ComplaintsforGrounds Services, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  07/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I hired GSI to take care of several problems with my 3 acre lawn. Bent grass control & the thinning of the lawn overall with large bare/dirt spots in the back yard. 10/05/21 GSI core aerated whole lawn & broadcast seed after spraying to kill the Bent grass areas, which were now 5-8 ft dead spots. **** had stated 35% of my lawn Bent grass. I raised my concerns several times prior that it was getting past the industry-standard time of planting grass seed which is no later than the middle of Sept. ****, the owner kept telling me no problem. No grass germinated in 2021 - I called them. They promised the grass would come in the spring. Spring comes, more excuses. Still no new grass now end of April. **** now makes the excuse that he used the wrong kind of grass seed. 4/30 - GSI core aerates again and reseeds under service guarantee. I even spent an additional $619 to have GSI fertilize the lawn at ****'s recommendation. Month later - 70% of the new seed seems to take hold and germinate but I still have large dead spots in the back yard & where the Bent grass spray/killed is. **** comes out end of May and states the Bent grass is coming back and will come out and spray it again at no charge. All info I have researched says that you must spray Bent grass at least 2-3 times. GSI only sprayed it once each time. Present - I have 6-8ft large spots of Bent grass and large dead pots still in the back yard. GSI refuses to do what they stated under their 1 yr guarantee. All this is because of their failure to properly spray and seed timely. I have spent $2,853.59 for GSI services. I request a refund of $1,000 for hiring another lawn company to correct it. GSI is refusing to take care of, per the phone call conversation on 7/7/2022. Shame this company can see their failures and refuses to do anything. I am not asking for anything free, just the services that I paid for & which they stated they would provide, guaranteed.

  

  Business response

  07/08/2022

  Here is the original review **. ***** left our business this week: ************************************* or call our office for the link. For our reply, let us know if you would like it added to this or a link sent for that as well.
  
  After posting our response to his review,  **. ***** called our shop again (for the 7th time) on 7/7/22 and said he would sue us if we did not remove the portion of our reply in regards to him being a flight risk on payment. This was in response to the end of his initial review where he stated: "I know my options at this point, but do not like the obvious one to get a refund for their failures. I will see "
  
  We also mentioned: "Any potential customer reading this review, I'd ask that you check **. ******* review history." - This reply was written before he contacted the bbb, though after our reply, he started going through his reviews and changing them (you can see the 'updated x ago') or deleting some of the 1 star reviews.
  
  We feel these are important facts to take into consideration when making your (the bbb's) determination as it shows his character and behavior patterns.
  
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  In regards to the review he left with the bbb:
  
  "I hired GSI to take care of several problems with my 3 acre lawn. Bent grass control & the thinning of the lawn overall with large bare/dirt spots in the back yard." - Correct. On 8/23/2021 he requested a full lawn quote which was completed 8/26/2021. The first Tenacity was printed on 9/13/2021 which was probably the day he activated services.
  
  "10/05/21 GSI core aerated whole lawn & broadcast seed after spraying to kill the Bent grass areas, which were now 5-8 ft dead spots. **** had stated 35% of my lawn Bent grass." 20% of the lawn is what we have noted on the original service call. It is also important to note that **. ***** wanted us to use seed he purchased.. or found... or somehow located (the quote to use our seed exclusively may have been too high considering the sq ft he wanted seeded). We used the seed he provided, though had to use some of ours because he did not have enough to go down at the recommended rate.
  
  "I raised my concerns several times prior that it was getting past the industry-standard time of planting grass seed which is no later than the middle of Sept. ****, the owner kept telling me no problem." - On our end, it looks like he activated 9/13/2021. The first Tenacity was applied on 9/27/2021. The weather in fall 2021 was warm, so the soil would have still maintained it's temp for germination. It is correct that we would have been comfortable seeding at that time and into early October. And yes, his name has been a familiar one in our shop so he must have called several times in a 2 week period of time.
  
  "No grass germinated in 2021 - I called them. They promised the grass would come in the spring." - The majority of the seed was seed he purchased. Without knowing what that was, seed can take 6 weeks to germinate (and some seed will lay dormant for years waiting for the right conditions to germinate). As long as no pre-emergence was put on in fall of 2021 or spring of 2022, the seed that was still down would have had a chance to germinate [if it hadn't already] in spring once the soil temperatures reached 55. Usually mid to late April in our area.
  
