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:04/25/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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 dropped my mower off to be serviced for a missing baffle part. We were told they would call when it was done. After waiting a week, I called to check on the status and was told there was no missing part but I was given a new spark plug, oil change, filter, and blade sharpening (none of which I requested). I questioned about the missing part, that my husband discussed as missing when we dropped it off. I was told again it wasnt missing. I also expressed my disappointment that my mower was serviced without my permission and that I wasnt prepared to pay for that and would return to pick up the mower. I returned the next day with my husbands best friend- who has more knowledge than myself with motors, etc. Upon arriving, he flipped the motor and discovered the area missing the part, that we asked to be fixed when we initially dropped it off. When he showed the owner the area that we wanted fixed from the start he said that he didnt know about that part and it may be attached to our bag. It is not. When I asked what my options were he just asked if I wanted to load the mower up or not. We again, expressed that we were not happy that I had to pay for services I did not request and were done without my permission. The owner only said it needed done. Either way, it was not his decision to make. The mower still isnt fixed as the part we asked to be replaced upon drop off was not replaced. I wanted refunded for the services I did not request nor give my permission for.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/11/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore 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 father-in-law bought us a used riding mower from Central Hardware Lawn and Garden for $400.00. The day after delivery, my father-in-law tried to start the mower, and the mower would not start. Stan, owner of the business, was called, and he came to the residence to fix the mower. The mower was then delivered to our home. We used the mower three times. During this time, the hood would not stay down; I found the missing hardware and fixed it. During the third use, my husband shut off the mower to pass through our fence. When he got back on the mower, the mower wouldn't start; no engine noise was made. We called Stan to fix it, and he charged us $50.00 for pick up. He fixed the mower without giving us an estimate. The cost was $264.85. He "repaired a bad connection, tightened motor" that supposedly shifted off center, changed the oil, added "2 qts of oil," changed "1 spark plug, 1 air filter, 1 oil filter," and "1 gas filter." We only ran the mower three times. I did not ask for any of this to be done. After he returned the mower and left, my husband tried to start it, and it did not start. We called him back again. I explained that I was upset with the cost especially when the mower was not fixed. We were overcharged, and the warranty meant nothing during a summer when it did not rain. He did not feel his labor rate of $150.00 and the extra things he did were an overcharge. He took the mower and fixed it and returned it again. When my husband started it today, the engine sputtered and acted like it wanted to quit when moved off of the choke. Then, when he lowered the blades, the blades did not engage. He turned off the engine and called Stan. When my husband tried to start the mower again, the mower wouldn't start; Stan still has not returned our phone call. We are returning the mower and not paying for the fixes. I also think that my father-in-law should be refunded the $400.00 as this mower never truly worked from the time it was bought. Stan was unprofessional.

  Business Response

  Date: 09/15/2022

  This mower was purchased last Sept. 21.  I was called and asked to repair mower.  I tuned it up and chg. 265.45.  I returned it and she cried and felt they should not have to pay because they didn't use it that much.  When I returned it they called and said it didn't run.  There was no gas in it.  The warranty was only for 30 days.  I was more than fair.  I guess I should warranty it for a life time if she said she didn't use it. She asked me to repair it and I did when I picked it up the second time and put gas in it worked ok.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/20/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
  
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: there is no truth in the company's response. My husband and I did not purchase the riding mower in September of 2021. My father-in-law bought it for $400.00 in April or May of 2022. The owner of the business had to return to fix this mower four times. The day after delivery to my father-in-law's house, he had to return because the mower would not start. He returned and fixed it. The mower was then brought to my house. On the second use, the mower's hood would not stay down; I fixed it with a bolt that came off. During the third use, my husband turned it off to open a gate to our front yard. When he returned to the mower to start it, the mower would not start. We called the owner of the company to fix it. He came, took it, fixed it (without giving us an estimate), replaced fluids and plugs even though the mower had only been run three times, and charged us approximately $250.00. The owner of the company backed it off the truck and turned it off. My husband paid for it with a card. After the owner left, my husband got on the mower to start it, and it would not start again. I was very upset that the owner charged us $250.00, and the mower still did not start. Plus, he tuned it up and replaced fluids and plugs without consulting us. When the owner came back to pick up the mower, he tried to start it. It would not start. After fiddling with the mower, he said that the mower was not getting any power, and he did not know why. He had to take it back again. At this point, I asked him about the charge and told him that we should not have to pay for it since it was only used two and half times (due to the lack of rain this summer). I was upset, but I did not cry. I walked away and let my husband handle it. At this point, we were not sure if we would pay for the mower or leave the owner have it. Eventually, my husband and the owner negotiated a payment plan. After we paid $50.00, the owner returned the mower again. The mower was returned after dark while we were not home. We found it parked in our lawn without a key in the ignition or hidden anywhere near it. We pushed it into the garage to protect it. The next day, my husband returned to the business for a key, and he was accused of losing the key. The owner just happened to have a key for the mower and gave it to my husband. When my husband started the mower, it ran very rough. Once in the grass, he lowered the blades to cut, and the blades would not engage. Then, the mower stopped working altogether. We called the owner, and again, he came and picked it up. At this point, we decided we did not want the mower. We went to the business and told the owner, and the $50.00 was returned to us. The owner accused my husband of letting his wife (me) get to him. Never at any point did he put gas in this mower to make it run; there was always gas in it. The owner's behavior was not very professional. As you can see, there is no truth to the owner's story.

  
  

  When my father-in-law and husband initially bought the mower, the owner said that he fixes his mowers like he would for his own yard. If this were the case, then he should not have returned four times for a mower that would not run. 

  
  

  I want the owner to return the initial $400.00 to my father-in-law for the faulty equipment that he sold him calling it refurbished.
  
  
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ***** ********