Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/29/2025

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Contract signed with AB Tree Service on 8/19 and deposit required ($600) paid. The work involved removal of a total of ***** trees on 2 different locations on a slope (bluff lot). Total Cost: $3,200. Work started 8-20. **** (owner) only did 1/2 of the work the 5 or 6 trees near the base of the slope and left without telling me. Son came to the door and told me "we're done". When I asked about the other work of removing the 5-6 trees on the right side of the slope, after checking with Mom in car, came back and told me "she said we are done - can't come back tomorrow, have another job. I did not pay the balance and asked that Kareena (daughter) call me. He told me that I didn't want the work ono the other side down which is untrue. After discussion and I gave him a copy of the contract, he promised he would return the next day. I held back $500 which he agreed to and would pay that when he returned and removed the trees on the right hand side of the slope. I have multiple texts to the daughter about the job, sent photos of the 2 areas as she was confused about the work and it was very clearly described in the contract. I wrote mutliple texts the day of and the next day about their return - no answer. On Friday, 8/22, the daughter texts me and also tells me I told the "crew" not to do it. To date, they have not returned or responded to any of my numerous phone calls, texts and emails. My only ask is that they return to finish the work in accordance with the contract. If they continue to refuse, I would like a refund of $500 as the work remaining was about 30% of the entire job, so $1,000 is more than reasonable as I will need to hire someone else. I would also like the BBB to review this for a negative rating for failure to comply with their contract. I am sending a certified letter to the owners today with photos/documentation. I have uploaded what I can, but will need to mail you more or if I can upload the rest. Thank you for your help.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/30/2025

  Hello, thank you for your email.  I am attaching 2 other items that I could not attach to the original complaint as the file was too large.  My letter along with the attachments (photo of the 2 areas where trees where to be removed) and the pertinent part of the contract highlighted were sent to ABC Tree Service, **** via Certified Mail, Return Receipt requested.

  The 2nd item I am attaching is the full signed contract I received from AB Tree Service so you can see the full contract. 

  Also, I tried to create an account and put in my email and password.  It said I would have a confirmation code sent to my email but requested several times and did not receive. I think I can access the BBB with the link and code you sent me if I can not establish an account. 

  Thank you!  Best, Cindy 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/01/2025

  Hello, I had already sent along two photos that was sent to AB Tree Service before the work was done to show the two areas of the slope. I thought it would be helpful to also show you the current state to make it very clear that trees on the right side of the slope were never removed.   As of today they  are still there. Youll notice the trees in photo number one ( the large poplar tree in the middle that was blocking part of the Mountainview and the two large V shaped trees)  on either side of them have been removed so we now have a clear unobstructed view of the mountain. That  was the only work that was done. if you compare photo number two with the photo Im sending now on the right side of the slope, you  can see all the trees that were to be removed are still there.  There are five or six of them with a birch tree in the middle.  Youll know the large pine trees to the right side of the slope. Youll see those same pine trees that shows the right hand side of the slope where the five or six trees were never removed. Thank you for the opportunity to add additional information.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/10/2025

  Hello BBB, we appreciate the opportunity to address this complaint because there certainly are two sides tonthe story. ***** is a repeat client of ours. We began a HUGE project of removing many many trees on a steep downhill slope in her back yard. The large part of the project was done earlier this year and the second part was scheduled for continuation in August. The owners of the business went to quote the second part of the job and discuss what ***** wanted. Based off of the trees she wanted to have removed, we quoted the project as $3,200. It was discussed with her over the phone about the project to send a contract. She sent some pictures and the contract was written in accordance with the vision she had for the slope. However, ***** stated that the trees on the right side of the slope she wasn't 100% sure if she wanted them removed because she didn't want to open up that right side too much to expose her neighors property below. It was discussed with her that the quote given was for the project as a whole so if she chose to leave some trees and not have then removed, it wouldn't affect the quote (since it wasn't per tree) and that we would confirm with her in the morning day of about those trees. She said thay she completely understood. When the crew came to do the work and walked the property with her in the morning to confirm everything she stated that she and her husband *** hadn't made a decision on whether to remove them and really didn't want to expose her neighbors property. She stated that it wasn't her priority and told the crew to do the trees on the bottom. AB Tree Service crew did as she requested and remoced all the trees on the bottom and left the smaller trees on the side (as requested). Once the crew finished and went to get payment ***** stated that the work wasn't finished and wouldn't pay. Karena who handles the communication between clients received a text message from ***** after the crew packed up the equipment and trunks and had finished with the project which stated "now I can see that it would be ok to have those trees removed on the right side" confirming that her and her husband didn't want them cut down when the crew was there working. The reason we decided not to continue corresponding with ***** is because this is the second time that she did not pay for the work that was completed. The first time she also didn't pay a large portion that was quoted to her and now a second time she was holding back money after stating that she understood that if any trees were to remain by her choice the quote would not change. She has stated in the complaints that she wants a refund. However according to the contract if she did not pay for the full project there would be a late fee each day that we would be waiting for payment.We decided to not return to do work at ******* property because each time there seems to be an issue. Her husband and herself don't seem to be on the same page and change their mind which alters the contracts. She also said that the trees taken down were "twigs" and she could cut them down herself. At this point it seems that our work is not taken seriously by her and she doesn't seem to understand the scope involved and truly how tall and large those trees were. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/11/2025

   
  Complaint: 23816167
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  
  802096282570A
  
  
  Thank you for sending along AB Tree Services response.
  I have carefully read the response. Unfortunately, there are several untruths in their response so I do not agree. I will take the time to respond to each falsehood in their response if the BBB believes that is what I should do for next steps. 
  
