Prepaying for lawn service?
 

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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!