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:04/22/2025

  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.

  I am filing a complaint against Bio One for misleading billing practices, unclear documentation, and manipulative conduct during a vulnerable time as I balanced a probate property cleanout with impending surgery. During our initial call, Bio One’s Director Darla quoted $1,950 for 1.5 days (12 hours), explaining I’d receive three invoices: one for half a day, one for a full day, and one for the full 1.5 days, in case more work was needed. She emphasized this was a worst-case estimate to satisfy probate, but said the job would likely take 4 hours to one day. During scheduling, I mistakenly read the 1.5-day invoice as a 1-day invoice and believed $975 reflected half a day. The owner admits the invoice was unclear and acknowledged this mistake multiple times but made no attempt to correct it before work began. Based on Bio One’s math ($1,950 = 12 hours), $975 should’ve covered 6 hours, not 4. Yet I received only 4 hours of labor and was never offered the 2 extra hours I’d already paid for. When the job wasn’t finished in 4 hours, the owner ignored his team’s live estimate (4–5 more hours) and instead tried to charge me for another full 1.5 days, even though I’d overpaid. He also falsely claimed he had to order hazmat suits, which were never used. I was never provided a final work order in advance and was left juggling paperwork errors, shifting terms, and a dump charge of $297.41 (more than double the quoted range) w/no receipt, weight ticket, or itemization. He also misleadingly said he would “get” the dump fee, as he had with the tax implying he’d waive or cover it. The dump involved no furniture, just bags of trash, and the trailer wasn’t large. I paid a $500 deposit and, based on the fair cost of $650 for 4 hours and $120 for the dump, I estimate my remaining balance to be $270. I can make the final payment within 3 days and need a paper receipt. This experience left me confused, misled, and exploited. The billing doesn’t align with the math on their own documents.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/24/2025

  I have read *********** complaint, I refute almost all of her allegations and her inflammatory comments, i.e. "Manipulative Conduct, and "exploited" are completely without any justification, and I take her slandering of me, my Director/Darla, and "misleading billing practices" as a personal affront of my character and professional integrity. I will address each of her allegations separately later, and I will provide documentation that corroborates my position. I will start off by saying that her attack and complaint is shocking to me, considering the patience and length of time I have allowed her to pay a balance that was due on the day of services rendered which was 3/22/2025.

  *** ****** had originally contacted my company on June 29, of 2024, almost a year ago! I have provided this initial solicitation as Exhibit A. I followed up with her, left numerous voicemails and she would schedule a free assessment only to cancel it the day of the assessment. This happened at least a half dozen times. I felt sorry for her as she said she was the only person in her family dealing with this property and no one was helping her financially and she was under a huge amount of pressure to get the property cleared. I had not heard from her for months until early march of this year when she started requesting help again and the scheduling of the free assessment. The free assessment was provided on 3/20/205 as *** ****** said it was now an emergency and the work had to be done as the property was in probate, and could possibly be condemned if the ******** County Public Health Dept. Code Enforcement inspected it, in its current condition. I emailed her a not to exceed estimate based upon the scope of work she communicated to my Director of Ops. to do the work required, Exhibit B. She replied she had only $600-$700 dollars, but that "she would help the crew with the work and that there was a dumpster available at the complex she would personally throw the bags of trash into. I explained to her that the best I could with her offer to assist was to offer three techs for four hours for $975.00, and I would take care of the associated ******** County sales tax of 7.8%, but she would be responsible for any dump charges if the company truck would be needed in addition to the dumpster being utilized, I explained to her that charge should be minimal as the dumpster would take the majority of the trash associated with this job. She agreed in an email on 3/21/2025 to the three techs, four hours $975.00, Exhibit C. So as she alleges, there were no "misleading billing practices" and whatever math she is utilizing to come up with what I should charge, has nothing to do with what I did charge on the estimate that she approved. I cut her a huge break as she demanded we do the job on a weekend, and that is what we usually reserve for biohazard emergencies, I would pay the sales tax and my normal charge for three techs for four hours is almost $1,200.00. She claims the dump charge was double the estimated charge and that is correct as she promised a dumpster on-site to be utilized, there was no dumpster on site so we packed all of the trash until we could not fit a single bag into a twenty foot box truck, what she described as a "not large trailer". I have the statement from ****** which I have shared with her that shows her dump charge and the associated weight, fuel and total charge. *** ****** says I never provided her with a Work Order although she asked...I am required by Bio-One Corporate to have a signed Work Order before we start any job, I emailed the Work Order, to her on March 21, 2025, Exhibit D, she promised a half dozen times to sign it and return it before my team arrived, then she promised to have it printed out and provide it when my team arrived, then she said her printer wasn't working and when we had completed the work she would email me the signed Work Order...she never did so. She promised to have the $500.00 down payment when my team arrived, but never had it. It took a dozen calls and texts and emails on March 22nd, 2025 to finally get the down payment from her as she claimed her bank would not approve the credit card payment. Also, I charge clients the 3.5% processing fee for credit c ard transactions, but I even promised her that I would waive that! 

