Lawn Service - GOOD NEIGHBOR - Really Bad

[ML Smith]

Good Afternoon. I was one the new Villages that fell for the BS from Good Neighbor Lawn Services. Paid in advance and finally terminated the service 6 months into the contract. Have been trying to get refund now since Jan 12. Yes, I know, Good Luck with that one. Needless to say, nothing has been refunded. My question is... are there or is there any type of advocacy groups I can call or go to? Don't really want to get an attorney and incur more costs. Do I just write this one off as lesson learned and walk away?

To all new or potential new residence - AVOID THIS COMPANY at all costs. Don't fall for "a good deal" like I did. It is anything but a good deal.

[retiredguy123]

Write it off as a lesson learned. This company, with several different names, has been ripping people off in The Villages for more than 7 years. The consumer organizations have all been notified over and over, and they have chosen to do practically nothing about it.

But, it is also a good idea to never, ever pay any contractor for any work in advance. If you need to pay for a custom order, insist on using a credit card. Credit card charges can be easily disputed with your bank. If a contractor refuses to accept a credit card, find another contractor.

[jebartle]

Good Afternoon. I was one the new Villages that fell for the BS from Good Neighbor Lawn Services. Paid in advance and finally terminated the service 6 months into the contract. Have been trying to get refund now since Jan 12. Yes, I know, Good Luck with that one. Needless to say, nothing has been refunded. My question is... are there or is there any type of advocacy groups I can call or go to? Don't really want to get an attorney and incur more costs. Do I just write this one off as lesson learned and walk away?

To all new or potential new residence - AVOID THIS COMPANY at all costs. Don't fall for "a good deal" like I did. It is anything but a good deal.

Try clean green, 352-406-6095, 352-499-1317. Ryan, we have corner lot, walk mow, $60/mo. Very dependable, great work, family owned.

[SIRE1]

Boy, this sounds exactly like the type of TOTV forum post that was being written several years ago about Service Smart. And unfortunately, I was one of their customers. I wonder if Good Neighbor Lawn Services is a reincarnate of Service Smart.

[retiredguy123]

Boy, this sounds exactly like the type of TOTV forum post that was being written several years ago about Service Smart. And unfortunately, I was one of their customers. I wonder if Good Neighbor Lawn Services is a reincarnate of Service Smart.
Yes, it is the same company.

[villagetinker]

Contact Seniors against crime, they may be able to help.

[DAVES]

Good Afternoon. I was one the new Villages that fell for the BS from Good Neighbor Lawn Services. Paid in advance and finally terminated the service 6 months into the contract. Have been trying to get refund now since Jan 12. Yes, I know, Good Luck with that one. Needless to say, nothing has been refunded. My question is... are there or is there any type of advocacy groups I can call or go to? Don't really want to get an attorney and incur more costs. Do I just write this one off as lesson learned and walk away?

To all new or potential new residence - AVOID THIS COMPANY at all costs. Don't fall for "a good deal" like I did. It is anything but a good deal.

My view. We deserve what we get. A store catches someone stealing. They make a business decision not to press charges due to attorney costs and possible protests.
It happens all the time. Criminals know there is no risk in criminal behavior.

As far as the landscapers. For many, I am licensed and insured. That means he has a drivers license and the minimum insurance to get plates for his truck. Both may be expired.

The police run crimes against seniors. I would report them to the villages and ask how to further proceed.

We have been in the Villages for eight years. We have always paid by the month.
We would never not pay. I'm sure that is not true of all villagers. So far we had one guy who decided to quit. All went smooth he recommended a nice young guy we liked him, he did good work. He used to ride motorcycles. He had hit a bear and broke his shoulder. He called us from the hospital. He got a replacement for us. He later was mowing with his arm in a sling. How could your not trust this guy? Later he disappeared leaving us having paid for three weeks in advance-never refunded.
Enter the next guy. Another nice guy. Reliable, honest etc. Not as good as the other two but good enough for me. He too quit mid month. I called him. He refunded us for the paid for work-not done. An honest nice person. We now have yet another guy.
Quality of his work is worse than any of the others but so far he comes as agreed.

