Prepaying for lawn service?

[LvmyPug2]

After reading the positive reviews on TOTV we contacted Stellar Lawn Care for a quote. Their quote was not unreasonable, however we were told they require full payment, UPFRONT for the ENTIRE YEAR. This seemed pretty unreasonable to us. Is this common practice in TV?

[pooh]

Prepaying for lawn mowing isn't something I'd do, personally. If it's for year long care for fertilizing, pesticide application, etc, then some companies do offer advanced payment for the year, at a discount. We did that for one year and then went on a pay as you go plan....we pay for individual treatments every other month.

There are plenty of other companies out there that offer service without having to pay for a year in advance. Sometimes we can become dissatisfied with a company and wish to terminate their services. I'm not sure what guarantee you'd have about refund of excess funds. Check on that if you do decide to prepay.

[l2ridehd]

Send them packing. Only pay for service at the end of the month it was delivered. To many folks have reported on here about someone collecting up front and then not doing the work. And this was also reported about several lawn care companies.

[redwitch]

It is common to ask for a full year's payment by many lawn service companies. Personally, I'd rather pay a little more and pay monthly (after the job is done, not before). Many companies do great jobs for the first 3 months or even the first 3 years and then go down the drain (under qualified, over booked, whatever). If you've paid for the year, you really have no recourse. They go away, they change names, you have nowhere to go.

[Figmo Bohica]

WE have had Stellar since we have been here. Great company, great work and never any problem. If there is a problem with the yard and we give them a call, they are here with in a couple hours and take care of it.

I don't mind prepaying for the year. Especially when the service is as good as Stellar has been and I don't see any reason for the service to change.

[mulligan]

I just started with lawn pro. Owned by Hill(of the gutter business), and his grandson, who seems to have the same work ethic. Mr. Hill takes a lot of pride in anything his name is associated with. Pay a month in arrears. Nothing up front. IMHO, no business person should expect a customer to pay for anything not yet received.

[ladydoc]

Send them packing. Only pay for service at the end of the month it was delivered. To many folks have reported on here about someone collecting up front and then not doing the work. And this was also reported about several lawn care companies.

Do a search on lawn care and landscaping and see all the positive things people say about him. I have never seen one negative thing ever said about him. He provides wonderful service and all of his crews are friendly, hardworking and will do whatever it takes to make you happy. Because SOME companies have not done the work does not mean NONE of them will do it. Marty absolutely will do what he says he will do. Don't give one second of worry over paying in advance. We all don't post how good Marty is if he were not doing a great job for all of us.

[bkcunningham1]

No, it is not the norm to pay for one year of lawn service in advance. It isn't unusual to for a lawn service to expect a year's contract from a customer. But not a full year's payment in advance.

[Uptown Girl]

We decided to choose from the landscape companies that came recommended on the list our builder gave us at our walk-through. Stellar was not part of that list.

Two of our neighbors use Stellar. I looked online when he first approached us last May, and thought I had seen that he was a very new company. I searched again this evening, but now can't seem to find anything at all for Stellar Lawn care in Florida.?

Our company bills us after the work is completed each month.

[ladydoc]

We decided to choose from the landscape companies that came recommended on the list our builder gave us at our walk-through. Stellar was not part of that list.

Two of our neighbors use Stellar. I looked online when he first approached us last May, and thought I had seen that he was a very new company. I searched again this evening, but now can't seem to find anything at all for Stellar Lawn care in Florida.?

Our company bills us after the work is completed each month.

That's because the name of the company is STELLAR RESIDENTIAL SERVICES. Google it.

[Uptown Girl]

That's because the name of the company is STELLAR RESIDENTIAL SERVICES. Google it.

Thank You for the guidance, ladydoc. What I found was his facebook page. He wrote he has been in his business since March 2011 and now has two trucks and five happy guys.
I have nothing personal against Stellar, he appears to be a friendly, clean cut young man, but he hasn't been in business for himself for years and years, that's all. He may have worked for someone else... and now has started his own company.... there is certainly nothing wrong with that.

The original poster asked if paying for a year up front was customary in TV. It appears that it is not the standard procedure for most landscaping service providers.

[buggyone]

I volunteer at Seniors vs. Crime here in The Villages. One of the most common complaints is with landscapers who charge the entire year upfront. Some have disappeared and there goes your money along with them.

Never is a good idea to prepay for the entire year. Pay after the service has been completed to your satisfaction.

[asianthree]

We use kirks (on the list) offers monthly or yearly with discount. Nice young man always calls you back if there is an issue have been with him 2 years.

[seashorecaroline]

I have been using Kirks since I moved here in June and am extremely pleased. I would highly recommend them!

[ladydoc]

Thank You for the guidance, ladydoc. What I found was his facebook page. He wrote he has been in his business since March 2011 and now has two trucks and five happy guys.
I have nothing personal against Stellar, he appears to be a friendly, clean cut young man, but he hasn't been in business for himself for years and years, that's all. He may have worked for someone else... and now has started his own company.... there is certainly nothing wrong with that.

The original poster asked if paying for a year up front was customary in TV. It appears that it is not the standard procedure for most landscaping service providers.

I believe Marty has worked in TV in residential services for quite awhile. I misunderstood when he opened his OWN business. I suppose it is not the norm, but his work is superb and we are not concerned about prepaying. To each their own!

[Villages PL]

After reading the positive reviews......

