I sent in a request to get a quote for weekly lawn service and I had an email by the end of the day with the quote. Super fast, super happy with that. The quote was not unreasonable, it was a fair and equitable price for what I wanted to have done, mow, blow and weed whack. Before I accepted the offer of service, I was inquiring about their billing (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly and unfortunately in my excitement to get this started I missed the "Billing" section on the quote). I responded late Friday night by email (right before closing) and didn't expect anyone to call or email back until Monday. In the meantime, I reread the quote again and saw the 'Billing' section where they get paid weekly, BUT, you must turn over your debit card to them (not physically, but the number) so they can auto charge your account on a weekly basis (I don't know if a 3rd party processing company is involved or not). WHAT??? Give a company my credit card/debit card that I've never worked with? Really? When the office called on Monday and I asked if there were any other alternatives to this 'giving you access to my bank account' they said well yes, you can pay for the whole season in ADVANCE. In my case for the remainder of the season (2025, 18 weeks left x $50.00), I would be $900 out of pocket TODAY with absolutely no guarantee or promise they would even show up ever. Nice business model if people agree to that. Really? If you've ever been a victim of financial fraud, then you know to NEVER give your bank information to strangers unless it is a company you have 100% trust in. This company policy/business model is highly restrictive in a very competitive market and I'm just here to tell you in advance that their expectations of you are unreasonable (in my opinion of course). Here is the actual "Billing" clause on the quote:
"No late fees, no mailing payments--pretty great, right? Our clients love it! No more hunting for a checkbook, plus you can rack up rewards points on your card. To keep things simple and stress-free, we require a credit or debit card on file to ensure seamless billing and uninterrupted service. Rest assured, your information is completely secure--we only see the last four digits and expiration date for verification. After service is completed, your card will be charged the following Tuesday, and a receipt will be emailed to you. Easy, secure, and hassle-free--just how billing should be!"
No thanks and best of luck to this company. I had high hopes for a professional service and they still might be, but I'm not trusting them to have my bank account information, just the same as they don't trust me to pay my bills on time. read more