Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Ohio Mulch's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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Ohio Mulch has 24 locations, listed below.

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  Ohio Mulch

  1600 Universal Rd Columbus, OH 43207-1733

  
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  Ohio Mulch

  537 Reynoldsburg New Albany Rd Blacklick, OH 43004-8792

  
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  Ohio Mulch

  5380 Riverside Dr Columbus, OH 43220-1700

  
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  Ohio Mulch

  4480 Winchester Pike Columbus, OH 43232-5606

  
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  Ohio Mulch

  4065 Mount Carmel Tobasco Rd Cincinnati, OH 45255-3414

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:05/03/2023

  Type:Product 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.

  My wife and I saw Ohio Mulch firewood display at the Home & Garden show latter part of Feb. The firewood was in a metal crate approx 4 x 4 x 4 feet, with nice, standard length, well proportioned hardwood logs. The salesman told us about a Show Special: buy a gift card, you you can use it with a $50 coupon for discounted delivery beginning of March. We bought firewood package for $108 and called the Blacklick Ohio Mulch store early March. They said there was no "Special" and they never have anything like that, and told us to call Corporate. When we called there, they said we need to talk to Ron F****, Director of Sales. We had a terrible time reaching Ron and called approx. 4x because he didn't call back. When we finally connected, he too was unaware of the "Special" but said he would honor what we had been sold. Firewood was delivered on 3/10 but I didn't look at it until I began moving and stacking on 3/12. I quickly saw wood was inferior quality - many pieces were short, splintered, irregular shapes unlike logs, etc. On Monday before I could call to complain, a truck drove up to deliver firewood. The delivery guy didn't know about Friday delivery and said the new wood should be better. I accepted delivery and he took old. When I began unpacking crate on 3/15, I saw some of the logs on top looked OK, but soon saw the second load was different, but no better, than 1st load & even had railroad ties with creosote stains! I have tried since 3/15/23 to have Ohio Mulch pick up their firewood and credit my account $108. Jim W****, Owner has been totally non responsive to multiple emails, phone calls, messages left with receptionist, etc. I decided to go to Jim's location 4/28 with 3 pieces of wood and finally reached him! He claimed he never saw the emails or got any messages from me or my wife. He refused to take the firewood back and refund the $108. His reasons for refusing are 1) he maintains firewood is fine and 2) Dispute I filed with ***** after no response.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/03/2023

  Mr. *****, I am sorry for the confusion with the firewood you had purchased from the garden show earlier this year. The firewood was sold as a fraction of a cord as denoted in the measurements that were depicted in your complaint. The original order was delivered and after a few weeks you had called and complained of the size of the material in the crate, we listened to your concern and I delivered a new crate of wood to your home the next day. I personally met with you and you looked at the product and said this looks great and even started to unload the product into your wood rack located on the side of your garage,. Several weeks later our office received a call that the wood was not acceptable and that you had disputed the purchase with your credit card company . I then made it very clear that since you had disputed the transaction we must wait until your bank made the decision to reaffirm the transaction or refute the payment. During the next few weeks you called our office and a few of our retail locations looking for someone to refund you even though you had disputed the transaction and indicated they had also refunded your credit card in the amount of the transaction. We then stated that we were not able to provide any decision pertaining to the second delivery of firewood until we were notified by your bank on there decision.

  Finally , on April 29th 2023 you drove to our Corporate office on a mission to speak to Mr. W**** about reimbursement for the wood that you had claimed earlier in a conversation with me that they had credited you back the amount of the original purchase. Mr. *****, we truly value your business we have tried to go beyond the scope of great customer service by delivering 2 separate totes of wood which you acknowledged to be acceptable both times at delivery, however since the dispute has been initiated by you to your credit card company we are truly limited to our options to navigate through your concern.

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/20/2023

  It is full of lies.  I never said anything about the volume or quantity of firewood - neither in my communications to Ohio Mulch (see letter to owner sent 4/1/23 included with my complaint) or in my complaint to the BBB.  My complaint was about the quality.  Also, as you can see from my 4/1 letter, Ohio Mulch brought second tote of wood by mistake, as they did not realize they had brought the first crate.  Third, as far as me acknowledging "the wood was acceptable both times at delivery", that too is untrue.  There was no acknowlegement the first time, and the second time, I did say it looked better.  However, as I stated in my letter of 4/1, I only looked at top layer of wood upon second delivery, due to extreme cold and windy conditions.  When I looked at it closer, I saw it was very poor quality, just like the first.  Also, I sent several emails, left numerous voice mails, and also asked receptionist to leave messages on owners desk at least 2 times.  I never received a call back which is why I had to physically go to Ohio Mulch office.  Lastly, I offered multiple times (to Ron Frost and to Jim W****) to cancel dispute so they could proceed with return.  They refused.  Instead, Mr. W**** got his attorney involved who falsely accused me of causing a disruption and told us if we brought the wood back, they would pick up the empty crate, or else they would pick up the crate with wood for $50.  This is hardly the great service they talked about in their response to my BBB complaint.

