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:05/06/2025

  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.

  An initial quote of $800 was provided for the grinding of nine tree stumps. Despite two prior cancellations, the service was ultimately performed using equipment deemed inadequate for the task. Only seven stumps were partially ground, and these were subsequently covered with wood chips to create a deceptive appearance of completion. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the grinding was not performed to the agreed-upon specifications; the stumps were not ground 4-8 inches below grade as required, but rather left significantly above ground level. After confronting Fields Tree Service regarding the substandard work, a subcontractor was proposed to complete the remaining work. This subcontractor, whose insurance status remains unverified, was presented as the sole point of contact for completing the job, despite my having contracted exclusively with Fields Tree Service. This transfer of responsibility is unacceptable, as I am not obligated to engage with an unknown third-party contractor. Further complicating matters, gasoline-filled Starbucks cups were discarded on my property, resulting in accidental exposure to gasoline . This has been acknowledged by Fields Tree Service via text message. In summary, I have paid $400 for an incomplete and unsatisfactory service, performed in a manner that can only be characterized as deceptive. Fields Tree Service’s actions raise serious concerns regarding professionalism and ethical business practices. I request a full explanation and a prompt resolution to these issues, including the completion of the contracted work to the agreed-upon standards, and appropriate compensation for the incomplete and substandard work performed, and damages caused by negligence (gasoline disposal). I have retained copies of all relevant documentation, including the initial quote, text messages, and photographic evidence of the substandard work. I look forward to your prompt response and a mutually agreeable solution.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/16/2025

  I have reached out to this customer directly to offer a possible solution. She stopped us partway through a job saying the work done so far was not good enough, though the job was not complete at that time and we were at her house to complete the job in question. After refusing to allow us to complete the job and specifically requesting that we turn the job over to another tree service, owned by a friend who had done the estimate with her for us. We set it up with that friend (*****) and he agreed to. take on the job, but told her that he would not be able to begin right away, she agreed to this as well as agreed to us closing her account with us entirely and handing the job over to ***** and his company. She contacted us later saying that containers of a gasoline/oil mixture for the saws were left at her house. We explained that a proper end-of-job clean-up had not been performed due to the nature of the conflict that arose when we arrived to complete the job and apologized that something of that nature was left behind. About 6 days later she contacted us again asking when ***** would be completing the job and sating it was our responsibility to get him to do so, at which point we explained to her that her file with us was closed and she needed to communicate with ***** directly as she had agreed for her file and that job to be entirely turned over to *****. After this complaint was filed I sent the following direct response to this customer, offering a solution:

  "Mrs. ***********,
  
  
  It has come to our attention that you have filed a complaint with the BBB against us. I am reaching out to you in an effort to resolve this issue. At this point we are both unable and unwilling to do any type of work for you, including the remaining work on the stump grinding job. I will be submitting a response and all necessary documentation to the BBB, including text messages in which you requested two different times for ***** (******** Tree Service) to complete the job we started and an affirmative text in regards to us passing your job and file along to ***** and having it closed with us at that time. As this was agreed upon the remaining job is no longer with us and, because you did agree to this transfer, if you are unhappy with the response or work you are getting from ******** Tree Service you need to reach out to them or file an additional complaint against them.
  
  
  In regards to the rest of the matter, we are willing to offer you a partial refund of $100 for your time and to apologize for the accidental gasoline exposure due to an appropriate clean up not being performed at your property. In total you paid our company $400.00. We did not charge you a deposit, even though we had to put out $350 just for equipment and help. After deducting basic expenses we made a total of $50.00 for 9 hours of work done on your property. In addition, our workers were spoken to in an aggressive manner. Prior to leaving your husband went over the work with **** and told him only 1 out of the 7 stumps that were done the previous day would need to be touched up, and that even though he was willing to allow us to continue the job with the equipment we had, you were not. At the time you had requested the job be handed over to ***** (******** Tree Service) or additional equipment be rented, the latter being absurd considering you were barely paying enough for the job to cover equipment expenses to begin with. Despite us not making any profit on this job, we are willing to offer you the $50.00 we did make back and an additional $50.00 to make up for the improper cleanup resulting in gasoline in unmarked and improper containers. We believe this is fair as over 80% of the job was completed, a deposit was not collected when it should have been, and there has been an abundance of aggressive communication and continuous text messages to the owner's wife both inside and outside of work hours.
  
