that consultants work for freeNeither do I think consultants should work for free nor do I believe they should work outside the legally and properly established business regulations and criteria as well as industry standardsTo be more precise, I do reiterate here that MrF [redacted] NEVER submitted either on writing or verbally that his advice would involve a feeI believe that professionals ought to charge for their servicesHowever, they must present a clear estimate of the expenses in advance to the consumerThis is just standard procedure in any industry, including the Arborist consulting agencies! As a matter of fact, I spoke with three other arborist consulting agencies and all of them strictly present their potential clients with a clear estimate of expenses prior to beginning the workMrF [redacted] never brought up the subject to me and since we were put in touch by a common friend, and he strictly asked me to take notes on what he was describing during his visitHence I was brought under the impression that he was doing this as a collegial gestureNot only he did not present an estimate of charges in advance, but also never discussed that this work would include a chargeHe called me on Saturday July 18, 2015, early afternoon simply asking me whether he could stop by my place that very afternoon and walk through the yard to give me an idea of what needed to be doneHe did not mention that he would charge a fee, nor did I agree to any money exchangeWhile I think he or any other consultant should charge for their advice, they need to provide with full information prior to the beginning of the services to the clientMrF [redacted] violated the basic principle of business honesty and transparencyFinally, I did ask whether I owed him anything because he would not leave my home and seemed expectant of a paymentAt the moment, I accepted the charge that he verbally conveyed because I knew this person through a friend and colleague of mine, and I did not want to look bad on my friend’s eyesHowever, upon consulting other people, they all agreed that MrF [redacted] sought to take advantage of me by charging me an extremely high fee for a rather incomplete consulting job (lacking an estimate, site report and payment receipt)Any consulting job must include a reportMrF [redacted] did not provide that on siteIn summary, MrF*’s argument that “I explained to her before starting the walk around her property about the process and the fee” is absolutely fallacious Third, I did quit taking notes because I could not keep up with the information MrF [redacted] was conveying verbally and at the same time ask pertinent questionsThe job of a consulting professional is to provide with a very clear report of findings and recommendationsThat IS exactly their job, and MrF [redacted] asked me to take notes rather than writing the technical specifications himself as the consultantThe description involved technical terms and he was talking quite fastTherefore, I decided to listen, pay attention and stop writingI think MrF [redacted] must realize that the minimum expectations (especially if he charges a fee for his services, and a very high fee with no prior notice) is that the professional provide with a clear written report Fourth, MrF [redacted] fails to show proof of yet a third email (on July 19, 2015, attached) from me to him asking him once again to send me a receipt, which he never did until AFTER I had filed the report with Revdex.com (see attached emails)The back-dated letter and USPS postmarked envelope from his business, show a receipt submission date of August 13, more than a week after I had filed the complaint with Revdex.com (August 6th, 2015) and a month after he provided the services and charged me the $fee Finally, MrF [redacted] asked me to write his name (Jim F*) on the check, rather than the business’s (Community Forestry Consultants, Inc.) under the claim that “it is a shorter name to write.” So, I was not given an option at the moment, as MrF [redacted] incorrectly suggestsCoincidentally, when MrF [redacted] came to my home on August 15, 2015, to refund me the money in person, he gave me cashIf indeed this was a "company" issue, then the refund should have gone through "company accounting." There is no record of that accountingYes, I did sign a paper that he gave me cash back, but the IRS would never accept that in an audit Regards, [redacted] ***

Customer failed to mention that doors were taken back because they were extremely picky and couldn't be pleasedJob was behind schedule because when it needed a "full refinish" I was working on another projectCustomer was unable to be pleased and was threatening bc he's a police officerPlenty of text messages to prove so

Customer failed to mention that doors were taken back because they were extremely picky and couldn't be pleased. Job was behind schedule because when it needed a "full refinish" I was working on another project. Customer was unable to be pleased and was threatening bc he's a police...

