Landscaping company skipping appointments

[spiceboy]

So its my first time hiring a company to mow lawn for me. They showed up on time for the first appointment (biweekly), but since then they have been missing the marks. First couple of times they blamed it on the weather and the backlog they had. Their reply also only came after our inquiry. There was no notice about the delay, or when they decide to come next.

Is this common among landscaping companies? It has been 3 weeks since the last mow, and I want to gather all facts first before laying it on them.

Oh, they've also deposited ALL our post dated cheques. Apparently, anyone can do this at an ATM. If you try deposit them via teller, they wont let you for obvious reason. Otherwise theres nothing to stop it from happening.

[RickDaTuner]

You're getting scammed buddy.

Landscapers can be pretty sketchy, and asking for post dated checks, then cashing them is definitely a red flag for me when it comes to dealing with those companies.

Fire them and get your local teenage dude to do the job for you. Pay him $20 bi-weekly for his hours worth of work, who knows maybe you'll start a trend and your other neighbors will do the same giving little billy a full time summer job.

[heavyfuel]

Originally posted by RickDaTuner
You're getting scammed buddy.

Landscapers can be pretty sketchy, and asking for post dated checks, then cashing them is definitely a red flag for me when it comes to dealing with those companies.

Fire them and get your local teenage dude to do the job for you. Pay him $20 bi-weekly for his hours worth of work, who knows maybe you'll start a trend and your other neighbors will do the same giving little billy a full time summer job.

Anybody in any trade can be pretty sketchy. Even people that do whatever it is you do. But your solution of paying a kid pocket change is not the right one either. Not only does that drive the prices down for the reputable operators but leaves the client wide open to a lawsuit if injuries are incurred on the property, because I'm sure some kid working for slurpee money doesn't have insurance or wcb which is paramount when you're working on other people's property.

Proper course of action would be to do more research next time, check references, proof of insurance, wcb, gst # if they're charging you gst, hire a reputable company. And set up a recurring online transfer the day after their scheduled arrival date, that way if they don't show up you have the option to cancel the transfer.

Another option if you don't want to pay what it costs to get proper reliable service, is to go buy a lawnmower.

[FraserB]

Originally posted by heavyfuel


But your solution of paying a kid pocket change is not the right one either. Not only does that drive the prices down for the reputable operators

If your competition is kids mowing lawns for $20-$30 and you can’t compete with them, you probably shouldn’t be in business anyway.

[heavyfuel]

^^ That goes for any trade, there's always some skid row cash only no insurance tax dodging piece of shit making it hard for everyone, in every line of work. Not a question of whether or not you should be in business given what your competition is, more a question of why is our government not doing more to clamp down on that sort of thing. For the amount of money in this province there sure is a huge market for rock bottom, yet people complain about the quality of service and negative repercussions.

[ExtraSlow]

Heavy, if you think the solution to your business problems is to "clamp down" on little kids mowing a few lawns for cash, you need to rethink your entire business strategy.

[FraserB]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
Heavy, if you think the solution to your business problems is to "clamp down" on little kids mowing a few lawns for cash, you need to rethink your entire business strategy.

Should make people report how much they paid out in cash jobs over the year and to who, the you can go audit the 15 year old tax cheats.

Maybe I should be audited too, I've taken a few loads to the dump for cash int he last year and hauled some cargo.

[heavyfuel]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
Heavy, if you think the solution to your business problems is to "clamp down" on little kids mowing a few lawns for cash, you need to rethink your entire business strategy.

You're an engineer, am I correct? Then why are you having so much difficulty seeing what I'm getting at? I'm not saying clamp down on little kids, that would be akin to cutting a tentacle off an octopus. Would be nice to clamp down on the cheap grinders fueling the market for under the table rock bottom services. But it won't ever happen. I know.

[Mibz]

Guys.... I've given people rides in my vehicle. The taxi industry is collapsing because of me. Please call CRA immediately.

[ExtraSlow]

Yeah I'm an Engineer, and I think the engineering profession does a good job of not trying to compete with the "cheap grinders." That's the key, you need to find a way to differentiaite yourself from those people.