  When I finally received the dump charge statement from ****** on 4/9/2025, (they were having billing issues with a new invoicing system), I emailed *** ****** the statement and the amount she owed on 4/10/2025, Exhibit E, when she never replied and I emailed, texted her and left her voicemails, I finally left her a voicemail that if the amount was not paid by 4/18/2025, I would take it to a collection agency and that would be more costly. *** ****** finally replied via email on 4/17/2025 that she was in the hospital, with limited access to email/phone and receiving healthcare at ********** that week and the following week. I replied I wished her the best and would like the balance to be paid by 4/25/2025, or I would start the collection proceedings. She never replied, and I have not heard back from her until I received this email from the BBB yesterday. I will call *** ****** tomorrow and request payment by the EOD Saturday, April 26th, 2025 or I will start the collection proceedings. I initially felt sorry for a very over whelmed young woman, working by herself, against her family to take care of a situation with limited monies...I found out she has been a manipulative, disingenuous, conniving person who has tried numerous times to take advantage of someone who had tried to help her. If you need screen shots of the text messages or any other information, please do not hesitate to contact me. I have almost thirty five star ****** reviews, I take very seriously my commitment to help people first and be kind and compassionate to their needs, but sometimes, as in this case, people like *** ****** use that to take advantage of me and try to not be accountable to their financial obligations. She and this situation has been an absolute nightmare, but I would do it again,as I will not allow the *** ******* of the world to deter me from doing the right thing to help others.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/01/2025

  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have acted in good faith throughout this process, yet the owner of Bio-One **********, Devin D*********, continues to make false claims and personal allegations against me and my late mother’s estate, which is currently in probate. In what appears to be a clear act of retaliation, he contacted the City of ********** and requested that my property be condemned—despite never having visited the property or having firsthand knowledge of its current condition. As recently as today, he emailed me stating: “I have contacted the City of ********** about the property and requested that it be condemned.” This is a blatant threat, made in retaliation for my formal complaints. 

  
  Seeking Multiple Estimates:
  ?I want to clarify that I never skipped or missed multiple appointments. I did reschedule one appointment, which was agreed upon in advance and with proper notice, as reflected in the attached email thread. When preparing to make a significant purchase, it’s standard to contact multiple companies for estimates. Bio One advertises free estimates, and I made good faith efforts to schedule them accordingly.
  
  Initial Inspection Misrepresentation:?
  The owner was not present at the initial inspection. I was. His current assertions that my home was at risk of condemnation are completely false. No one was living in the home at the time, and the property was empty—aside from one bedroom. His own crew assessed the space as a Level 2 clean, did not wear hazmat suits, and one cleaner didn’t even wear a mask. Yet the owner now exaggerates the condition to justify inflated charges, despite the fact that his company specializes in exactly this kind of cleanup. Future customers should be extremely cautious. The owner has demonstrated a disturbing willingness to make false claims without hesitation—including reporting the property as condemned. This appears to be a deliberate tactic designed to intimidate and pressure me into paying a bill I believe is inflated and unjust.
  

   

  It’s important to clarify: all rooms in the vacant home were cleared nearly a year ago, with the exception of one bedroom, which was emptied in March of this year. There are no health or safety concerns at the property. This latest action seems calculated, retaliatory, and deeply misleading.
  

