[kimgarwel12@gmail.com]

As a new villager last May, we mistakenly contracted with Good Neighbor Service for lawn services. We signed a 1-year contract and paid for the services up front for that contract. I know.......my bad!!! We have been fighting since then to get the services we've paid for. My fight has necessitated numerous phone calls to Good Neighbor Service and usually only then will we get service. To date, they have missed 13 weeks of mowing/trimming and despite leaving work orders on our door 3 times since May for fertilization/pest services, we have never actually seen this service done until today (when my complaint call netted us mowing/trimming AND fertilization/pest control). Our yard is a weedy mess and pests abound!! I have filed claims with Seniors Vs Crimes and the BBB recently. No response from Senior Vs Crimes as yet, but I have had 2 emails from the BBB telling me that according to the Division of Corporations, Good Neighbor Service is out of business and the address/phone # provided by me from the signed contract are invalid. Further research shows that Good Neighbor Service is now Central Termite and Pest, LLC. Since my contract is with Good Neighbor Service, the BBB can do nothing to assist me with this issue. They have suggested I contact the Attorney General about this matter. The thing is, I called the # on Roy Blackburn's business card yesterday and "Bonnie" answered as "Good Neighbor Service." So they ARE still operating as Good Neighbor Service despite technically being out of business. They're still leaving fliers on the doors of unsuspecting new villages like us and putting signs in yards. I have taken this one step further and contacted the investigative reporter for WFTV in Orlando, in the hopes that he might be willing to take the lead on this and at least get the word out more about this sham company and its owners. When I pay for a service, I expect to receive it. Novel concept, huh?? When I don't get said services, I expect to be refunded for missed services. That's all I'm asking for.......that and to try to stop these criminals from further preying on seniors and the unsuspecting public. I know they've been doing this for some years here in central Florida and apparently government agencies aren't too concerned about these practices. It's just so terribly frustrating and maddening.

[EdFNJ]

Sorry for your loss of service AND $$$$$. As you will likely hear 20x in your thread NEVER PAY UP FRONT FOR ANYTHING around here. That being said, never heard of paying a full year in advance for lawn services. As you can see many of these companies come and go faster than t-storms here in the summer.

[kimgarwel12@gmail.com]

Yeah, I know. Believe me, I know!! Lesson well learned. No excuses on my part, but that said, NO excuses for this kind of thing to go on, and yes, I know it does. Just want people to know how these scam artists get away with this stuff and no one does anything to stop them. The government agencies turn a blind eye and leave the unsuspecting public to deal with it.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

I’m sorry what has happened to you, but what are you doing about your weed and pest filled lawn ???

[Kahuna32162]

Unfortunately this company has been around for many years and change their name often, Good Neighbor has been Service Smart in the past and the list of complaints from customers, just like you, who signed a 1 year contract and paid in advance could fill an entire volume. They prey on new unsuspecting homeowners who buy and then go back up north believing that their new home in The Villages will be maintained in their absence.

[VApeople]

When we moved in over four years ago, we were given terrible sod.

We hired Falcon for our lawn and pest control and paid them a year in advance. We have been very pleased with their service and we still use them.

Before we moved in, we were warned about Service Smart. When their sales person came by a few days after we moved in, I told them we had been warned about them, so they left.

[kimgarwel12@gmail.com]

As soon as we get this issue resolved, my husband is going to do our lawn himself from mowing/trimming to fertilizing and pest control. We had spent 2 mos up north after we bought our house trying to get estimates and lawn service set up before we returned to TV in May, but had no luck. Mostly I didn't get call backs or answers to my emails to these companies. I wanted a company that offered both services. When we returned in May, the yard was in deplorable shape, very long, etc. There was a Good Neighbor Service flier on the door (of course...) and with the headaches of getting moved in and settled, we just called them. The rep came to our house right away and had his crew out taking care of our lawn that afternoon. All seemed good.......until 2 weeks later and they hadn't returned. And so it goes. We'll take care of our lawn ourselves from now on!!

[EdFNJ]

Originally Posted by kimgarwel12@gmail.com

As soon as we get this issue resolved, my husband is going to do our lawn himself from mowing/trimming to fertilizing and pest control.

That's what I did. First 2 months here we went through 2 lawn guys (JUST for mowing). Month 3 I said f-it I'll do it myself. Bought a $700 used mower from a guy for $150 and for 2 years mowed my own and really enjoyed doing it as we have a small home/property here. After the 2nd summer of 95 degree days with 99% humidity I sold the mower for $175 (had to make a profit!) for same reason the guy I bought it from sold it Finally found a good, make that RELIABLE, mowing company who comes the same day EVERY week and not just when he feels like it. I saved my trimmer & blower and do the "fine tuning" after he leaves. I still do the fertilizing etc myself.

