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:08/04/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  Hello, on 7/14/23 a tree fell on my house in Reston. In distress on 7/15, I reached out to an acquaintance I thought was a friend. ***** ****, whom I trusted at the time, of ******* *********** of Gainsville/Loudoun, told me that Grant Brothers Tree Service was trustworthy and good guys and to electronically sign their contract. I was driving down the road at 70 miles an hour when I e-signed this terrible agreement offering to pay all kinds of minimum charges at excessive prices. I now believe these companies are affiliated with some kind of referral or kickback agreement, and have done multiple contracts recently where they recommend each other, knowing each's bill will be outrageous and each's contract is meant to scam the customer. I asked Grant Brothers for a specific estimate prior to signing and they would NOT provide one, even though they were there on site and had seen the job. Their ****** reviews indicate that if you are NOT in distress, they probably normally offer pretty competitive pricing because they all mention how affordable they are. The bill came back at over $22,000 and I can prove they were at my property less than 3 hours and used extra equipment and people than would have been required. They billed me 8 hours work per person. I arrived around 3:10pm, they were done and pulling away with their crane. They moved out all their equipment by 4pm. I signed 11-12:30pm. I am afraid this company is scamming people ongoing, because they indicated they will send this emergency services bill for $20k+ each to multiple homeowners with 8+ hour minimums for all their equipment even if they're doing 3-4 trees off different houses in the same night at 2 hours each. People sign because they're in distress, are afraid of the tree on their house, and end up with bills larger much than just rebuilding that section after it gets wet. Their contracts say you owe every penny insurance doesn't pay, but they convince you to sign saying insurance will pay everything.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/05/2023

  Hello, In order to protect the privacy of ****************** we wanted to submit this information directly to you. You will see a further description in our response to her which I will submit shortly. 

  Here is a brief desc. of the story those attached photos tell.

  - We completed the work on July 15 2023

  - We patiently waited for a reply from the insurance company (we did not ask her to pay upfront, and were willing to wait for the payment from ins. co)

  - Insurance company validated our bill and authorized full payment for our bill

  - Once ****************** received the "full amount" (see screenshot from emails) she sent us a release of lien waiver for almost half of our invoice amount, she has continued to refuse sending the funds

  - Currently she has been demanded to remit payment to us from the insurance company for the services rendered. She has still not paid us. She is withholding our payment for an unknown reason. After the insurance CO. demanded this, she voided her previous lien waiver and revised it to show the actual amount, Thankfully I got a screenshot before she did this. 

  - I think its an important note, that she is doing almost the exact same thing to one of the other contractors that was present at her property. We intend to seek our payment in court since it has been over a month and currently she has breached her agreement with us.

  Dear BBB, please call me directly ************ for further questions. I am committed to transparency and honesty. It is truly an unfair disposition which she has placed us in, the facts are, we preformed the service, she is admitted she is happy with the great job we did, and now she wants to pay us only a portion of what the insurance company sent for our services - if someone is intending to keep monies which were paid out by insurance dishonestly there is a possibility that it could have serious legal ramifications. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/05/2023

  Before I respond directly to the complaint please see the complaint response above. Thank you.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/27/2023

  Dear BBB and concerned readers,

  We acknowledge the complaint filed by **. ********* (we will refer to her as this to protect her privacy) regarding our services. We wish to provide clarity on the accusations and
  context of the situation. Our intent is to offer a transparent perspective to ensure the trust of our current and potential clients. After reading this you may reach out to us directly *************)
  if you would like further information. This is the only complaint we have ever received. 

  Regarding ***** ****'s 'Referral': We'd like to emphasize that as of 7/14/23, our company has had no previous association or working relationship with *************** of ******* Restoration. He
  reported that his recommendation was made independently and of his free will.
  

  Contract Signing Under Duress: We take the safety and well-being of everyone extremely seriously. If the contract was signed while driving, this was not under our advice or influence.
  Clients are always encouraged to read and understand all terms before signing, under safe conditions, not only is it printed into our contract, but also verbally communicated.
  Referral or Kickback Accusations: We uphold the highest standards of integrity in our business dealings. There are no "kickback" arrangements in place with any emergency
  services. Every job we undertake is with the goal of providing the fastest, safest service, not capitalizing on anyone's misfortune. Such an accusation is severe and to be taken extremely
  seriously.

  
  Estimates & Pricing: Due to the unpredictable nature of emergency tree work, we transparently state on our website that immediate estimates are not always feasible because of
  possible concealed risks. Instead, we offer detailed hourly rates in our contracts. Our ****** reviews, as pointed out, frequently mention our competitive pricing, highlighting our consistent
  fairness in billing. These ****** reviews along with other online reviews contain feedback from emergency, and regularly scheduled services.