Some will say no one wants to work. I ran a very small lawn mowing service when I was in high school. Truth it was far cooler than is Florida and I was 52 years younger. Lawn mowing people. Truth this is the first time in my life that I have ever not mowed my own lawn. It is an option, I still do the chemistry, the weeding and the pruning. NO I AM RETIRED AND IT IS TOO HOT IN FLORIDA.

[DAVES]

Write it off as a lesson learned. This company, with several different names, has been ripping people off in The Villages for more than 7 years. The consumer organizations have all been notified over and over, and they have chosen to do practically nothing about it.

But, it is also a good idea to never, ever pay any contractor for any work in advance. If you need to pay for a custom order, insist on using a credit card. Credit card charges can be easily disputed with your bank. If a contractor refuses to accept a credit card, find another contractor.

Re: Disputing a bill with a credit card.
I've done this twice in my life. Both times I got what I proposed with the company before notifying the credit card company. From speaking to the people who handle this stuff for the credit card company, it is sort of strange. They will notify the company there is a dispute and give them a chance to resolve it. They will tie up the payment but it is just for a period of time. They will not refuse to pay unless it is found the company is a fraud and there is no one to pay.

A company that says I will give you a cash discount actually that is in violation with there agreement with the credit card company. Obviously they are avoiding the 2% or so that the credit card company takes but likely taxes due to the government. Charging you sales tax and not paying it is actually jail time. Likely hood of being caught, TURNED IN WITH PROOF is unlikely. Perhaps, an idea for the original post.

[retiredguy123]

Re: Disputing a bill with a credit card.
I've done this twice in my life. Both times I got what I proposed with the company before notifying the credit card company. From speaking to the people who handle this stuff for the credit card company, it is sort of strange. They will notify the company there is a dispute and give them a chance to resolve it. They will tie up the payment but it is just for a period of time. They will not refuse to pay unless it is found the company is a fraud and there is no one to pay.

A company that says I will give you a cash discount actually that is in violation with there agreement with the credit card company. Obviously they are avoiding the 2% or so that the credit card company takes but likely taxes due to the government. Charging you sales tax and not paying it is actually jail time. Likely hood of being caught, TURNED IN WITH PROOF is unlikely. Perhaps, an idea for the original post.
That doesn't exactly track with the mandated process required by Federal law. When you dispute a credit card charge, you must first attempt to resolve the issue with the merchant. Then, the bank must remove the charge from your account and investigate the issue. The bank is required to make a good faith and fair decision about the card holder's issue. They cannot just release the money to the merchant without a good reason. The process works best when a merchant has failed to deliver a product or service, or when the merchant has filed for bankruptcy.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Boy, this sounds exactly like the type of TOTV forum post that was being written several years ago about Service Smart. And unfortunately, I was one of their customers. I wonder if Good Neighbor Lawn Services is a reincarnate of Service Smart.and I’m sure if you look at all the complaints he is soon to be under another name ,when he was service smart he was very good for years but then it changed , I got an inside tip and continued for sometime even out in fenney because I wouldn’t pay him till the work was done surprisingly he can do very good work , but he was doing so well at ripping off people in new section that he wanted to be payed upfront for my services so I stopped using him . There seems to be no way to stop him so stay away

[JohnN]

Do not pay anyone in advance around here for anything. If you do, consider it a donation.
Not sure how much $$$ is involved. If you used a credit card you can file a grievance. If not, you're probably out of luck without going to a lot of trouble.

[Kay Hartt]

I have a good, dependable lawn service. It's called Sumter Lawn Services. I pay $35.00 a month for up to 3 x a month. They do mowing and edging. I think they'll weed, trim bushes too. Call and ask.

[ML Smith]

Thanks to everyone that replied. Learned a valuable lesson on this one. Thankfully it is only $480, not a large amount but it have been so much worse.

Now I check almost everyone on the forums before I engage any services.

Learn from me. Don’t make the mistake I did. Good Neighbor is BAD news and not a company to do business with. Thanks again.

