ComplaintsforHilliard Lawn & Garden, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  04/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In February of 2023 I reached out to Hilliard Lawn and Garden to have my fully operational lawn mower get a spring tune up service. The mower was picked up in mid-february. I received a call from a technician who was working on my mower the last week of February (around March 1st or 2nd) asking if I would like to have my rear wheels repl***d as the old ones were bald. I said that sounds good. He said everything was working and after the wheels were repl***d they would drop it back off. A gentleman dropped off my lawn mower in the middle of March 2023. It was pl***d in my garage. I did not test the mower at that time. On Thursday, March 30th I needed to mow my lawn. When I tried to pull the mower out of the garage, the rear wheels were locked. When attempting to use the electric starter, it failed. I was able to pull start the mower, but the self-propel feature was not operational. I called Hilliard Lawn and Garden on 3/30 to find out what was going on. I spoke to a technician who told me "it was working when it left this shop". I then spoke to **** who said they would do a "REWORK" on my mower and picked it up on Friday, March 31st. I received a call on 4/3 from a different technician who told me the transmission needed to be completely repl***d as well as the starter. I paid $217.44 on March 6th. I was shocked and upset to hear that I now needed to repl*** the transmission and a new starter given it was "working when it left the shop". I asked the tech if they would repair the mower with the items they said needed to be repl***d and they refused without my payment. I spoke to ***** (a manager), who was rude, disrespectful, inferred I didn't know the state of my lawnmower and said "things just happen. These are known issues with a ***** lawnmower". He did not take accountability for the lawnmower no longer working. ***** told me I should repl*** it. A new lawnmower was purchased for $385.93 on April 3rd from *** Hardware. See attached order receipt

  

  Business response

  04/18/2023

  The service you requested was specifically for a "winter tune up", which includes general maintenance such as on the blade and in the carburetor/air filter.  A technician changed the air filter, cleaned the carburetor, replaced the spark plug, sharpened and balanced the blade, and installed new oil and fuel.  A technician also inquired to you concerning the rear wheels, as they had no tread.  You approved the wheel change.  Before the mower left the shop, a technician successfully started the electric starter and tested the self propel, pulling the machine back with some resistance.

  When you brought the mower back to Hilliard Lawn & Garden.  Another technician looked specifically at the electric starter and noticed that the starter had a defect on the armature that prevented it from working correctly with every start.  However, the technician again tested the self propel and the unit was functional.

  We then advised you that the price of fixing the defect with the armature was not economically advantageous, as the price to fix the machine would far exceed the price of a new machine. Then, we, thought being under no obligation to do so, refunded the price of the service to you in full.  Indeed, because we were sympathetic to your position, and knew you had to purchase a new machine, we provided customer service over and above what was required, losing money on this transaction in both parts and labor.  As stated,  the maintenance was for a general winter tune up, and did not  include a full diagnostic, and a guarantee to fix all unknown issues when the price of some parts would exceed the price of a service.

  Your claim that you are somehow entitled to a new mower from us is meritless.  First, and most importantly, you were fully refunded for the service when you had no right to be.  Second, we did not in any way guarantee that it would find and fix all known and unknown issues with the mower.  Finally, if you wanted the mower issues with the armature to be fixed, you could have paid us to fix it.  You chose not to.

   

  Customer response

  04/18/2023

  the lawnmower had no known issues when it was taken into repair. It was returned with issues after it left the shop. I have been told several different versions of what was or was not working on my lawnmower. I was told on the final call that I needed a new transmission and a starter. I was never asked to pay for an "armature". The lawn mower was damaged somewhere between leaving the shop the first time and the delivery to my house. The shop does not want to own the idea that it could have been damaged when it left their store or damaged by one of their technicians. Instead, the business is inferring it came in broken and implied I didn't know what was going on with my lawnmower - a lawnmower I have used for a few years now. My request of this business initially was a TUNE UP ONLY. It was not picked up because I had a concern that something was broken or needed repair. The lawnmower was fully operational and working when it was taken to the business for the spring tune up. I have the documentation that says what they touched and replaced during the tune up. Nowhere on the return work receipt did it ever say something was not working when it left the shop. It was then delivered to my house "working". It was not working when I tried to use the lawnmower. The self propel was not working. The electric starter was not working. And the rear wheels would not roll backwards anymore. I was told by two separate technicians by cell phone the mower was working fine when It "left the shop". I was told "might as well go buy a new lawnmower at this point" because replacing the transmission and the starter were going to cost nearly as much as buying a new lawnmower. So I went and bought a new lawnmower per their recommendation. In the end, the shop damaged or did something to my lawnmower at their shop. It was working when it left my property and tuned up and was working. Now it is not working. The only person responsible for the inability to use my lawnmower is this business.

  

  Business response

  05/01/2023

  Hilliard Lawn & Garden, being under no obligation to do so, refunded the price of the service to Ms. **** in full.  We will not be paying for her new mower.

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