ON THE FRONT LINES IN THE BATTLE AGAINST MEDIOCRITY. THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED TO THE MANY COMPANIES, BUSINESSES, AND INSTITUTIONS THAT JUST DO NOT CUT-IT WHEN IT COMES TO PRODUCTS OR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND/OR TREATING PEOPLE (CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES) WITH DIGNITY AND RESPECT.
Welcome to CombatCritic's WALL OF SHAME
The Lawn & Sprinkler Guys Parkville, MO Phone: (816) 741-7101 Website: TheLawnAndSprinklerGuys.com Look at their name, "The Lawn & Sprinkler Guys", and it will tell you a lot about their professionalism.
I asked them to provide an estimate for major damage to our sprinkler system caused by a lightning strike and to install a backflow prevention device required by the city. All they did was come to the house, look around, and tell us "here's our hourly rate ($70/hour) and we'll figure it out when we start". No formal bid for our insurance company, no phone call, just an email form their admin person. I asked to have the owner call me to discuss details of the job, but he never bothered to contact me.
Like most of the dozens of lawn, landscape, and sprinkler companies I have dealt with since moving to KC in 2008, The Lawn & Sprinkler Guys are irresponsible, unprofessional, poor communicators and I would not hire them if they were the last company in Kansas or Missouri. They must have more business and money than they need if they can treat customers like that, so do not waste your time contacting them.
CombatCritic Gives The Lawn & Sprinkler Guys 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A spot On My Quickly Growing WALL OF SHAME ... More Bombs Are Better!
One Bomb Equates To:
Read Reviews By CombatCritic:
Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16 TripAdvisor - Top Contributor Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze) Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie
Select Homes - KC Team Real Estate Real Estate Agents, Real Estate Services 8500 W 95th St Overland Park, KS 66212 Phone: (913) 660-0822 Website: kc.selecthomes.com Part of traveling includes trips to exciting new places and the possibility of picking up and moving to a different city. We visited Kansas City in 2007 never expecting to move there. Now it is time to move on, so we are selling our home. After hearing Martin Taggart, Team Leader and Lead Listing Specialist for Select Homes - KC Team Real Estate, on a local radio show, he seemed to say all of the right things so I asked him to possibly list the home we are planning to sell. During our first meeting he seemed personable and savvy, but a couple things he did and said did not sit well at gut level. For example, after viewing the house the tenant had to get her kids to their soccer game, so Martin invited us to Caribou Coffee to make his pitch and, hopefully for him, seal the deal. When it came time to pay for my, my wife's, and his coffees, about $11 total, Martin did not even attempt to pay, hanging back while letting me pay and deliver his complimentary coffee to him. What kind of professional lets a potential customer capable of generating over $20,000 in commission pay for their own coffee AND HIS after extending the invitation? I should have listened to my gut and parted ways then and there, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
His Gold and Platinum "Worry Free Listing Addendum" scheme is nothing more, a scheme to get another 1% commission out of sellers (for a total commission of 7% - Platinum). The Worry Free Listing ADDendum also ADDs an ADDitional $595 "Transaction Fee" on top of the already exorbitant standard 6% real estate commission (or 7% in the case of Martin's Platinum scheme) charged on all real estate transactions, something I have never seen in all my years of buying and selling houses. When I asked him why I had to pay a transaction fee on top of even a standard 6% commission, he quickly told me "I'll waive it and pay it out of my own pocket", as if it were something he would owe someone else rather than an invention to produce more profit for his company that it actually is.
Martin was anxious to get the house on the market within two weeks, so he promised to help us expedite the listing and sale by referring contractors he claimed he has "special pull with" to perform needed work on the home in preparation for sale, but none of them panned out, either not following-up or not being available to perform the work soon enough to list the home according to Martin's recommended timeline. Clearly there was no communication between he and "his contractors" about the schedule, wasting my time with numerous phone calls, emails, texts, and a 100 mile round trip to meet one at the subject home in Kansas City. In the end, not one performed as promised, another indication that Martin's words carry little weight.