[cbv0211]

We also got taken when Good Neighbor was operating under another name. We then tried to support a local small business owner and his landscaping company and also got burned by him. Poof! One day he just disappeared. We finally hired one of the larger, well-known landscaping and pest control businesses. We pay a little more money but they show up and do the work.

[Shapdaddy]

Good Nrighbor was Service Smart. Rip off. Why do people pay these companies in advance? Smh

[J1ceasar]

Cheap to file .also State prosecutor will investigate if enough complain and file criminal charges if same crime is found as a pattern.

[ttc1991@aol.com]

Thanks for the info! Does he do front and back?

[vinricci]

It is. And had another name prior to Service Smart.

[TorriJ]

Call Seniors vs Crime. They have helped several people in The Villages get their money back. They are an extension of the Attorney General and do good work

Seniors Vs Crime in The Villages (http://www.svcinthevillages.org/)

[retiredguy123]

Cheap to file .also State prosecutor will investigate if enough complain and file criminal charges if same crime is found as a pattern.
Then, why hasn't the State prosecutor put the company out of business? Seniors vs Crime is a program created and funded by the Florida Attorney General. Seniors vs Crime has received hundreds of complaints about Service Smart and Good Neighbor over the past 7 years or so, but they are still operating in The Villages.

[Mtngirl]

Many previous comments about this Company. Name changes every couple years....Service Smart, to Good Neighbor Landscape, to Good Neighbor Management Services to Central Termite and Pest, LLC. Who will they be next year? There is a good paper trail and seems in all of them Roy Blackburn is the one going around selling these services then refuses to contact you once you pay in advance. Someone made the comment just write it off and lesson learned. That is exactly why this continues. Seems there are so many of you scammed by this individual/company that everyone who has been ripped off by them needs to all get together and go after him as a group. As a group contact the media and all show up at his home demanding payment. As a group all file with Crimes against Seniors. Expose this person and the ever changing company name changes he sells for. By just accepting it and moving on just allows individuals and companies to continue ripping off others.

[Proveone]

Florida State Attorney General's Office, Senior Citizens Consumer Protection Division. Go online and file a complaint. Florida has laws protecting Senior Citizens from companies trying to take advantage of them.

[retiredguy123]

Florida State Attorney General's Office, Senior Citizens Consumer Protection Division. Go online and file a complaint. Florida has laws protecting Senior Citizens from companies trying to take advantage of them.
The Attorney General already has tons of evidence over many years against this company, through Seniors vs Crime. Apparently, they have decided not to prosecute the company. I don't see how filing more complaints will change anything.

[Luna6739@]

If it is on a credit card. Call the credit card company and they can cancel the payment

[blueash]

Dumb question but I never learn if I don't ask. Did the OP sign a non-cancellable one year contract? I have no idea what language is in these agreements. If the paperwork said you hired them for one year, then you may have to pay even if you are dissatisfied. The OP never said what the issue was, poor lawn cutting? no shows? not green enough grass? It might make a difference in the language of the contract if one exists.

[blueash]

If it is on a credit card. Call the credit card company and they can cancel the payment

No, I don't think so. The OP paid in advance well over six months ago. You can only dispute a charge for usually 2 months.

[retiredguy123]

No, I don't think so. The OP paid in advance well over six months ago. You can only dispute a charge for usually 2 months.
Correct. Under Federal law, you must dispute a credit card charge within 60 days from the statement closing date on which the charge first appears.

[DaleDivine]

Good Nrighbor was Service Smart. Rip off. Why do people pay these companies in advance? Smh
Good Neighbor got us also when he was Service Smart. His father also had a lawn service company and he quit and incorporated with the son(of a). He keeps on using different company names and usually only works in the newer sections where people aren't using TOTV or Nextdoor Neighbor websites yet.
:ohdear::ohdear::ohdear:

[G.R.I.T.S.]

Boy, this sounds exactly like the type of TOTV forum post that was being written several years ago about Service Smart. And unfortunately, I was one of their customers. I wonder if Good Neighbor Lawn Services is a reincarnate of Service Smart.

Yes.

