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:10/03/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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 husband, ****, and I are building a house; therefore, we needed someone to come do a percolation and soil test at our land and to provide us with the findings to use for building a well and septic system. We contacted the ****** ****** ****** Department and they recommended Conservation Science LLC owned by **** ******. ****, my husband, contacted **** by phone and began email communications. We provided the location of the property as requested so he could provide the needed service. He told us via email he could complete the service for $650 by the week of 9/19. Please note, we are in contract for the land and one of our contingencies was acceptable results from percolation and soil tests. We needed it completed before 9/30/22 or else we would be non-compliant with our contract. He told us he would let us know his observations right away and then email us an invoice. We agreed and he confirmed he would send his observations as soon as the field work was done. The week of 9/19 came and went and we followed up about our results via phone 9/23. **** told us because of rain, he was unable to complete the test the week of 9/19. He never called or emailed us to inform us of the delay. He then said it would be completed the week of 9/26 and he would give us the results by Friday 9/30. He emailed us 9/29 and told us he completed the tests 9/28 and provided us with the invoice. The invoice was the first time we were told we needed to pay the invoice prior to getting our results. We mailed the check certified on 10/3 and sent him tracking info. We called him on 10/3 to ask for the results so we could check off the final contingency that was due 9/30. **** spoke condescendingly to **** while we tried to express our concerns and frustrations. Additionally, **** told us he didn't need our business and that we can go elsewhere if we had a problem. We'd like some money refunded and an apology considering the delays and poor service.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/18/2022

  [BBB transcription via email, see attachments]

   

  Good afternoon ******,

  
  

  I am sending you this email in response to your letter dated 10/13/22 to Conservation Science, LLC.
  

  
  

  With respect to Mr. & Mrs. *****' request for a quotation, the first email message that I received is included below.  It may be worth knowing that no deadline or special request to expedite work was included.
  

  
  

  
  

  I then emailed a soil consulting fee based on the information provided by Mr. ***** and an approximate time frame based on appointments and planned routes...such as "by the week of 9/19, weather dependent, and can let you know my observations right away".  Mr. ***** responded the same day (9/7/22) "That should work just fine!", and provided current address and phone number (see below).

  
  

  
  

  I then responded that "I will follow up with my observations as soon as I get the field work done" (see below).  Please note that no reply with a deadline or special request to expedite work was included again.
  

  
  

  
  

  After completing the field work on 9/28/22, upon returning to the office early the next day, I emailed Mr. ***** my observations and an invoice on 9/29/22 (see below).

  
  

  
  

  Mr. ***** responded the following day on 9/30/22 and said "Thank you for getting this completed.  What is the best form of payment for this invoice, a check by mail?  Thank you, ****" (see below).  Again, this reply did not include a deadline or special request to expedite work.

  
  

  
  

  On 10/3/2022, Mr. ***** called and stated that they have a deadline and that he needs the report emailed immediately.  He then emailed a picture of a postal receipt (see below).  This was the first time that I had been made aware of a deadline.  If a request to expedite this work had been received, Conservation Science, LLC would have been happy to provide an expedite fee as part of the quotation and invoice for this Soil Evaluation.  
  

  
  

  
  

  It may also be helpful to know that ****** ****** ****** Department/Environmental Division staff provide sanitarian review/approval oversight of all Soil Evaluation reports submitted in accordance with **** *****. Code ********** rules (Soil Evaluation and Soil Evaluators).  As such, issues with completeness or quality are handled by ****** ****** ****** Department.
  

  
  

  The Soil Evaluation report prepared for Mr. & Mrs. ***** was officially submitted to ********* ***** - Environmental Health Director at ****** ****** ****** Department...who responded via email on 10/6/22 to confirm receipt of this Soil Evaluation report. 
  

  
  

  
  

  Conservation Science, LLC has provided this type of soil consulting to private landowners, park districts, and health departments over the past several years and frequently receives praise for the promptness of response as well as polite and reasonably priced service.  This would be a first for a customer to complain about how promptly service was provided, particularly, given that no expectation of expedited work was ever established.

  
  

  I hope that this helps.

  
  

  Thanks and have a good evening.

  
  

  **** ** ******, MS, CPSS for  
  

  Conservation Science, LLC
  
  

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/19/2022

   Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.