Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/10/2022

  Type:Billing 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.

  Date of the transaction: ********** ** ********** Amount of money paid: $8,421.00
  Business committed to provide: Winter Services
  Nature of dispute: Overcharging
  Business tried to resolve the problem: No
  PO Number: See attached

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/10/2022

  We have been doing snow clearing and salting for cartier since 2008 or 2009 i believe, originally for hooked on gardening then direct through us, we still charge the same and provide the same quality and honest service.

  
  

  Each invoice has the installed number of bags used per visit, average used per visit was 8 bags. To a maximum of 12 bags I believe on a few visits where we had snow and a cold snap and it was a sheet of ice throughout the parking lot and sidewalks.  

  the invoices have been the same billing and approved yearly for over 14 years. The newly implemented strata council does not understand anything about building maintenance, contractors nor do they listen to their licensed preffessional property managers who have been telling them the same thing. Simply complaining 6 months after the service and wanting money back for an approved and provided service is absurd and they should be ashamed of their behavior. 

  This service is for safety!!! One slip and fall incident due to lack of a service provider would cost thousands of dollars.

  
  

  When the ice melts and the weather warms up the salt washes away.

  
  

  When the weather gets cold and the rain freezes the ground turns to ice and we salt the parking lot walkways and sidewalks. This is what the workorder CLEARLY says and nothing has changed in our service in 14 years.

  
  

  First it was arguing the temperature or service days then arguing the visits, now the salt content installed?

  
  

  There is no issue with the service provided, this is clearly some terrible attempt at after the fact cost reduction. Have them contact another company for a quote and see what they charge, and how reliable they are. Our other clients praise us for these.

  
  

  We have been provided snow clearing and salting services since 2006 and this is the FIRST and only complaint like this and frankly it's absurd. 

  
  

  We understand that this was a particularly cold and consistent winter and they clearly went over budget for winter services, we even reduced Landscaping maintenance costs for the regular season to try to help.

  We will no longer service this client and have now terminated their maintenance services.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/10/2022

   
  
  Complaint: 18147022
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  We can feel that the business owner is very proud in providing their winter services for fourteen years but last year was just the first time our strata tried out their snow removal and salting services. We have no idea how they have been billing other customers in the past but our strata council has been questioning about their exceptionally high billing amount since we received the invoices in early spring this year.

  We just cannot comprehend how 200kg – 300kg of salt were spread for each of the brief salting visits to our strata building with just an 8,000 square feet parking lot. We as a customer should have the right to know about the details of our charges. We need to have the following information from the contractor to determine if their charges are justified or legitimate:
  

     1) How long did it normally take their staff to perform a salt spreading service for our strata?
     2) What type of vehicle was normally used for salt spreading for our strata and its maximum payload?
     3) What type of salt spreader was normally used for our strata and its maximum capacity?
     4) What was the normal rate of application or dial setting used for the salt spreader used and its maximum rate or dial setting?
     5) What was the normal speed of the vehicle during salt spreading?
  

  As with regards to the business’s response, it leads us to doubt their trustworthiness. It is hard to believe a BBB accredited business will ever find a customer who wants to understand more about the billing details absurd and in return blame the customer for not understanding anything. They even further accused a normal billing enquiry as a “terrible attempt at after the fact cost reduction”. Their only response to the customers who question about their billing is just simply terminated their services.  Such reactions will likely indicate that the billing cannot be substantiated.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** **
  
  *** ****** ******* ******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 07/10/2022

  As stated above, we have been providing salting and snow clearing services to your building for many many years with the same costing and agreements which are approved every year. The quote was approved as was for many years, and the service provided promptly and preffessional as always.

  The fact that you do not understand how snow removal services work, is something you should learn by discussing it with your licensed preffessional property manager who deals with this. 

  We have a 75,000 dollar 3 tonne truck, with a 12,000 dollar salt spreader, as well as 2 staff that provide the service each visit.

  We apply salt to melt the ice and provide traction for safety. Which for on average of 388.00 per visit is a much better alternative to someone getting hurt, and or suing the strata or damages due to neglect because you do not want to pay for salting services.

  8bags of salt is not alot of salt to apply to a full parking lot and sidewalks of a properly. We only charge 25 dollars per bag( which we have to buy, store and apply( plus the 170 service fee)

  This is now the 6th correspondence about this. 

  Get quotes from other contractors and you will see that we charge lower than most others.

  Just because you don't  understand  or like something, does not make it okay to constantly complain long after the fact, and use the BBB at an attempt to extort or bully a contractor into trying to recover costs.  Very unprofessional.

  you have a property manager, who can and I'm sure has told you that our services are honest, and professional..

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 13/10/2022

   
  
  Complaint: 18147022
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

   

  Get Growing must have mistaken our strata being another customer
  as they kept mentioning having provided winter services to our strata “for many
  many years with the same costing and agreements which are approved every year”.  In fact, last winter was just the first time
  we tried out their salting services.  We
  would suggest them to revisit their record and hopefully, this might just simply
  be a billing record mistake.
  