[kimgarwel12@gmail.com]

Good Afternoon. I was one the new Villages that fell for the BS from Good Neighbor Lawn Services. Paid in advance and finally terminated the service 6 months into the contract. Have been trying to get refund now since Jan 12. Yes, I know, Good Luck with that one. Needless to say, nothing has been refunded. My question is... are there or is there any type of advocacy groups I can call or go to? Don't really want to get an attorney and incur more costs. Do I just write this one off as lesson learned and walk away?

To all new or potential new residence - AVOID THIS COMPANY at all costs. Don't fall for "a good deal" like I did. It is anything but a good deal.

We also fell for this scam and I've been documenting and calendaring the lack of service from the start. Yes, they were Smart Service and now operating as Central Termite and Pest, LLC. I did file a claim with Senior Vs Crimes, which they wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole but immediately referred it to the attorney general's office. I also filed a claim with the Better Business Bureau who told me that according to the Division of Corporations for the state of Florida, Good Neighbor Service is "technically" no longer in business and since my contract is with them, there's nothing they can do to help me and that I should file a claim with the attorney general's office. I have done that and almost a year later, my claim is still under investigation and the AG's office "is making progress," whatever that means. In the meantime, Roy Graham Blackburn and Kenny Wayne Smith (who, ironically, the AG's office can't seem to catch up with), STILL are operating in TV (targeting new home owners). They still answer the one phone # that's still connected as "Good Neighbor Service" and their trucks still have the GNS name/logo. You'll never see a refund and neither will I and countless others. A lesson painfully and well learned. :ohdear:

[lindaelane]

An earlier post said, of credit card disputes "They will not refuse to pay unless it is found the company is a fraud and there is no one to pay.". I've found the opposite. This is particularly true is I state that the service was never rendered, or the item purchased was never received. Absolutely no problem there. My word is also accepted if I say the item did not work and the company denied me a refund. I have probably filed 20 disputes in my life and only one was denied. Note: Credit cards do ask you to contact the company you have a problem with, if possible, before you contact them.

[diamond2005]

They did absolutely nothing on my case against Service Smart 3 years ago.
I was promised a refund, that never came. Dean’s bills my CC AFTER each
visit, and sends me a invoice by email immediately AFTER each visit.

[mulligan]

Also same company as STELLAR.

[Kenswing]

They knocked on my door the day we closed. I asked him why he wasn't in jail. He turned around and walked away. lol

[PugMom]

Thanks to everyone that replied. Learned a valuable lesson on this one. Thankfully it is only $480, not a large amount but it have been so much worse.

Now I check almost everyone on the forums before I engage any services.

Learn from me. Don’t make the mistake I did. Good Neighbor is BAD news and not a company to do business with. Thanks again.

there's threads in here all about this man, i made several posts re: him coming to our home when we 1st moved in. without getting personal, he comes off as arrogant & condescending. he did make a racial remark about another scaper which is why i sent him on his way. now & again, i see his truck parked outside homes & wonder how he remains in business after all these years! i feel so bad for you

[rmd2]

Boy, this sounds exactly like the type of TOTV forum post that was being written several years ago about Service Smart. And unfortunately, I was one of their customers. I wonder if Good Neighbor Lawn Services is a reincarnate of Service Smart.

That is exactly what I was thinking! This company is completely dishonest. They have a huge file with Seniors vs Crime. They routinely change their name. It used to be Once a Year, then it was Service Smart, then it was Stellar and then some other name and I'll bet this is the same one. The owner Kenny changes their names so no one will be able to check their record. Even the guys who worked from them are disgusted. One told me that the owner tells the pest control guys to add water to the pest control containers (and then we wonder why we have more pests). This company should be banned from doing business.

[herman0522]

I am reading a lot of people are not happy with them. I for one have enjoyed the service. I used the for lawn and pest in the North if the Villages for 4 years without issue. We just purchased anew home down South and have signed up with them again. Already have them re-landscape the property and they did a fantastic job at a good price.

[jmcica@aol.com]

I had an appt mid May with Central- just cancelled.
Thank you all