He also led us to believe that Select Homes - KC Team Real Estate located in Overland Park, Kansas is #9 in total units sold in the US and #1 in Kansas, "according to the Wall Street Journal", but upon closer inspection of the link he sent me to confirm these supposed "facts" (see table below), I found that it had nothing to do with the Wall Street Journal at all and the numbers he was quoting included sales for four offices throughout Kansas, including Hutchinson (219 miles from Kansas City). Newton (182 miles from Kansas City), and the home office in Wichita (199 miles from Kansas City).
How can someone include home sales in cities 200 miles away in the numbers that lead people to believe that their Kansas City Team is one of the "top-10 teams in the country"?
Here is Martin on KMBZ Radio, leading listeners, as he did me, to believe that his "Kansas City Team" sales numbers include those of the franchises' offices in Wichita, Hutchinson, and Newton, Kansas:
I followed-up in an email, asking Martin:
"You claim being one of the top (#9) teams in the country according to the Wall Street Journal and Kansas’ #1 team, but you don’t mention Kansas City. Why?
Why can’t I readily find these accolades on your website?
Where can I find the sources for your claims?".
His response was "Our team outsold the #2 team in the Metro last year by several hundred units", referring to a team whose sales numbers included ONLY the Kansas City Metro area, not the entire State of Kansas.
When I held his feet to the fire and questioned him about the authenticity of the data he was quoting, requested that he provide objective comparative data in regard to sales in Kansas City alone, and asked him to answer numerous other questions I had, including why he was comparing apples to onions (a Kansas-wide franchise group compared to a single Kansas City based real estate team), Martin refused to answer and quickly replied "I respectfully withdraw our offer to engage in the listing of your home".
There is an old saying in the military about talking the talk and walking the walk, and Martin Taggart can clearly "talk and talk and talk the talk" ... I will leave it at that.
Martin Taggart and Select Homes - KC Team Real Estate Get One Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!
One Bomb Equates To:
Read Reviews By CombatCritic:
Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16 TripAdvisor - Top Contributor Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze) Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie
Title: Select Homes - KC Team Real Estate "Talks The Talk", But Does Not "Walk The Walk" Key Words: Select Homes, KC Team Real Estate, Martin Taggart, Martin, Taggart, Kansas City, select, homes, real estate, realtor, agent, real, estate, TravelValue, travel, value, service, review, Yelp Translation for Civilians: FUBAR = "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"
Dominick Campos (Kansas City, MO): "Christian" Handyman Took My Money, But Did Not Finish The Job Dominick Campos 5022 NW Woody Creek Lane Kansas City, MO 64151 (816) 824-1799
Dominick Campos is a handyman from Kansas City, Missouri. I paid him over $6000 in cash (IRS), a very fair wage, but he DID NOT COMPLETE the work he promised and was paid to perform. He promised to reroute water, which had been causing damage to our roof, into a planter, but failed to complete the work as agreed. He also failed to complete replacement of the wood trim on the top portion of our chimney we had agreed on because "it was too high" and was afraid he would get hurt. He also failed to repair and paint window trim as promised. Because I trusted him, a self-proclaimed "devout Christian", I made the mistake of paying him in advance. When we finally met, he promised to complete the repairs and I even gave him an additional $30 for supplies, but he later backed-out, promising to return the $30, but he never did. It will cost me an additional $1,000 to finish the work Dominick Campos failed to complete.
Dominick Campos, a Kansas City Handyman, did poor to average work, took advantage of me, I feel he cannot be trusted, and his integrity is very questionable.
CombatActivist Gives Dominick Campos, Handyman, 1 Out of 10 Bombs ... More Bombs Are Good!
I CANNOT RECOMMEND DOMINICK CAMPOS FOR HANDYMAN SERVICES IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI OR ANYWHERE FOR THAT MATTER
Here is my Angie's List review dated October 20, 2013:
Company Name: Terravest Custom Homes
Category: Remodeling - GeneralServices
Performed: Yes* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.
Work Completed Date: October 18, 2013
Last Modified Date: December 09, 2013
Hire Again: NoApproximate Cost: $600.00
Description Of Work: We asked for an estimate to build a double garage on our lot.
Angie's List Member (My) Comments:
"We contacted J. Stewart, the owner of Terravest Custom Homes, LLC, about building a two car garage BEFORE winter. We budgeted $20,000 plus or minus 10 percent for the project, being prepared to pay $18,000 to $22,000 in cash. Mr. Stewart seemed like a nice person when he came to do the estimate, seeming willing to work with us. We told him what our budget was and what exactly we wanted, a simple 24 foot by 24 foot two car garage on a cement slab with a double door, one window, one door, and electricity. We also wanted a quote to install a sidewalk from the garage to the front door. Mr. Stewart told us that he would try to keep costs down and estimated $30 to $40 a square foot for what we wanted, bringing the total to between $17,250 and $23,000 and very close to our budgeted amount. He told us that he could not provide a "final" quote until we had plans drawn up, so he recommended an architect whom we met with the following week.
When Mr. Stewart and the architect came to the house, we went through the process again, spelling out exactly where the garage would go, the size, and other details in order for the architect to draw up the plans to submit to the city. He told me that it would cost $600 to $1000 to complete the work and, trusting Mr. Stewart, we decided to go ahead with the plans in order to finish the garage before winter. That was on September 11th, 2013. The architect said that he should be able to finish the plans in a week.
A month went by with no word from either Stewart or the architect, so I contacted both and asked what the delay was. The architect said that it was taking longer than expected and that he would go to the city to see if there were any restrictions as well as come back to the house to measure the house, lot, and other things necessary to finish the plans. We finally received the plans on October 17th, 36 days after we were promised they would be done in one week. Winter was quickly approaching and we wanted to get the project going ASAP. With plans in hand, Mr. Stewart scheduled an appointment to come by with his quote on Friday, October 17th, he was about 30 minutes late. As I looked over the quote, I was drawn to the total which was well over $30,000, FAR ABOVE the $30 to $40 a square foot we were quoted ($30,500 divided by 575 square feet comes to over $53 a square foot). I told Mr. Stewart that we could not afford $30,000 and he said "I can suggest some metal building companies", to which we replied "we already have a quote and it is only $6,000 for a metal garage". He quickly left without saying another word or offering to make things right.
I am disappointed by his behavior, making us wait nearly six weeks then coming in $10,000 (a 50 percent increase over his estimated price) over his original quote, but I am more upset with myself for trusting the man. We now have no garage, winter weather will arrive in a few weeks, and we spent $600 we could not afford to have plans drawn for a garage that may never be built. I should have known better than to trust a human being after what we have been through in the last 5 years, but J. Stewart seemed like a nice man with integrity, so I thought he would do the right thing. He did not, so DO NOT BE FOOLED by his friendly demeanor and empty promises. We paid and are still paying for trusting J. Stewart and Terravest Custom Homes, LLC, so we believe you should proceed very cautiously before hiring him for any project, particularly one with tens of thousands of dollars on the line."
Here is the Angie's List "Company (Terravest) Response":
"I am very sorry that the Angie's List Customer was dissatisfied with my presentation. I had as well hoped the project would have priced out at a lower price as we had hoped but the facts are not stated correctly. Several costs were presented as allowances which the client could opt not to spend. For example, we priced a $350 walk-in door with two small windows in the upper portion of the door to allow light into the garage while maintaining security and a window was added on the side of the building which again we gave the client the ability to deduct theses additional expenses. A standard 6 panel door could be selected for less expense and the window could have been deleted. When it was evident that the price was just to high for the clients we did discuss the metal building because I wanted to help them get some structure that could be affordable for them, I was willing to recommend a competitor just to still help them get a structure done before winter hit. The price they are quoting they got from someone was the metal building only with no foundation. We were asked to provide a concrete foundation, a garage concrete approach to the garage and then we were called back and asked to include 30 feet of sidewalk and an option to run more concrete to the front of the house. The person who is writing the review I have never been introduced to and dont know if I ever even met. There was a woman who showed up at the same time I did to present my presentation that I was thirty minutes late for but I had contacted the client in advance to let them know I was running behind on my schedule. The garage was also bid with other upgrades, a Heritage type 3-D roof versus a 3 tab, electrical wiring and a lighting allowance was added and a insulated garage door with an opener all which could be deducted or down graded. For example the garage door was an insulated door being