[dkragan]

We recently had our pool dug and needed some irrigation lines re-routed. We found Wayne's Irrigation (Ryan Sanders) in the Daily Sun. He called us back and said he would come out to give a quote. He came on a Friday and then we hired him. He said he would be back at 7:30 a.m. Saturday to do the job and it would take two hours. We were headed out of town so we paid him up front. It seemed like a pretty straightforward job and he advertised he was licensed and insured. He was supposed to phone us when he completed the job. First off he showed up almost 2 hrs. late. Then he never called us. We came home on Sunday to an unfinished job and no satellite tv! We called him and he said he had accidentally cut the line and he could give us the number to Direct TV. He then said he was on his way to finish the job. He showed up about three hours later. In the meanwhile we had paid an electrician $100 to repair the line. Within a matter of minutes after Ryan's arrival the satellite was out again and we had to have the electrician come back out. When Ryan started the sprinklers water was just bubbling out with no pressure. He said he would be back on Monday with a special tool. My husband told him not to cash the check we had given him and that we wanted his insurance and license info. He said the info was in his other vehicle. We immediately placed a stop payment on the check. I found out yesterday he had cashed the check at an easy check cashing place on Saturday after he had destroyed our satellite connection. Long story short, we have not heard from him and are sprinklers are not working. Thanks to the posts on here, we have contacted Action Irrigation and look forward to working with a reputable company. We plan on filing a complaint against this company and advise strongly against using them!

Originally Posted by the village wheel

Fantasy Landscape and Irrigation was one of the best companies I've found in the villages to do anything with my irrigation system. My whole street uses them and no one has ever had any negative feedback!!! They've been doing my entire street now for over 8 years. Their prices are reasonable, and their $25 tune-up was the best thing that ever happened to my lawn! I had brown spots all over the place. I had a couple pest control services and it seemed like it just made things worse. So one of my neighbors refereed me to Fantasy and they serviced my irrigation, and my lawn almost seemed to instantly green right back up! Also, before I called them, I went ahead and figured out how to check the credentials of any company. A city official refereed me to sunbiz.org to check for lisc and insured businesses. Low and behold, Fantasy is a completely legit company and they do things by the books! I'm only telling you that because one of our stubborn neighbors hired "Waynes Irrigation," and he had to pay the guy upfront in full to go get parts. When he showed back up he had no clue how to complete the job that he had already been paid for!! He had also made one check out to "Waynes Irrigation" and the guy told him he couldn't accept the check and that he needed it made out to his persons (Ryan Sanders), while the gentleman went to get the parts we looked him up on sunbiz.org and low and behold there was nothing of the such on Waynes Irrigation. Hes a fraud and you should beware of any company that ask for money upfront esp for a small job as this!!! we also found on the internet that in 2011 he was under another business with no name certification as "AAl Time Irrigation" and had multiple complaints against him also having checks wrote to his name and never showing back up to jobs! Beware of all the companies and if you ask me, please check the sunbiz.org before hiring anybody because it could turn out bad in many ways! And for all your irrigation & landscaping problems, I'll speak highly of "Fantasy Landscapes and Irrigation"!!!

[buggyone]

The first rule of being a customer is NEVER PAY UP FRONT for the services. What should have tipped you off is that the employee asked to be paid up front and then to have the check made out to his name and not the company name.

Always check with Seniors vs Crime before hiring a lawn guy, a bug guy, or handyman down here. Too many bad guys taking advantage of seniors who used to do business with a handshake.

[jimbo2012]

Agree never upfront, second rule, never cash or check.

You have little recourse and zero leverage or control.

Use a credit card you can dispute it at anytime up to six months.

Now they say they don't take credit cards!

Red flag, they have no credit personally, if they did any bank would give them a merchant account.

So if they can't take a credit card they are not IMO really doing biz as a biz.

Tell them I'll pay when the work is complete & satisfactory.

Or keep shopping.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Originally Posted by jimbo2012

.........
Now they say they don't take credit cards!

Red flag, they have no credit personally, if they did any bank would give them a merchant account.