  "Spring comes, more excuses." - you mean... be patient.... the soil temperature is not there yet?
  
  "Still no new grass now end of April. **** now makes the excuse that he used the wrong kind of grass seed." - ** ***** provided the seed, and not even enough to do the job right.
  
  "4/30 - GSI core aerates again and reseeds under service guarantee." - Correct. He called our office several times wanting to be one of the first to get aerated and seeded in spring. He began these phone calls on 4/12/2022, though we had not started seeding yet due to soil temperatures. It is important to note that the initial seeding on 10/5/2021 was with seed he purchased (we did have to use some of ours because he did not buy enough for the area he wanted seeded). On the $0.00 aeration/seeding we did on 4/30, he supplied no seed and we had to use ours.
  
  "I even spent an additional $619 to have GSI fertilize the lawn at ****'s recommendation." - grass is a living plant. It needs fed, especially at the beginning while it germinates. We also highly recommend he continue to feed it somehow. I would say at least 1 more time this year and perhaps 2 times annually after that, depending on what seed he purchased.
  
  "Month later - 70% of the new seed seems to take hold and germinate but I still have large dead spots in the back yard & where the Bent grass spray/killed is. **** comes out end of May and states the Bent grass is coming back and will come out and spray it again at no charge." - We had **. ***** on schedule for a 2022 Tenacity. Our records show it was at a cost of $273.00 before tax (which would have been the max charge, though may have been discounted depending on sq ft treated had we performed the service).
  .
  
  "All info I have researched says that you must spray Bent grass at least 2-3 times. GSI only sprayed it once each time." - Correct. We sprayed it the first time on 9/27/2021, the second time on 10/5/2021 and he was on schedule for one this year though we have canceled out his account for multiple reasons (he indicated he wanted a refund in his google review, he threaten to take us to court twice on one of the phone calls he made to our office on 7/7/2022 because of the bentgrass in the lawn, and he threatened to sue us on another phone call he made to our office on 7/7/2022 due to our reply to his google review stating we felt he may not pay us for future services.
  
  "Present - I have 6-8ft large spots of Bent grass and large dead pots still in the back yard." - He can put more of the seed down he purchased for fall of 2021 or find more seed. For the small area that it is, he can use a rake to get it in the soil. Another question to him would be if he put anything on the lawn himself such as a weed preventor, feed, a pre-emergence, soil adjustments, etc. Or if he had another company do any applications? This is why a lot of companies are hesitant to only seed a yard without knowing what the treatments will be for it. Also as noted in a previous paragraph, seed that has not germinated yet may still do so.
  
  "GSI refuses to do what they stated under their 1 yr guarantee. All this is because of their failure to properly spray and seed timely." - We did hold up the guarantee and reseeded on 4/30/2022. With OUR seed even!
  
  "I have spent $2,853.59 for GSI services." - This is correct, though it should be noted he has been calling the office on multiple occasions claiming he spent $4,000.00 which is untrue. It probably should have been closer to that $4,000.00, though he wanted to save money and buy his own seed.
  
  "I request a refund of $1,000 for hiring another lawn company to correct it." - No. **. ***** can take the funds he is saving from us not doing the 2022 Tenacity and use the money for product or hire someone to apply product..
  
  "GSI is refusing to take care of, per the phone call conversation on 7/7/2022. Shame this company can see their failures and refuses to do anything. I am not asking for anything free, just the services that I paid for & which they stated they would provide, guaranteed." - He received a free starter application in fall 2021 ($575.00 before tax) because the new grasses needed fed. He also received 8 bags ($1480.00) of free seed on the 4/30/2022 aeration and seeding service as well as an aeration. On 7/7/2022, **. ***** called our office 5-6 times in a row (would hit voicemail, listen halfway through, hang up and call right back) while the office staff were on the other line and couldn't pick up. The next call he made to the office he threatened to take us to court because he still had bentgrass. The next call he made after that he threatened to sue us.
  
  Here's his original review on the bbb from 11/16/2021:
  "Great bunch of people to work with. This was the first time using them for me after they came highly recommended by several people I knew. My lawn was in extreme need of repair plus ridding of Bent grass. **** came and identified several issues he discovered. He gave me some no BS solutions to get my 3 acres of lawn back on track. Every question I threw at him he had a quick and honest answer back. This company knows their stuff when it comes to lawn care. Their crew came and spent hours spraying to kill the Bent grass, core aireating and over-seeding the whole lawn. They even applied a starter fertilizer to help the new grass take off. After 3-4 weeks the lawn began looking much better and filling in the spots where there was no grass or it was thin. Let's face it. It's very difficult today to find any contractor or company that really cares and that will live up to their promises. GSI exceeded my expectations which is a very tough thing to do. They were very responsive, on time, explained what they were going to do, followed through and completed this large lawn job. Thanks for a great job and I look forward to doing business again in the years to come."
  
