Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/16/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  My complaint is against the Hollenbaugh's Trash & Recycling, LLC at the Kutztown, PA location. I do not have this company as my trash service, but they came onto and damaged my property and refuse to pay damages. 2/20/24: Company back up to turned around in my driveway of which bottom portion was dug up and re-paved in 11/2023. My dog alerted my husband and I to look out the window to see the trash truck backing up our hill after picking up neighbor's trash. We inspected immediately after to see a large gouge 5 feet in length, about 1 inch deep and 1 inch wide. There is a cul-de-sac turn around about 4 houses up from my house but the truck chose our driveway to turn around 2/23/24: Contacted company who paved our driveway. They came to look at it and said it had to be re-paved to fix it 2/27/24: When the trash truck came back around the following week, my husband talked to the driver. He said he was not driving on 2/20/24, but took our info, pictures and said he would talk to the owner and have him call us. Owner never called 3/6/24: My husband called and talked to the owner who said that he was going to contact his insurance company about the incident 3/21/24: Called/left voicemail since we did not hear anything from owner or insurance company 3/22/24: Called/left voicemail 3/26/24: Called again and this time talked to receptionist, asking that the owner call back 3/27/24: Owner called and would not give us name of insurance company, claimed that he already called and that they "laughed" about the "stratch" on our driveway 3/27/24: Called our insurance company to start a claim, but this was not advised 4/1/24: Progressive (trash company's insurance company), called us and said to take pictures of damages. They would be writing us a check for the damages. We immediately sent pictures. 4/5/24: Progressive called back, claiming to only pay for damages was if we have video footage. My husband and I saw this happen for ourselves and the trash company admitted fault.

  Business Response

  Date: 05/03/2024

  The complaint say that we admitted that it was our fault which we did not. The guy that called told me that we did it and I told him that I would turn it over to our insurance and they could handle it because this has happened before where everyone want to blame a business to try and get thing fixed for free. I ask him if he had a video of us backing in there and he said no. I said I will turn it over to the insurance and they will handle it. I would say if we backed in and marked up the driveway that when we pulled out at a different angle that the mark would look like a V not a straight line. The only time I would have laughed at the guy is when he told me that we need to repave his whole driveway which in the pictures that the driveway is all falling apart in the pictures. It could be fixed by filling the mark in on the blacktop but he told me he wanted to redo all of it. I pay for insurance for a reason and if they feel we didn't do it then that is what i have to go with. The insurance did their own investigation and denied the claim which I do not control what they do. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/12/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  When we talked to the truck driver the week after the incident (he said he was not the driver that backed up the driveway) and said that “this happens all the time” and that he would “also be upset if this happened to him.” Wouldn’t it be reasonable to ask the driver from 2/20/24 to be honest and ask if he backed up our driveway? Aren’t there cameras on the trucks for safety reasons that would show this? I also have read this company’s Google reviews and it seems to be a CONSTANT complaint that they ruin people’s properties including dumping hydraulic fluid on people’s driveways, backing into other peoples’ vehicles on their property and also backing into trees on other peoples’ property. The track record is not good, including the 1.9 star overall rating. I do also have pictures of the trash truck backing into my neighbor’s driveway after picking up their trash on 4/30/24 which I could also provide if needed. This just shows more evidence that this is a regular thing for this trash company. Apparently these drivers were “told numerous times” and it is very clear that there is a cul-de-sac turnaround only a few houses down but they continuously do whatever they want.
  
   I am appalled that I would be accused of “trying to get something fixed for free” when I have just paid $4,000 for that portion of my driveway to be dug up, new drainage added and re-paved 3 months prior to the damage that was caused by their truck. I WATCHED it happen and that is how I knew which company to contact. I am not sure what is meant that the mark would be in the shape of a “V.” There is actually 2 marks, so I am not sure if that is what is meant by the “V” or if it is meaning that there would one from each side of the trash truck. In the latter case, the mark would not be in the shape of a “V” because of the angle of my driveway. It is ironic that assumption would be without knowing this. Also, I want to make it clear that we never asked to “re-pave the entire driveway,” but for the portion that was just re-paved prior to the trash truck creating the 5-foot gauge. The way our property runs, water is going to begin to erode around the area of the gouge. 
  
  Yes, the insurance company contacted us and told us they were paying us for the damage and to send pictures, never asking for a video. A different person then called a few days later and somehow changed what they said earlier in the week and said they were not paying if it is not on video. This is unacceptable and this company needs to stop damaging peoples’ property and pay for the damage they do. I work too hard for someone to just come on my property for NO reason, damage it and get away without taking accountability, especially when I do not even have their trash services.

  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ******