Complain about a product or service

TruGreen Chemlawn

TruGreen ChemLawn • New Jersey Sues TruGreen Chemlawn --- Consumer Complaints • Too Much Service • Not Enough Service • Pricing • Happy Insider • Unhappy Ex-Insider --- • What You Can Do

A part of the ServiceMaster empire, TruGreen Chemlawn proclaims that it "will give your lawn the nutrients it needs to produce a thicker, greener carpet of grass." Maybe so, but we hear from many consumers who would give anything to stop TruGreen from showing up again. Then there are those who would like a little more service rather than much less.

A brief sample of representative complaints is below; for more, click on any of the cateogories to the right.

john of dallas, GA May 28, 2009

I currently work for Trugreen Lawncare in Marietta Ga. and am proud to say I truly enjoy my job and really do feel that the service we provide really improves customers lawns. I have seen results with alot of the lawns we treat that have been on the service within the first year and seen the improvement. I agree that sometimes customers are misinformed but that does not make us a bad company. I care about the quality of my work and I think it shows in appearance. I recommend anyone to use Trugreen because they truly do care about their customers(and no I'm not saying this to make us look better because of the complaints on this site). We are more than happy to help the homeowners with any concerns or questions they may have. Give us a try. We'll love you as a customer!

Eleanor of Mableton, GA May 28, 2009

Tru Green was hire in March 09 to address the weeds in our front and back yard. After two applications the grass now has several large burned areas throughout the lawn. You can actually see a pattern that was used by the technician using the sprayer. After several attempts to contact managers at Tru Green no one called us back. Finally, after becoming angry with them, Patrick called back and met me the next morning to view the lawn. He acknowledge that the grass was burnt but stated that it was supposed to look like that while the grass is being treated. Hogwash!!!! He stated he would have the lawn fertilized with a granule type fertilizer. That was three weeks ago and several rain storms later and the lawn looks worst than before.

After reading some of the consumer complaints with this company, I realized that the same thing has happened to several consumers. Tru green makes a half hearted attempt to correct the situation knowing all along it will be a long expensive process to do so. Only the weeds were suppose to be destroyed not the grass. I believe this is a scam to get more services from the consumer. I would like our grass to look beautiful like our neighbors, however, tru green has ruin that for the time being. I want this company to replace the burned areas of my lawn with new sod. They caused the problem, they are responsible for fixing it immediately. I do want to speak with an attorney if I have a case. The homeowners association will be addressing the burned spots on our lawn and we could quite possibly be fined.

Kari of Chester, NH May 28, 2009

I have been attempting to sever relations with this company since 2006. They attempted to just go ahead and spray when they didn't think I was there. Luckily I caught them and prevented it, telling them I would contact the police and charge them with tresspassing if they came onto my property again. This was 2006, my last contract with them was for 2005.

Since then they call on a monthly basis to harass me to purchase their services. I have just filed a complaint with the FTC on the Do Not Call Registry as it has been over 18 months since I had any relationship with them. It seems to me from the other complaints on this website they would be easy pickings for a competent attorney to file a class action suit as their tactics are consistent across the country. They killed my perennials along the grass line. Mostly I just want them to leave me alone. This sort of bullying should not be allowed.

Roxane of Crestwood, KY May 26, 2009

We had Trugreen in 2007. We were satisfied with their services becouse we still had weeds, crabgrass and the bugs were eating our bushes. The start of 2008 they called to continue our service and we declined. They kept harrassing us. My husband talked to the tech and had reached an agreement. They would apply lawn application in the spring and fall.

After the fall application we were still not happy, we had crabgrass and weeds. The bushes still looked like they were bug infested. When they called to see if we needed grug control I informed them that their services are no longer required!!We moved in February 2009 from Ohio to Kentucky. We received a bill statment 60 days late at our new address that stated that thet treated our lawn and bushes on 3/12/09 and again on 3/26/09. We never requested their service.

When I called the billing office in Elyria, OH the woman told me they are sorry, but the new owner got the bill they hung on the door and it took us that long to find you. HELLO, we do not live or own that that property. She asked if we ever canceled our service?? Both my husband and I had cancelled numerous times. How can TruGreen bill someone who does not live or own the property they serviced???We do not nor have we ever signed a contract with them.She said they will just send it to collections. So I guess any company can just enter your property or someone elses for that matter, perform a service and bill you for it????? TruGreen billed us 175.32 for services to someone elses property and if we do not pay they will send us to collections.

Ben of Walls, MS May 21, 2009

There was a bill for a core aeration attached to my doorknob when I got home from work on 5/20/09. The bill states "Today I core aerated the lawn. This will allow soil to get proper moisture & nutrients. Cores will break down with watering." The next morning I walked my front yard front to back and could not find any holes in the ground nor could I find any core plugs laying around. They had left a bill on my door for 101.12 but did not do the work. I contacted them at 8:00 on 5/21/09 and told them the problem and they didn't seem overly shocked to me, but maybe I was expecting a little more concern than them just wanting to reschedule the aeration for the next Wednesday. What makes this really interesting, is that this was the second time I had to call them within a matter of a couple of months. The previous time I had complained that it if they were spraying my yard at all, then they must have been using plain water. They retreated after my complaint and all the weeds began dying very quickly. I had wondered if they even treated at all until I complained about the weeds; now, with this second issue, I think I know the answer.

Lois of Hamilton, OH May 21, 2009

I made a double payment; my error. I was then subsequently manuevered by obvious professionals of deceit. Service has been cancelled but Tru Green still has money owed to us. This was confirmed by a manager, Ben Saur, now with the Dayton, OH office. After more than a score of phone conversation, where promises were made and never kept, we still are owed this money from a situation that occurred in October of 2008. Personnel has been rude; just tonight (larry) hung up on me.

Russell of Farmington, AR May 20, 2009

I paid Trugreen over 500.00 to rid my Lawn of weeds and crabgrass their sales representative guaranteed they could get rid of the weeds and make the lawn look better, it was fine apart from the weeds. I kept complaining to them and they kept trying to charge extra for services, that were clearly part of the original quote.

its 2 years later and the weeds are twice as bad as when they started. they stopped coming and I moved out of state but now I am trying to sell the house the weeds are a real problem

John of Ithaca, NY May 14, 2009

In the Spring of 2008, I decided to hire TruGreen ChemLawn to take care of our lawn maintenance. Even though our lawn was fairly new, it was in really good shape, and I wanted TruGreen to make it look even better. After a year of "treatments" the lawn is a complete disaster. I paid an average of 150 per application, and this year I have a massive grub problem. I suspect that TruGreen actually brought the grubs over and deposited them on my lawn so that I would have to pay for their grub control. I've lived in the NE for 20 years, and have NEVER had any grub issues on previous lawns. Unfortunately, I don't have any proof that TruGreen deposited the grubs, all I know is that after TruGreen treated my lawn, it is in worse shape than it was before they started. I now have massive repair work to do to fix the grub damage. In my opinion, stay away from TruGreen, and hire a local professional.

Dennis of Westerville, OH May 13, 2009

In a previous experience with another lawn care provider, what started out as 200 worth of lawn care ended up at 450. So I decided to try TruGreen's pay up front deal for 200. No complaints about service (neither good or bad), but got so many calls trying to upsell me and could not get straight answers to the question "Is this part of my pre-paid service" that I was not going to do it this year. They showed up anyway, without another pre-paid contract, and then billed me for the service. I called to tell them I did not have a contract, and they said "No problem, they will take that off the bill, and cancel service" But the bills keep coming. I called again and this time they show that I cancelled service (which I never signed up for) but the bill is still due, and offered to split the difference. I have to wonder if there is a legal mis-representation. if I signed up for a pre-paid contract then how can it renew. The intention of the Contract was for a fixed amount of service, and that's it. If they would like to sell me another pre-paid contract, then they are welcome to do so. 51.00.

Amy of Taunton, MA May 9, 2009

We used TruGreen for a couple of years with good results. Last year we called and canceled our contract. TruGreen kept calling, even when I bluntly told them to never call again. Finally, as a joke, my husband tried to low ball them into a deal for one year and they said okay. He was specific about the contract ending after one year. This January they called three times, leaving messages, which we ignored. I came home in Feburary to see their sign on our lawn stating they did a treatment!

I called and was told smugly that since they couldn't reach us, that the contract was still in effect. I told them I would pay, but to NEVER call us again. Last week a salesperson showed up at our door trying to sell TruGreen. Apparently the company didn't pass on our messages. Last night I got a call from Barry asking if we wanted to continue services. Again, I went into our issues with the company and he said if they didn't hear from us, that was their cue to continue the contract. I have tried to be blunt, but nice but am getting frustrated.

They don't seem to care nor are they logging our conversations. I will never refer anyone to TruGreen. I told Barry I considered his call as harrassment and he said he would pass on my complaint. Oh yes, a week after the lawn service, I received an online survey about the last service. Because I rated them as the worst, I was sent a message saying a supervisor would contact us. No call yet.

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