Look at the Men in Kilts company. They found a way to get noticed and make themselves appear to be a premium service. Any ashole with a ladder and a bucket of soapy water could clean my windows, but these guys who up in distinictive uniforms, in marked trucks, and when you phone the number, someone in a call centre anwsers it right away. Guess what? it works great because that company is growing, and they charge a lot more than the kijiji creeps.

That's the best example I can give you. If you aren't able to make yourself distinctive enough to command a premium price, then don't expect to be paid any more than the kids and degenerate who do poor work for low prices.

[89coupe]

Mow your own grass, problem solved.

[spiceboy]

Typical forum thread. I asked one simple question and it went in all different directions.

Heavy and 89: I have always been maintaining my own lawn, but with a busy work and family life I start to see the benefits of hiring someone else to do the work. There is supply and demand in all business and industries. Someone pays for a service because there is a need. I think the "Do it yourself" statement has been overused.

Yes I should have researched a bit more, in hindsight. I was thinking it was such a simple job that I don't need a big company with 50 people on payroll to do it. And yes if there was a teenager offering to cut my lawn for $20 I would have accepted.

I was simply asking what the industry standard is in terms of payment handling and punctuality, given that I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MOWING MY OWN LAWN and have no experience dealing with such company.

Thank you for those who have given useful feedback.

[lasimmon]

In regards to them cashing your cheques early:

"If the post-dated cheque is cashed early, you can ask your financial institution to put the money back into your account up to the day before the cheque should have been cashed.

If you have not resolved your problem with a post-dated cheque at the branch level, or if the cheque has resulted in non-sufficient funds fees being charged to you, you can make a complaint using your financial institution’s complaint-handling process. Federal financial consumer protection legislation requires all federally regulated financial institutions to have a complaint-handling process in place to help resolve disputes between consumers and their financial institutions. This process includes a third-party dispute-resolution body."

http://www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/eng/consumers/otheroptions/cheque/post-dated-eng.asp

[Sugarphreak]

...

[G]

Originally posted by Sugarphreak

http://ayearwithmomanddad.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/toddler-lawn-mowing.jpg

I only hire mexicans to do my yard work.

[benyl]

Originally posted by heavyfuel
more a question of why is our government not doing more to clamp down on that sort of thing.

Maybe you should start a landscaping union. That should solve the problem.

Then, everytime a 12 year old cuts a lawn, you can file a union grievance with the government.

Or you can just do the Tony Soprano thing and get a thug to beat the shit out of him and claim your territory.

OP: Just got with a reputable company. We get our house cleaned every once in a while. We only get companies like Mango Maids to come. Sure they cost more, but I know they won't steal anything or not show up. We tried "cleaning ladies." Some are good, but most aren't worth what you pay them.

[spiceboy]

benyl: Thanks for your feedback. Yeh house cleaning is next on my "Hire someone to do" list. I will make a mental note of Mango Maids.

[mr2mike]

I thought Spacerz on here did lawncare?
PM him. He came and aerated my lawn the very next day, Friday 6pm, going into a long weekend.

[ExtraSlow]

There is also a Beyond sponsor company that does house cleaning, and I know they are reputable because they clean my house. Neatfreak.

[RickDaTuner]

Heavyfuel WTF man?

A kid is not a threat to your business....

[codetrap]

Originally posted by RickDaTuner
Heavyfuel WTF man?

A kid is not a threat to your business.... Not just that.. but I checked my house insurance policy. If I hire some kid to mow the lawn and he screws himself up, I got 2 mil liability coverage for that.

[Perfect Dark]

Originally posted by codetrap
Not just that.. but I checked my house insurance policy. If I hire some kid to mow the lawn and he screws himself up, I got 2 mil liability coverage for that.

Yeah Heavyfuel, just check your homeowner's insurance and see if....

Oh, right.

Nevermind.

[blitz]

Originally posted by Perfect Dark


Yeah Heavyfuel, just check your homeowner's insurance and see if....

