Tom and Pat Thomas are just glad they didn't use Scotts Turf Builder Bonus S Southern Weed & Feed in their front yard.
But in the backyard, the product has damaged the couple's lawn, leaving brown spots in places that just a few months ago, looked just as plush and green as the front yard.
Scotts, a quality brand for lawn care products, is usually a little pricier, Tom said. But the couple found a great deal on the product in late March.
About a week later in early April, the couple started noticing brown patches in their yard following the pattern Tom used to hand-toss the product into the grass.
Before long, the entire lawn was damaged, with brown spots overtaking the green grass.
"We had to de-thatch it, and I threw some grass seed over some areas but it doesn't seem to be taking affect yet," Tom said. "I'm probably going to have to throw out some different dirt and reseed the lawn."
The Thomases' lawn is one of several hundred that were impacted by Scotts Turf Builder Bonus S Southern Weed & Feed, and another product, Scotts Snap Southern Weed & Feed.
Jim King, Scotts senior vice president of corporate affairs, said the company began hearing similar reports on the issue in early April.
By late April, the company reported an overwhelming number of people who said their centipede lawns - the same kind as the Thomases - and other types of lawns were impacted by the products.
Calls were primarily coming from the Greater Charleston area and other parts of the Palmetto State, King said.
To help remediate the issue, he added that Scotts not only took both products off the shelves more than a month ago, but the company has sent a team of employees to South Carolina for the summer to better assist customers.
The company is using a claims adjuster to repay or replace the turf builder purchases, as well as handle the lawn damage.
King added that the incident has impacted the company because it knows people rely on its products to beautify their lawns, host events and play with their kids.
"We help create positive experiences for our customers, and the fact that we failed to do that is unacceptable to us," King said. "We'll keep working all summer long to make sure people who have had a negative experience can get back to having a positive one."
King added that customers who were affected process a claim by calling 877-309-9560, emailing charleston.support@scotts.com or visiting www.scotts.com.
Claims for the refund must include sales receipts for the product and claims for lawn repair must include receipts and photos of the damage.
Derrek Asberry is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been with the paper since June 2013. He is originally from Vidalia, Ga., and a graduate of Georgia Southern University.
Follow him on Twitter @DerrekAsberry.