[VApeople]

Originally Posted by kimgarwel12@gmail.com

As soon as we get this issue resolved, my husband is going to do our lawn himself from mowing/trimming to fertilizing and pest control.

We have a larger than average yard and I truly enjoy mowing it myself, even on the hot summer days.

However, as I mentioned earlier, we use Falcon Lawn and Pest control for the yard care. There are some nasty little critters, like Army Worms or Mole Crickets, in our neighborhoods, and our yard is doing much better than our neighbors. Falcon must be doing something right.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by charlieo1126@gmail.com

I’m sorry what has happened to you, but what are you doing about your weed and pest filled lawn ???

Did you read the part where he was paying for that service?

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by VApeople

We have a larger than average yard and I truly enjoy mowing it myself, even on the hot summer days.

However, as I mentioned earlier, we use Falcon Lawn and Pest control for the yard care. There are some nasty little critters, like Army Worms or Mole Crickets, in our neighborhoods, and our yard is doing much better than our neighbors. Falcon must be doing something right.

Army worms and mole crickets, is that all?

Wait until your yard gets invaded by hippopotamuses.

[vintageogauge]

It's amazing that this guys is not in jail or prison. He not only is ripping off customers, he does the same to suppliers. It would be great to get one of the Orlando stations to run with it.

[RoadToad]

Florida is famous as a fraud friendly state. Example, Boca Raton is a den of scam fraud industry. The state only cares that they get there tax bite. Citizen fraud is mostly ignored. Buyer Beware !!

[Scott O]

Originally Posted by kimgarwel12@gmail.com

As a new villager last May, we mistakenly contracted with Good Neighbor Service for lawn services. We signed a 1-year contract and paid for the services up front for that contract. I know.......my bad!!! We have been fighting since then to get the services we've paid for. My fight has necessitated numerous phone calls to Good Neighbor Service and usually only then will we get service. To date, they have missed 13 weeks of mowing/trimming and despite leaving work orders on our door 3 times since May for fertilization/pest services, we have never actually seen this service done until today (when my complaint call netted us mowing/trimming AND fertilization/pest control). Our yard is a weedy mess and pests abound!! I have filed claims with Seniors Vs Crimes and the BBB recently. No response from Senior Vs Crimes as yet, but I have had 2 emails from the BBB telling me that according to the Division of Corporations, Good Neighbor Service is out of business and the address/phone # provided by me from the signed contract are invalid. Further research shows that Good Neighbor Service is now Central Termite and Pest, LLC. Since my contract is with Good Neighbor Service, the BBB can do nothing to assist me with this issue. They have suggested I contact the Attorney General about this matter. The thing is, I called the # on Roy Blackburn's business card yesterday and "Bonnie" answered as "Good Neighbor Service." So they ARE still operating as Good Neighbor Service despite technically being out of business. They're still leaving fliers on the doors of unsuspecting new villages like us and putting signs in yards. I have taken this one step further and contacted the investigative reporter for WFTV in Orlando, in the hopes that he might be willing to take the lead on this and at least get the word out more about this sham company and its owners. When I pay for a service, I expect to receive it. Novel concept, huh?? When I don't get said services, I expect to be refunded for missed services. That's all I'm asking for.......that and to try to stop these criminals from further preying on seniors and the unsuspecting public. I know they've been doing this for some years here in central Florida and apparently government agencies aren't too concerned about these practices. It's just so terribly frustrating and maddening.

This bum, I believe his name is Kenny, was spending his days just circling the new neighborhoods down here south of the turnpike. We moved in February and I saw him no less than 7-8 times a day, he hit me up a day or two after moving in, with his big con artist sales line. I told him I wasn’t interested in a yard service, we were doing our own..Thankfully I asking for an estimate about some additional landscaping work, I could tell it was not in the realm of their “big jobs” so he quickly made excuses and left, and seemed to continue to avoid us after that point. He stopped at each unsuspecting neighbor as they moved in and I made sure that I went and warned them I didn’t trust this guy. Then a few weeks later I started seeing multiple articles about his repeated scamming and changing the name of the company every time he got caught. It just amazes me the audacity of these crooks to keep coming back time and time again...Haven’t seen the scamming fool, or any of his crews in quite some time now that this is mentioned again...hopefully he will find his rightful place at a jail cell in Sumter county if he isn’t already there...sorry you were another victim on his apparently long list..

[Two Bills]

Our rental landlord uses Falcon, for pest control and fertilising, and they seem quite reliable, and area seems free of patches or signs of wear.
She has a real tough looking bunch of locals doing the grass cutting, but they are a real nice bunch of lads, and whenever we meet them, they are convinced we are Austalians, not Brits. as they swear my London accent is the same as Crocodile Dundee's.
I taught them to say "G'day mate" as an Aussie would!
That is how they greet us now. Will miss seeing them this year because of virus.
Unfortuantely I do not know their trading name.