   

  ***PROSPECTIVE CLIENTS SHOULD BE FULLY AWARE OF THE RISK THAT THE SAME TACTIC COULD BE USED AGAINST THEM!***
  
  Discrepancies in the Invoice:?
  The invoice was never corrected despite assurances it would be. On Sunday, March 23, 2025 (the day AFTER the service was rendered), the owner said he would resend the corrected invoice, but did not do so until the following week, at which time I expressed concerns over the billing. Further, the invoice included a dump charge that was nearly double what was expected. I originally believed that dump fees were included in the $975 total, which is why I agreed to move forward, and I stated this in writing twice. Later, my partner contacted the hauling company, ******, and their agent confirmed there had been no billing outage or reason for the delay in itemized billing. 
  
  In an email* dated April 26th, I explained to the owner: “I am formally disputing the accuracy and validity of the charges reflected on the bill you issued, which is the subject of my complaint filed with the Better Business Bureau (Case #********). The invoice includes a service date that does not match the actual date of service. According to the movers on site, the truck was to be unloaded immediately after lunch—prior to moving on to the next job scheduled for that day. These discrepancies are not minor—they cast serious doubt on the legitimacy of the full amount charged, along with the other issues I’ve raised in my complaint, and I expect these matters to be thoroughly addressed before any further action is taken. While this dispute remains unresolved, I am submitting payment of the undisputed portion of the bill in the amount of $270. Be advised that under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), once a debt is disputed in writing, all collection activity must cease until the debt has been properly validated. This includes contacting me for payment, reporting the alleged debt to any credit agency, or transferring the matter to collections. Any violation of this statute will be documented and reported accordingly. Any further communication regarding this issue should be handled through the BBB in order to reach a fair and documented resolution. Finally, the claim that my phone was deactivated is entirely inaccurate—my phone has remained active and in service at all times.”
  
  In a follow-up email* sent later that evening, I wrote: “I’ve made several attempts to submit the $270 payment but have been unable to complete the transaction. I tried using both my ******* *** and Chase accounts, but the payments didn’t go through. I even spoke with a ***** representative who attempted to assist me, but each attempt failed—whether I used your phone number or email. This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered issues. When I made the initial deposit, I ran into similar problems with ***** repeatedly blocking the transaction. Both ***** and ******* *** can confirm in writing that my accounts have sufficient funds to cover the transactions, but that ***** blocked them. Previously, it took nearly a dozen attempts to complete the payment related to my deposit, involving phone calls, split payments, and considerable extra effort just to get the transaction through. I’ve raised concerns directly with your company about the accuracy of the charges on two separate occasions in writing. After not receiving a resolution, I submitted a formal complaint to the BBB. I received your response earlier today, but I stand by the validity of my concerns regarding the billing. I’ve repeatedly stated that I cannot make any additional payment beyond the $270 until these concerns are addressed. Moving forward, I request that any further communication regarding this issue be handled through the BBB to ensure a fair and documented resolution.”
  
  Misleading Pricing & Lack of Transparency:
  ?To give an analogy: if I walk into ******* and see an item marked at $7 but mistakenly believe it costs $12, ******* doesn’t take advantage of the misunderstanding—they clarify the price. That’s fair business. Bio One did the opposite. They saw an opportunity and took advantage of my trust.
  
  Inaccurate Charges & Timeline Deception:?
  When I realized that the job might take longer than anticipated, I agreed to extend the timeline to 1.5 days. The owner agreed. However, he later tried to manipulate this agreement by adding another full 1.5 days on top of the half day already completed—despite his own team confirming that only four additional hours were needed to finish the work. It’s clear this was an intentional attempt to confuse the timeline and inflate the final invoice.
  
  No Dumpster Was Ever Discussed or Promised:?
  I never once indicated there would be a dumpster onsite. If a dumpster were available, there would be no need to use Bio One’s truck. It’s illogical and frankly dishonest to now suggest otherwise.
  
  The Hazmat Suit Excuse:? The owner repeatedly claimed he wouldn’t turn a profit due to needing to rent expensive hazmat suits. However, no hazmat suits were used. This narrative was purely meant to justify overcharging. Furthermore, he promised to pay for his crew’s lunch before they dumped the truck and moved on to their next job that day—clearly confirming this was not an all-day, hazardous event.
  
  Payment Attempts & ***** Issues:? On the day payment was due, I made numerous attempts to pay via ***** using both my ******* *** and ***** accounts. Each time, the payment was blocked, as happened previously during my deposit. I made multiple phone calls to my bank to resolve the issue, including over a dozen attempts and smaller test payments. The owner even thanked me via text for my diligence in trying to pay, all while I kept him updated in real time. I am prepared to submit my call records as evidence. 
  
