Virginia - 8/00. I have been an unhappy customer since May 1999.  I have had people lie to me and try to cover up things.  My biggest complaint is no one returns phone calls to me; or if one or two is returned, it’s not in a timely manner.  In February, I had an appointment with a service tech, and he claims he sprayed outside.  I found he didn’t.  After many phone calls, the office manager had him come back out to do so, and my local bill was dropped $15. I also asked for a different person next visit. The next visit, in May, was okay; and this tech did a better job.  I mentioned to him that one of the outside plastic top traps was accidentally removed by my mother when she was cleaning the yard. I needed someone to look at it and replace it. He stated he would call the person who handles the outside, and it will be done.

Weeks pass, and nothing. I called the local office and left a long, detailed message about the problem. No phone call and no one fixed it. I waited until the next inside visit this past month; and when I called to make my August appointment, I asked when the outside was last serviced. I was told it was serviced June 8th. Not true.  I had laid the top part on its side, and it never moved from that position since May. I asked to speak with a manager and was told he was not available but he can call me the next day.  No call came. I waited a few days and called the main office.  I got a voice mail, and no one called me back. I finally got a person one day, and she never mentioned me calling. She listened to my complaint about the part and stated she or I could call the office manager in Chesapeake. I told her she could.  After I hung up, I thought and called her back. I got her voice mail again and left a long, detailed message stating, “If no one calls me by close of business Monday, I would tell coworkers the truth about the lies and service I have received. I received a phone call that Monday morning, by my answering machine, and was told by the office manager that someone is heading to my house to fix the traps. I tried to talk to him by phone, but I missed him by 5 minutes. I called and left a message on the office phone and asked for him to call me.  I have heard nothing since, and it’s been over a week.  My annual spraying was done this past Wednesday, with no problems and outside was done Thursday, no problems; BUT I have not been able to talk with anyone about this May problem with no one calling me or taking care of the trap.

North Carolina - 8/00. I have had both termite and pest control service with Terminix for the last two and one-half years.  Payment for services are always made at the time the serviceman visits the house. When I required a revisit on the pest control service, I would sometimes have to call several times to get the serviceman to call back.  After making an appointment to show up at the house, she did not show up. This happened twice. Quarterly visits were sometimes never made.  The office would not call, and I figured they did not need this account.  Now this year, the termite inspection was due in May; but no one called about coming out to do the inspection. No one ever did the inspection, but I keep getting a notice I owe for termite inspection.  I canceled service. Being a manager with a large company, I know good help is hard to find and keep. I think if I was district manager for the area, a good house cleaning would be in order for the Gastonia office.

California - 8/00. We paid $3100 to Terminix to do a termite clearance of a three-plex and a four-plex as required by our loan company. At this time, we have extensive active termites. Approximately seven tenants state Terminix never entered to inspect or do work in their apartments.  We are taking Terminix to small claims court.

Update (9/00). I just talked to the court, and I won $2,792, which is enough to do the re-tenting at least.

Arizona - 8/00. My nightmare with Terminix started almost two years ago. My husband and I were cleaning our garage and found some evidence of subterranean termites. After talking to a couple of neighbors, we found out they had also had problems with termites.  They both had Sentricon colony elimination systems at their homes, were happy with the system, and gave us the name of the company they were using. This is where we made the biggest mistake. We had their company come out, but they were a couple hundred dollars more than Terminix. Terminix was also $150 less on their yearly fee, so we had Terminix install 37 stations at our home. Broke two sprinkler lines, and our Malibu electric line was cut. After three months of negotiating with their branch manager, this was resolved. We had given the salesman and technician our gate combination, only to find out they never monitored our backyard stations for the first nine months of our contract.  Only because we had never received any monthly notices like we were promised, I called and asked for copies of the monthly invoices, which took almost two months to get.  At which time, we found out in nine months, they were at my house a total of three times -- one time for installation and two times for monitoring. Both times, invoice slip says gate locked. All this time, we thought they were coming while we were gone.  I once again placed a call to the branch office who then put me through to the Sentricon service supervisor. I told him we were promised monthly service and once again gave Terminix our gate code.  Since our yearly renewal was due, they sent a technician out on a Saturday while I was home to monitor our stations and pick up a check. We were told, “our salespeople tell customers that we come monthly, and I’m not sure why because we usually try and come two or three times a year.” After hearing this from a service tech that I’ve never seen again, I once again called the branch office on the following Monday, only to be promised a monthly service.  To date, three dozen logged phone calls and four letters, I had three monitorings done in the last 11 months -- a total of seven in two years. I will not renew with Terminix for a third year. I found out here in Arizona Terminix does this will all their Sentricon customers. We know a lot more about termites and that with the Arizona climate, Sentricon system should be checked on a regular monthly basis.  I’ve talked with a Dow Elanco representative and have been put in contact with the company my neighbors use, and they have given us the okay to renew with them. After two years, I can no longer take the frustration of dealing with Terminix, especially when my neighbors both have been happy for three years with their company.

