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England - 2/01. Had report on wallties of property carried out because fault was not picked up by surveyors when buying property. A new surveyor and walltie company, both of whom state we have walltie problems in our property, were contacted by us. Terminix chose to side with the original surveyor stating nothing wrong with them. Funny how other surveyor, walltie specialist, and structural engineer disagree.
South Carolina - 1/01. In South Carolina, you must have a CL 100, Wood Infestation Report (WIR) before you can sell a house. The seller is required by law to have a CL 100, or the house can’t be sold, unless it’s being sold back to the original builder (i.e., court settlement, etc.). There are some great web sites at Clemson University for compliance and regulation of termites. (http://dpr.clemson.edu/index_flash.html):
We bought a house that had been bonded against termites for the first eight years, from earth to pretreatments, from construction, and up to us as the third owners. The original treatment by the first owners was done wrong. The Terminix employee(s) missed the two-car garage slab for the first eight years, until I hired an independent termite inspector to do an independent CL 100, before we closed on the house. Found active termites, tunneling, etc. The original report was bogus. We hired the independent termite inspector and retreated the whole house from scratch.
Arkansas - 1/01. I have been VERY unhappy with Terminix. I looked up Terminix to see if I could get my comments past my 1-800 number. [And found this web site!] I canceled my service in December, when the serviceman had his 12-13 year old call to set up my service the next day. We told the “youngster” that someone from Terminix should call. They never did, so I called the 1-800 number, explained my problem, talked to Bart Morrison (I think that was his name). He understood, and I canceled my monthly service. In January, the serviceman showed up when I was not home and sprayed my house. That afternoon, I called 1-800. They remembered my phone call, and I told them I was not paying for that service, I had already canceled. In February, I received a bill for the January service. Again, I called, explained what happened, the lady said she would take care of it. I also sent the bill back with a note. THEN someone called me from Terminix asking WHY I had not paid my January bill. I thought it was a joke. Again, I explained what had happened and again, SHE remembered the story and said she would take care of it. To top it all off, the serviceman called after that, WANTING TO SET UP SERVICE FOR THE NEXT DAY!!!!! And, I have also received a bill since then. I have seen the way the company handles their business. I can imagine if all this has happened to me, with all the contact I have had, what kind of problems are others having. You can bet when Terminix is mentioned to me, I will someone an earful!
Alabama - 1/01. I, too, have had and am having problems with them. I sent letters to the Birmingham and to the home office in Memphis. I got no response from either until I terminated all services with them. Only then did I get a response, and it was from the local Birmingham office. I have had pest and termite service with Terminix for over 20 years. No problems with the pest service but always with the termite service. Never again though....
New Jersey - 12/00. I have had dealings with Terminix also. Of course, not at the same level as you. They have poor customer service skills, and their salesmen cannot be trusted. I only had monthly service. I stopped the service after about 10 years because of the strange personality of some of their employees. I also found their employees to be lacking in knowledge about the business they were in compared to the employees I had in the beginning of our contract. I am sticking to the ma and pa pest businesses in my area.
Pennsylvania - 1/01. I am an existing Terminix customer. My home was treated for underground termite protection by Terminix in 1988 using conventional chemical barrier methods. We had to have several “retreats” done to finally prevent any more swarmers from entering the home. Terminix did fix the problem, and we have not seen any swarmers or any other evidence of termites in the past couple of years. This month, I had to have some foundation structural repair work done on my home. Terminix tells me that this will violate my warranty unless they install a baiting system at a cost of $1,000. Supposedly, this full retail cost would be $1,920; but they are giving me a discount since this is considered a retreat of an existing customer under contract. Using conventional chemicals, a retreatment of the small area of my home impacted by the recent foundation repairs would only cost $350. However, Terminix tells me that the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection prohibits them from using the chemical treatment because, in a totally separate area of the home, there is a French drain. I believe Terminix is referring to its agreement with the PA DEP referenced in an article I found on your web site. I live in an urban area of Pittsburgh, and there are no wells or waterways anywhere near the property. I do not believe that the very limited re-treat of the area of my home impacted by the foundation repair poses a viable threat to the environment. Are you aware of anyone else with this situation? I am concerned Terminix is using the issue with the PA DEP to coerce me into purchasing the higher-cost bait system that may really not be necessary.
Georgia - 11/00. I assumed a Terminix contract when I purchased my house a little over five years ago. I have had nothing but problems ever since. I have had recurring termites every year since the purchase of my house (always in different areas of the house.) I haven’t had a problem getting Terminix to come out and retreat (after I pluck termites out of the walls for them to see); but my contract is supposed to include a repair bond, and Terminix has yet to repair the two sheet rock walls in my house that the termites have damaged. I have placed several calls to their 800 number complaining that the repairs have not been made; and now, after reading your web site, it’s very doubtful they will ever make the repairs. Since I assumed the contract from the previous owner of my house, I have never actually read the contract and cannot get Terminix to provide me with a copy of the original contract. I have also had problems with my yearly inspections. They always want to inspect during the dead of winter, when, of course, there won’t be any visible termite activity. I also have asked them every year to schedule my inspection when I am home so they can inspect the interior of the house as well; but they always seem to come when I'm not home and leave a hang tag on the front door telling me they’ve been here, that they didn’t find any problems. But when spring time rolls around, I inevitably have a termite problem somewhere in the house. I have kept my contract with Terminix; because I can at least get them to come retreat if I find live termites, and I cannot afford to pay the initial $1,200 to $1,500 to another company to do their initial treatment if I change companies. With all these complaints I’m reading, you would think someone would put a stop to their fraudulent business practices.