  Invoice Signature Delay:? The invoice was not signed because the owner failed to resend a corrected version. The lack of my signature is directly tied to his inaction—not any refusal on my part.
  
  Manipulation and Character Concerns: ?The owner’s entire response is filled with misrepresentations, omissions, and attempts to twist facts. It speaks volumes about the owner's character and confirms my instinct to discontinue working with this company. It also explains why I filed a complaint in the first place.
  
  Final Payment Decision:? After resolving the ***** block and submitting the agreed-upon $500 deposit, I took time to reevaluate the situation. Upon realizing how significantly I was being overcharged—particularly for the dump fee and the rate quoted for just four hours of work—I decided not to proceed and clearly communicated that decision the following day.
  
  My Experience Matters:? I don’t care about **** reviews, which can be bought or manipulated. My complaint is about my experience. And I stand by it.
  
  Consumer Rights and Legal Reference:
  Under **** Revised Code § 1345.02 (A), it is considered an unfair or deceptive act or practice for a supplier to misrepresent the nature or pricing of services. This includes charging for services not rendered or costs not disclosed in advance.
  
  Further, **** Administrative Code 109:4-3-05 requires that service estimates in consumer transactions clearly specify the scope of work, pricing, and terms before the work begins. Bio One failed to deliver this, as I was not provided with a finalized work order prior to service, and what followed were multiple confusing and contradictory revisions.

   

  Should this be passed to a third-party debt collector, I will formally invoke my rights under the FDCPA.
  
  Desired Resolution:
  I have already paid $500 toward this project. I am not asking for any special treatment or discount—only that I be billed fairly and accurately based on what was originally discussed.
  I respectfully request the following:
  1) A revised, itemized invoice that accurately reflects the 4 hours of labor based on the original $1,950 estimate—which would be $650, not $975.
  2) A corrected dump fee in accordance with the originally quoted range of $50 to $150, with accompanying documentation of weight, dump date, or receipt. Furthermore, the job concluded around 3 p.m., and the workers informed me they would be emptying the truck immediately afterward, before heading to their next job. I have reason to believe the invoices may have been switched, as the dump dates do not align with the timing of the job. Given that the workers were scheduled to proceed directly to another job after unloading, the mismatch in dates raises serious concerns about the accuracy and legitimacy of the charges.
  3) Assurance that no additional balance is owed beyond what is fair and contractually supported.
  

   

  Attached are additional documents, including text messages and emails, related to this matter.
  
  Best,

  ********

  Business Response

  Date: 05/13/2025

  BBB, I have read *** ******** response from last week. I will not take any more time arguing, or showing additional proof that her allegations are completely disingenuous and they contribute nothing to corroborate her stance in this case. She has thrown so many completely inconsequential allegations to waste your and my time. She also tries to obfuscate the main argument, her argument that she didn't know what she was agreeing to...I provided you with her actual email, her response a day before the job that she agreed to pay for the services. That is what she agreed to do...she also told you initially she would make  additional payments yet she now states she will not make any payments...again what she says she will do and what she actually does are two completely different things. Let me address her strongest accusation, that I contacted the City of ********** to request condemnation...I have never contacted them to do this, and if she makes such a claim, please ask her to provide it to the both of us with a formal complaint, she can't as there is none. She says she will invoke FDCPA, yet that act is by definition...The Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is a federal law that protects consumers from abusive, unfair, and deceptive practices by debt collectors. It limits how debt collectors can contact you and outlines what they can and cannot do to collect a debt. I have never emailed called nor texted *** ****** in abusive manner. I have sent her emails requesting the payment of what she owes and informing her that I was placing her account to a collections company. She requests and updated invoice with what she believes is the correct amount for services contracted, dump charges, etc...no updated invoice will be forth coming as I have sent her the final invoice weeks ago, and she has chose to not pay it. This is now in collections and the interest, charges, etc... have been applied to the balance she now owes. I will not remove it from the collection process. I request she pay the updated invoice from the collection company, settle her debt and hopefully learn that she cannot continue to cheat, lie and deny any accountability for the poor decisions she continues to make in her life. I appreciate your help in this matter, but I hope you understand that i am a small business owner, I am incredibly busy, my reputation is very important to me, but to continue in a slogging natch with a person that has some serious issues is no longer worth my time, thank you again.