Pennsylvania - 7/01. My house was originally treated in April 1996. I have paid yearly for new contracts since then.  They state they provide for yearly inspections. I’m not sure what they inspect, but it surely is not my house. I recently started to paint and repair the outside of my wood clapboard home.  I have found live termites eating away at my siding.  This was after the yearly inspection, which, by the way, took nearly two months before they managed to find time to do it. My mother placed a call to Terminix when I found the little buggers; and Terminix didn’t bother to thoroughly inspect, but just spot treated and left.  Then, less than three days later, I inspected the monitoring sticks myself and found they were being munched on at the different side of the house.  I also found tubes in my basement!!  The guy that treated the house stated he didn’t feel that spot treating would do any good at all and that either completely retreating the whole house or using the Sentricon around the entire house was the only way to help eliminate or minimize damage. However, he wasn’t allowed to treat the house the way he thought it should be treated; because he was told by the manager to only spot treat.

After talking to my mother, who was here during the spot treatment, I placed a call to Terminix myself and spoke to the regional manager or sales rep or whatever his title is.  He asked me if we needed more monitoring stations. I told this guy point blank that I wanted something done to ensure the termites would not cause any damage or he would be replacing the siding on my house. He stated he would send the treatment specialist out and take care of it. Needless to say, the treatment guy only spot treated and placed six or seven Sentricon stations on one side of the house! Again, the specialist stated he didn’t feel it would be thorough enough.  Despite his recommendations to the regional manager, he was told only to treat minimally.

Well, I just came from my basement; and there was a pile (hundreds) of termites hanging out in one spot in front of the wood paneling -- they got through.  Some were coming up from the cement floor, right next to the holes that were drilled into the cement during the original treatment five years ago. My brother, who also owns this home, is a lawyer as is his wife. He is seriously considering litigation because the termites are going to destroy his boyhood home. I am now going to put all my requests in writing. I am also going to send a complaint to every consumer advocates group I can get my hands on; and if I am not satisfied in the next two weeks, I am going to hire another company, then I will be sending the bill to Terminix.  Please submit this complaint to whomever on behalf of my grandfather, James Murphy, who lived and died in this house, and whose home I am trying to save.

Pennsylvania - 7/01. Terminix was hired to remove an infestation of termites in my parents’ home in 2000. The job was half done; and in a report that was done for the service, a Terminix employee marked that there was “No Activity Present,” which was not true. The termites have destroyed part of the foundation to their home, and Terminix was supposed to return to start repairs to replace any damage done. This has not been done, and they have not heard from Terminix. Phone calls go unanswered, and no one will return to their home to start any work.

Virginia - 7/01. I have been with Terminix for four years; and they are, without a doubt, the most useless company I have ever dealt with!  Every spring, I get swarmers that faithfully come out in the back of my house.  Terminix has treated the whole house, and they’ve “spot” treated, to no avail.  On any given day, I can show them active termites. Yes, the little white bugs... 6” from my house in the backyard; and this year in April, the technician that came to apply a spot treatment for the swarmers said he has NEVER seen active termites like that before!  He said I am the perfect candidate for the buried bait traps, and he would  have a salesman call me the next day. Well, this is July, and NO ONE has called.  You know why? Because two years ago, I had swarmers and showed a technician the same group of active termites, and he also said he would have a salesman call me. Well, the salesman did, BUT, he apologized totally to me because I am a current customer of TERMINIX; therefore, I am NOT eligible for the BAIT TRAPS!!!  What kind of a deal is this?  And I pay $97 a year for what service? Obviously, it must be in my file that I am not eligible for it, therefore, NO ONE returns my calls.

About two years ago, there was damage to my back door. They reluctantly sent a carpenter out to replace only one side of the door jamb, even though both sides had damage. Well, the carpenter did NOT do a good job, nor finish the job. I have an air leak around the door now; and it’s on the North side of my house.  When the cold wind blows, you know it, cause you can feel it in the kitchen. I called my local Terminix office, and they told me I had to call the Greensboro NC office to get a carpenter to come out and fix the problem.  The Greensboro office said NO, it has to go through your local office. I called them back and was told Victor, the manager, would contact me. Victor never did.  I called daily, sometimes twice daily, and never got hold of Victor.  I left my complaints with the receptionist concerning the active termites and the shoddy repair job, but no one has called back.

