BBB Advises Homeowners on How to Avoid Scams with Lawn Care Services

UPDATED 12/28/20

April is National Lawn Care Month and it comes just in time for the snow to melt and lawns to begin blooming once more. However, it’s also the time for lawn care services to offer their services to customers.

But the Better Business Bureau in Lehigh Valley, PA, said that last year the organization received hundreds of complaints regarding lawn care companies. Everything from poor workmanship and damage to lawns to failure to honor warranties was reported and some of the companies were just outright scams.

When you find grass cutting service, it’s important to make sure that it is a legitimate company and that it’s not a scam. When you find someone to mow lawn, you have to make sure that they will show up for the job and that they will not overcharge you on the job they do. With lawn spraying services, it can be hard to know what they are spraying or to keep track of how often they spray it. So, make sure that you keep records of when the service comes to your house and what they do while they’re there. You can avoid being charged too much that way.

If there is only easy lawn maintenance to be done in your yard, you might be able to do it yourself without hiring a service to take care of it all. Or, you may have garden mowing services and handle the rest of the landscaping tasks for yourself. It’s great to be able to do some of the work so that it gets done just the way that you like it. When it comes to landscaping, it all comes down to your own tastes and what you would prefer to see every day.

The BBB has advice on how to avoid such scams, including not hiring companies that demand payment in advance.

Homeowners are also advised to shop around rather than simply hiring the first company that shows up at their doors.

Customers should know what they want ahead of time; if they are looking for natural or organic lawncare services, they should be able to ask the company what types of products they use.

“I would recommend doing in depth research, and that goes for anything in general, not just lawn care,” says Tracy Harrison, Customer Service, NaturaLawn of America-Chicagoland. “Read reviews, look at social media pages to find out what people are saying about the particular company you are looking to hire.”

One sure sign of a scam, according to the BBB, is any company that quotes a price without actually looking at a homeowner’s lawn. Lawn care services should also give prices for any additional services that are required.

Homeowners should also do some research to find out whether the company is licensed locally. Whether they use subcontractors or their own employees, the company should also have liability insurance for workers in case they are injured on the job.

Prospective lawn care customers can also search on the Better Business Bureau’s website at bbb.org and ask the company for references or affiliations with national franchises.

Homeowners need to examine contracts and understand what they’re getting. They may also have to investigate what kind of recourse they have if they don’t like the work.

That’s what happened to one customer in Whitehall Township, PA, who paid a local company $5,400 for landscaping services. Unfortunately, the work never got finished.

Curt Reinsmith said that Crewcut Lawn Care left work unfinished from November 2013. Although the company had installed landscaping beds, they didn’t finish reconstructing a small brick walkway in his lawn and never removed tree stumps from his backyard, either.

Five of the companies’ customers filed lawsuits against them for similar reasons and many more complained to the BBB.

Above all, reading reviews online and shopping around is the way to go, said the BBB. Customers should get estimates — in writing — from at least three different companies, but they should remember that cost isn’t everything when compared to the level of service they receive.

The individuals who are researching lawn and turf care services should know that there are lawn care scams out there today. These scams work in different ways. In some cases, the scam artists will accept money for services that they never actually perform. In other cases, their lawn and yard care work will just be cheap and ineffective. Even though they technically did some work, their clients will not genuinely get the landscaping work that they paid for, helping these unethical people make money dishonestly. 

Some of these companies will actually use toxic lawn additives, which can cause homeowners a lot of additional problems down the line. The toxins could actually poison their soil and kill some of the plants on their property. The scam artists who mainly just avoid actually doing the work can sometimes be easier to deal with, since they’re at least not going to actively damage the lawn or the landscape. The people who use toxic additives can be easier to report or investigate, however, given the evidence that they leave behind. Still, the people who are interested in landscaping stuff will just want a lawn and maintenance service that’s going to genuinely help them, and it’s possible to stay away from dishonest companies altogether. 

When you are searching for natural lawn care services it is important to ensure you are working with a skilled, experienced, and licensed lawn care professional. Lawn and landscape scams are unfortunately fairly common so it is important to do due diligence and make sure you are not falling for a common scam or con. To keep your front yard looking great and your backyard with grass growing nice and healthy, be sure to hire professional lawn care experts each and every time you need any work done.

The best way to find reliable all around yard maintenance is to talk to friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and other individuals you value the opinion of. Ask them who they have used and what their experience have been with local lawn and landscape care professionals. Talk with them about who to avoid and who you should consider hiring. This especially true as the end of the year rolls around the cooler weather comes in as autumn lawn care is a specialized area of lawn and garden maintenance and requires specialized care and experienced touches.

While basic lawn maintenance is an important part of keeping your home looking its best it is just as important to take your time and find a good contractor to work with. It will help ensure you get the best care possible and will help you avoid common lawn care scams and con artists.

Any activity that involves modification of the visible features of some part of lands like the living elements such as flora and fauna is what is referred to as landscaping. It entails the art and craft involved in growing plants with the aim of beauty creation.

What to look for in a landscaping company

Does the company offer quality services? Do they have unique designs for your home and garden lawn care? Do they offer green lawn maintenance services? What are the charges for yard services? For quality work, it is evident that you need to ask yourself the above questions. Are you looking for a cheap yard service? What is the best service provider to go for? It is necessary to ensure you examine and choose a company with good reviews. Positive feedback from the clients is a guarantee that the company offers good services. It is also wise to consider the business longevity of the company—experience in vital in-service delivery.

How to care for grass

The first impression you create for your visitors when they visit your home is essential. To have a good-looking environment, one has to take care of the compound’s grass. This is achieved by removing weeds, moss, and thatch, which prevent the growth of grass. Ensure the grass is aerated and the compound has improved drainage.