Zaharis Landscaping, Inc.

We did not hire their services, our neighbors did to remove a tree. While doing so they dropped branches in our yard and smashed our broccoli garden, broke the entire top of our rose bush, knocked down 2 potted trees breaking them and broke our chicken yard fencing. I called my husband home to confront them and they said they didn't know how it happened when obviously fell limbs in our yard and then must have came (trespassed) into our backyard to retrieve them without permission! I guess they didn't think anyone was home but I was, 9mos. pregnant with my two young sons.. They didn't even have the respect or decency to knock on our door to see if we we're home or not. Oh and the office woman (probably his dishonest wife as she is referred to in many reviews online) doesn't seems to know when the owner (her husband) will be back in the office, or his phone number for that matter.. And coincidently we've yet to receive a call back from him!! Bad service=bad company, just read the other online reviews..

Review: Plants installed are different from quote. Workmanship is inferior causing plants to die.

Service Provided: 4/2013

Fee: $895

Service Location: [redacted] Antelope CA XXXXX

My 90 year old mother found Zaharis in the phone book and engaged them to recommend and install a hedge to block her view from an unkempt neighbor's yard. Zaharis recommended a very slow growing shrub, Japanese boxwood and gave her a quote for 25 one gallon plants and 25 five gallon plants. She chose the 5 gallon plants with a cost of $20 each feeling confident they would provide immediate privacy and continue to grow rapidly to achieve the desired effect. Here are the reasons for the poor review:

1. Zaharis Landscaping charged my mother for 5 gallon plants and installed 1 gallon plants.

2. They did not dig the holes deep enough to accommodate the plant's root ball. Multiple plants have exposed roots above the soil line.

3. Multiple plants have died. They have agreed to replace them.

4. When contacted, Zaharis insisted they installed 5 gallon plants.

5. When told that when a dead plant was pulled out and the hole was measured at 7 inches wide and 6 inches deep, Zaharis back-peddled and said that he purchased the plants at [redacted] Nursery and they were out of 5 gallon plants so he installed 2 gallon plants and the nursery charges the same price for a 2 gallon plant and a 5 gallon plant.

6. When [redacted] Nursery was called for a price check on 1 gallon, 2 gallon, and 5 gallon plants. They stated they do not sell Japanese Boxwood in the 2 gallon size.

7. A refund for the difference between the cost of 5 gallon plants and 1 gallon plants was denied. Zaharis said they would refund $100.

Zaharis Landscaping Services is viewed by this customer as having unscrupulous business practices who has taken gross advantage of a senior citizen on a fixed income. Very disappointing, indeed.

My name is [redacted] and I have Power of Attorney to act on my mother's behalf.

Refund payment should be made to:

[redacted] Place

[redacted] CA XXXXX

[redacted]Desired Settlement: Full refund of $895 charged for plant material and installation.

Business

Response:

Business' Initial Response

When [redacted] contacted us she told us she wanted 25 box woods I came out and gave her a bid for what she wanted she liked the box woods. I wanted to give [redacted] the 5 gal but the nursery didn't have that many so I gave her 2 gal. When [redacted] called & said that a couple plants were dieing I came out. I inspected the dead plants and noticed that the fertilizer pouch we put in was not desolved. I checked the timer to make sure it was still set from the times we set it for and it was off, causing the plants to not get the water they need to live (this voids the warranty). BUT I was still going to replace them for free.

For the difference in the plants (5gal vs. 2 gal) [redacted] and I agreed to add a 12 ft sprinkler line and sprinklers. I also fixed 3 sprinkler (for free) to help those new plates get water until I could get out to put in that new pipe. Those sprinklers looked like someone hit them with lawn equipment.

Lisa called expressed her concerns I was more then happy to send her a copy of the receipt from the nursery showing her the price of the plants. She thinks you can get plants for $6.00. But she never gave a fax number to do that. I tried to explain the whole situation with her mom but she didn't really want to hear my side. [redacted] asked that I do not come back not even to replace the dead plants.

I have sent a certified letter along with check (over the amount of the 100$ [redacted] states in her complaint) for the difference of the plant size. I did this the day [redacted] and I talk AND BEFORE I received the email from Revdex.com.

ONE LAST note [redacted] was never there to help her mother choose a landscaper. OR never called my office before any work was done to make sure no one was taking advantage of her mother. Which is one thing My company would NOT DO. I have several elder customers and many more elder returning customers.

Consumer's Final Response

(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

This company has never installed a 12 foot sprinkler line. The extra work they claim they did was not documented on the original quote or any quote thereafter. Why would plants be installed prior to installing a water source? A refund amount has not been agreed upon and, once again, it is the opinion of this customer that this company has once again taken advantage of the customer by dropping of a check for an arbitrary amount of $200 that in no way covers the cost of this faulty landscape job. The customer does not "think" 1 gallon boxwood can be purchased for $6.00, the customer knows this to be fact by gathering price quotes from The Home Depot for $5.98 and [redacted] for $6.00 which is the nursery where this landscape company claims to have purchased the plants. This attempt at settlement is unsatisfactory and will be returned to this company via certified return receipt mail. This company did offer documentation showing the price of the plants purchased. Documentation was requested to be sent via email. This company states they have no way of scanning a receipt and attaching it to an email address. The customer does not have a fax machine.

Again, the customer is seeking a full refund of $895.

Business' Final Response

Once again it is hard to deal with [redacted] when she was never around when I meet with her mother on the day of the bid, the day we did the work or when I returned to looked at the plants that were dieing.

[redacted] is right we did not install the 12 ft pipe. We said we did not in our first responce to her. SHE CALLED and CANCELLED that job along with replacing the plants that have died. We returned the money for that work. We will send her a copy of the receipt showing the price of $20.00 for the 2 gal plants that equals $500.00 plus tax.

She wants to keep the plants, fertilizer, extra soil, plus the hours of work there and pay nothing for the job..??? Is that fair?

We will continue to resolve this with the customer via certified mail.

Consumer Response

This case has not been resolved. We do don't accept the $200 refund offered by Zaharis Landscape. We continue to seek a full refund and will consider small claims court as an avenue to a full fund.

Business Response

I have received you email re: going to arbitration.

All though I feel no need for it.

I have given [redacted] every thing she has asked for:

copy of the receipt showing the price I paid for the plants

a refund for the price of the plants contracted for (5 gal) vs the price of the plants her mother received (2 gal)

A full refund..... NO the work was done as contracted.

[redacted] was no where around when her mother and I meet several times.