It doesn't matter how positive the reviews are if the company goes out of business. When I first moved in, I saw a lawn-care company coming down the street mowing about every other yard on my street. I figured they must be good to have so many customers. So I inquired about getting the service for my yard. The owner of the company required one year in advance. I told him I didn't like paying in advance and he encouraged me to ask my neighbors about his reliability. I did and two neighbors said he was very good. So I gave him a check for one year.

Three months later he was out of business. I think there were over 100 complaints that were filed with Seniors Against Crime but no money was ever recovered.

[barb1191]

It doesn't matter how positive the reviews are if the company goes out of business. When I first moved in, I saw a lawn-care company coming down the street mowing about every other yard on my street. I figured they must be good to have so many customers. So I inquired about getting the service for my yard. The owner of the company required one year in advance. I told him I didn't like paying in advance and he encouraged me to ask my neighbors about his reliability. I did and two neighbors said he was very good. So I gave him a check for one year.

Three months later he was out of business. I think there were over 100 complaints that were filed with Seniors Against Crime but no money was ever recovered.

I was one of those 100 complaints....;-( Not a chance of recovering your loss. Lesson learned, for me.

[D&Lsunfun]

we live in tamarind grove, use stellar services. paid for one year, receive great service, handles any problems quickly. i like the prepay, one bill for 12 months, and no more payments. he offers full lawn service and power washing. we are happy with his work and work ethics.
i would recommend his services.

[mikeandnancy1112]

When we first moved to TV 2004 we paid a year ahead for a lawn service. They mowed for 3 months then quit. I took the case to Seniors vs Crime and was told there was over 200 cases filed on them. Believe me, we have never paid up front since.

[murphy1]

Don't pay in advance,pay as U go.

[mommieswamie]

I don't post often, but I must jump into this discussion. I recently hired Marty of Stellar services , to replace all the dead plants that had to be removed when my husband and I moved into our pre-owned home 6 weeks ago. We contracted for a certain number of plants to my complete satisfaction. The plants were delivered the next morning. That same afternoon, Marty and his crew showed up to plant the new plants in the beds. I peeked out occasionally and saw that there was a lot of work being done. When he was finished I went outside to look at the job. Imagine my surprise and delight to find that he had planted twice as many plants as we had contracted for, including some in the backyard too. My husband has been in the hospital 5 of the 6 weeks that we have lived in this house. I shared this with Marty and he went the extra mile to "give me something pretty to look at." I was moved to tears. The landscaping is beautiful.

Several days later, I called him back to discuss the many lawn/plant care services that his one company offers. I did contract with him for one year for all of the lawn care services that he offers. I did this because there are so many companies that only do mowing or only do fertilizing, etc, etc and I wanted to deal with only one company for all the lawn care. I also did this because he offers a free month if you pay for a year in advance, but he does have a 6 month payment plan too. But mostly, I signed up with him because of the many, many satisfied customers I have read about on TOTV and because he was prompt, kind, polite, courteous, dependable, reliable and just an all around nice young man with an excellent work ethic. This is one annual contract, I will not live to regret. I cannot wait to see my husband's face when he comes home from the hospital on Sun to all the beautiful blooming plants and flowers planted by Marty of Stellar Residential Services, LLC

[Gongy]

Cannot say enough good things about Marty and his crew. I was hesitant when we moved here 4 months ago to contract him and pay up front, something that I normally would not do. I went to TOTV and read all the GREAT reviews and I feel that no one has ever steered us wrong from this site. I am a street smart type of person who can read people extremely well (also a good card player because of this) and I have much confidence in Marty and his company. Our lawn looks great and all that they do is perfect!

[ladydoc]

I don't post often, but I must jump into this discussion. I recently hired Marty of Stellar services , to replace all the dead plants that had to be removed when my husband and I moved into our pre-owned home 6 weeks ago. We contracted for a certain number of plants to my complete satisfaction. The plants were delivered the next morning. That same afternoon, Marty and his crew showed up to plant the new plants in the beds. I peeked out occasionally and saw that there was a lot of work being done. When he was finished I went outside to look at the job. Imagine my surprise and delight to find that he had planted twice as many plants as we had contracted for, including some in the backyard too. My husband has been in the hospital 5 of the 6 weeks that we have lived in this house. I shared this with Marty and he went the extra mile to "give me something pretty to look at." I was moved to tears. The landscaping is beautiful.

Several days later, I called him back to discuss the many lawn/plant care services that his one company offers. I did contract with him for one year for all of the lawn care services that he offers. I did this because there are so many companies that only do mowing or only do fertilizing, etc, etc and I wanted to deal with only one company for all the lawn care. I also did this because he offers a free month if you pay for a year in advance, but he does have a 6 month payment plan too. But mostly, I signed up with him because of the many, many satisfied customers I have read about on TOTV and because he was prompt, kind, polite, courteous, dependable, reliable and just an all around nice young man with an excellent work ethic. This is one annual contract, I will not live to regret. I cannot wait to see my husband's face when he comes home from the hospital on Sun to all the beautiful blooming plants and flowers planted by Marty of Stellar Residential Services, LLC

Marty, Tyler, Andrew, James, etc. are all wonderful guys. Kind, helpful, honest...all the things everyone has said about them. Never have heard or read ONE bad thing about any of them. We had no qualms paying in advance. You have to trust someone sometimes....why let one bad experience blacken everything?

[swimdawg]

I have to give my vote for Stellar. I am going back and forth...WNY to TV and back. They have no idea when I arrive and when I leave. I've been very pleased with their work. Not only that, but every week I receive something in the mail from them stating what work they've done at my St. James home that week. Good hard working guys! I would recommend them.