  I would point out that It appears that AB Tree Service is not responding to the substance of their own contract and the contract dispute as written in my complaint. 
  
   The contract was clear. The work was not completed. Any changes to the contract need to be made in writing. They were obligated by contract to have me do a review and accept the work before they left. 
  
  In their response, they are attempting to frame this as a verbal disagreement as if a contract doesnt exist and as a he said - she said.  In fact there is a contract that clearly spells out the work to be done and the obligations we both had under this signed agreement. 
  
  It remains my position that AB Tree Service failed to live up to its contract requirements, as spelled out in my complaint. 
  
  With that being said, and the fact that they have ignored my multiple phone calls my text my emails and now refused to accept a certified letter I sent with photos and additional documentation, I honestly dont know how we get beyond this as they refuse to talk with me and now provide the reason being that they were issues both times and imputing my character.
  
  
  At this point , I think it would be beneficial to bring in a neutral mediator or arbitrator and small claims as need be. 
  
  
  I am hoping that if **** and his son if put under oath, we will hear the truth about his promise to return the next day. I would also welcome an objective party reviewing the contract and my documentation. 
  
  After reading their allegations about issues and paying my debts, I am am respectfully requesting the Better Business Bureau  inform AB Tree Service  through my response of my great concern about their allegation that this is the 2nd time she did not pay for work that was completed. That is totally false and is an another  indicator of how this company has no problem telling untruths in order to defend  its position. 
  
  As to the  assertion that they decided not to return to our property because each time there was an issue. Again, this is not true. I have evidence by means of photographs, and texts that will tell the truth. 
  
  And probably the silliest attempt to distract  from the facts clearly is a comment about my husband and I not being on the same page. I refer back to my original complaint and documentation where I stated I told **** and his son a joke about how my husband didnt want them removed, but I did so they will be removed and I laughed and they laughed and I went to write their check. The fact that they are now trying to even bring in a notion that me and my husband are not on the same page is another poor  attempt to distract from the facts. 
  
  Their attempt to impute my reputation and character by informing the BBB I dont pay my debts in incredulous and potentially defamatory. 
  
  
   We have an outstanding position in the community as well as an outstanding credit rating. If AB Tree continues these  false claims  that we did not pay in full  for work completed, I will take action on this reckless and potentially damaging untruth. 
  
  I look forward to the BBBs  response as to what are possible next steps. Please understand, however I am not hopeful about any ability to resolve this without third-party intervention after reading their response and the multiple untruths about alleged verbal conversations. 
  
  
  Thank you for your time and assistance in this matter. 
  
  *****

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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/12/2025

  Thank you for allowing me to add these additional photos and text messages.  As stated in my word document, I am sending these documentation to demonstrate the "untruths" told by *************** as it pertains to us not paying in full for the first project done in June and that there were "issues" and that is the reason they refuse to return.  Both are false as evidenced by the photos and texts and I hope serve as evidence of their ability to not tell the truth in order to support the defense of them leaving without finishing the job.  

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/12/2025

  Thank you for allowing me to add these additional photos and text messages.  As stated in my word document, I am sending these documentation to demonstrate the "untruths" told by *************** as it pertains to us not paying in full for the first project done in June and that there were "issues" and that is the reason they refuse to return.  Both are false as evidenced by the photos and texts and I hope serve as evidence of their ability to not tell the truth in order to support the defense of them leaving without finishing the job.  

   

  Business Response

  Date: 09/18/2025

  Representatives of the BBB, we thank you yet again for the opportunity to defend our stand in this matter. 

  
  

  ***** claims that AB Tree Service is telling untruths about the work that was done at her property. Likewise, we also reject her response due to untruths. She disagrees with us and what we have to say and we disagree with what ***** has to say. We don't wish to continue in this back and forth dialogue of accusations. Not only is it unpleasant to end on negative terms but it is mentally exhausting to have to read what is being said about our business. We went above and beyond to do a beautiful job for *****. The nature of our business is to take down trees. There is absolutely no reason for us to give ***** a quote to cut down trees and then not cut down those trees....There simply is no logic in that. Once again, I will repeat that ***** specifically requested that AB Tree Service leave the trees because she was not comfortable with exposing her neighbor's property. We planned to remove those trees as stated in the contract, but said that we would confirm with her in person when we arrived on the property to do the tree work because she was on the fence about them. That morning when we walked the property again and confirmed the plan, she stated that she was still unsure if it was a good idea to remove the side trees and risk exposing her neighbor and asked us to leave them. So we did. As requested. Once a tree is cut down, you can't put it back up. Unfortunately, because our conversations were either in person or over the phone, this does become a "he said-she said" situation. No promises were made to return the following day because there were jobs already scheduled for the remainder of the week. ***** was told that. She was also told that this project was not going to exceed a day worth of work (even if she had wanted the other trees removed). Something to note as well is that we did not receive a certified letter and therefore cannot reject something we didn't receive. 

  We have no need or desire to "distract from facts" or to "impute reputation and character." We are simply revealing conversations between ***** and the business. AB Tree Service performed the tree work to the best of their ability and with honesty, trying to satisfy ******* requests. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/18/2025

   
  Complaint: 23816167
  
  I am rejecting this response because: see previous response. Waiting to hear BBB recommendations for next steps. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *******