Problems with Service Smart honoring their contract

[paullynnchin]

We have a contract with Service Smart for our pest and shrub service plus the trim/bed weed service. Our contract says they are to come out monthly. Noticed they have not been out since February and finally after many calls promising they will be out, she said they changed their service and will be out every two months now. We paid for the monthly service. She said she would look into changing it back to monthly but they still have not been here. The guys who come to our homes are great but the office manager seems to have some problems. I think we should have been told it is every two months now. So check your contract. Also they seem to have a problem with scheduling. When you ask if they can please tell you about when they will be out they seem unable to do that. I do like to be home at times to explain which shrubs I would like trimmed.

[John_W]

It seems almost weekly that a poster will complain about that company. Here are some other threads that might give you some information and maybe help you decide what to do.

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/landscape-contractors-lawn-mowing-272/service-smart-unethical-174429/?highlight=service+smart

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/landscape-talk-129/service-smart-did-again-im-not-even-customer-182365/?highlight=service+smart

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/landscape-talk-129/service-smart-warning-180802/?highlight=service+smart

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/contractors-services-91/dont-use-service-smart-villages-177810/?highlight=service+smart

I could go on, but anytime you want to get immediate answers, go to the search button at the top and type in a subject.

[Kahuna32162]

Another sad report of the lack of service from SS. Hoping you did not sign and pre pay for their services. As you can read on TOTV, many of their customers have fired this company and moved on to more reputable services.

[Shimpy]

Another sad report of the lack of service from SS. Hoping you did not sign and pre pay for their services. As you can read on TOTV, many of their customers have fired this company and moved on to more reputable services.

We should have a pool to guess when they will be out of business. I'd guess 6 months or less.

[Lovey2]

Funny thing...they came soliciting at my brother's new house today, saying they had business in his area and blahblahblah. I let him ramble on and then politely told him I could not accept his materials because I lived in a Village where they supposedly "serviced" some neighbors of mine and the work they paid for was never done and they lied to the out of town home owners. He never apologized, just said he knew they had had some issues, but didn't offer any hard and fast solutions. He kind of just sheepishly went away. I hope more people hear about them and turn them away. They need to know we are on to them. They lied so terribly to some older neighbors of mine, saying they were doing the yard, and we could see they weren't.

[Jima64]

Wish they could lose their business license and refused access to village homeowners.

[gene497]

Breach of Contract is normal course of business for Service Smart. I paid till May 2016. They stopped coming in January.
No service, no explanation, no communication, and no refund . When I signed in May 2015, was told that I could get a pro-rata refund if
not happy. In November, six months later, they changed the invoice to read "not refundable". Notified BBB and they couldn't
even get a response. This fraud is grounds for a criminal complaint and every few years they have a name change.
DO NOT USE !!

[kittygilchrist]

In short, call the office. Ask for owner. They say no. Say "leave message for him. I want a refund from date of last service, February, or I will take you to small claims court"

[RickeyD]

Dirtbags

[ColdNoMore]

Dirtbags

Actually, that's exactly what they tried to turn my once nice lawn (with Stellar) into. :cus:

[TNLAKEPANDA]

Never ever pre-pay for any lawn service. If you do you are at there mercy. Just pay as you go on a CC if you like. The big Three companies are all the same but SS if probably the worst.

[Nucky]

Dirtbags

What do you mean by that? Could you expand with specifics? Lol!:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

[Fraugoofy]

We have a contract with Service Smart for our pest and shrub service plus the trim/bed weed service. Our contract says they are to come out monthly. Noticed they have not been out since February and finally after many calls promising they will be out, she said they changed their service and will be out every two months now. We paid for the monthly service. She said she would look into changing it back to monthly but they still have not been here. The guys who come to our homes are great but the office manager seems to have some problems. I think we should have been told it is every two months now. So check your contract. Also they seem to have a problem with scheduling. When you ask if they can please tell you about when they will be out they seem unable to do that. I do like to be home at times to explain which shrubs I would like trimmed.
Go to their office in person in Ocala and demand your money back. You will save yourself a lot of hassle and heartache if you do this sooner rather than later. Do not leave their office until you have your money. Worked for me August 2015.
No regrets!