installed on an un-insulated garage but this was included on the thought that the client would eventually insulate the garage. When we notified the client that we had all the bids together and we were assembling the bid we were also asked to include regrading the drainage on the lot which was also included. The cost of the city building permits were also added to the actual cost of the garage. The architectural drawings were suggested because there was a historical concern mentioned and more importantly it was explained to the client that the client would own the plans and they could therefore use the plan to get alternative bids from other contractors if I was unable to meet their budget expectations. Because the client worked directly with the architect, I was unaware of the delay in getting the drawings and I should have checked on this and did so the minute the client called me with concerns of delays and I did get the proposal to the client within ten days of receiving the blue prints as I had originally promised. When the client called and asked for additional drainage work around the garage, it was also determined that the sewer line for the house ran under the foundation for the garage and additional steps to taken to remedy any this problem as well is the removal of the line of trees along the alleyway and the pad that needed to be built up so that we could correct the rest of the drainage issues for the client. We even included an allowance of $250 for fine grading and seeding of the rear lot after the work was completed. Leaving in the cost of regrading the lot and removal of the trees but removing the additional upgrades the cost would have been at $48 per foot which was still too high for the clients budget and we apologize that we could not meet the expectations of the client but this is why we went through the bidding process to insure the client of what we could do and if the client feels that we have intentionally over priced the project, they own the plans and are free to do the project with another contractor of their choosing and we would be happy to provide any of our bids and estimates to the client or another contractor. We informed the client (a gentleman with a different name than the person submitting the review) before we started the process that it would be extremely hard to meet their budget expectations but we were willing to try if they wanted to have a third party draw the plans to insure that we were bidding apples to apples with anyone else that they choose to have bid the project. We again apologize for any misunderstanding and wish that we would have had the opportunity to involve this person in our discussions about the project and find it very disappointing to have these things written about our company from a person whom we have never met and this is what often happens with third party discussions and it is always good to take notes and ask the contractor to clarify any expectations in writing prior to the start of any project to make sure that everyone's expectations are equal.
J. Stewart
My Angie'sList Review Addendum (Dated 12/9/2013)
"Very odd, but when I searched Terravest Custom Homes today, my review and grade were nowhere to be found with Terravest receiving an "A" on recent reviews. I have had this problem with Angie's List before. Poor reviews are either missing or the service provider lies through their teeth (as is the case again here) and I, the consumer, has little if any recourse to tell the truth.
This account belongs to my wife, Elisa F, "the woman" referred to in the 10/21/13 response, and Mr. Stewart was introduced to her the first time he came to our home and again when he dropped off his ridiculous bid. Let me just clarify a couple points made by Mr. Stewart in his lengthy, confused, and misleading response (there are so many inaccuracies that I will not attempt to answer them all):
As far as the "grading" and "upgrades" are concerned, Mr. Stewart is lying when he said that they were "added on". We spoke about the grading ($250), the roof, door, electrical, and roof the first time we met and the second time when the architect came to plan his drawings, so Mr. Stewart's account is intentionally misleading. The architect can attest to this fact if asked. Even then, we are talking about chump change compared to his overall bid of $30,000. I never called and asked for "additional drainage work", so Mr. Stewart is indeed a liar. Take that into consideration when deciding whether or not to hire him for a job.
Winter is now here and my wife and I are scraping snow off our cars and freezing our buns off because of Mr. Stewart's incompetence. Hopefully, Angie's List will DO THE RIGHT THING and publish my review on Terravest's page so that other consumer's will not waste their valuable time or money. I am downgrading my review to an "F" because Mr. Stewart is a liar and as a retired AIr Force lieutenant colonel and disabled Veteran, I have ZERO TOLERANCE FOR PEOPLE WITHOUT HONOR AND INTEGRITY ... ZERO!
CombatCritic Gives Terravest Custom Homes 0 Bombs Out Of 10 ... The Lowest of the Low And A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!
Title: Terravest Homes - Bait And Switch Cost US $600 Key Words: 66044, Angie's, Angie'sList, CombatCritic, fraud, Institutional, terrorism, Kansas, kansas city, Lawrence, List, Terravest, Terravest Custom Homes, service, Yelp, home, builder, garage, home builder
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