  We have made a decision in the shop to not provide future services to him. Feel free to contact us for additional information if needed.
  

  Customer response

  07/11/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  It continues to amaze me that GSI does not desire to complete in a satisfactory manner the work that GSI clearly stated they would do and that I paid for. The bottom line is their lack of work performance on this binding contract. GSI reviewed my lawn, stated they would eradicate all of the Bent grass and reseed my whole lawn, especially in the back yard where there were large bare spots. Photos do not lie as I welcomed them out to view for themselves many times. Even the owner, **** Sr. admitted in April 2022 that the Bent grass had come back and that he would take care of it under their one year warranty of services. **** also saw the large bare spots showing dirt in the back yard. I have attached many photos of all of this. Reviews, phone calls, or anything else in between does not matter. I have been trying to get GSI to perform as they clearly stated they would for over 8 months. Yes, I have called many times trying to work with them to resolve these problems. For the past 8 months all I have gotten are lies and broken promises. Not once did GSI call me to let me know what the status was of their attempt to fix the problems. As a result, I have large 6'-10' areas of Bent grass that will require a complete repeat of their failure to do what was necessary the first time or even second time. Expensive Tenacity spraying will be required waiting 2 weeks before a second spray then reseeding. I will insist that a slit seeder be used as both GSI and myself know the results of using core aeration when attempting to seed grass. The seed only grows in the 6"-8" apart core holes and no where else. GSI is suppose to be the expert on everything grass. That's what I hired them for. So far for the past two seasons, they have failed miserably in getting grass to grow in the bare spots and even understand how to use the postemergence Tenacity correctly since I literally have all of my destructive Bent grass back.

  As to the GSI reply to my review, yes I was and still am upset that GSI employees would stoop so low as to post(lie) defaming and slandering me and my wife by stating "... you're a flight risk on payment." This is without merit and slanderous as my wife and myself are respected members of the community personally and professionally. I am a retired local Postmaster of 33 yrs of service and my wife has been employed at a local retail establishment as Bookkeeping Mgr for decades handling thousands of dollars in cash and multiple corporate accounts daily. I run several online businesses that require the trust of other business owners nationwide to handle large sum transactions on trust. My wife and I own debt free our $700,000 house, separate farmland, cars, etc.  Our credit ratings show no missed payments or defaults for over 50 years. We haven't even had a traffic or parking ticket in 45 years. Yes, I did screen print GSI's post and called them warning of a slander lawsuit once I saw it. Who wouldn't? I have no idea how long it was up or even if they took it down. The damage has been done either way, as I have received several calls from people stating they saw it and wondered if it was true. Another example of how reckless GSI handles customer issues and communication.

  For the record, we owe nothing to GSI and have paid all of their invoices in a timely manner. My bank records prove this as do GSI cashing my numerous checks. Not once have I ever received any type of communication that we were delinquent by GSI, yet they have the nerve and audacity to claim we are a ".... flight risk on payment." Yes this is defamation of character and slanderous and the outcome of this BBB complaint will determine my next step. I suggest GSI give their full attention to this complaint as GSI's actions or lack of them, will determine what happens next.

  I have attached additional photos that do not lie about what my lawn looked like in April and June of this year. Bent grass and bare spots, yet GSI figures this is acceptable service. I will await the final reply from GSI, which as I mentioned, will determine whether I will continue with my next step. I truly hope GSI recognizes the failure to perform for themselves. This is NOT the route I had desired, but I will hold them accountable for their failures since I will have to contract this work to another lawn service ASAP. Every day I wait on eradicating the Bent grass it becomes a bigger problem to take care of.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********** *****

  

  Business response

  07/15/2022

  Here's a timeline of **. ******* account:
  
  8/23/2021: **. ***** contacted us requesting a check of the lawn. Had areas that he wanted turf to fill in.
  8/26/2021: Service call completed. Quoted for aeration, seeding, Tenacity and applications. **. ***** was looking to cut cost and wished to provide his own seed. 
  
