Lawn Doctor of Altoona Johnstown

Dear Ms. [redacted] In reviewing Mr. ***’s response to my complaint, I have the following questions (Q:) and comments (C:) ~ Re: “I was NOT rude to her in our conversation ” C: Please be advised that, when I called Mr. [redacted] to discuss this issue, I explained that I had called previously to cancel all future treatments. He gruffly replied that he had no record of my cancellation and he further accused me of not reading their cancellation policy which they take time to write and people don't read. I read to him what it says on the bottom of my billing: “The service can be discontinued at any time by a phone call. For change in service, please call our office.” And I assured him that I had indeed called the office and cancelled it. It is important to note here that all of my previous treatments were paid in full, up to the point of my cancellation of service. As far as I was concerned, our business was complete. I never expected to see or hear from him again. I told him that I did not want this service, I did not order this service to be continued, and I will not pay for this treatment. His tone was belligerent and accusatory when he contested this, saying that his staff is so competent that they write and stamp everything. He further added, “The problem is that I take the time to write up these policies and then you incompetent people (customers?) don’t read them!” Then he said that “My husband saw the man there, why didn’t he stop him?” I explained that the man his technician saw was NOT my husband. After being treated so rudely by a business owner, I decided not to argue and simply said, “I’m going to submit this into the RevDex.com.” He responded with, “Listen, we can settle this if you pay $20.00.” I refuse to pay anything for a service I did not request. Re: “I’ve been in business for over 35 years and have had ZERO dealings with the BBB.” (sic) Q: Is that because everyone else before me was intimidated and/or just paid the $20.00 to skip the hassle? Q: Is his offer to settle for $20.00 how he justifies, “I would bend over backwards for my customers”? Re: “We have no record of her cancelling service as she stated (we time / date stamp everything here).” Q: Exactly how do they time/date stamp verbal cancellations? Re: “ and my office staff is NOT incompetent ” After further consideration, I admit that the comment in my complaint “ they have no record of this because of their incompetence ” was an assumption on my part. I don’t really know exactly why they don’t have a record of my cancellation of service. It’s entirely possible that Mr. ***’s staff took my message accurately as given, passed it on to him, and he discarded or simply ignored it, knowing full well that I could never prove it. So now I can only wonder if the absence of any record regarding my verbal cancellation was willful and deliberate on his part, and just the way he does business in order to squeak an extra treatment or two out of those who cancel by phone. If his staff was actually efficient and innocent, I apologize to them for my assumption. Why they have no record is beyond my certainty; my cancellation call remains a fact. Re: “In fact, she watched our technician do her lawn on and THEN came out to tell him she ‘didn’t want’ the service – why wouldn’t she stop him when he pulled up to her house?” C: His claim that I stood by the door watching the application is not true. I had just gotten home from the hospital and was sleeping when the technician arrived. Since they (Lawn Doctor technicians) DO NOT knock on the door, I was not even aware that he was there. I woke up when I heard my son’s personal caregiver coming inside (the man the technician saw). He is NOT my husband, is not privy to my business affairs, and has no authority to make those decisions. It was only then that I looked outside and saw the technician writing up a bill. That was ALL I saw, and I told him, “I did not give you permission for this.” He said, “Well I have an order here.” I asked, “From who? I didn’t order this.” The technician replied, “Okay, I’ll let them know at the office.” It was then that I called Mr. [redacted] to find out what was going on. Re: “The problem is that she chose to NOT read her renewal letter – sent first class mail with a BIG red hand stamped “Important Renewal Info Enclosed” on the front.” C: I had cancelled all future treatments. I wasn’t interested. I threw it out. Q: Is he claiming that I ‘renewed’? I did NOT. Re: “We did work for her that she knew was coming.” I suspect that this is an overstatement on his part, but just in case: If Mr. [redacted] is claiming the ability to read my mind, please be advised and note for the record that his level of accuracy in this regard is nonexistent. I did NOT see this coming. Re: “Did she mention that she took 2 months to pay her first 2013 bill and 4 for her second? – !” Q: Relevance? Why would I ‘mention’ payments that were within the schedule listed on the billing, treatments continued throughout that time period, were paid in full before I cancelled all future service, and have nothing to do with my complaint? Besides, if that was such a problem, why was he so anxious to continue service after I had called to cancel? Hmmmmm ... Maybe I just answered my own question. I refuse to be bullied or intimidated. And I am wondering if you are able to interview other Lawn Doctor customers who cancelled by phone to see if this is a pattern? Respectfully, [redacted] ***

Dear Ms. [redacted]
 In reviewing Mr. [redacted]’s response to my complaint, I have
the following questions (Q:) and comments (C:) ~
Re:  “I was NOT rude
to her in our conversation …”
 C:  Please be advised
that, when I called Mr. [redacted] to discuss this issue, I explained that I had
called previously to cancel all future treatments.  He gruffly replied that he had no record of
my cancellation and he further accused me of not reading their cancellation
policy which they take time to write and people don't read.  I read to him what it says on the bottom of
my billing: “The service can be discontinued at any time by a phone call.  For change in service, please call our
office.”  And I assured him that I had indeed
called the office and cancelled it.
It is important to note here that all of my previous
treatments were paid in full, up to the point of my cancellation of service.  As far as I was concerned, our business was
complete.    I never expected to see or hear from him
again.
 I told him that I did not want this service, I did not order
this service to be continued, and I will not pay for this treatment.
His tone was belligerent and accusatory when he contested
this, saying that his staff is so competent that they write and stamp
everything.  He further added, “The
problem is that I take the time to write up these policies and then you
incompetent people (customers?) don’t
read them!”
 