Sent from my SM-N910R4 using Tapatalk

[RickeyD]

What do you mean by that? Could you expand with specifics? Lol!:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:



I'll send them over to your house the next time they come a knocking on mine.

[Duckfinger2]

From what I was told this owner has a long history of bad service complaints !!!!
I think the same owner has gone out of business once already and came back as SS.
Marty from Stellar married the owners daughter and together they started Stellar, that company did a good job for us then Stellar sold out to the father and he changed the name to SS.
We paid for a year in advance to get the discount with Stellar and SS would not honor the contact.
We dropped the and went with Falcon Pest and could not be happier lawn has never looked this good !!

Ok now for all the negative people who want to preach about not paying in advance, I got it, I understand, and it is a personal choice so no each to preach again.

Bottom line I would not walk away from SS I would run full out away !!!:clap2:

[Barefoot]

From what I was told this owner has a long history of bad service complaints !!!!
I think the same owner has gone out of business once already and came back as SS.
Marty from Stellar married the owners daughter and together they started Stellar, that company did a good job for us then Stellar sold out to the father and he changed the name to SS.
We paid for a year in advance to get the discount with Stellar and SS would not honor the contact.
We dropped the and went with Falcon Pest and could not be happier lawn has never looked this good !!
Ok now for all the negative people who want to preach about not paying in advance, I got it, I understand, and it is a personal choice so no each to preach again.
Bottom line I would not walk away from SS I would run full out away !!!:clap2:
Another vote for Falcon Lawn & Pest.
We were also Stellar customers. For a few years, we enjoyed excellent service.
Then Marty sold Stellar to the owner of Service Smart, a relative. We immediately noticed a change of attitude and ethos.
For a year, we have been using Falcon Lawn & Pest, a full-service company. We find them reliable and professional.

[Nucky]

There are companies that cut your lawn and there are landscapers. I prefer to have someone taking care of things that I don't have to direct as I would if my son was handling the job. Our present lawn cutter is horrendous...His actual name is Raymond Charles...Seriously sad that we must keep after him. The prices range from $30 to $60 PER WEEK for cutting a 50' X 110' lot. They love to get paid up front. Not happening ever! It's just human nature, if they are holding the $$Money$$ their incentive is not there, they are not thinking about the future they are thinking about the rite now. I need a deck repair to leave the NJ house in good condition. The inspection did not reveal any problem but I know it's nots good, it also needs some updated junction boxes in the attic. The deck contractor almost levitated when I said no to a $500 deposit on a $800 job. The electrical contractor said no payment till the job is done to my satisfaction. Thankfully we have the experience of fellow TOTV users and will learn from the pain the have been through. Before I hire what has been determined to be a good service provider I will ask for recent opinions...things change inside all companies. Most of all at that awkward moment at the end of a negotiation when they ask for money remember this. If someone is going to feel bad about finances it's not going to be me. Say it to the contractor, it disarms them, takes the air out of them and explains that you are willing to go elsewhere. These continuing problems with landscapers are terrible, I feel bad because I know people don't need such a distraction in their lives.

[weatley]

Stellar was mentioned, on this WEB site, as a good lawn service provider. A phone number was listed at the bottom of the page. I called that number 352-553-2597 and it was answered " Service Smart" another name change???

[Barefoot]

Stellar was mentioned, on this WEB site, as a good lawn service provider. A phone number was listed at the bottom of the page. I called that number 352-553-2597 and it was answered " Service Smart" another name change???
It pays to do homework and read all current information. You can use the Search Button above to do searches on "Stellar" or "Service Smart". There are many previous threads.

[Paperboy]

FIRED SS 5 wks. ago! They were TERRIBLE!