  9/13/2021: **. ***** calls and activated some of the services:
  Tenacity for 20% of lawn, 
  Aeration for whole lawn, 
  Labor for us to put his seed down [20% of his lawn], and us to supply 2 bags of seed because he did not have enough to cover the area. 
  
  Billing information: 
  Tenacity 1 (completed 9/27/2021): $273.00 + tax. 
  Tenacity 2 (completed 10/5/2021): $150.00 + tax
  Aeration (completed 10/5/2021): $1300.00 + tax
  Applied his seed and put down 2 bags of ours (completed 10/5/2021): $360.00 + tax
  
  10/25/2021: **. ***** contacted our office and said his seed had not come in. Service call created.
  10/26/2021: Service call completed: Noted his lawn needed fertilizer to help the new grass develop.
  10/28/2021: Applied starter fertilizer to his lawn at $0.00 (a $575.00 + tax value)
  11/16/2021: **. ***** writes review on bbb indicating that the seed had started to come in and was looking good.
  03/23/2022: **. ***** contacted our office and wanted recommendations for the lawn, though did not activate any future services (The only service he was on schedule for in 2022 was a Tenacity). **. ***** had purchased his own product. We do not know what product or active ingredients the product may have contained.
  04/12/2022: **. ***** contacted our office and expressed he was unsatisfied with the condition of the seed from the service completed 10/05/2021. 
  04/13/2022: We put him on schedule for a $0.00 aeration/seeding for the areas he was concerned about.
  04/27/2022: **. ***** called and wanted to speak with **** about status of aeration/seeding. Service call produced. **** called him back. Scheduled $0.00 aeration/seeding and application # 2 for starter fertilizer
  04/27/2022: $0.00 Aeration/Seeding & Application # 2 printed. 
  04/30/2022: Technician aerates and seeds. ***. ***** did not provide any seed this time.
  04/30/2022: Starter fertilizer applied. 
  
  Billing information:
  Aeration/Seed (completed 04/30/2022): $0.00 (a $1,801.28 + tax value)
  Application # 2 (completed 04/30/2022): $575.00 + tax
  
  05/12/2022: **. ***** called the office and wanted seed and bentgrass checked while they were on vacation. 
  05/26/2022: Technician checked turf.
  05/31/2022: **. ***** sent images to office staff concerned his lawn may have disease activity. Images indicate his lawn had red thread (a turf type disease). We called **. ***** to discuss the images and the disease activity.
  
  Payment history:
  10/05/2021: Check 9221 for $292.80 - Tenacity # 1
  10/20/2021: Check 9222 for $160.88 - Tenacity # 2
  10/25/2021: Check 9223 for $386.10 - 2 bags of seed + labor to push his seed out
  10/27/2021: Check 9224 for $1,394.25 - Aeration
  05/11/2022: Check 9231 for $619.56 - Application # 2
  (Total paid: $2,853.59. Value of paid and free services provided: $4,756.38)
  
  07/04/2022: **. ***** left a review on our google page with false and misleading claims.
  07/05/2022: Office staff return to work from the long weekend. Our office received a voicemail left by **. ***** during the long weekend requesting **** to come and review the lawn because the areas where bentgrass was did not appear to be filling in.
  07/05/2022: Service call printed. 
  07/07/2022: Due to the review and **. ******* request for a refund, the service call and any remaining 2022 services were put on hold. The phone calls that happened that day have been noted in our original response to the bbb. **. ******* account was cancelled and noted as so no future services be applied. We also responded to **. ******* google review of us.
  07/07/2022: **. ***** submitted his complaint to the bbb.
  
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  If anyone was trying to harm someone's reputation, it was **. ***** trying to harm ours. He went to a public platform and falsely stated "They reseeded my lawn in the middle of October 2021... Long story short, it did not grow - nothing. Here I am July and the Bent grass is back in large circles and I still have bare spots.". In his original complaint to the bbb on 07/07/2022, he further made this false claim by stating " No grass germinated in 2021 - I called them.". Refer to his review to the bbb on 11/16/2021 as this shows his grass did indeed start to germinate in 2021. We believe he was angry because we didn't return his phone call made over the 4th of July weekend in a timely manner and turned to google to lodge a false review on 07/04/2022 (our office was closed that Monday for the 4th of July).
  
