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Business Profile

Hardscaping

Proud Ponds

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

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Complaints

Customer Complaints Summary

  • 1 complaint in the last 3 years.
  • 1 complaint closed in the last 12 months.

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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.

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  • Initial Complaint

    Date:06/09/2025

    Type:Product Issues
    Status:
    Unanswered
    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 hired Proud Ponds (Wauconda, **), an Aquascape Certified Contractor, in March 2025 to help maintain and upgrade our existing pond. The owner, *****, seemed knowledgeable and convinced us to invest in a new skimmer, biofalls, and plumbing ($4,968). Immediately after installation, the pond began leaking. When we brought it up, ***** laughed and dismissed our concerns, stating we shouldnt expect everything to be perfect. He refused to return or inspect the work, instead insisting the pond had always leakedcontradicting his original claim that it did not.Despite paying for a maintenance plan (additional $3,195), services were delayed or poorly executed. Aquatic plants included in our package were delivered over a month late and arrived unhealthy. ***** admitted he bought them too early and promised replacements, which never came. His communication was often unprofessional (e.g., emojis in response to concerns about the leak).We discovered water pooling near the new plumbing, sent pictures, and again ***** refused to visit, blaming previous contractors or even us. On May 30, a tech arrived without warning, performed no maintenance, and said he didnt know why he was there. ***** then abruptly canceled our contract by text and refused a refund of the unused $1,715, citing vague terms hidden on his website that allow cancellation at any time, for any reason, with no refund. These terms were never disclosed at the time of signing.We are seeking a full refund of $1,715 for maintenance services never rendered and are requesting BBB support in holding Proud Ponds accountable for unprofessional conduct, failure to perform contracted work, and refusal to stand behind their installation. We do not want them to work on our pond any further.

Proud Ponds is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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