Okay so yes there is obviously a distinct difference in your point of view, but to a lot of us going door to door to offer a “free estimate” or “hand business cards” is the only way to market ourselves more easily. It’s the only way I have been able to market myself especially because I don’t have the resources to put an ad in a newspaper or make an commercial. The big con in the tree industry is it is not safety enforced and highly regulated like other trades and any moron can pick up a chainsaw and start cutting. That is not how I was trained at all during my 5 years as a professional tree climber. Many people do not ask enough questions or look around, which to me is absolutely absurd. Some guys undersell and some guys oversell. I personally tell everyone that if they don’t feel that the price I’m risking my life for is worth it that they can always give a call to another local Arborist so that I can give an honest and compared rate. I don’t agree with many of the obscene prices that some horrible people charge at all, but at the same time why didn’t anyone question the trimmer or call another tree company? I apologize if this is coming off as aggressive but the title and context of your statement triggers me just because of a bad experience with scammers, but I am sorry that you had to deal with that.