officer. Plenty of text messages to prove so.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[redacted] is not proposing a resolution at all. She did not adhere to any aspect of the contact we both signed. I don't not feel we were being too picky as there was hair stuck in the paint as well was extremely poor workmanship. When contracting another company I was charged more to in-do the damage to our doors. On top of that she is claiming my husband threatened her which at no time happen. [redacted] refused to return our doors and we informed her what our next steps (file a police report) would be if she did not return our doors, at no time did my husband ever mention his profession. Not to mention the photo [redacted] provided in her response are not even our doors. Attached is a picture [redacted] sent me through [redacted] as you can see we have raised panel doors not flat ones, there is also a picture of the hair and some other major issues.We would like a full refund ASAP
Regards,
[redacted]

August 27, 2015
[redacted]Accreditation Services SupervisorRevdex.com
152 S. Jefferson, Ste. 200Spokane,WA99201
RE: Case ID [redacted]
Dear Ms. [redacted],I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted] and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Mr. F[redacted] makes wrongful allegations about the services he provided while at my property. I would like to clarify them one by one. The goal is that Revdex.com gets a clear idea of the wrongful business practices conducted by Mr. F[redacted] at my property, while warning him to not conduct malfeasant acts towards other people in the future.
First, I never suggested that Mr. F[redacted] and I were friends. We have one friend in common and we have met at social gatherings, one time at the common friend’s residence and the second time, at Mr. F[redacted]’s, per his invitation. I do not consider Mr. F[redacted] a friend either.
Second, I am not under the assumption that consultants work for free. Neither do I think consultants should work for free nor do I believe they should work outside the legally and properly established business regulations and criteria as well as industry standards. To be more precise, I do reiterate here that Mr. F[redacted] NEVER submitted either on writing or verbally that his advice would involve a fee. I believe that professionals ought to charge for their services. However, they must present a clear estimate of the expenses in advance to the consumer. This is just standard procedure in any industry, including the Arborist consulting agencies! As a matter of fact, I spoke with three other arborist consulting agencies and all of them strictly present their potential clients with a clear estimate of expenses prior to beginning the work. Mr. F[redacted] never brought up the subject to me and since we were put in touch by a common friend, and he strictly asked me to take notes on what he was describing during his visit. Hence I was brought under the impression that he was doing this as a collegial gesture. Not only he did not present an estimate of charges in advance, but also never discussed that this work would include a charge. He called me on Saturday July 18, 2015, early afternoon simply asking me whether he could stop by my place that very afternoon and walk through the yard to give me an idea of what needed to be done. He did not mention that he would charge a fee, nor did I agree to any money exchange. While I think he or any other consultant should charge for their advice, they need to provide with full information prior to the beginning of the services to the client. Mr. F[redacted] violated the basic principle of business honesty and transparency. Finally, I did ask whether I owed him anything because he would not leave my home and seemed expectant of a payment. At the moment, I accepted the charge that he verbally conveyed because I knew this person through a friend and colleague of mine, and I did not want to look bad on my friend’s eyes. However, upon consulting other people, they all agreed that Mr. F[redacted] sought to take advantage of me by charging me an extremely high fee for a rather incomplete consulting job (lacking an estimate, site report and payment receipt). Any consulting job must include a report. Mr. F[redacted] did not provide that on site. In summary, Mr. F[redacted]’s argument that “I explained to her before starting the walk around her property about the process and the fee” is absolutely fallacious.
Third, I did quit taking notes because I could not keep up with the information Mr. F[redacted] was conveying verbally and at the same time ask pertinent questions. The job of a consulting professional is to provide with a very clear report of findings and recommendations. That IS exactly their job, and Mr. F[redacted] asked me to take notes rather than writing the technical specifications himself as the consultant. The description involved technical terms and he was talking quite fast. Therefore, I decided to listen, pay attention and stop writing. I think Mr. F[redacted] must realize that the minimum expectations (especially if he charges a fee for his services, and a very high fee with no prior notice) is that the professional provide with a clear written report.
Fourth, Mr. F[redacted] fails to show proof of yet a third email (on July 19, 2015, attached) from me to him asking him once again to send me a receipt, which he never did until AFTER I had filed the report with Revdex.com (see attached emails). The back-dated letter and USPS postmarked envelope from his business, show a receipt submission date of August 13, 2015 more than a week after I had filed the complaint with Revdex.com (August 6th, 2015) and a month after he provided the services and charged me the $100 fee.
Finally, Mr. F[redacted] asked me to write his name (Jim F[redacted]) on the check, rather than the business’s (Community Forestry Consultants, Inc.) under the claim that “it is a shorter name to write.” So, I was not given an option at the moment, as Mr. F[redacted] incorrectly suggests. Coincidentally, when Mr. F[redacted] came to my home on August 15, 2015, to refund me the money in person, he gave me cash. If indeed this was a "company" issue, then the refund should have gone through "company accounting." There is no record of that accounting. Yes, I did sign a paper that he gave me cash back, but the IRS would never accept that in an audit.  Regards,[redacted]

