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:26/11/2024

  Type:Order 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.

  I am writing to bring attention to a concerning issue involving the business practices of Maple Leaf Disposal, which I believe is unfairly targeting small businesses like mine and others across the region. This companys exploitative methods, particularly regarding their contracts, have left me and many others in challenging situations.I owned a small store in ********* that I recently had to close. When I initially signed up for Maple Leaf Disposals services, I was not informed verbally or otherwise that I was entering a binding three-year contract. It was only after I attempted to terminate the service due to the closure of my business that I discovered I was allegedly locked into this long-term agreement. The company is now demanding multiple thousands of dollars as a penalty for terminating the contract early and has even threatened legal action if I fail to pay.This situation feels like a scam. It is alarming that such terms were buried in fine print, never clearly communicated at the time of signing, and designed to trap customers into paying exorbitant fees. A quick search revealed I am not alone in experiencing this. There have been numerous complaints and even past *** articles highlighting similar stories of Maple Leaf Disposal using fine print in their contracts to take advantage of customers, particularly small business owners.Despite these reports, it seems nothing has changed. The company continues to employ these predatory practices with impunity, exploiting the vulnerabilities of small businesses that are already struggling to survive in the current economic climate.1. Misrepresentation or Deceptive Practices: the company didn't fully disclose the terms of the contract, and misled you into signing it. 2. Lack of Informed Consent: the company did not explain the contract terms to you properly or you signed the contract without fully understanding it 3. I paid $1200 to terminate the contract, as agreed, now they are asking even more.

  Business Response

  Date: 27/11/2024

  This customer entered into a contract with us without reading the Terms and Conditions on the front of the Contract.  The contract was for a 3-year term.  When they closed the business he thought that he could just walk away from his obligation to us by way of a signed contract.  After several emails back and forth we received a legal document showing that he had indeed closed his business.

  The contract had 20 month left on it when he walked away from his business.  We had told the customer payment of $2,064.60 was the amount outstanding.  This customer thought that if he closed his business that he could just walk away from all his debt.

  This matter only came to light because the customer stated that he didn't have the money to clear the balance outstanding.  We had stated to the customer that we would accept a payment of $1395.19. We in-turn already reduced the amount of the balance outstanding that the customer was supposed to pay by $668.60. Below is a passage sent to the customer while trying to get a resolution for this account.

  "As I am the Credit Manager, my job is to mitigate the loss to our Company. We have an obligation to collect all the monies owed to us.  With that said, we felt that due to the business being closed we would negotiate a reasonable amount for payment to put this matter to bed.  This was the amount we had already agreed to on the 25th of November. $1395.19 is the amount we will settle for and not a dollar less.  Please make the E-transfer to:  ***************************************************************."

  The customer then called the Salesperson to try to side step me. However the customer's attempt to side step the Credit Manage failed and had to pay the amount agreed upon on the 25th of November.

  The bottom line is simple:  Reading the entire contract is up to the customer, we have no control over whether or not the customer reads a contract.  We are not obligated to tell the customer that the service agreement is for 3 years when they sign a contract as it is stated as 2. term on the front of the contract. These contracts are either signed with a Salesperson or just emailed to the customer as requested.

  I would request that this complaint be dismissed as we didn't step out of line.  We just followed the Terms and Conditions of a signed contract. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/12/2024

   
  Complaint: 22609534
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  I appreciate your detailed response, but I must address several points that remain contentious, address critical inaccuracies and highlight why I believe your practices are unfair and unreasonable in this situation.
  
  1. Misrepresentation of Communication:
  Contrary to your claims, I never contacted this salesperson and It was the first time I talked to that person. In fact, it was your salesperson who called me in the first place because this whole matter was ongoing for 3+ Months. During that call, I was informed that your management had discussed my case and decided to offer a reduced settlement amount of $1,200 if I paid that same day. Based on this offer, I promptly made the payment as agreed.
  
  2. Breach of Verbal Agreement:
  Despite this agreement, the Credit Manager later disregarded the settlement we had reached, which is both unprofessional and unethical. To add to the frustration, the Credit Manager made inappropriate and dismissive remarks, stating, If my pride is bigger than $200, implying a lack of seriousness in honoring the deal. This behavior reflects poorly on your companys professionalism and integrity in handling disputes.
  
  3. Lack of Clear Communication Regarding the Contract Terms:
  While you emphasize that the Terms and Conditions were available on the contract, it is evident that your sales process lacks transparency. As a business, the **** is not just on the customer to read every clause but also on your company to clearly explain critical termssuch as the three-year obligation and penalties for early terminationverbally or in writing at the point of signing. Many reputable businesses make this standard practice to avoid confusion and disputes.
  
  4. Unethical Reliance on Fine Print:
  It is concerning that your sales representatives are not obligated to explicitly inform customers about the long-term commitment. Small business owners, such as myself, are often focused on operational needs and trust service providers to highlight significant contract obligations. Your argument that reading the entire contract is up to the customer demonstrates a lack of accountability and an attempt to capitalize on fine print rather than engaging in transparent business practices.
  
  5. Unreasonable Termination Fee:
  My business is closed, and there is no logical way I can utilize your services further. Demanding $2,064.60 (or even the reduced amount of $1,395.19) for a service I cannot use is punitive and lacks fairness. You state that you mitigate your losses, yet there is no attempt to account for the fact that your costs related to providing service for my now-defunct business no longer exist. This raises the question of whether the termination fee is an unfair profit-making tool rather than a genuine recovery of losses.
  
  6. History of Similar Complaints:
  Your companys history of similar complaints, as documented in past news articles, reinforces the perception that these practices are systemic. Customers have repeatedly raised concerns about being locked into long-term agreements without their informed consent, indicating this is not an isolated case but rather a pattern of behavior. [********************************************************************************************] [*************************************************************************************************************]
  
  7. Attempted Negotiation:
  While I appreciate the reduction you proposed, the revised amount still represents an unreasonable financial burden for a service I no longer use or benefit from. Negotiation should be grounded in fairness and take into account the customers unique circumstances, including the closure of the business.
  
  8. Request for Resolution:
  I urge your company to re-evaluate this matter and offer a resolution that considers fairness and proportionality. I am willing and always wanted pay a nominal fee (up-to $500) to cover reasonable administrative costs related to the termination of my account.
  
  I look forward to your response and hope we can settle this matter amicably.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  ****** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 18/12/2024

  Good afternoon,

  We have already negotiated a settlement with regards to **********. (******* *****) We came to a mutual agreement of $1395.19.  Which was in part $395.19 a past due invoice.  and $1000.00 buyout for the remaining term of his contract with us. The total amount of the buyout would have been $2064.60.  

  I am not sure what more we can offer this customer.  

  The signed service agreement shows the Terms very clearly at the bottom of the contract which he signed.  We have no control over whether the customer reads the contract or not.  We believe this settlement was fair and requires no further action to be taken.

  Thank you

  ***** ********* - Credit Manager