Landscape Design & Construction

Very unprofessional

NEVER HIRE THIS GUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like the woman who wrote the last review, I also got called "Missy" and was treated HORRIBLY AND THE WORK WAS NOT DONE OR DONE VERY BADLY. Bottom line is this guy DAVE BARLOW is a bad guy and businessman AND IS DOING BUSINESS UNDER SEVERAL OTHER NAMES! ..... LANDSCAPE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION -- this listing DAVE'S SNOW PLOWING OAKLAND SNOW PLOWING We also had a lousy experience with him and he is the nastiest on the phone. DO NOT HIRE!

I hired Dave's Snow Removal service when my previous person suddenly decided he was no longer doing our neighborhood.  It was difficult finding anyone taking new customers, and when Dave said he would take care of my snow removal, I hired him without checking references.  What a mistake.  Since then, I have found dozens of complaints, on various sites, about this rude, unethical and nasty man.  Here are some of the things that went wrong the winter of 2014-2015:

1. Neighbors done, by other services, by 3:30 am.  I called Dave at 9 am and his recorded message of 6 am, said everyone would  be done by noon.  At 12:10 pm, his mailbox was full.  At 2 pm, a worker arrives and wants to know where my driveway is located.  I said to the right of the mailbox (it is very obvious where the drive would be, plus, the stakes that Dave put up were clearly visible).  He said, "No, where does it end?"  Again, clear where it ends, but I told him.  After he left, I went out and saw that he did not do about five feet of heavy snow, across the entire driveway.  There would be no way I could get out of my garage, due to depth of snow, so had to clear it myself.  He did part of the walkway, then didn't do about four feet, then continued doing the walkway.  The worst:  My house is next to a field, with trees separating my driveway from the field.  The guy had started the truck snow plow about 40 feet from the trees, aiming the truck to the trees, when I guess he realized there wasn't a driveway there!  When I called Dave, he had a very nasty, snotty tone of voice, told me at least the guy tried to do the snow.  He kept calling me "Missy," and said I wasn't "refined"  (I'll admit, after listening to his rudeness (all the conversation is not written here), I said I was tired of the BS and expected to get what I paid for.

2. On several occasions, when snow not done, the message said to measure the snow and be sure it was over two inches, then call him to do snow removal.  Clear in the message, was there would be an extra fee if below two inches.  All neighbors done, by their snow companies, and definitely over two inches, and weather report over two inches.  Snow wouldn't get done for at least 12 hours after call.  Since when do customers have to call to have snow removed when they paid for it to be done whenever over two inches.

3. Often the walkway wasn't done.  Dave's reply would be something like, "At least the driveway got done" in a snotty, rude tone.

4. First snow of season, my drive wasn't done.  When I finally got hold of Dave, not done until next day.

5. Voice messages often changed, throughout the day.  They usually began with being "surprised" it snowed (guess he doesn't listen to weather reports), to changing times when snow would be done.

Such a frustrating experience.  Thankful I am retired and didn't have to worry about getting to work on mornings it snowed, since most mornings drive wasn't done.

The first snowfall I waited for him to come, but nothing was done. I called him wondering when he would be coming out. He asked if I was a customer who had sign up with him or was wanting to. I told him I had already signed up with him. He said he had men out taking care of it that day, but I told him that the snow had not been touched. He said the snow drifted, but I knew that wasn't right as it doesn't drift evenly. Within two hours he sent a guy out who told me that this home was definitely skipped.

We had a second major snowfall and I called him that Sunday to come out for the snow removal, but he wouldn't come out until the snow stopped falling. I had to get prescriptions for someone who was ill and he knew this. Whenever you ask him a question, he answers with another question or gives an excuse on why he can't get to it. I called him a crook as I've paid him for services and he refuses to do the work. He yelled at me to give him my address, but he would always interrupt me to shut up before I could finish saying the address. I ended up hanging up on him.

The third incident it had begun to snow yesterday in the late afternoon. The snow hadn't been removed again. I ended up slipping on the ice and have to go see the doctor on my hip. He said he would be out, but has not shown up again.

