I sued Valuepest.com and Bob Jones for illegal telemarketing in Charleston County Small Claims Court because Bob Jones, the president of Valuepest.com, had broadcast a prerecorded message to Charleston, SC residential telephone subscribers on October 3. I called Valuepest.com and tried to speak with Bob Jones regarding the matter. Bob Jones proved to be a lying jerk.
I sued Valuepest.com and Bob Jones (since it was his voice on the recording) under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Bob Jones wrote me a letter demanding I answer a bunch of his questions. I answered the pertinent questions and ignored the rest. I tried to settle this with him but he acted like such a jerk I concluded that the only way it would be resolved was through the Courts.
He eventually said that he looked forward to seeing me in Court. I suppose that was intended to intimidate me. But Bob Jones missed the Court date. He was tried in absentia, found in violation of federal telemarketing laws, and I was awarded a $3080 judgment against Valuepest.com and Robert L. Jones, Individually.
He filed an appeal in Circuit Court. During that hearing, Bob Jones appeared and told the judge that he didn't live in S.C. (true) and that neither he nor Valuepest.com did business in S.C. This, of course, was not true. The judge remanded the case back to Small Claims in order the hear (for a second time) whether a S.C. Court had jurisdiction over Valuepest.com and Robert L. Jones.
Around this time I read a complaint by a Charleston SC resident stating that Valuepest.com refused to give him a sample contract before coming to his house to treat it. Evidently, Bob Jones responded on usacomplaints.com denying that Valuepest.com refuses to give prospective customers sample contracts that they can compare with those of other pest control companies.
So, I made a call to Valuepest.com, made an appointment for a treatment at a rental home I own, and asked for a sample contract. Valuepest.com refused to provide me a copy of their contract. I met Chris Jones, Bob Jones' son, at the property, he gave me a contract to sign, I kept the contract, refused to sign it, and told him that his company needed a City of Charleston business license to do work in Charleston. Chris Jones demanded I return the contract and lunged for the contract when I refused, tearing off a piece of the contract! He told me he was going to bill me "for his time". Moments later I received an angry call from Bob Jones threatening to bill me for Valuepest.com's time. I guess the joke is on papa and baby Jones. How could they bill me for their work if they don't work in Charleston?
I submitted to the Small Claims Court, with copies sent to Valuepest.com and Bob Jones, a Motion for Summary Judgment. The motion had Exhibits A through O, including the torn contract, detailing Valuepest.com's and Robert L. Jones' numerous business activities in S.C. This list of exhibits also included repeated disciplinary actions against Valuepest.com and Robert L. Jones for violations of the South Carolina Department of Pesticide Regulation.
The second Small Claims hearing was held December 4. Apparently, the exhibits and truth scared old Bob Jones because he didn't show up for the hearing!
I talked to the City of Charleston License Department last month. At that time, Valuepest.com still hadn't secured the necessary business license.in my opinion, Valuepest.com, as run by Bob Jones, is, at best, a sloppily run company. Bob Jones isn't a nice person and he hasn't shown himself to be an honest person.
Check out the company before you sign anything with them.
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