Premier Landscape Supplies INC

December 3, 2014

Written by my wife, Michele Rice.



We picked Premier Landscape because of their A+ rating at the Better Business Bureau.  We hoped to get a landscaper who would do a great job without problems.

 

Our experience? Still waiting to get our deposit back?



I called on Monday, October 27, and on Tuesday, October 28 Robert Martini, the owner, called me back.  I explained to him what we wanted to do and specifically asked if they could come SOON because we had recently planted some trees that needed to be moved.  He said that would NOT be a problem and they would be able to come SOON.  We made an appointment for him to come the following day, Wednesday, October 29, to do a free estimate as stated on their website.



When he came on Wednesday I could immediately tell there would be communication problems because Robert wouldn?t even look at me so I could introduce myself.  I was able to hand him a list of things we wanted done with a pen so he could take notes.  As we walked around the yard, Robert would pay attention to some things and not others.  The things he didn?t pay attention to, I just scratched off my list.



It wasn?t a perfect meeting but I thought he would be able to do the things left on the list and I believed they would do a good job because of their excellent rating at the Better Business Bureau.  I thought I would be able to deal with the communication problems, as you can?t pick everyone?s personality, you know.



As Robert was leaving our house from doing the estimate, he said he would email us an estimate by Friday, October 31.  I looked for the estimate on Friday but it didn?t come.  It did come on Saturday the following day.



My husband and I discussed the estimate over the weekend and agreed to the price, and on Monday, November 3 (two days after we received the estimate) we drove to their place of business to put a deposit down.  The estimate stated, as soon as they received a 30% deposit, we would be scheduled for service.  The estimate also stated they had an A+ rating at the Better Business Bureau and had excellent ratings on Angie?s List. 



We paid the 30% deposit of $798 and Robert said he would try to schedule us for the following week.  I told him to make sure and call before they come so I would be available.



During that week of November 3, I emailed Robert with a change we wanted to the gravel we had picked.  He showed us two gravel sizes and said they were the same price.  We changed our minds and wanted the smaller gravel and I wanted to make sure they got the change before they came the next week, but he did not respond to my email.  I thought we would hear from them sometime during the week of November 3 to let us know what day and time they were coming the following week, but we didn?t hear from them and he didn?t respond to my email either.



So on Monday, November 10, the week they said they would try to come, I called their place of work to make sure they got my message about the gravel and to find out when they were expecting to come, but I got an answering machine saying they were with another customer.  It was a nice day so I decided to drive to their place of business, but when I got there, about 10:30 am on Monday, November 10, I found the door locked and no one there.



There was a delivery man in the parking lot and I asked if anyone was around. He said someone should be there soon, so I waited.  I waited for quite some time, not sure how long, and finally a Premier Landscape employee showed up.  I told him I needed to talk to Robert about the gravel they were bringing to our house and also needed to know what day they would be here so I would be home.  He said he would get Robert on the phone so I could talk to him.



When he got Robert on the phone it was obvious Robert didn?t want to talk because the employee said, ?But she?s standing right here?.  I said ?I need to talk to him?, and he handed me the phone.  I said hello and told him who I was and he said? very loudly and rudely? ?I?m in St Louis!?  I told him we changed our minds about the gravel and wanted to make sure he got my message so he wouldn?t bring the wrong gravel.  He responded rudely and sarcastically, like? yeah? I know? what are you calling me for?



But I didn?t know if he knew because he didn?t respond to my email.  I didn?t know if he got my message and I was afraid they were going to bring the wrong gravel.  Robert was very rude on the phone, acted bothered by me, and didn?t give me a day as to when they were coming.



That week - the week they said they would try to come - came and went.  They didn?t show up or even try to contact us with an explanation or another expected time.  Just left us hanging? wondering when? or if ? they would ever be here.



I got tired of sitting around waiting and wondering? not being able to contact them or communicate with them through email, phone, or at their place of business.  



So on Monday, November 17, I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.  I told them Premier Landscape had not done any work and we wanted our deposit back of $798.



I got a message from the BBB on the morning of Tuesday, November 18 saying they had sent a notice to Premier Landscape.  On that morning - the morning Premier Landscape received the notice from the Better Business Bureau - they showed up at our house unannounced.  There was 4-5 inches of snow on the ground and near 10 degrees outside, and I just happened to look out the window and saw two men walking around on our property.  It was quite startling to see them out there with the weather and all.  I didn?t recognize Robert Martini because it was very cold and they were bundled up with hats and sunglasses on, etc. 



I yelled out the door and said, ?Who are you????  He said Robert Martini.  I told him I had filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and they needed to go through them, and I told them to get off my property!  I was pretty angry because I specifically told him to CALL BEFORE THEY CAME!



We had other changes we needed to discuss with him, also, but did not want to go out there in that kind of weather, and my husband and I were still in our pajamas!  It was around 9 am on a very?VERY?cold and snowy morning!!! 



And there was NO WAY they could have done any work on that day anyway.  So WHY were they even out there?!   At that point I was DONE trying to communicate with them and I told them to contact the Better Business Bureau!



This is Wednesday, December 3.  I have sent 4 or 5 - or more - emails to the Better Business Bureau and left a voice message with them, also.  But all I?ve heard so far is they have had contact with the business? and that is it!



This has been a very disappointing experience and I would NOT recommend this landscaping business to anyone.  They pretty much just take your deposit and disappear.  Then if you complain to the Better Business Bureau, they show up? unexpectedly? even if you have told them to CALL FIRST. 



This business is very hard to contact or communicate with and is NOT the kind of business I want doing work at my house!  They stated on their estimate that we would be scheduled for service when they received a 30% deposit, but we were never scheduled.  They said they would try to make it the following week but