Alvin's Discount Tree Cutting and Handyman

He took half the money up front yesterday to perform the work today. Didn’t show up and can’t be reached.

I have used Alvin's multiple times in the past two + years and while it is hit or miss as to whether he shows up when expected, the work has always been completed to my liking. This last experience was less than pleasing in every way, though.
I contacted him on Thursday and he said he would arrive to give me an estimate within the hour. After not showing, I called him again and he agreed to meet me the following morning. He showed up and gave me a quote but there were storms moving in so he would be back first thing in the morning to do the work. He asked for me to pay him in advance, which is common with him, but I instead agreed to only give him a deposit. 
He did show up the following morning and trimmed the palms in the front of my house and removed the hedges as agreed. Him and his partner took a "restroom break" and returned two hours later. He said something had come up and he needed to finish the three trees in the back yard the following morning at 8am. I agreed and foolishly paid him for the remainder of the work, although I was confident he would return as he left two large ladders behind. And again, he has completed multiple jobs for me in the past couple of years, so I didn't mind paying him in advance.
8am came with no sign of him so I left to run some errands. When I returned home around noon, his ladders were gone and the three remaining trees had not been trimmed. When I called him, he had no answer for why he hadn't completed the work, despite coming back to collect his ladders, but assured me he would be out the following morning (Monday) to finish the job. 
As I probably could have expected by this point, he didn't show up to complete the work (now day five since I first contacted him) and any attempt to contact him went straight to voicemail. Basically, I got a little more than half of the work done while he cashed the check for the full service.
 
Guess that's what I get for being so trusting...

The day they trimmed the 2 Live Oaks was a very warm humid day, and after finishing the trimming of the 2 Live Oaks, Alvin said that he was not feeling very well and that they would come back on Friday to finish the job.  I paid Alvin the entire $220 for the full job, and trusted that he was a man of his word.  However, I have found that this is simply not true.  I called Alvin on Friday, and again on Saturday, and in total I have called Alvin 4 times.  He promised to be out to finish the job 3 different times and never showed up to do the work that I had already paid for him to perform.
It is disheartening to have to deal with someone, who on the surface seems likes a very reputable, honest man, but then find out that they simply are not that way.  I would stay away from Alvin's Discount Services, they obviously cannot be trusted, and if you do give them a try, DO NOT pay them a dime untl all of the work is done to your satisfaction, I found out the hard way.

The tree he did was nicely cut.  He is unreliable and unresponsive.

He trimmed the one tree nicely and cleaned the yard.  Never showed up on two separate occasions and did not return calls.  Very unreliable

Set two appointments and he never showed or called for either. He finally told me he wouldn't make it for our most recent appointment after I called him.