Print the value of index0
Springmasters Canadian Property Stars They deceive their customers Missisauga, Ottawa, Ontario
What seems to be forgotten (after reading comments both in support and against Springmasters/Canadian Property Stars) is that consumers are being defrauded by this company.
With all due respect to those "subcontractors" who feel that they have been mistreated and deceived by the company (I do feel for them), I haven't seen any comments from either side that address the bigger issue: namely that SM/CPS is charging its customers too much money for too little service.
SM/CPS uses high-pressure sales/scare tactics, as well as deceitful information, in order to sell its product. It is clear from looking at its online videos that SM/CPS tries to appeal to the subcontractors' greed to make "lots of money", as opposed to giving an ounce of concern about providing good service for good value to its actual customers... you know, those people who actually pay all of your wages!!!!
I run my own small lawn care business, and while I don't mind competition (it means there's a market for what I am doing), I loathe companies who do not play fair. I have spoken to dozens of SM/CPS customers/former customers who have been mislead by SM/CPS in regards to what services that SM/CPS performs.
SM/CPS repeatedly claims to roll their lawns at the same time that they aerate, but this is simply not true. I own Ryan aerators, and even if the front drum is full of water, it adds about 50 pounds to the machine, given its very limited size. Since most of the weight lies within the steel shaft, tines, etc, this "weight in the roller" has absolutely no benefit of smoothing out the lawn, contrary to what SM/CPS constantly claims it does. Frost bumps, in fact, are sometimes even exaggerated by the roller pushing the bumps even higher as it rolls off of them.
All in all, SM/CPS does an incredible disservice to the lawn care industry as a whole. Quite often - due to the high-pressure tactics that SM/CPS uses - the homeowner never realizes until after the fact that they have vastly overpaid for what they received.
The result is that the homeowner simply recalls a negative memory from their aerating experience instead of what could and should be a positive situation for them.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
arc
vegreville,Alberta,
lies
#4Consumer Comment
Fri, July 26, 2013
Not professional what so ever. I had airation done on our lawn out of fear and no education on the deed at hand. He claimed to be an airation specialist, said our lawn was dying and needed this done. Do it now or come back to a dead lawn next year. Said that it was prebooked, i told him no way my husband doesnt believe in door sales for lawn maintenance he would have called and told me. I know he didnt cause we could afford it and so on. This is all after he wouldnt let me in my yard to get my 3 young children in side. He kept walking in front of me, followed me into my yard. I told him NO 6 or 7 different times in a matter of 25 minutes. I needed to be somewhere and he would not let me leave. I felt very harrassed. That being said when the job was done he relaxed it was done in 10 minutes. He was much nicer and less agressive after this. He did however ask me for a tip. After than saying that it was 175 dollars. I have a 150x50 lot with a 1200 square foot house on it a double garage and a 50x20 garden. Later to find out that everyone else paid 100 or even 60 freaken dollars. Scare a woman with her kids into that. When i tried calling to see why this was before my cheque cleared i conveniently got hung up on several times. No answer back, no machine. Then i start seeing what we do have of a lawn it started to die. All the grass dying.??? So when i pulled my money out of my account after again trying to contact, and also hearing other people never got refunds or never even got service. I had no problem with my decision. Now if someone would of answered me back i would of had no problem paying for services rendered that being 60 that not even worth it. No one never contacted me back. Now i just have a dead lawn. Smooth practices. Maybe if the rates were all around decent and the job was done by a professional u guys could be credible. But i was tempted to file for harrassment, i was ambushed out of my home until i allowed this person to airate my lawn. Im still sick over it.
Brad
London,Ontario,
Canada
More deceit from Springmasters/Canadian Property Stars
#4Author of original report
Tue, April 03, 2012
Mandy's response is wholly inaccurate.
Again just yesterday, I again had three customers tell me that when SM/CPS came to talk to them at the door, they claimed that they were also rolling the lawn at the same time as aerating. I have heard this same allegation over and over and over again.
And, Mandy, if your company actually did recommend to your customers to use full service lawn care providers when they needed it, I would take your veiled threat seriously wherein you claim that you only do business with lawn care service providers who do not slander you online.
What I have said is not slander, since it is all true, based on testimony from customers and former SM/CPS former employees. Furthermore, never have I heard reported that SM/CPS recommends the use of full service lawn care providers. Your company's interest is only making sales on the spot, for whatever price, and irrespective of what the customer may actually need done in order to best treat their property.
As for speaking to you in person or over the phone about my concerns, no, I really have no interest in doing so since I like to use my time wisely, and not in speaking with con artists. Any communication that I will have about SM/CPS will be to the authorities, and will involve putting your company out of business - which would be a huge benefit to all involved, especially for the customers that you swindle every year.
Canadian Property Stars
United States of AmericaFull Money Back Guarantee on All Services
#4UPDATE Employee
Sun, April 01, 2012
Hello, and thank you for taking the time to compose your Report in regards to Canadian Property Stars (formerly known as Spring Masters Canada in Ontario only).
We welcome spirited talk about the nature of our company. We are certainly 'an original' -- a business borne from the imagination and hard work of a 17 year old in his parent's basement back in 1995.
The reason we have been able to grow our business to a national level -- we now operate in 11 cities across Canada, and plan to open more in 2013 -- is because we have always offered a full money back guarantee on all services performed. All our customers know this. And we always honour the guarantee.
Like most seasonal businesses, the communication of a problem between a customer and our Head Office (who handle all displeased customers in over 85 municipalities across Canada) sometimes takes time. A phone message, a return call, a second message, another returned call, etc -- often means that the customer may receive their cheque weeks later. Or they may opt for someone to return to amend the issue (most of our customers choose the latter).
It should also be noted that the price of the service is agreed upon by our contractor and the homeowner at the door (we are a door to door sales and service provider). The price is set based on the size of the property assessed in person, whilst taking all obstacles / lay of the land into consideration. When we re-book customers over the phone the next year, they are offered what they paid in the previous year (s) as we cannot see the property on the phone, and we assume the rate as agreed upon had been fair.
It is not company policy to mention 'rolling' to any customer in relation to lawn aeration (the only lawn service we offer in Canada). Unless we are suggesting a service they may need to book with another landscaping company. We suggest local, full service landscaping companies in each area. We prefer those who don't slander us online.
Please let me know if you would like to discuss further accusations of 'fraud' with me in person or on the telephone. Whichever is most convenient to you.
Best Regards,
Mandy Hambly
VP Marketing
Canadian Property Stars