My Response to the Owner's Reply: Setting the Record Straight…read more
I am writing to correct the inaccurate facts provided in the business owner's response.
The True Timeline & Scope of Work:
During our initial consultation, we were upfront with your former salesperson, Sean. Before signing anything, we showed him the ongoing electrical, irrigation, drainage, and dry-well work being done by another crew. We explicitly stated that the turf installation could not begin until that extensive project was fully completed--which we estimated would take many months, stretching into late 2025.
Sean agreed to this, stating he just needed to put a temporary date (May 2025) on the contract to process it. We emphasized that this was not an actual start date. Sean understood and agreed.
The Communication Breakdown:
The owner claims the company tried to contact me. This is false. No one from this company ever called to schedule an installation. The only phone call occurred when I reached out in May to provide an update, as instructed by Sean.
Later, our project faced delays because our sole contractor suffered an accident. Once construction finally finished, unforeseen circumstances forced the sale of the home due to the co-owner's decision.
The Deposit Dispute:
On January 14th, I called the owner, Ron, to explain the situation. Because we never scheduled an official installation date, this company never mobilized crews, ordered materials, or wasted resources. The only time spent was the initial "free" consultation.
Given these unique circumstances, I asked Ron for a good-faith partial refund of $500 (half of my $1,000 deposit), allowing them to keep the rest for Sean's time. Ron promised to check with Sean and call me back within 5 days. He never did. When I called Sean directly on January 19th, he informed me he no longer worked for the company but promised to flag the issue with Ron. After another week of complete radio silence, I posted my review.
Misleading Advertising:
Prospective customers should also be aware of their marketing practices. I have screenshots of their Instagram ads claiming a "state program discount" for the first five sign-ups. This same ad template is used by multiple different companies across social media. The quoted price was identical to competitors who did not claim to offer any state discounts.
Conclusion:
If a company reserves a specific date for a client and loses other business, keeping a deposit makes sense. However, keeping a full deposit when no start date was ever set, no materials were ordered, and the sales representative agreed to an indefinite hold is simply operating in bad faith. I am sharing this so other consumers are aware of how this business handles communication and contract flexibility.