Update 2/3/2014

He asked me when the snow would stop falling. If I knew that I?d be God ? Like I would not need his service. Told him I have 2 ill relatives & I have to be able to get out & get prescriptions ? this is when he told me to shut up. I am on disability retirement for back & hip problems. I canned him at about 10:30 AM to ask when they were coming out. He indicated ?We?re on our way? my appointment was at noon. I went out to see if I could get the car out (we are on a main street & get plowed in) I fell on my left side. When my neighbor got the car out for me, I had to be treated at the doctor?s for not only the left hip but also the left shoulder, which was injured in the fall.

Note: On Sat 1-25 it snowed could not get out of drive never showed even when snow sopped Sun ? 1-26 snowing ? dive & sidewalk all covered with snow from Sat. Lies * - he said ?we were there? *- he said ?the snow drifted? *- he said ?we?re on our way? Note: Hired as Dave?s Snow Plowing I recopied in case you can?t read my writing. Second major snow fall He asked me when the snow would stop falling. If I knew that I?d be God-Like & would not need his service. I told him I have 2 ill relatves & I have to be able to get out and get prescriptions, etc. ? this is when he told me to shut up. Third incident I am on disability retirement for back & hip problems. My husband has a broken arm that required surgery. I called Barlow at about 10:30 AM on Friday to ask when they were coming out. He indicated ?we?re on our way?. My appointment was a t noon. I went out to see if I could get the car out. We are on a main street and get plowed in. I fell on my left side. When my neighbor got the car out for me, I had to be treated at the doctor?s for not only the left hip but also the left shoulder, which was injured in the fall. How I want this resolved Complete refund of $400.- I want to hire someone else who will not lie- ?We were there? ?the snow drifted? ?we?re on our way? Not tell me to shutup and will do the work in a timely basis. Not only is the work not done but when you call it?s always an argument as he is sarcastic.

They've been very good. I wouldn't recommend them to Angie's List if I wasn't happy with them. David Barlow has been very thorough and just a very pleasant person. They are true artisans!

First time they plowed they left a pile of snow on an uphill portion of our circle drive so that cars could not approach the front door. They also left about 2 inches of snow on the whole driveway instead of scraping lower. So those sunny days when the residual snow on all the driveways, roads, and parking lots melts away, ours never did because we had packed snow from a poor plow job. Second time they plowed right over the markers for the driveway and plowed a third of the drive and the rest was lawn. When I called to explain this he yelled and became very abusive and said that I was too picky and why can't I just drive partly on the portion of plowed drive and partly on the unplowed drive. He was very, very unprofessional and rude and was yelling and very insulting. I requested they come out to fix it and they did, leaving a nice pile of snow at the road making it difficult for us to leave our driveway. I took photos of this poor performance because I realized, after that phone conversation, that it would be a rocky road with Dave. The next time it snowed about 3 inches and they never came. I did not call because of how he treated me before. The third time he came out we had a good 6 inches. They showed up at 3:00 in the afternoon and did a better job but still left snow at the end of the drive. Today we waited until 7:00PM. We were told at 12:00 noon that it would be 2 or 3 hours. It was a woman that answered the phone so we didn't have to deal with Dave this time. I learned a hard lesson. I will never pay all of the fee up front again. I would recommend no one do business with Dave Barlow or anyone at this company. Mistakes are one thing, they can be corrected. But Dave Barlow is a nasty, mean, unprofessional bully and no one should have to deal with this man. I have read other reviews online and one other on this site about Dave's mean disposition, dishonesty, and unprofessional behavior. Please beware of him.

In January he knocked down my mailbox with his snow plow. He assured me he would repair it back to its original condition. He put in a temporary post and box and said he would complete repairs int he spring. In the spring, he refused to complete the repairs. I finally had to take him to Small Claims Court, where I was successful in obtaining a judgment against him and collected a sum of money necessary to complete the repairs. Additionally, on one occasion after a snow storm, I returned from out of town and could not get up my driveway. Mr. Barlow insisted it had been plowed and stated he would come out and plow for an additional $50. I had to shovel it out myself even though I had contracted him for plowing which had obviously not been done. In my contacts with him in trying to resolve these matters, he used abusive and even obscene (think "F" word) in his conversations with me. Mr. Barlow apparently also does landscaping services. Although I have not used him in that regard, based on my experience with him and his unprofessional attitude, I would certainly avoid doing any business with this company.