So if they can't take a credit card they are not IMO really doing biz as a biz. .........

jimbo, perhaps you're speaking just of businesses in the TV area. However, if you're speaking of any business in general..........then let me offer a counter-point:

I own and operate my own small business and have for over 10 years. A very small business - just me, no employees.

- I don't accept credit cards. I have excellent credit.

- My business is set up as an LLC. It is registered with the Sec'y of State in OH, the Department of Taxation (for sales tax reporting purposes as well as for having a vendor's number), the Public Utilities Commission, and probably a few other entities as well. I have a federal tax ID for the business. I have two bank accounts for the business as well as two credit cards. My business is legit - it is a 'real' business.

The reason I consciously chose from Day One to not accept credit cards is that the transaction fees cut too deeply into my bottom line. I've not found the 'No Credit Cards' to be a hindrance - people ask if I take plastic, I politely tell them "No, I don't - just cash only, please". I've never had anybody turn and walk away.

I don't disagree that some people/businesses might fit your statements.........but not all of them do.

Bill

[jimbo2012]

Bill it's only 2%

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Total cost is more than 2% when you add in everything involved to have a merchant account and process transactions in low volume.

Regardless of the amount, jimbo, I've chosen not to accept credit cards. I still stand by my points as presented.

Bill

[Tom Hannon]

Originally Posted by Bill-n-Brillo

Total cost is more than 2% when you add in everything involved to have a merchant account and process transactions in low volume.

Regardless of the amount, jimbo, I've chosen not to accept credit cards. I still stand by my points as presented.

Bill

A friend of mine who built hospital tables sold $40,000 of merchandise. The customer would only pay with a credit card which Tony did not accept credit cards. Rather than lose the order he talked his friend into using his credit card acceptance. Long story short. The card was not the customers, it was stolen and the customer disappeared as did the table. His friend's insurance did not cover the loss because his friend was not to certified to use a second hand contract. Like my old Buddy Bill I also owned a business for 36 years and also never took credit cards.

[bluedog103]

Originally Posted by dkragan

We recently had our pool dug and needed some irrigation lines re-routed. We found Wayne's Irrigation (Ryan Sanders) in the Daily Sun. He called us back and said he would come out to give a quote. He came on a Friday and then we hired him. He said he would be back at 7:30 a.m. Saturday to do the job and it would take two hours. We were headed out of town so we paid him up front. It seemed like a pretty straightforward job and he advertised he was licensed and insured. He was supposed to phone us when he completed the job. First off he showed up almost 2 hrs. late. Then he never called us. We came home on Sunday to an unfinished job and no satellite tv! We called him and he said he had accidentally cut the line and he could give us the number to Direct TV. He then said he was on his way to finish the job. He showed up about three hours later. In the meanwhile we had paid an electrician $100 to repair the line. Within a matter of minutes after Ryan's arrival the satellite was out again and we had to have the electrician come back out. When Ryan started the sprinklers water was just bubbling out with no pressure. He said he would be back on Monday with a special tool. My husband told him not to cash the check we had given him and that we wanted his insurance and license info. He said the info was in his other vehicle. We immediately placed a stop payment on the check. I found out yesterday he had cashed the check at an easy check cashing place on Saturday after he had destroyed our satellite connection. Long story short, we have not heard from him and are sprinklers are not working. Thanks to the posts on here, we have contacted Action Irrigation and look forward to working with a reputable company. We plan on filing a complaint against this company and advise strongly against using them!

Please report this joker to Seniors Vs Crime. They might be able to help you and there will be a record of this flim flam man which might help other potential victims avoid being ripped off.

[pfhannan]

The first question for any contractor, is are you licienced, paid your town or county tax, insured, show me.

[dkragan]

Thanks for your advice. Will know better next time! I have filed a complaint with the FL Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Hopefully this will save someone else the grief. I am just 43 so not sure the Seniors vs. Crime site would be able to help. Thanks again everyone!

[Bryan]

Seniors Vs Crime is a special project of the Florida Attorney Generals Office. They will help anyone regardless of age, race, sex, yada yada yada. Their name comes from the fact that their workers (all volunteers) are primarily Seniors.

[dkragan]

Thanks for your help! I did contact Seniors vs. Crime and they have been very helpful!