I was terribly disappointed with HD's gardening services. First and foremost, make sure that you…read morereceive a written quote detailing what service will be provided. I waited for well over a week for a 'written' agreement that, in the end, was only a cost quote without a single detail of the job. Biggest mistake ever that I proceeded!
I made some allowances that I usually wouldn't, like not getting a written quote detailing the job. Hubert's native language isn't English so I took pity on him, thinking it was too difficult for him to produce a written quote. Don't be taken advantage of like I was.
It went from bad to worse with delays on the start time, workers that appeared for brief periods of time, never putting in a full day's work, and cutting corners wherever there might be harder labour involved. Not a weed was pulled. Everything was strimmed, including my bedding plants in bloom! When I spoke to the gardeners about destroying my bedding plants they apologized and said they'd replace them.
Hubert had assured me that the quote of over a thousand euros would include two full days of work from a crew. Skeleton crew, more like. On the first day, only two gardeners showed up at 9.30am and were gone by 11am. They returned an hour later and proceded with more inattentive work. At that stage, I called Hubert to ask what the story was. After all, he'd quoted me based on 2 days of work from a crew.
I had spent a considerable amount of time explaining to that Hubert that we didn't want non-organic chemicals used in our garden, where our children and dogs play and we grow organic vegetables. When I spoke to the crew, it was clear that they had no idea of the non-chemical approach, hence they weren't pulling any weeds, just cutting them back.
I had agreed such a high price with an understanding that the crew would have to work harder to meet our chemical-free request.
The 2 gardeners called it a day at 4pm, leaving about 1/3 of the garden done, if you could call it that! I called Hubert to discuss the situation. I am a reasonable and even-tempered person and not, by any means, a difficult person to talk to. As soon as I started pointing out our agreement, Hubert cut me off and said that he could tell I'd just make 'trouble.' He said that he'd refund me the difference and that was it.
He kept 50% of the money. The job was WAY LESS than halfway done. His crew would admit that. When I asked him about my destroyed bedding plants that his gardener said would be replaced, he ignored my query.
This is my first experience with shoddy work. I'm not quick to complain but I do expect honesty from someone.
If you expect an honest day's work to be done look elsewhere!