  
  We are a small business that offers our customers much lower pricing than most other services in order to make our services accessible to everyone. We feel that not only was our good nature taken advantage of in this situation, but our willingness to do a job that would usually cost well over $1,500.00 for only $800.00 total was not appreciated or taken into consideration. 
  
  
  In addition to this email we will be filing a response with the BBB including this communication, an outline of the events surrounding the job, and the text messages and other documentation showing we fully transferred your file to another tree service and that you responded to this transfer and closing of your account with us affirmatively.
  
  
  Due to the nature of previous communication we will not be accepting any text message communication or phone calls at this time. To reach us, please respond to this email. Let us know what form you would like your partial refund in. We are also willing to reach out to ******** Tree Service for you and see if there is an update on their timeline to complete your job. We can also set you up with an alternative company to complete the job. Please let us know via email how you would like to proceed with this resolution.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  Fields Tree Service"

  That email was sent on Monday, May 12th and as of today 5-16-25 we have not received a response. We spoke to ***** of ******** Tree Service and he is still willing to complete the job for her, and we have now offered her a partial refund of $100.00 to make up for the inconvenience as well as the problem regarding the containers of gasoline mixture being left behind in her yard.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/20/2025

   I am rejecting this response because:
  I have recently found out that **** and ***** are not even a business. I was told by ***** who they said would complete the job that they both just got out of jail and are not a legitimate business. Explains why he took down my neighbors tree with a U-Haul in my driveway. I have that recorded and also why he ask my neighbor for gas and to borrow a rake from him. He also informed me that **** does not even have drivers License. This is fraud. I found out that he has done this to other community members in ******. This is fraud. You can’t say your a business and show a fake business insurance card. I am notifying the proper authorities and if I don’t get the 400 paid I will file with small claims. What can the BBB do about fraudulent Businesses? I have the recording as well that says he rented the smaller machine bc it was cheaper and he would be back to fix the work he tried to cover up. The AI generated response said I was rude to his workers probably should reread that before you send. There was one worker and I fed him dinner. I also donated over 300 in clothes, shoes, blankets, coats, and a wooden llemonade stand and toy box to **** bc he said he had 6 kids. So his explaining of the 50 profit he made means nothing when he choose the wrong equipment for a job not to mention the gas in cups left at my house that one of my 4 children could have been badly injured from. I also never agreed to ***** doing it or finishing it bc I did not know if he was being subcontracted and **** and ***** can’t tell me who I allow to do work at my home. The agreement was with **** not *****. I have emailed the pictures of the undone stumps to your email. The recording was to long but can send that another way and I have the full conversations by text from beginning to end. 
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/22/2025

  [[BBB transcription via email, see attachments]]

   

  Hello I have the recording of when I confronted him about covering up the incomplete stump removal and asking how he plans to fix it? He said he would come back with the correct equipment of have a subcontractor through his company do it. In their response they said Coint agreed to finish the job. I never agreed to this. I was told what was going to happen. The agreement was made for 9 stumps for 800. I did make a contract with *****. I asked repeatedly if he was subcontracted to work through ****’s company because of making sure business insurance was maintained. They also never responded why they showed me a false insurance card? ***** insurance said they do not insure them. That’s insurance fraud . Here is *****’s response. The recording I have is 3 mins and 21 seconds. It will not let me attach. Is there another way to send it to you. He admits to renting a smaller machine bc the bigger correct  one cost him to much to rent.