  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ****** *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/16/2022

  Type:Product 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 ordered 6 yards of topsoil to regrade around my house. They delivered pulverized mulch, not topsoil.
  
  I brought a bucket of their mulch and a bucket of topsoil from a different company that I ordered one week before to the Lewis center location to show the employees. They disclosed that this is not the first time this complaint has been made. They also stated that "nothing can be done from the store end" and that I need to contact "Ron F**** at ###-###-####" to handle the dispute. I called him twice that day, left two messages without response.
  
  The next morning I called again. Ron answered. I explained the situation about how I received pulverized mulch instead of topsoil. He responded for several minutes explaining how their lab "designed a product to balance out the clay-based soil of ohio" and that "this is our topsoil blend which you purchased, so I cant do anything about that."
  
  I have never seen topsoil like this. Smells like mulch, looks like mulch, non-compactable, no dirt present anywhere.
  
  I requested that his company retrieve the product as I had no use for it. He stated "I cannot do that, it requires too many machines." I offered to shovel it into a truck if he brought one. He refused.
  
  I then requested a refund, to which he responded, "let me call the store to find out more about your order and I will give you a call back."
  
  I never received a call. He actually ignored multiple calls.
  
  Better yet- on the official Ohio Mulch website they clearly state "For any bulk or non-bulk delivery purchase, Customer is entitled to return its purchase and is entitled to a refund; provided, however, Ohio Mulch may, at Ohio Mulch’s sole and complete discretion, charge any fees (e.g., delivery fees) associated with such deliver and return and deduct such amounts from the amount refunded." See attached screenshot.
  
  Therefore, Mr. F**** was wrong in stating that he cannot refund or pickup the product he delivered, based on the policy.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/18/2022

  Mr. ********, you and I have spoken in detail on a couple of accessions about your purchase of topsoil that was delivered to your residence as depicted on your original order . Per our conversation you ordered our soil which is a growers blend , this necessary do to the geographic location in which we live our ground soil is clay based and is nutrient deficient therefore all of our locations only sell amended soil that prompts a quality growth base for planted or seeded areas. The soil is on display in all locations coupled with our online ordering system and web site clearly describing  the ingredients of the soil which is pulverized soil and organic wood matter and sand . We have sold this product for many years . This product was purchased by you and we delivered the product you ordered to your home. I explained I would help you by picking up the soil but you indicated you wanted us to pick it up and you wanted a full refund and you would buy elsewhere. I explained that this would not be fair we did nothing wrong but deliver a high quality soil to your home as ordered by you. I will work with you however there will be a fee.. We truly appreciate your business and apologize for the frustration .

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/20/2022

  Mr. F****, it is nice to finally get a response from you.
  
  If you had in fact offered to pick up the soil, this conversation would be over. In the phone conversation we did have, I offered 3 times to shovel the material for free into one of your company trucks if you would provide one. I told you I just wanted it out of my driveway and that I would help you take it back for free, no refund requested. When you stated that you could not do that, I then asked for a refund. You then told me you would call me back with information about a refund. I never received a call. You made no efforts to make this right. It wasn't until I contacted BBB that you responded, which is this reply of yours (still waiting on a call by the way).
  
  When I asked if you could pick it up, you instead offered to deliver clay that I could mix in with the mulch. I told you I could not do that based on my needs and purpose for the original purchase, for which your product is not suited. You repeatedly told me that you could not retrieve your product because "you ordered it and we delivered what you ordered."
  
  The product I believed I was ordering was a blend of top soil described on your website as a screened, 40% soil product with mixed ratios of compost, leaves, and sand. The product you provided me with is distinctly mulch. It does not match, in any capacity, the description your website provides for the product I believed I was purchasing.
  
  Because of this as well as your decision to withhold product refund and return from me, I have experienced undue stress and labor in trying to personally remove 6 cubic yards of mulch from my driveway with my 20 week pregnant wife over the last week.
  
  The personal frustration and stress of dealing with this issue has moved me to contact the BBB with the hope that, somehow, you might be persuaded to change your business practices and prevent this from happening to future individuals who decide to buy from you.
  

  The inconsistent runaround and dishonest business practices I have experienced with this company, and you, in particular, have led me to decide never to give you my business again. 
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** ********