The evergreen service

When you hire a lawn care company it is always a good idea to understand exactly what you are getting when you sign on the dotted. One of the most frequent complaints I hear is the "Evergreen Service," which is a diplomatic way of saying, "until you say stop, we will will continue to service your lawn year after year to infinity.

This is usually found in the small print of the invoice (or contract), listed as: Continuous service for your convenience. And that's OK if it's what you want, but increasingly, I see this tactic has soured more customers than creating happy homeowners who have found it anything but beneficial.

Some companies even use this negative billing as an underhanded way to squeeze every last dime out of a dissatisfied client. I know, because I used to work for one that did exactly that, and then threatened the homeowner with legal action if they didn't pay.

In some instances, customers who have cancelled their service are still getting applications the following spring, and being billed, much to their anger.

So what do you do if you are a victim of negative billing?

1) If you previously cancelled the service- DON'T PAY! This is their mistake, not yours.

2) It is very important you keep all correspondence with the company to back you up; cancellation number, who you spoke to, the day(s) when you cancelled the service etc.

3) Don't be goaded into resigning out of guilt or the promise of free applications. Believe me, they will up-sell you somewhere in the future. If it sounds too good to be true, well...you know the rest.
And if a company is willing to do an application without your authorization in the first place, do you trust their moral compass moving forward?

4) If you still feel your getting harassed over non-payment issues, understand their are other avenues you can explore- Consumer Protection Agency, or Better Business Bureau come to mind.

5) Don't forget websites like Homestars, and leave a scathing review, or an account of your experience for others so they can avoid the same mistakes. If every instance of negative billing was followed by a negative review on a site like this, the practice would come to a screeching halt.

Bullies aren't just on the playground, and sometimes the only way to deal with a bully is to push back.