Progressive Lawn Maintenance And Snow Removal

I would caution anyone about doing business with Progressive Lawn Maintenance. The company owner is not a man of his word - in fact he tells repeated mistruths and promises services he does not deliver on. He broke the conditions of our agreement and has refused to perform outstanding obligations or provide a refund for the services he has not provided. I have been forced to seek renumeration in small claims court.

When we initially hired him, he advised he needed a credit card # for billing purposes. He then advised that he pre-bills for his services. After we raised an issue with him about billing for services not rendered he agreed to only bill our credit card on a weekly basis (after each lawn cutting) – until we were sure of the quality of his work.

However; after cutting our grass for the second time, he billed us for four additional lawn cuttings. plus the two he had done.

Now - on to the quality of work that was performed. The first time he cut our lawn, he left two bags of lawn trimmings on our driveway. Our agreement provided for the removal of all lawn trimmings. We had to phone him to have them picked up. He also tied up some cuttings that were in excess of the miminum pick-up length allowed by the Toronto Sanitation Department. We advised him of this - he did nothing about it. The trimmings are still sitting in my driveway – three weeks later.

The second time he was supposed to cut our lawn (while we were away on vacation), two neighbours and a family member contacted us to advise us the grass was not cut. As we could not independently verify this (we were away) – we had to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The third time he cut the grass he did a poor job. Sections of the lawn were missed. I have uploaded pictures taken the day after he cut the grass. You be the judge of the quality of work. He again left two bags of lawn cuttings on our driveway even though our written agreement called for the removal of grass trimmings. When my wife phoned to complain (again), this time he said that it costs him money to get rid of the trimmings; and that he would have to charge us more money to get rid of them, despite the quoted services.

When my wife demanded that he pick up the cuttings, he advised he was getting angry and said he was coming over to our home in five minutes. He then hung up on her. I interpreted this as threatening behaviour and determined I did not want to continue doing business with this company.

When he showed up at the property I met him at the sidewalk and said I no longer wanted to do business with him. I advised that I wasn't looking for a refund for the three times he cut the grass; only to have my credit card credited for the three pre-billed lawn cuttings (something he said he would not do to beging with). At this point he swore at me (can't repeat the words here)and said he would not credit my card. Then; if you can beleive it, he proceeded to call the Police and claim I had physically threatened him. Quite a convenient method of putting the spotlight on somebody else - don't you think?! I did not utter any threat - but instead offered a fair approach to terminating our business relationship. When the Police showed they advised that my only recourse to be reimbursed was to take the matter to small claims court.

Based on his behaviour, business ethics and how confrontational this individual became, we decided to cancel our credit card to ensure no additional fees would be charged against it.

After the incident I did some research. Turns out, the company has an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau and that a number of other complaints have been filed against the compay. This information is available to the public. It's not opinion, but fact.

I also investigated the company address. Why? Each time my wife called this individual at the "office" phone number, the owner answered immediately. Kind of difficult to be providing services when you're tied up at the office all day - right? The address noted on his web site is what is known as a "virtual office". Again, this is not a personal opinion - it's public information.

Google the address and the key words "virtual office" to check for yourself. My sense is that the slick web site and make-believe office are all designed to lure unsuspecting clients.

At the end of it all, we should have done our homework before engaging this company's services. We will never make this mistake again.

UPDATED AUG 11

Thank you Gus for allowing prove just what kind of an individual you are. Folks, please see the attached "PAID" invoice I've posted. It proves he pre-billed us for his services until the end of the August and it also states he will not refund us for the services he has not provided. He has added these comments in the timce since the incident occurred. Do I need to write anything more about the integrity of this individual? Pretty open and shut case in my books.

Time to move on with life.

There are not words strong enough that I can use to warn you against using this company.

At first they look good, it seems you're dealing with a reputable company. The slick website, the toll free number. So here's the deal. It's one guy and a truck and the guy, "Gus" is a nightmare to deal with.

First he quotes me a price that excludes most of the work I asked for. So I ask him to requote. He doesn't. He shows up unannounced and then proceeds to send me an angry email about where his money is...having made no mention that he need payment by any date or time.

I again ask to be requoted for additional work. He does not provide a quote.

I provide a credit card number for the original charge assuming we will agree on the balance later.

He attempts to charge my card for nearly 5 X the only quoted amount.

He then proceeds to do the work unannounced (still none of the expanded work)...just what he felt like doing originally.

He the proceeds to invoice me for the whole job claiming it was completed while I was out of town. It was not. He was not telling the truth.

AFTER doing some of the work and AFTER trying to charge my card an amount of his choosing he THEN decides to send me an INVOICE (not a quote) for work I never agreed on a price for. He just does what he wants and charges you whatever he wants I guess.

NOW it gets weird.

Saturday night I get the invoice

Two hour later I get a demand for payment...2 hours

A half hour after that I get another demand for payment in a very rude tone.

When I wake up the next day (Sunday) I have email telling me that my account will be send to collections on Monday morning by his "legal department"

He tries very hard to appear like a big company by referring to staff he doesn't have.

Anyway, so I've had a bill for work I didn't receive or approve for less than 9 hours and he's threatening legal action... so obviously he's either joking or a ridiculous person. It turns out he wasn't joking.

He then proceeds to make a number of veiled threats demanding payment, which at every turn I invite him to proceed with legal action.

He is extremely aggressive about getting the full payment and I repeatedly tell him that I WILL pay him pending inspection of the work completed.

Time and time again he calls me scammer and accuses me of deceiving him trying to pressure me into paying.

Well i found out why, he knew that I would see that less than 20% of the INVOICED work had been completed. Work he claimed was completed. So yes, he was trying to get paid before I found him out.

I elected to attend at his "office" to get to the bottom of this. His office is listed on his website including business hours.

Since he uses a rent by the hour office space, which is basically just a post office box, and I was told he wasn't in, I left and continued my day.

This morning I was sent this:

"If you or your business partner shows up at my Office again toronto police will be notified and criminal charges will be laid."

It would seem that even though it's listed as his place of business including office hours on his website, if you actually go to this public building...he will try to have your arrest and charged...with "criminal" charges...ok...so maybe don't publish your address then?

But that's his game, he thinks a prestigious Yonge st. address will impress you.

DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS PERSON.

If this person had just been reasonable we could have had a long standing business relationship but he clearly has no capacity for professionalism or reasonableness whatsoever.

There's a million guys who do this kind work, don't hire him.

I have asked him on countless occasions to discontinue contacting me but he continues to do so with increasingly more aggressive tone. I am very close to calling the police myself.

So needless to say, I had a very negative experience with Gus and Progressive Lawn Maintenance and Snow Removal.

AVOID AVOID AVOID.