Kind Kuts Landscape and Lawn Service, LLC

After VJ provided me with an estimate for the first job of cleaning up the lawn, I promptly submitted a 50% down payment to get that started while we finalized plans on what to plant and where. He was very responsive when discussing the second job, brought his own ideas to the table and took mine and my parents input seriously. I submitted the second 50% down payment for the second job before he had scheduled or completed the first job. I did this out of good faith and VJ made it clear that he'd prefer to do everything in one day. After he deposited my second check, we made plans for him to come out and get to work. That day came and went without any notice. VJ and his team simply did not show up for the job. When I asked him about it, he at first was defensive, as if him not showing up was somehow my doing. Lastly, he stopped returning phone calls or e-mails. It wasn't until a letter was mailed threatening legal action that I received a full refund.

I started looking for a landscape contractor when I decided to do some work at my parents home. I requested several estimates, received them all around the same price. Since I did not meet VJ myself, he was responsive via e-mail and my father, who did meet with him, approved of him. Also, I liked his ability to provide computer generated images approximating what the work would look like. Without a lot of knowledge in plants it was very helpful. Ultimately there were two jobs to be done. Clean up of tree stump grindings as well as fertilization of the lawn and then replanting of flower beds. While we bounced around ideas of the replanting of the flower beds I signed off and submitted a deposit for the clean up of the stump grindings and fertilization. I asked when VJ would be starting the clean up and fertilization to no answer. He did keep responding about the additional work that was to be done and once we figured out which plants would go where (two weeks after his initial payment), he mentioned he would be able to schedule the work once the next deposit was made. I informed him out of good faith I would send the check, which I did, and expected him to be ready to go quickly as the season was already well underway. After he deposited my check, he gave me the vague time frame of a week or two. Work was supposed to be completed by Father's day. Then, he stopped returning phone calls and e-mails. The only work that was ever done was fertilization. He had hired Hyatt Landscaping to do that. They came by twice, both times unannounced, and the work was mediocre at best. I called them to try to track down VJ anyone at KindKuts, Hyatt never returned my call. They did however, call VJ/inform him of my calling them. VJ did not return any communication for about a month. When he did finally get back to me, after several phone calls threatening that I may have to take him to small claims court, he eventually got back to me stating that he had minor surgery and his son had been diagnosed with the Scarlet Fever and that's why he was unable to pick up the phone or return any e-mail. I'm not denying he had minor surgery or that his son was diagnosed with Scarlet Fever, but he could have at any point gotten back to me. He then tried to schedule another day to do it, I informed him I would not pay on his terms since he had already breached contract and I could not trust him, we opted (after I rush home to see the work) to not do business together. I did receive a full refund though within a reasonable amount of time.

I contracted VJ (owner) to come out fertilize/seed my lawn and to thatch (de- hatch?) my yard. I specifically requested for information regarding watering, and that I be notified when the technicians were coming by so I could be there to get the information I needed. After the initial job walk down, I was told that an estimate would be drawn up and told that work would commence within the next few weeks, weather permitting. This is par for the course for contracted work like this, so I had no issues at this point About a week and a half later the technicians came to my house unannounced, and did some very sloppy work. They informed me of nothing they were going to do, did not inform anyone in my household that they were starting or that they had finished and based on the spreading of seed/fertilizer. The "spreading" of fertilizer/seed was more like a light dusting of seed, like maybe a lawn fairy flew over my neighbors yard and farted in the general direction of my yard. It was over so fast, and with so little going on that I did not even have an opportunity to provide feedback on just how poorly the company had performed directly to the technicians. One place this company excels, collections. I sent two emails regarding my dissatisfaction with the services provided and the only reply I received was related to paying the rest of my bill. They do however have a very good online pay system, that requires little to no human interaction, I am guessing that is because they have little or no tact or civility in the office (just an opinion, I can not speak for anyone other than the owner, VJ, and that is a description in the last paragraph). After being harassed (bullied?) repeatedly I resigned to having to pay the contract in full, because my cameras showed the technicians at least pretending to operate heavy machinery and making motions like they were spreading grass seed/fertilizer. Once paid in full, I informed the owner that I would be filing a formal complaint with state of New Jersey against his contractor's license. Low and behold, there was a reply email and he was suddenly defensive about his work and the job as a whole. Based on my email interactions with VJ, I have come to understand one of two things about his work and his company as a whole. Either he is an excellent manager, who has top notch people working for him that perform their jobs with due diligence and care about customer satisfaction and I am a statistical outlier. Or he is a terrible contractor, who is instantly defensive about the work his personnel and company do because they have done such a terrible job so many times that his customer are rarely satisfied but contractually obligated and thus he can treat them however he wishes. I am inclined towards the latter. Thank you for not much VJ. Your actions, and your companies inaction, have once again tarnished the reputation of contractors everywhere.