Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/09/2025

  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.

  Your InformationDavid GrossVista, ******************************************** Information**** Martin **** Landscape ArtistryEscondido, ******************************************************************________________________________________Complaint Description:On April 1, 2025, I hired **** Martin of **** Landscape Artistry for a professional landscaping consultation. Before agreeing to pay for the service, I clearly and explicitly communicatedthrough both text and phonethat I expected a detailed draft or sketch of my yard layout, showing recommended plant placement and design guidance. This deliverable was central to the consultation and the reason I agreed to the $375 fee.**** completely failed to deliver on this agreement. Instead of providing the layout as promised, he sent me a few generic online links to retailers that sell landscaping productssomething I could have easily found on my own, for free. This was not only unhelpful, but it also showed a complete disregard for the expectations we had clearly established beforehand.Despite my follow-ups, **** made no effort to correct the issue or fulfill the original terms of the agreement. I consider this not only a failure to deliver the paid service, but also a highly unprofessional and misleading business practice. Its clear that **** did not take this consultation seriously, nor did he value my time or investment.Resolution Sought:I am requesting a full refund of the $375 I paid for a service that was never delivered. Furthermore, I believe it's important to warn other potential clients about this business. Based on my experience, **** Martin and **** Landscape Artistry are not trustworthy or reliable, and they do not honor their professional commitments.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/21/2025

  1. My website indicates no plans to be provided during a 2 hour consultation. ( ******************************************************************************************************************************************;)
  2. There was and is no written contract between us for this consultation appointment.
  3. I delivered as promised, a 2 hour on site consultation including an hour of driving both ways. The next day, as a courtesy, I sent a whole series of live links for different products and materials that I thought would be useful.
  4. We did a sit down with husband and wife in the house, then walked the property through the front and backyards, and I provided a tremendous amount of valuable information based on actual site observation with 42 years of experience

  as a Landscape Architect. He seemed to be receptive to what I was saying and explaining. I believe they took notes . We spent about 45 minutes outside, although I did not time it.

  5. After the first 45 minutes or so ( which included an initial discussion inside the house,) and while doing the outside walk around and examining the property, he mentioned that he was expecting some type of landscape design drawing,

  apparently a conceptual plan . I explained at that moment that this was not going to happen, and that it was unrealistic and not part of the consultation visit service.

  6. Why ? He owns a large acre property with complex topography. He voiced that he wanted a hand drawn design showing  multiple design elements which I knew would lead to many issues and challenges. This was obvious to me.
  7. Even if, I chose to comply to his request, ( I did not ) it would have been a waste of time and not useful, and possibly misleading. For example :  he wanted a new ADU building with parking, a new portable spa with a deck, an outdoor sauna,

  new patios, retaining walls, steps, possibly an outdoor prefabricated office, screen planting along a 120 linear foot fence line for privacy, a consideration of how to deal with the existing septic system and ***** lines further into the interior of the backyard,

  A partial remodel for the back of the house that currently has a covered deck in disrepair, there were grading and drainage problems , and more. Even if I chose to try to draw a concept plan ( I didnt ) then I had no property measurements,

  no site plan or land survey etc. I simply has nothing to work with. It was basically impossible.

  8. If I was inexperienced, and decided to do this ( I didnt ) would the first drawing be rejected ? would there be revisions and adjustments to this plan ? again, where would this end ? it was illogical.
  9. Once I gave my answer not to comply, (in the backyard,) he could have told me that he wished to discontinue the meeting. I am pragmatic, and would have chosen to walk away without payment, Instead, we kept going,

  then went back into the house where I continued to answer their questions, wrote up a partial planting list of recommended species for screen plantings and actually finished the 2 hour consultation right on the mark,

  and left on what I thought were good terms.

  10. Several days later he called to complain and wanted a full refund indicating that my consultation was worthless ( ! ) That was surprising, and I did not welcome this and then he made the complaint to the BBB.
  11. To further clarify, an actual design service for a acre property with this type of complex design program would rise to be a professional fee of approximately $ 10k and up.

  I have several of these types of projects under contract right now and have done these types of projects for many years.

  What did he expect for $ 375 ? he expected too much. I have a business to run. If I gave out free plans, even preliminary conceptual plans , I would simply be out of business in no time. This is the reality.

     12 ) Therefore, his complaint is baseless and without merit. That said, I wish him well in the future.