Then he said that “My husband saw the man there, why didn’t
he stop him?”  I explained that the man
his technician saw was NOT my husband.
After being treated so rudely by a business owner, I decided
not to argue and simply said, “I’m  going
to submit this into the Revdex.com.”
 He responded with, “Listen, we can settle this if you pay
$20.00.”
I refuse to pay anything for a service I did not request. 
 
Re:  “I’ve been in
business for over 35 years and have had ZERO dealings with the Revdex.com.” (sic)
Q:  Is that because
everyone else before me was intimidated and/or just paid the $20.00 to skip the
hassle?
Q:  Is his offer to
settle for $20.00 how he justifies, “I would bend over backwards for my
customers”?
 Re:  “We have no
record of her cancelling service as she stated (we time / date stamp everything
here).”
 Q:  Exactly how do
they time/date stamp verbal cancellations?
 Re:  “… and my office
staff is NOT incompetent …”
 After further consideration, I admit that the comment in my
complaint “… they have no record of this because of their incompetence …” was
an assumption on my part.  I don’t really
know exactly why they don’t have a record of my cancellation of service.  It’s entirely possible that Mr. [redacted]’s staff
took my message accurately as given, passed it on to him, and he discarded or
simply ignored it, knowing full well that I could never prove it.  So now I can only wonder if the absence of
any record regarding my verbal cancellation was willful and deliberate on his
part, and just the way he does business in order to squeak an extra treatment
or two out of those who cancel by phone. 
If his staff was actually efficient and innocent, I apologize to them
for my assumption.
 Why they have no record is beyond my
certainty; my cancellation call remains a fact.
 Re:  “In fact, she
watched our technician do her lawn on and THEN came out to tell him she ‘didn’t
want’ the service – why wouldn’t she stop him when he pulled up to her house?”
 C:  His claim that I
stood by the door watching the application is not true.  I had just gotten home from the hospital and
was sleeping when the technician arrived. 
Since they (Lawn Doctor technicians) DO NOT knock on the door, I was not
even aware that he was there.  I woke up
when I heard my son’s personal caregiver coming inside (the man the technician
saw).  He is NOT my husband, is not privy
to my business affairs, and has no authority to make those decisions.
It was only then that I looked outside and saw the
technician writing up a bill.  That was
ALL I saw, and I told him, “I did not give you permission for this.”
 He said, “Well I have an order here.”
I asked, “From who?  I
didn’t order this.”
 The technician replied, “Okay, I’ll let them know at the
office.”
 It was then that I called Mr. [redacted] to find out what was
going on.
 Re: “The problem is that she chose to NOT read her renewal
letter – sent first class mail with a BIG red hand stamped “Important Renewal
Info Enclosed” on the front.”
 C:  I had cancelled
all future treatments.  I wasn’t
interested.  I threw it out.
 Q: Is he claiming that I ‘renewed’?  I did NOT.
 Re:  “We did work for
her that she knew was coming.”    I suspect that this is an overstatement on his
part, but just in case:  If Mr. [redacted] is
claiming the ability to read my mind, please be advised and note for the record
that his level of accuracy in this regard is nonexistent.  I did NOT see this coming.
 Re:  “Did she mention
that she took 2 months to pay her first 2013 bill and 4 for her second? – !”
 Q:  Relevance?  Why would I ‘mention’ payments that were
within the schedule listed on the billing, treatments continued throughout that
time period, were paid in full before I cancelled all future service, and have
nothing to do with my complaint? 
Besides, if that was such a problem, why was he so anxious to continue
service after I had called to cancel?  Hmmmmm
...  Maybe I just answered my own
question.
 I refuse to be bullied or intimidated. 
And I am wondering if you are able to interview other Lawn
Doctor customers who cancelled by phone to see if this is a pattern?
 Respectfully,
 [redacted]

Review: I contacted lawn Doctor when I paid my last bill and cancelled the service. They, however, continued to treat my yard without my permission. In fact, in April they applied a treatment and sent me a bill for this unwanted service.The man who put it on the yard spoke with my son's caregiver who was arriving to care for him. The owner accused me that my HUSBAND just left the man put on the treatment; I explained to the owner, [redacted] that was not my husband and he further accused me of not reading their cancellation policy which they take time to write and people don't read; I told him it states either call or write to cancel. He said it is my problem since I did not do either of which I told him I called and cancelled but they have no record of this because of their incompetence. He was very rude as a business owner and insulting. Furthermore, I told him I was not paying for something I did not agree or want but the bills continue coming in with interest charges. I do not feel I should pay for this unwanted service as I have had asthma attacks and it is recommended by the pulmonary doctor not to have this done. I have already been hospitalized due to these chemicals.I would appreciate your assistance in this very disturbing and rude Lawn Doctor owner, [redacted] to stop his billing.Desired Settlement: I want an apology from this rude owner, [redacted] and the billing cleared without charge. I also feel they should contact people personally before doing this service.

Business

Response:

Here is my response to [redacted] complaint, Twill NOT agree to her ‘Desired Settlement’ under any