Oh, right.

Nevermind.

:rofl:

[ExtraSlow]

PerfectDark is Perfect.

[heavyfuel]

Originally posted by Perfect Dark


Yeah Heavyfuel, just check your homeowner's insurance and see if....

Oh, right.

Nevermind.

Well I got renter's insurance anyways lol

[spiceboy]

Yup. It's official. I've been scammed.
Parkhill Landscapes is a total scam. Owner Brenden Edmand has been ignoring my emails, and his voice mailbox is full.

This is not simply a review. It is a complaint.

As mentioned at the top of this thread, we hired him to mow our lawn biweekly. He (and possibly with a crew) only showed up on time on the first visit. We had to call/email the next 2 times to get him to show up after not seeing him in expected time periods. His last visit was over 3 weeks ago, and I have not been able to reach him via phone / email.

You may say "Perhaps he got hit by a bus". Well, he just updated some info on his website 2 days ago, so the chance of that is pretty remote.

We lost some money, not huge, but this is a matter of principle. I intend to keep trying and locate him.

He is currently studying at Mount Royal College
in the Bachelor of Applied Eco-tourism & Outdoor Leadership program. Given his age and the demographic of Beyond, I am pretty sure someone on here knows him. If you do, please pass me his contact info, e.g. personal cell number.

Thanks guys.


http://www.parkhilllandscapes.com

[lasimmon]

Did you refer to my post earlier in this thread?

You should be able to get your post-dated cheque money back. And there may be an avenue to cancel the cheques...

Just a thought.

[spiceboy]

Originally posted by lasimmon
Did you refer to my post earlier in this thread?

You should be able to get your post-dated cheque money back. And there may be an avenue to cancel the cheques...

Just a thought.

Yeh I looked it up and actually talked to my bank about it. They said they had changed policy on post-dated cheques a while ago and they no longer do refunds. I am sure if I yell loud enough the branch manager may get involved and perhaps can help us out, but in this case the bank is no wrong-doer. I want to get to the source of the problem first.

[dirtsniffer]

how can they not be in the wrong? what is the point of even having a post dating process if it doesnt matter???

hope you get the guy op. We could set up a beyond sting if you'd like

[A790]

Originally posted by spiceboy
Yup. It's official. I've been scammed.
Parkhill Landscapes is a total scam. Owner Brenden Edmand has been ignoring my emails, and his voice mailbox is full.

This is not simply a review. It is a complaint.

As mentioned at the top of this thread, we hired him to mow our lawn biweekly. He (and possibly with a crew) only showed up on time on the first visit. We had to call/email the next 2 times to get him to show up after not seeing him in expected time periods. His last visit was over 3 weeks ago, and I have not been able to reach him via phone / email.

You may say "Perhaps he got hit by a bus". Well, he just updated some info on his website 2 days ago, so the chance of that is pretty remote.

We lost some money, not huge, but this is a matter of principle. I intend to keep trying and locate him.

He is currently studying at Mount Royal College
in the Bachelor of Applied Eco-tourism & Outdoor Leadership program. Given his age and the demographic of Beyond, I am pretty sure someone on here knows him. If you do, please pass me his contact info, e.g. personal cell number.

Thanks guys.


http://www.parkhilllandscapes.com
http://i.imgur.com/JH0PVJd.png

[A790]

Originally posted by spiceboy


Yeh I looked it up and actually talked to my bank about it. They said they had changed policy on post-dated cheques a while ago and they no longer do refunds. I am sure if I yell loud enough the branch manager may get involved and perhaps can help us out, but in this case the bank is no wrong-doer. I want to get to the source of the problem first.
I am very interested in learning who you bank with.

[Unknown303]

Originally posted by A790

I am very interested in learning who you bank with.

His bank is probably a scam too.

[RickDaTuner]

Originally posted by A790

http://i.imgur.com/JH0PVJd.png



He knows the power of beyond.