I got my annual bill for $97 and didn’t pay it this year, because I am so fed up with Terminix and this manager named Victor. I called them and told them I’m not going to pay it until someone comes out and addresses the active termites so near to my house! Of course, the receptionist said Victor would return the call; but he hasn’t. I got another bill last week because I obviously must have forgotten to pay the $97 when they told me to the previous month!!  I called back again; and, of course, no response.  Good luck to you all in dealing with such a pathetic company as Terminix.

Alabama - 7/01. I wish I could post my complaint, but I have been in a law suit against Terminix for almost three years now.  My story is almost the same as yours. We don’t think they even did inspect. We are almost at the end of our rope.

Texas - 7/01. I used Terminix for one treatment and then could not get response or them back to residence. They were extremely rude and condescending, informing me it took five weeks to rid residence of sand fleas. Did finally get someone back out five weeks later, but he didn’t have the chemicals on the truck and said he would have to reschedule. Since, they offered to reimburse our payment but sent another bill instead. I have never filed a complaint online, and I hope I have saved someone from being ripped off. I assumed this would be a good company to go through because they are such a large company worldwide.

Pennsylvania - 7/01. I wish I had seen this web site before 3/31/01.  That’s when I signed a contract with Terminix.  I’m currently having problems with their services.  I will return later to tell my story.

Alabama - 6/01.   YES YES YES!!!!  Terminix is a horrible company to deal with.  I unfortunately have a Terminix bond that was done in 1998.  It cost $650 to have them come and do our bond with the liquid plan. I pay $125 each year for renewal.  This January, I renewed my bond and sent in my check for them to come and inspect. At the time, I was having a sunroom put on my home.  I did not hear from them in Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr; and finally, in May, I called them to come out to the house.  Our sunroom/deck was finished the first week in May.  My renewal contract expired in April.  The inspector came May 9 and said everything was fine; but we needed to treat the deck area around the new sunroom, and it would cost $250.  He then brought his supervisor around, and they said that because they couldn’t treat the 27 ft. where the deck was, we had two options: buy the bait system or have the contractor come out and pull up the boards so they can treat under them.

We said we didn’t want the bait system and asked for them to get a second option.  They came and took pictures and sent them to John Fullerton, Region Service Manager in GA. Last week, I talked to my contractor; and for a fee, he is willing to pull up enough of the composite decking so they can treat the 27 ft. of the sunroom. Today, I received a letter from Mr. Fullerton, saying after reviewing the photos, we either take the baiting system at $400 installation fee and $300 every year thereafter or they will terminate my contract.  I called Jeff Arnold from Huntsville and said I had talked to my contractor and what he said; and Mr. Arnold said he isn’t offering the liquid system -- it is either the bait system or terminate the contract. My call to Mr. Fullerton went unanswered.  I have called the Better Business Bureau of Alabama and also the Dept. of Agriculture about Terminix.  They both said they have had many complaints about Terminix. My problem is at this moment unsolved; but let future buyers beware.  Read your Terminix contract before you sign it. They are only out for your money; and if you have problems with them, they are very unwilling to meet you half way.

Virginia - 6/01.   Like an idiot, I signed up with Terminix and paid $150 for my house to be treated for ants.  They never showed up for the initial application and never bothered calling me to inform me they would not be here.  I have asked for my money back, to which they have agreed; but they told me it would take three weeks.  After reading about all the complaints, I don’t have much hope for getting a refund.  Something needs to be done to inform innocent people from getting involved with them.

Tennessee - 6/01. I had seven vents installed around the sub-structure of my home in November of 1999. I paid $280 for this service, and the frames on these vents have fallen off three times from November 1999 to October 2000. I called Terminix again at this time requesting that they correct this problem.  A Terminix representative came out to fix the problem.  He stated the weather was too cold for the silicone to stick and make the frame stay on and that I needed to wait until the weather warmed up to 60 degrees or above.  I called Terminix back in March of 2001.  The representative stated he would come April 14 on his day off and take care of it. On April 14, he was a no show. I thought he must have forgotten, so I will give him another few days. Called back on April 23 and was told the representative who promised to come fix the vents had moved to one of their other companies out of town.  I stated I was going to check and see what my legal options are. The secretary stated she would report this matter to the manager.  On May 8, the manager called me and stated he would send someone to correct the problem. Since May 8, I talked to the manager on May 18 and May 21 and nothing has been done to solve this problem.  I think I have been patient long enough.  [As of June 25,] “I have not heard anything else from Terminix; and the problem has not been resolved.”

California - 6/01. After being told 90 days same as cash, I was turned over to a collection agency.  I have been making payments for their services. Starting balance $1500, balance due $450.  What to do???