  Work Duration and Equipment Used: A thorough job often goes beyond what's immediately visible. The state of the tree, risks associated with its removal, and ensuring the area's safety
  afterward are all factors that contribute to our meticulous approach. OSHA regulations guide our operations, ensuring that we use the necessary equipment and manpower for the safety of both the homeowner and our crew. **. ********* indicated that we could have just had more laborer instead of the machines, however, the machines are the very thing that enable safety
  and efficiency, not to mention the compliance with ANSI z133 and OSHA industry standards.

  
  Billing Structure: The billable hours per person and our equipment usage are clearly defined in our contract and on our website. This transparency ensures that clients are aware of potential
  costs before work commences. We additionally provided a list of comparable invoices from 5+ other tree service companies within response distance of this emergency. We only billed for the
  work performed on her property, although she asked if we can just do some additional work which included a standing portion of the tree which was located in HOA property. We conveyed
  that in our experience her insurance would not cover this since it is not on her property, to which she responded "Thats fine ill just pay some Mexicans to do it. " This was particularly offensive to those who heard (both myself and our crew) who are all of Latin descent.

  8 Hour Minimums: The 4 and 8 hour minimums for equipment only apply to our emergency services, this is specifically because of the unknown risks associated with emergencies along
  with the fact that our employees have to come into work after hours or sometimes on holidays.
  These minimums are also in place, because if we receive an emergency call any regularly scheduled work conflict will be postponed or cancelled to accommodate our customer
  experiencing the emergency.

  
  Insurance and Responsibility: Our contract clearly indicates that the homeowner is responsible for the bill. However, we understand the distress homeowners may feel in
  emergency situations and always aim to provide them with comparative estimates to ensure transparency and fairness. This is why we did not request ANY UPFRONT PAYMENT, yes that
  is correct, Ms. ********* has paid us $0 the *** OF or to date for the services performed despite receiving payment from the insurance company.

  
  To further underscore our commitment to fair pricing, it's worth noting that the homeowner's insurance company not only accepted our bill, but deemed our pricing customary and
  reasonable. This attestation from an insurance company, often seen as stringent in their assessments, reflects our consistent and transparent pricing strategy. We also included 5+
  comparables from other emergency service companies.

  
  Of particular concern in this situation is the issue surrounding payment: Despite the insurance company having evaluated our bill and deeming our charges to be both customary
  and reasonable, Ms. ********* actively sought to remit an amount significantly less than the agreed-upon sum (we have verifiable proof of this over email see attachment lien waiver and
  other attachment with the payment from insurance company on page 17 [BBB please do not include these files publicly to protect Ms. *********s privacy]). It was only after the insurance
  company intervened, demanding she forward the payment they had allocated for our services, that Ms. ********* agreed to remit the correct amount. However, as of this date, we have yet
  to receive the payment in question. This delay not only demonstrates an unwillingness to settle legitimate debts but further complicates the resolution of this matter.

  
  Lastly, regarding the payment and lien release waiver, we have extensive documented evidence, recordings with insurance company and emails including communications,
  showcasing our transparency throughout the process.

  To those concerned please reach out to us directly and we can happily provide numerous references SPECIFICALLY for emergency services rendered.

  
  We deeply sympathize with any distress or misunderstanding experienced by Ms. *********. 
  Our goal remains to provide exceptional, honest service to our community. We're always open to dialogue and constructive feedback to improve our services, however, we will always stand
  for integrity and honesty - this includes the commitment to defend our company, and hardworking employees from any false claims. 

  Warm regards,
  Grant Brothers Tree Service

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/15/2023

  Hello, I'm sorry I didn't see the emails from BBB.

  The matter with this contractor has not been resolved and the company has not contacted me directly nor deposited the check of insurance proceeds I sent them or sent a release of their lien. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/30/2023

  ---------- Forwarded message ---------
  From: ****** ******** <****************@*****.com>
  Date: Tue, Oct 24, 2023 at 11:34 AM
  Subject: Grant Brothers - #********.
  To: <[email protected]>
  

  
  

  Hi!

  
  

  I just left a voicemail as well.  We are in communication with an attorney for the Grant Brothers and are very close to a settlement.  Is there a way that we can add a message to the complaint saying that it was resolved for something to that effect?

  
  

  Please let us know either way.

  
  

  Thanks so much.

  ******

  ***** ********