Texas - 8/00. I bought my house in April 1999, with an active termite contract from a local company; and I renewed it when it came due in July of 1999.  They were bought out by Terminix early this year; and when I called in February to report swarms of termites in my house, a man from Terminix came out, told me they no longer sprayed, but would only sell me the Sentricon system.  I told him I had a contract already; but when he called his office, they couldn’t find a record of it. I bought the Sentricon system; and two months later, got a letter from Terminix wanting me to renew the contract for subterranean termites that they couldn’t find when they persuaded me to buy the Sentricon.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed termites in my house, called to complain, and had a “manager” come out to inspect. He said every station had fire ants in them and that was why they kept reporting no termite activity in the bait stations.  None of the techs had mentioned this, just kept leaving papers stating “No Termite Activity.”  This past weekend, I got a letter from Terminix stating that they would only come out once a quarter now, because they had “eliminated” the termite colony!!!  I called the only other exterminator left in town, they came out, found active termites, and are going to come back and spray.  I called Terminix to complain and asked for a refund this morning and got nothing but more lies. In my opinion, they are crooks and need to be stopped.

California - 8/00. We recently purchased a home which came with an ant problem -- not a severe one, but a nuisance. They would crawl on the countertops and were rather pesky. We set out those little bait traps for a couple of months, but it just wasn’t getting rid of them completely. In order to be rid of them once and for all, we signed up with Terminix for a bimonthly spray contract. I informed the technician what the problem was, and he mentioned that they were probably coming from the outside foundation (our kitchen is on the second floor).  But when he sprayed, he only sprayed the countertops and outside the kitchen window.  He didn’t touch anywhere else in the kitchen, nor did he spray at the foundation of the house.  The next morning, we left for vacation. Upon our return ten days later, we were horrified to find them throughout our kitchen. They were now in the food -- cereal, mixes, sugar -- even unopened packages. So I called again and the technician came out the following day. This time he used “heavy duty” spray and sprayed the countertops as well as the cupboards where the ants had now invaded. But he still didn’t cover the rest of the kitchen or spray outside at all. For a couple of days, we continued to have an ant problem, but I was assured by Terminix that this was normal. “Give it time” was what I was told.  Well, a few days later, I discovered an infestation in our pantry. All that had been accomplished was to chase the pests to another part of the house. Meanwhile, it cost us hundreds of dollars in lost food. Basically, anything that wasn’t in a can or the refrigerator was infested. And all because we counted on an inept company to get rid of the ants “once and for all.”

Arkansas - 7/00. Seller, age 68, was required to have a termite inspection prior to selling his house. Contacted Terminix to have this service performed. Their charges were $2,000. This was one day prior to closing.  Seller immediately got another bid which was $350.  This indicates that Terminix was attempting to take advantage of the situation.  Was informed this same situation by the same company has occurred several times in the same locale.