  
  According to their information, they are using a 3 tonne
  truck with a $12,000 salt spreader.  At
  that price point, it should very likely to have a 1-2 cubic yard capacity if
  not less, which should converts to 1,000 kg to 2,000 kg of salt.  As our strata only have a single lane
  driveway of around 80 meter long, a salt spreading truck should be able to
  complete the run in less than 1 minute.  But if they have to use 200kg – 300kg for such a short run, the truck
  will be out of salt already in 5 to 10 minutes and can only service a 500 to
  1000 meter path.
  
  We do not have any issue with their quotes and we just
  demand to be charged fairly based on the quote with the reasonable actual usage
  of salt rather than whatever the contractor likes to bill us.
  
  Our strata have been questioning about the excessive salting
  cost since we received the bills early in the year and it is very ill-willed
  for the business to accuse our effort to seek resolution through BBB as extortion
  or bullying them. 
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  ****** **
  
  *** ****** ******* ******

  

  Business Response

  Date: 13/10/2022

  Once again you are incorrect.

  We have provided salting and snow clearing services for the property  for many years. Originally subbed out through hooked on gardening who has since retired,  and then directly through us at the same or similar rates. I don't need to "check" as I myself have provided the service with staff throughout the years. Check with your property manager. Maybe they skipped a year, or it was before you joined "the strata council"

  there is no issue with the billing. Each invoices clearly states the number of bags used each visit. Typically 8 for most services days.

  This is a common amount charged and quite a bit less than other contractors charge for the same service.

  You started complaining months after the service clearly thinking you could recover costs which is absurd. Services were performed, invoiced and paid as they should. 

  You will not be getting any refund or adjustment. 

  Get other quotes. You lost a great contractor. Hopefully noone gets hurt at the property from lack of safe services come winter.

  good luck with future contractors, and I reccomend you listen to your property manager regarding building management and maintenance to avoid this type of confusion in the future.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 26/10/2022

   
  
  Complaint: 18147022
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Get Growing has continued to evade our request for their evidence
  and substantiation for the unreasonable excessive salt usage in their
  billing. 
  
  Instead of simply providing the details which they should
  already have if their billing is genuine, they continued with another false
  claim of having been providing salting services for our strata for many
  years.  We have only been engaging them
  for summer landscape works and we are very disappointed a BBB accredited
  company will twist the truth instead of providing simple facts to customer’s
  enquiry. 
  
  In fact, it should be easy for them to provide invoice
  records for winter services they claimed to have been serving us prior to last
  winter but obviously it is another fraudulent claim from them.
  

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

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/11/2022

  I have attached 2 previous years winter services invoices, 2020, and 2019 as that’s as far as my system will allow me as the property managent company was previously called bower and their old profile has expired.
  
   
  
  Goes to show they have no idea what the previous years have entailed as they just joined the strata, and clearly do not understand building maintenance.  Suggesting I was not telling the truth is deplorable, we have been in business for 20 years and never have I had to deal with someone using the BBB as an extortion or bullying tactic.
  
   
  
  As I said we have providing snow clearing and salting services for many years for this property. Reliable and honest service.
  
   
  
  We will continue to provide the same reliable and honest services for our wonderful clients. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/11/2022

   
  
  Complaint: 18147022
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The two invoices presented by the business are for **** ******* *** *** ****** ** ** **** ******* instead.  But as a benefit of doubt, it may possibly be another error in the business billing system and we are in the process of validating against our accounting archive.
  
  Even if the two invoices amounting to $609 were for the salting services of our strata in the winter 2019/20, it makes no sense that the winter service fee will be inflated to over $8,0000 in two years.  In fact, last winter was not much worse than two years ago.
  
  We have just been simply asking for the explanation and rationale for the excessive amount of salt being used each time on our small driveway and how such a quantity of salt could have been realistically applied in a relatively short run of the truck.  Up till now, we still has not received any explanation aside from slandering the customer.

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

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 23/11/2022

  For the 15th time. Do you not read the invoices which are dated and summarized on each visit? You continue to reference the 8,000 figure but for some odd reason do not seem to grasp the fact that that total is for a 5 month period over a exceptionally cold winter with  multiple snow clearing and salting visits over the 5 month period October- February. 

  your property manager understands how this service works, and paid the invoices. There is no issue with the service provided or the cost of service, as it was very clear on the agreement which was signed.

   

   

  You continue to ask why 200kg of salt is used, its an average of 8 bags of salt! Why is this difficult to understand that a professional service would use 8 bags of salt or more to ensure proper ice melting on a service visit? Roadways, sidewalks and parking stalls every visit.

   

  The service was provided, done very well and without complaints or incident.

  your only complaining because you don't understand the costs involved, and you think complaining is somehow going to get you money back. 

  you are not getting any refunds or adjustments as I have said multiple times.