Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  06/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This past week I received a Screaming Timber business flyer in my mailbox. It is illegal for businesses to place their flyers in private residence mailboxes. I tried calling the business at least 3 times, asking for owner. Someone would answer the phone and tell me they would pass my number along and have them call me back. The owner never called back. I wanted to let them know that what they are doing is illegal and ask them to please stop.

  Business response

  06/20/2023

  We send fliers through the post office and pay for postage so it is legal.  

• Initial Complaint

  03/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was contacted last Fall by the owner of Screaming Timber Arbor Care via P.O. Regular mail as a promotion. I called for an appointment for October 12, 2022. The letter claimed an A+ from BBB, so I thought great! I could not get service from my regular tree trimming service before the holidays and I wanted the dead limbs cleared. ******************** told me no problem and the letter said they were doing work in the neighborhood in the next week or so. (I have that letter plus the recent letter received THIS YEAR with the same exact offer.). He gave me a quote of $3,500, which I thought steep, but I agreed because I wanted it done badly. He said he required a $350 deposit up front. However, no word or service. I called several times. No action. As I predicted, a big limb fell at the side of the house fell in December In January sometime, I contacted BBB. He hen called and said he would be out when the winter snow was gone. I reduces the order to $1,000 because my previous service was much cheaper and I no longer felt I could not wait. Today is March 9th, nearly 5 months from the appointment date when I gave him a $350 check. We have had bad weather but good weather too. No excuse. I am 82 years old, live alone on a fixed income. I want my money back so I can hire my neighborhood arborist who I trust and never jerked me around like *********************************. He does NOT deserve your A+ rating. Please help me and make my story public. Thank you in advance. I can send a copy of the letters upon your request.

  Business response

  03/20/2023

  ************** contracted us to do some tree work on her property.  We scheduled an appointment with her.  She canceled.  We continued to call her and left messages on her voicemail to reschedule. She finally called and wanted to reduce her quote we complied and gave her a new quote to stay within her budget.  She called back and said she did not want to get it done anymore and wanted her deposit back.  We told her we do not refund deposit but will use the funds towards any tree project.  She got upset.  We do tree work year round and have been scheduling work through the winter and have no reason to not do ****************** project if that was her intent.  She is writing this review because she is upset.  We will still be willing have the deposit go towards any tree project.

  Customer response

  03/20/2023

   
  Complaint: 19576564
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Simply, *************************** is not telling the truth.

  a.  The ONLY appointment was his coming here to give an estimate on October 12, 2022 for $3500in response to their ad mailed to me which states clearly:  Our companys larger crew will be doing tree work in your neighborhood IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.  No other appointment was EVER made since!  I specifically asked for the work to be done before the holidays, and he agreed.  I do think their truck was in my driveway one day, unannounced, but I was in the shower and saw them from my window.  They left NO card.  
  

  b.  I called them sometime later.  No response.  So I notified BBB because of their A+ rating.  ***** did respond then to me.  I said I wanted to reduce my order to $1000 to include my $350 deposit because I felt his service was not worth $3500 as promised in the next week or so.

  c.  Shortly after that call, I received the SAME identical advertisement in mail with the same offer in the next week or so.  Today is March 20, 2023, more than five months since I gave him the deposit, and the tree service is still not done!  ***** cannot dispute that, nor his own solicitated offer of in a week or so.

  He is plainly lying.  His company does NOT deserve an A+ rating.  I am going on 83, live alone, take care of my large piece of property myself to the best of my ability on a fixed income.  I cannot afford being ripped off by a gouging predator.  This type of business practice is becoming more common every day, especially vulnerable seniors like myself.  Please help, not just me, but everyone else who become targets of greedy entrepreneurs. Thank you.

  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

*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. ↩