New York - 1/01. I signed a one-year service contract with Terminix that cost $450; it seemed like a good deal. It was indeed a good deal for the carpenter ants, who got to party all year long and were never phased by the “treatments.” Moreover, Terminix came and allegedly sprayed the perimeter of the house in January and February when it was two feet deep in snow! I ended up going to Home Depot and applying my own anti-carpenter ant treatment. Terminix wanted to know why I wouldn’t renew my contract. I said because they didn’t seem to do the work, that the apparent objective was to sign people to “routes” for technicians which would do fly-by applications at any time of the year. Terminix offered to send someone to remedy the problem, at their expense. I said okay, I’ll give it a shot. Four months went by and then one day a guy comes to treat the house. This was supposed to be the “remedial” treatment. Later, Terminix sent me a bill for $65 for this treatment that was “on them.”
It’s pretty clear the whole service contract concept is a scam. From now on, I’m using local guys that get paid each time they come out; if they don’t do a good job, they don’t get more work. After reading the prolific complaints on this web site, I’m afraid I may end up paying the $65. Fighting these people is not worth the hassle or the potential jeopardy to my credit rating. Twice their service representatives have said the $65 fee would be canceled, and I keep getting bills. This company is truly a nightmare.
Georgia - 1/01. Last March, I had to put a drain along side my house to keep water from entering my home on rainy days. Dirt had to be moved, which disturbed the chemical barrier. I informed Terminix about this change to my property. Since then, I have battled Terminix to have the framing around my front door replaced due to termite damage. Terminix chemically treated this area five times since ‘97 in which the termites returned every year. Even though termites were swarming from above the door, Terminix’s stand was that there was no damage to repair or replace. After six months, I finally prevailed and the area damaged was entirely replaced with new materials, about $1500 worth of repair. Yesterday, I received a letter from the branch manager stating because I installed a drain, Terminix will not be able to chemically retreat that area because the chemical will wash away. This letter arrived six months after initially informing them of the drain being installed. I was told the only option is to install the baiting system for $2,300. This is only for 210 linear feet. The price is double what other companies quoted me in the past and three times more than what Terminix quoted me a year or two ago. My plan has been canceled until I make my decision. It is obvious that because I pushed to have damage repaired, the company is trying to force me to choose another company to do business with. With the struggles I have had with Terminix, I am planning on doing business with someone else anyway. I plan on writing the branch manager to have the three remaining months of my contract refunded and to express my objection to their shady business tactics. I am going to forward a copy of this letter to local consumer protection agencies, the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs, the State Department of Agriculture, the Better Business Bureau, and the CEO for Terminix International.
North Carolina - 12/00. In 1993, we began to have our home treated by Terminix for routine pest control. When the applicator arrived, I explained that I had a toddler and wanted to know if we should leave the house while he sprayed, or if I should open the windows, or pick up her toys before he came. His answer was, “no, this is perfectly safe. All I’m using is Diazinon. It’s okay.” Of course, after doing the research I’ve done since then, I know this was not true.
My family had a termite treatment by Terminix in 1997. Our home was on a slab. The carpeting was pulled back on the inside around the perimeter of the home. (One of the applicators called my attention to a crack in the slab on the interior of the house, in the hallway.) Drill holes were installed, and the termiticide was applied around the perimeter. The holes were then covered with cement, and the carpet put back. More holes were drilled on the exterior and termiticide applied. I was allowed to stay in the house during the drilling and application. I was even vacuuming dust from the drilling. We were asked to leave for four hours.
I experienced nausea for days after the treatment. When I called Terminix about this, I was told a manager would have to return my call. No one ever called me back. I felt silly, so I just dropped it. The pesticide odor persisted for about a month; and after that, every time the dishwasher ran, the odor returned. As time passed, I experienced more problems. I never related them to the treatment. Memory problems, concentration, blurred vision, insomnia, irritability, depression, chronic fatigue, tingling in my leg, and palpitations. In 1998, I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and became disabled. When I finally realized my illness could possibly be related to the termite treatment, I called and asked Terminix to send me an MSDS on the product used. They sent me a sheet on Equity (chlorpyrifos). I contacted the NC Dept. of Agriculture. When they contacted Terminix, they were told they had lost my termite records, even though they are supposed to keep them for two years. (They were cited for this violation -- big deal!) I wonder why they still had my records from 1993 on our routine pest control?
My six year old daughter began to experience chronic fatigue, insomnia, stomach pain, anxiety, and seems to be developing multiple chemical sensitivity. After the research I’ve done on pesticides, I realize the significance of the crack in the slab. Termiticides are not allowed in unvented crawl spaces because the vapors can seep up into the house through cracks in the flooring. Terminix applied the termiticide into my unvented slab, and the vapors seeped up into the house through the crack in the slab. The applicator should have known better.We eventually moved from that home, before we realized our illnesses were related to the treatment. Three years after our treatment, we sent eight items (kitchen mitt, vanity skirt, shirts, dresses, underwear, socks) to a lab for chemical analysis for pesticides. All eight items contained chlorpyrifos three years after application. The toxicologist who performed the tests stated there was a high probability all the fabric items we brought from our home contained the pesticide residual. We subsequently have had to replace everything. In my eyes, Terminix was negligent in several areas:
They gave us no information on the chemical they were applying or what health issues to watch for. They neglected to return a phone call regarding an ill effect from their application. They “lost” our records. They applied the treatment in a compromised area that could contaminate the house.
If I had known the nausea was caused by the pesticide used, I would have gotten my family out of the house and left. I was not given the proper information to make that vital decision. Therefore, we stayed; and our home became our gas chamber. We were slowly poisoned. My life and the lives of my family have forever been changed, courtesy of Terminix.
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