[FixedGear]

Originally posted by spiceboy
[B

He is currently studying at Mount Royal College
/B]

Red flag right there. Never do business with an MRC student. I mean c'mon, the former su president from MRC robbed a bank while the pres from u of c became the mayor :rofl:

[heavyfuel]

What a piece of shit. I checked out that website mere hours ago.

[CompletelyNumb]

He's probably on the forum already :nut:

\Not being able to cancel post dated cheques though? I don't care if they're for $20 I'd be fighting that one to the top. I gave my last landlord a years worth of post dated cheques. I can't even imagine if he deposited them all in one day :barf:

[Unknown303]

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.parkhilllandscapes.com/contact-us.html

http://i.imgur.com/azpDjxj.png

[Mixalot27]

Don't know if this will help but it is the contact info that his site was registered with:

Brenden Edmand
1903 8th avenue NE
Calgary, Alberta T2E 0T3
Canada
Phone: +1.4032505256
Fax..:
Email: [email protected]

[MrSector9]

https://www.facebook.com/brenden.edmand

Yesterday it had "Owner Park Hill Landscapes" and now he has removed that as well.

http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/brenden-edmand/62/832/15a

[Amysicle]

In my opinion, it's pretty sad that instead of providing the services Brenden Edmand offered for a price, Brenden Edmand has decided to cash in all the post-dated cheques without doing the work. Then, when called out on it, puts in more effort to do a disappearing act than to try and make things right.

I certainly hope Brenden Edmand will consider the fact that he will be looking over his shoulder for a very long time over what must be a few hundred or thousand dollars stolen (not earned) because of his actions. I cannot imagine he will be very successful in life with the lack of integrity he has.

[Maxt]

Insert NE joke here.

[BrknFngrs]

Originally posted by A790

I am very interested in learning who you bank with.

Agreed, if they're cashing post-dated cheques that's unacceptable.

[bart]

you can even deposit cheques in other peoples names in the atm and it will go through i've done it before (family members anyway)

why dont you dispute the deposit with your bank they will have to show you the cheque, tell them to look at the date and they should undo everything, then cancel those cheques

[yellowsnow]

I've been told by a teller manager that even if a cheque is post-dated, when you sign the cheque it's considered legal tender, and if the cheque goes through, there is no recourse.

If the teller sees a post-dated cheque, they are not supposed to cash it. but if you put the cheque into the ATM, most of the time it slips through and is cashed.

[Cos]

.

[bignerd]

Originally posted by yellowsnow
I've been told by a teller manager that even if a cheque is post-dated, when you sign the cheque it's considered legal tender, and if the cheque goes through, there is no recourse.

If the teller sees a post-dated cheque, they are not supposed to cash it. but if you put the cheque into the ATM, most of the time it slips through and is cashed.

But the minute it is one day post-dates they won't accept shit.

[spiceboy]

So Mr. Edmand did email back a couple of days ago, citing that due to financial and managerial problems he needs to shut down his business. He claimed he would refund me the money, albeit miscalculated and short. I have since written him back about the miscalculation and the expected date of the refund, and as expected I didn't hear back.

I am keeping this thread open until I receive the money.

[dirtsniffer]

well atleast now that you have it in writing that he owes you money you can sue him easily. Even if the company is closed he is personally liable (assuming a sole proprietorship)

[spiceboy]

Reviving this thread.

Brenden Edmand (Parkhill Landscape) has failed to make any attempt to pay me back the $140 he owes me. Our contract was for him to mow my lawn in July, August, and Sept 2013, but he had only shown up twice and deposited all of our post-dated cheques. Early attempts of contacting him were successful and he claimed to be putting his life back together after closing his business, and I was courteous enough to give him extended time of collecting money to pay me back.

Fast forward to Jan 2014 and my last attempt of contacting him (email) was unsuccessful.

I was able to locate his Facebook account and just sent him another message, but I have a hunch that it won't be going anywhere.

So what is my choice now?

1) Legal action: does it cost me anything to go to Small Claims court and file a claim?