? - 7/00. Terminix inspected my residence regarding mildew suddenly appearing on the interior of an outside wall. They found excessive water build up due (they said) to my neighbor’s recently paved drive and not allowing for proper water runoff.  They gave me all the reasons -- and complications -- for installing more and thermostatically-controlled vents and a sump pump.  I eventually agreed. They did the work; and from day one, every time I used my garbage disposal, it tripped a circuit. This had never occurred prior to the work by Terminix. I discovered they had wired the sump pump directly into the line serving the disposal. I called Terminix. They sent a guy out who told me the wiring was incorrect.  They sent out another electrician who fixed the problem and CHARGED ME!

I attempted to challenge this charge and was taken to small claims court.  (Ever been? It’s a real experience.  I learned the law has nothing to do with small claims and innocence means absolutely nothing!)  I lost. Eventually, I paid the claim for I had life to live and, in most cases, it requires credit.

I would have been in the same position had I not paid the claim! I have asked Terminix to remove this from my credit file, which they can, and they refuse. At this point, all I ask is they contact the three reporting credit bureaus and remove this from my file. No money, no publicity, no real effort on anyone’s part.

Texas - 7/00. We moved into this house five years ago and found termites a year later. Called Terminix!  The rest would require me to regroup, numb-out, and invest too much time to go into right now. I promised my wife I would abduct any future Terminix people, chain them up near the terrible sweet stench that is the termite excrement piling up in our guest bedroom walls three years after the fact!  Every six months, they just want to keep charging us for nothing, with these laughable “expiration” notices.  I don’t respond, and they’ll still call literally 10-20 times a week and come out to the house.  They’ve drilled holes around my whole house, which I assume will lower the price I can sell it for because the termite evidence is permanently there. I asked them about something called Sentricon the first time they came. They advised against it (at that time, they did not have it I found out).  They advised drilling the holes and making a barrier of poisonous shaving cream around the woodwork of my house.  It turns out that this would, of course, deteriorate every four or five years or so. So, I can do it all over again for $2,200+ $160 biannually, lest my house be eaten.  (They really lay it on thick here.)  What a convenient way to draw income. Don’t kill ‘em, just keep them at bay for a few months.  I just want them dead (the termites)! I’m tired of this scam.

Also, my wife has had a strange skin ailment, much like insect bites covering her arms and legs; however, the doctor says they are not bites but possibly some sort of allergic reaction to something, stress or environment. This seems to have begun about the time we had Terminix out. It progresses by the year and nothing has helped so far. Have you heard of anything at all like this caused by the pesticides Terminix uses?  We could barely stay in the house the first week because of the pesticide fumes coming up through the floor. They said it was absolutely safe and normal. We are talking hundreds of itchy little bumps that come and go and cause considerable scarring. She used to have such beautiful skin. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Washington - 7/00. I am sitting, waiting, at this minute for the Terminix tech to show up.  This is an ongoing situation with them.  I manage a 60-unit apartment complex for senior citizens; and due to the neglect of Terminix’s tech, my residents that are scheduled for service are waiting, their lives on hold, and we receive no notification that they are not able to show up. The tech may or may not show up tomorrow or at his convenience.

Residents are entitled to 24-hour notice to enter their apartments, and then Terminix does not show up.  At this writing, they are only two hours late; but in the past if they have not arrived by this hour, they do not show up at all.  The last visit here, which was one month ago, carpenter ants, which were very actively destroying my building, were found by me; and I had to insist that they do something. Like I stated, my problem has not yet manifested to ruin as yet; however, if I continue to rely on Terminix, I feel I could jeopardize my building and my tenants’ health due to their inconsistent efforts to control pests in the building.

Update:  After writing a little while ago, I called Terminix to ask why I had not been contacted by my scheduled tech as yet today.  I was told by the supervisor, who had visited my property last month, he had talked to the “lady” and told her the service would have to be rescheduled due to the regular tech’s truck not being able to carry a ladder to reach my bee problem. This was not the case.  The “lady,” my wife and assistant manager of our complex, told the supervisor we required our regular service time and the bees could be dealt with at a later time. After being called a liar several times, I requested they pick up any of their equipment on my property in twenty-four hours; they were finished at my property. Within ten minutes, the tech was here picking up his bait stations.  Amazing, they cannot keep their appointments; but they are available at a moment’s notice to pick up their equipment from your property when you complain about the service.