Terminix
Massachusetts What I didn't know hurt me

Anonymous 65250
08-20-2007
26

Signed agreement with Terminix in July because of bug problem. Was told by initial representative that the problem could be fixed. Bug problem became infestation. Representative wasn't regular exterminator. Regular exterminator only treated entry points where bugs might come in.infestation persisted all summer. Bugs subsided in fall because of their nature - treatment by Terminix exterminator had no long lasting effect.By September I decided I was not going to renew contract when it came up for renewal in July.

In September, a separate representative from Terminix came out to inspect for termites and found a tube. I was led to believe that the termite service was separate from the pest control service - why? Different contract, different personnel (initial rep and exterminator). I was never told that the same exterminator I had for pest control would be the ongoing terminite inspector. Had I known that I would never had signed up with Terminix for termite treatment - I'd have gone to another company.

In July I cancelled my pest control contract mainly due to my dissatisfaction with the exterminator's performance and requested that I not have the regular exterminator do my termite inspection (I had just found out regular exterminator would be inspecting for termites). The management in the local office told me that I either used the regular exterminator or go to another company.

When I called the Terminix national consumer complaint group, I was told that my termite contract had been cancelled by the local office. This was done without my concurrence. It was reinstated by the national consumer complaint person. Additionally, he contacted the local office and was told by the office manager that he would try to find someone else to do the inspection.

I called the local office in late August since I hadn't been contacted to set up an inspection appointment. I was told that my termite service contract had again been cancelled (without my knowledge). I went back to the national consumer complaint person who apparently had left Terminix sometime between July and August. The person on the line told me that between July and August, the local office cancelled the contract because they didn't have anyone else to inspect my home for termites.instead of trying to "work on my complaint", the complaint person transferred me to the local office and nothing changed.

So I had to make a choice - pay over $1,000 to another company for termite prevention or be forced to have the exterminator I had for pest control inspect for termites. Money is tight so I very reluctantly went with option 2.

My only consolation is that the inspection is one time per year.