2) Other actions: I took some preemptive measure and tracked down his FB account (he changed his profile name
shortly after the ordeal last year). I will also be able to notify his friends and families all about it (with evidence). I know this may not help me recollect my money, but at least I can let more people know about his true self and work ethic (or the lack of).

My concern is HE KNOWS WHERE I LIVE! If he feels threatened enough and decides to fight back instead, anything can happen.

What do you think?

(and yes you can save the lecture about hiring registered biz because we are doing it right this year)

[ExtraSlow]

Spice, if it was me, I wouldn't persue this too far. Some of these scumbags will expend an awful lot of energy to fuck you around, and you have a lot moree to lose in this situtation than he does.

[whydontchathen]

Originally posted by spiceboy


What do you think?

(and yes you can save the lecture about hiring registered biz because we are doing it right this year)

I don't know why you didn't just get the bank to right the wrong. A post-dated cheque is a POST-DATED cheque. You could have and should have had your money returned to you at the time the cheques were deposited early. But now that it's coming up a year since the dirty deed..... :dunno:

[roopi]

Originally posted by whydontchathen


I don't know why you didn't just get the bank to right the wrong. A post-dated cheque is a POST-DATED cheque. You could have and should have had your money returned to you at the time the cheques were deposited early. But now that it's coming up a year since the dirty deed..... :dunno:

This is exactly what you should have done.

Pretty simple to take care of the issue at the time:

http://www.cba.ca/en/consumer-information/40-banking-basics/584-cheques-what-you-need-to-know

[bjstare]

This is all over $140???

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[speedog]

Originally posted by cjblair
This is all over $140???

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
My thoughts too - spiceboy, what's your time worth?

I'd consider it a lesson learned after this amount of elapsed time.

[A790]

Originally posted by cjblair
This is all over $140???

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
I suspect the it isn't about the $140 anymore.

[max_boost]

Originally posted by A790

I suspect the it isn't about the $140 anymore. Clearly but some battles aren't worth waging!

[speedog]

Originally posted by max_boost
Clearly but some battles aren't worth waging!
Especially when the accused wanker could swing by in the middle of the night and easily do more than $140 of damage through some excessive fertilizer applications or even some soil sterilant distribution. Pick your battles wisely.

[blairtruck]

book an estimate anywhere else besides your house. walk around at said location waiting around. when he goes and rings doorbell at random house. knife in tire and out

[speedog]

Originally posted by blairtruck
book an estimate anywhere else besides your house. walk around at said location waiting around. when he goes and rings doorbell at random house. knife in tire and out
Again, pick your battles wisely. Would hate to get caught knifing someone's tire.

[GTS4tw]

Originally posted by blairtruck
book an estimate anywhere else besides your house. walk around at said location waiting around. when he goes and rings doorbell at random house. knife in tire and out

Thats very passive aggressive.... I would say pussy.

[blairtruck]

Originally posted by GTS4tw


Thats very passive aggressive.... I would say pussy.
sugar in tank a little better? you obviously didnt read that said business is no more. so estimates wouldn't be done unless he is still ripping people off. and that deserves some retaliation.

[GTS4tw]

Originally posted by blairtruck

sugar in tank a little better? you obviously didnt read that said business is no more. so estimates wouldn't be done unless he is still ripping people off. and that deserves some retaliation.

No, that is the same idea lol. Google "passive aggressive" and you will be able to comprehend my post.

[spiceboy]

Yes. I do agree that I need to pick my battle wisely on this one.
A scumbag he is, he is (was) also a student at MRU. First Google search on his name returns this thread at the top. This should be bad enough when a potential employer does background check on him.

It is also true that it's not about $140 anymore. I just feel disgusted that I bust my ass at work everyday to bring home the dough, while loser like Brenden Edmand steals under my nose. I am not the only victim. There is at least one more victim who has left a negative comment on Parkhill Landscape on Yelp.

This reminds me of the movie Changing Lanes with Ben Affleck and Sam L. Jackson. If I choose to pursue it it may potentially go down that rabbit hole.

Thank you for your feedback guys