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:06/17/2024

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  We contacted this company to have treatment for our lawn from an expert in ******* grass. We had one treatment and the technician they sent didnt know anything about Bermuda grass. We paid for this treatment. We were then billed for soil samples. We did not request this and did not receive this. We said we should not have been billed for this and didnt receive these results. Two weeks later they sent soil sample results via email and continued to bill us. They then notified us late charges would be added and they had incurred cost for samples so we needed to pay. We paid to keep our credit record clean but notified them we didnt owe this and would be reporting them to BBB.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/18/2024

  We indeed have Bermuda experts, although it was not a specific request that the service tech be that expert, and certainly unneccesary in March while Bermuda is dormant. We serviced his lawn March 6 2024, which is when a soil test was requested by ****************. The wait for test results was even mentioed by **************** in a phone call on 3/18 to tell us he was going to perform his iwn services this year and to cancel his account once test results were available. Sent results by email 3/25. **************** called 4/2 to remind us to cancel his account

  Services were rendered as requested, payment is due.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/20/2024

  Complaint: 21861374
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I absolutely did not ever request a soil sample. I did say I was going to do my own lawn maintenance because of the inexperienced technician they sent to do my first application. 
  

  I did not say I would wait for the soil sample results. I would not know what to do with a soil sample if I had one so I wouldnt request one to begin with or wait for those results to cancel. 
  

  I believe this company does this routinely to get additional charges possibly or does this to people who cancel. I have paid the charge so they dont put something in my credit rating but I think its unprofessional to insist payment for a service that wasnt requested. I realize its my word against theirs but its not fair. 
  

  I will go to social media to alert others about this companys practice. 
  

  I again assure you I did not request a soil sample. What use is a soil sample to a ******?  I wouldnt know how to use it. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/22/2024

  These kinds of junk charges that businesses automatically tack on to services is not a good faith way to run a business. I can only reiterate that at no time did we request or approve a soil sample. I guess that doesnt matter to anyone and this business will continue to tack on these kind of charges to their future customers. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/19/2023

  Type:Service or Repair 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.

  9-22 Date of transaction. Lawn Doctor was hired to aerate and overseed my lawn. They performed this service 9-22. The new grass did not come up. I watered religiously, and nothing. I contacted the company stating I did not want to pay due to their unsatisfactory service.. They asked if I could pay, and next fall they will repeat the application. They did come out, in the spring, and threw a small amount of grass seed on bare spots without any aeration, or top dressing. I would like to add I am a Master Gardner and I aerated and overseeded my lawn at my previous residence and never occurred a problem. The area, at my present residence, that another company overseeded is fine and the grass is thick. I feel Lawn Doctor is dishonest by telling me they would repeat the process and now are unwilling. I want a refund. Our community does not need unscrupulous businesses.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/04/2023

  As explained to Ms. **** in a recent phone conversation; No
  refund will be given nor will there be further attempts by our company to seed the
  lawn of ****** ****. Seedings carry no guarantee and are completely up to the
  property owner to properly care for the seeds to make them grow.  Ms. **** states none of the seed on both seedings
  had germinated, a 0% germination rate.  While
  not part of any guarantee,  a second
  attempt to seed in some bare areas was performed gratis to help Ms. ****, even
  working the seed into the soil surface yet also claimed to be unsuccessful by
  Ms. ****. No mention is found in our customer notes or known by those involved
  to say a third attempt would be made, nor do we expect it to be fruitful as the
  common element of this situation appears to be Ms. ****’s care for the
  seedlings. Ms. **** finds faults with our methods as they do not include facets
  which she heard about in a gardening class (such as topdressing), which are not
  part of the service which she purchased from us or would be as part of a basic Aeration
  and Seeding from our competitors. Frankly, we can’t image how one would seed a lawn
  incorrectly as it only requires Seed Distribution and Gravity. As the seed was
  indeed spread, and there was no known failure of gravity to prevent it landing
  on the ground, we find her claim without merit.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/04/2023

  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: Many of the statements from the Lawn Doctor are untrue.   I did properly care for the, supposedly, newly planted seeds.  I have aerated and planted grass seed at my former residence numerous times.  My lawn was green and lush. The grass at my current residence was planted 3 years ago and is thick and lush.  So much for the theory that I do not care for the seedlings.   Lawn Doctor may find it beneficial to educate themselves on "top dressing" lawns. This is a practice used by golf courses and breaks down microbes and releases nutrients to improve the soil.  Beneficial when planting grass seed.  

   My water bill was 3x higher than normal, because I was watering the grass seed.    There was never an attempt to work any seed into the soil.  They used a form of liquid aeration which is in question by many soil experts, which I did question them about.

  My so called "gardening class" consists of a Master Gardner class, which is administrated by the University of Missouri.  There are 60 hours required to acquire a Master Gardner status.  30 hours of class participation, 30 hours of volunteer work.  I am qualified to teach classes.

  I, also, attended Meramec Community College accumulating 7 college credits in horticultural consisting of Introduction to Horticulture, and a class in soils.  

  I attended several seminars on Native Gardening.

  I have more knowledge and understanding concerning horticultural than the management at Lawn Doctor.  Lawn Doctors are franchises sold by the Lawn Doctor company, and apparently anyone can purchase one.  

  This is the guarantee posted on their website, "If you are not 100% satisfied, we'll make it right."  False advertising?

  I have had several lawn care companies and have never incurred a problem.    
  

   

  Sincerely,

  
  ****** ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/21/2022

  Type:Delivery Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  Dec. 2021, prepaided for lawn fertilizing and foundation bug spraying, $500.00 plus (6 Lawn applications and 4 foundation sprayings). Seldom made scheduled dates (scheduled by them) and never received last foundation spraying.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/21/2022

  This is unfortunate as we've had a good relationship with the ****** over a few years. Haven't been able to reach them to ask what they were really trying to say, But we know this much;

  Our final Pest Treatment of the season came late in the year to prevent insects entering them home as it gets colder.  *** didn't think this would be effective at the late date, we disagree and treat many homes late in the year to prevent insect intrusion.

  *** was offered to have the service completed by our schedule or refunded, and a refund was issued 11/23, 5 days PRIOR to our receiving this complaint.  As to there statement about making scheduled dates- Weather drives everything we do as we work outside, Customers are notified of our intent to service their properties WEATHER PERMITTING. On an instance with the Hill's, it rained on a Friday we were set to service there property, which we told them wasn't going to happen.  ******** volunteered to catch up theirs and other on SATURDAY (their day off), and it rained enough to prevent them from working then also.  ******** jumped back onto those missed properties on MONDAY in order to fulfill the prior weeks promises prevent again BY WEATHER. 

  Can't see anything here that we would change unless we could control when it rained.  We hope anyone including the Hill's could agree.  *** & ****, please return our messages, would like to keep your business.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/21/2022

  Complaint: 18445854
  
  I am rejecting this response because: there was no rain on the Saturday in question and the woman I spoke with representing The Lawn Doctor told me she needed to have the technician contact me, which to this date has never happened.

  I personally have not seen any evidence of a refund as of this date, but will do my best to verify that statment.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/30/2022

  A refund was credited to my credit card with no notification to me of this happening.