Design-A-Yard

Services were promised when my money was given to them but they did not follow through on those promised services.Design-a-yard promised a landscape plan by a specific week. They also promised one full year of support from and access to them regarding the plan after it was delivered. They took my money at our first meeting when the verbal promises were made. When it was clear that they were not going to meet the deadline they promised (I needed it by this time to get approval from the review board for my new neighborhood) they became rude and evasive about the timing of completing the project. I asked them when it would be done and they said "it's on rush" but could not tell me when it would be done even though the day they took my money they told me it would be in the mail to me by the beginning of week after next. After they were rude and told me they couldn't tell me it would be done I received a rude email indicating that it had been done and that it was in the mail the next day.The plan was throne together, did not include the promised information. I had questins about the plan and when I emailed them to ask the questions I got a rude reply of "our business is CONCLUDED." They promised that part of the plan was service for a full year. They refuse to answer questions about the plan that was provided and they have not delivered on their promises.They take your money at the first meeting without a written contract and lie about deadlines to get your buisiness. They knew my deadline and promised to meet it before they got my check. After they had my money they claimed that there was no such deadline. Then they threw together a sloppy plan about which they refuse to answer any questions: eg, a deck drawn without an elevation, plants that require full sun put in a completely shaded location. Furhtermore the plan has a legend that goes with it but not everything in the plan is even referenced on the legend.Finally, to add insult to injuty they rudely ibform me that our business is "CONCLUDED" after 2.5 weeks, when it was promised to be a service for one year.These people are scams.Desired SettlementThe promise was a year of service and a plan that I coudl hand to a contractor. They have concluded our business so I expect to get a refund. Also, the plan has no elevation information regarding the deck, patio and bale. For this I expect a refund.Business Response This is completely fabricated to end with a free Landscape Design. We are a Flat Fee Landscape Design company. We lay out a one dimensional hardscape and plantscape design based soley on the Area Designed for the Do It Yourselfer, or to be implemented by a landscaper. We supply the design, a plant legend, tips for the your property, and a list of assorted service providers for a special right now of $299.00 up to 1/2 acre design area. This is the special she took advantage of. We surveyed her property on Saturday July 26th. She was told it takes Three weeks to complete the design in our busy season. She said she needed it rushed. We said we could deliver a FOOTPRINT (hardscapes for construction, no plantscapes), the following week. The plan would then stay in rotation for plantscapes. A second completed design would then follow. She said that she needed the plants also. It was then told to her that it was NOT POSSIBLE to complete the entire design and get it mailed to her in one week. That also included two weekends. We said we could put a rush on it but that it absolutely would not be a week for a complete design. She told us her deadline was the August 15th. We said it would complete in plenty of time. She also had numerous complaints as we arrived about her builder, her realtor, the people attempting to grade her property, (which she stopped half way through), and any other service contractor in touch with her. We felt sorry for her and went over and above our perimeters in area worked for the price, we took our survey photos plus many additional so called "contractor complaint photos", and turned them all over to her because she said she needed to take them to her real estate lawyer about her contractor. Her emails, texts, and phone calls were immediate and relentless. We have ALL records. She also requested we find out the lastest [redacted] laws about the condition a property should be in when turned over to the buyer, which we did, and have all corresponding letters to the appropriate poeple. We turned over that information to her also. All of this is outside of what we do for a flat fee design. Sunday August 3rd she emailed about the design being sent. Monday August 4th she called late in the evening demanding the full design saying it was promised to her in one week and that her mailman did not bring it. As we tried to correct her she became very rude demanding the exact moment she would recieve it and that we did not do as we said. Of course we could not say the MOMENT it would be in her hands, we said it is on rush and will be OUT as promised as a complete design within the two week schedule. She just kept repeating "WHEN", and then hung up on us. When we realised the mindset we were dealing with, we stayed in the office and worked her design all night to appease her. Upon completion we then sent an email (which we have) stating it has been completed and will be in the mail the following day. It was personally mailed out, OVERNIGHT, and to BE SIGNED for the following morning. Tuesday August 5th she received a beautiful design, seven buiness days from the survey, then emailed us an appology (which we have)for the way she acted, and immediately started right back up on more rediculous demands. One concern was that her plant legend was somehow incomplete. Due to the late hour, just in case there was an oversight, I immediately emailed a complete plant legend from our saved file. As the emils continued, she was informed that we had met all, plus over and above, what we offer in our flat fee design and that our business was concluded. We have all descriptions of our service, and it is in advertised print everywhere for the last 19 years. We have the Design, and all correspondence pertaining to this matter at your request. She continued to email until I mentioned harassment. Her response was a threat that we were horrible and that she would make sure everyone knew. She has now contacted you. Consumer Response This company has not provided the services that they said they would provide. They clearly said over and over BEFORE I gave them my money that they would be availble to me to answer questions for a full year. They won't even answer a single question regarding the plan they sent to me. I don't expect that they will return my money for the services not done because they are not ethical. The money is really not the issue for me.My main point is to make their practices known so that no one else will be take by their scams.My mistake was taking them at their word rather than getting their promises in writing.The simple fact that they refuse to answer my questions about the plan sent me shows that they don't stand by their work. Asking a company to supply you with what you have paid for by the time they said it would be done is reasonable. For the company to go on the attack because you ask them to keep their word is not only unreasonable but unethical. My hope is that others will not have to deal with these people.Final Business Response Again, we have an absolutely untarnished record for over 19 years. You cannot run a scam for 19 to 20 years in a the same area. We are not on any attack, we have been put into an unfair position of defending ourselves. How could it be that we responded with the plant legends you say were somehow incomplete if we did not respond to you? The problem here is not with us or our services it is with this very rude, over expectant client. As we said, she is having the delusional problems with everyone she is working with as SHE told to us upon our arrival to her property. She believes her builder, her landscaper, and everyone else is out to take her. We have nothing to defend here. She has received all services included in her $299.00 special. We have done everything and more for her. Apparently for some reason we are a never ending service. We are not contractors or nor job managers. As we said we have all correpondance and the very detailed design to provide if needed. In fact any other company in this position would be additionally invoicing her for the extended trip charge to [redacted] the research requested on her grading, the demand to bump all other clients for her after she WAS TOLD the time schedule, the additional charge with the need to send her design overnight and to be signed for, the incessant contact from the moment we left the property, and the abuse my architect had to endure on the phone. We spent 2 hours on her property surveying it, and delivered well ahead of her fantasy schedule a complete design, including full landscaping with 32 varieties of plants, shrubs, and trees, a large deck area dropping down to a nice patio with a fire pit and seating walls, a destination Balize Bale relaxation pagoda, all taking into consideration the view and access from inside the home and screen porch area. The back yard was requested to have total privacy which we supplied with plantings at her request. The fact that we are now told the design was thrown together, and that we did nothing for her is ludicrous. She is correct in saying our business is concluded. As for any refund, we paid more to do this job then she did. Thank you.