RE: Case ID [redacted] Dear Ms. [redacted]: I am responding to the case referenced above and the customer's ([redacted]) statement. I am the president of Community Forestry Consultants, Inc. (CFC). CFC is an independent arboriculture, urban forestry, and horticulture consulting firm. We...

provide expert advice and information for a wide variety of clients. We do not perform any type of arboriculture, urban forestry or horticulture maintenance for residential clients. A consultant is an experienced professional who provides expert knowledge for a fee. He or she works in an advisory capacity only as part of a consulting exercise. I was introduced to Ms. [redacted] at two separate social gatherings in the span of two years. This does not constitute classification as friends. I do not engage with her on a social level and would not consider her a friend. Our relationship in this matter is consultant/client in nature. She was referred to me by a neighbor. The neighbor indicated she had questions about tree issues at her residence. Ms. [redacted] is under the assumption consultants work for free. I explained to her before starting the walk around her property about the process and the fee. She states in part about taking notes which was part of the explanation provided to her at the onset of the consultation. I was not hired by her to perform tree maintenance. I was asked to provide an opinion of tree maintenance required. I discussed all trees located on her property (three ponderosa pines, one Japanese cherry, one honeylocust, one Japanese maple, one callery pear, one cherry plum, and one flowering dogwood) with her during the walk. In addition to the trees I also provided information about the shrubs growing on her property. More than 10 shrubs were discussed. We also discussed the English ivy invading her deck and hot tub. It is physically impossible in twenty minutes to review the quantity of plants I discussed with her. The fact is I spent one hour and fifteen minutes at her property. This included further discussion at her kitchen counter about recommended arborists to perform the work, questions about irrigation contractors, and priority of maintenance required. I received an email (copies attached) from Ms. [redacted] the next day (Sunday July 19) requesting a written report and receipt. A written report was never part of the consultation as explained initially. She was directed to take notes as we walked around. She quit taking notes early on in the walk around. Written reports are detailed and require a great deal of time to generate. Written reports are not included during a walk around consultation. However I did send her a reply the same day with a brief summary of the discussion regarding the trees. On July 20 I mailed (USPS) a receipt to her from a Lynnwood, [redacted] post office box. Aside from the emails, Ms. [redacted] never contacted me to discuss any of the issues she raises in her statement. When our indoor discussion was near conclusion Ms. [redacted] asked what she owned me. I responded with my fee of $100.00. Ms. [redacted] implies some malfeasance regarding the payment. The fact is I own the company. She was given the option of writing a check to Community Forestry Consultants, Inc. or Jim F[redacted]. She opted for Jim F[redacted] as it was easier to write. The fact is I am the company. The payment is applied the same. Ms. [redacted] account is a misstatement of the facts, including statements made regarding dishonest business practices. Please contact me if you have further questions or need more information.