  We understand that he does not feel his other reviews should have anything to do with this, though we believe they are important to take into consideration. They demonstrate that if **. ***** doesn't get what he wants, when he wants it, how he wants it, he will publicly try to cause harm to the company. His changing of his reviews shows he tried to hide or mask this characteristic of his. By tracking some of **. ******* reviews of other businesses and speaking with those businesses, this is **. ******* modus operandi. 
  
  **. ***** has indicated that he misinterprets the label of products (ref to his original complaint on the bbb, he stated "All info I have researched says that you must spray Bent grass at least 2-3 times. GSI only sprayed it once each time.". If an individual does not follow label instructions, damage will occur. Spraying Tenacity 2 - 3 times in one visit WILL cause off target damage. **. ***** also had product in his garage when **** came to review his lawn on one of the service calls. He intended to apply his own products which is why he did not have any active applications with us going into 2022. This is important because some products will stop the germination of grass seeds.
  
  As we noted in our original response to his bbb complaint, we do not know what products have been applied and he has not mentioned if anything was applied to the lawn outside of what we have done. Did he or another individual apply product on the lawn? This is important because if a crabgrass prevention has been applied to that lawn, although the targeted plant is crabgrass, it will also stop turf grass (fescues, bluegrasses, ryes) from germinating as well. 
  
  Reviewing all of the images he submitted, it is very unusual to not see crabgrass in the bare spots. It may be an indication that a pre-emergence or other herbicide was applied. If it was, the ungeminated seed will not germinate and some pre-emergences contain post-emergence which will kill a recently germinated grass type out. It also does not look like he has been watering the lawn properly for the new turf/seed.  
  
  Bottom line is he provided his own seed and we never back up any ones own seed except our own, but we did with **. ******* anyway. We do not know what has all been applied to the lawn as far as herbicides. He had one more Tenacity on schedule, though we cancelled that service out. Yes, Tenacity is a very expensive product which is why we charge for it as a service. If he wishes to spray his bentgrass, he needs to follow the label instructions and spray the product at the proper time.
  
  We have been kind and patient and put him in front of other customers because of his phone calls. This still did not cool his angst. We have lost money and spent hours with this account both on the field and in the office. We have gone above and beyond the services he paid for. We did the best that we could for **. ***** and it's still not enough. Because of all the events that have taken place and his 'facts' frequently changing, we find it difficult to take **. ***** by his word. We pride ourselves on being honest with our customers and doing the best job we can at the optimal time services should be performed.  **. ***** has gone out of his way to try and make us look bad and we simply will not be bullied or threatened. 
  
  We wish **. ***** no ill and success in his future online business endeavors, but this needs to come to an end. 
  

  Customer response

  07/18/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This is a very simple failure of services paid for. Photos do not lie. GSI can spin whatever and however they try to but my lawn still looks like it did prior to their services in Oct 2021. I have provided photos of my lawn in April and June of this year and all look the same. No grass growing in large bare spots and Bent grass in 20-30% of my lawn. Both of which I paid GSI to correct. Both remain 8 months later. GSI acknowledges these conditions still remain and uncorrected by reseeding under their one year service guaranty which they now refuse to honor.  What was it you stated to us ****? You will Not abandon us and our account until corrected by GSI. Fat chance. You are not a man or business owner of his word. GSI did not complete the work they were paid to do, otherwise I would not be looking at the same issues 8 months later. It’s a shame that GSI has chosen to ignore photos of their ongoing attempts to fulfill the contract I have with them. Of course it is easier to walk away from a customer because a company can’t figure out what their problems are. The whole world is now able to see what type of service they provide, which again, photos do not lie. I don’t need to waste any further time trying once again to get GSI to respond to their contractual obligations and have filed in Maumee Municipal Court. GSI should have the certified letter and court documentation for our court date. If the court rules in my favor, this too will become record of their BBB account, which I was trying to avoid. I would have thought GSI would have desired to settle this through mediation, but they do not indicate the same and are only worried about reviews that I left or may have left for any other business that I have dealings with. This absolutely has no bearing on the validity of my claims, yet they waste more time believing it does. GSI - look at my photos, then look in a mirror and ask yourselves or ask any other lawn company that what they are looking would be acceptable service. I have, and all state the photos show you have done a poor job of servicing my account and talking money for a terrible looking result in my lawn. No one, would think otherwise. I look forward to bringing this before a judge and having my day in court. Photos do not lie. GSI does not have a leg to stand on and they know it. Unfortunately they bet that I would simply go away and they could wash their hands of the poor work they have done. That will not happen.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********** *****

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