Illinois - 11/01.  I received a phone call from a Terminix representative informing me the previous representatives in my area had not been properly inspecting houses for the past several years. I have carried a contract with Terminix since February 1992. During this timeframe, I have only had four inspections that I know of. Two of those were requested by me (on one occasion, a termite dropped from my ceiling onto my kitchen counter, the other a swarm came up through my kitchen floor).  The other two inspections were performed while I was at work outside the home (no internal inspection done). Now, this Terminix representative tells me the original representatives I dealt with were fired for improper procedures and not meeting the conditions of contracts. He also tells me that if I want to be covered, I have to purchase a new system.  I already have approximately $1,800 into the existing policy ($1,096 for the initial treatment plus eight years of maintenance contracts).

New Jersey - 11/01.  Had the misfortune to sign with Terminix for one year and am now wondering if it is for life. After their first series of non-returned calls, I hunted them up on the Internet and found you guys -- BRAVE HEARTS you are! Their cute, meaningless clause for “Term” in the contract says “Term - This is a one-year agreement automatically renewed on a service to service basis.” Am I stuck with them forever at the price they choose? (Shiver)

Virginia - 11/01.  I am very upset with Terminix.  We complied with the requirements to terminate our agreement, and they would not honor it.  They served us with suit papers for the “delinquent” policy..

Florida - 11/01.  I have a friend Terminix talked into those termite traps; and when they found termites, charged her a fortune to get rid of them.  She had to take out a second mortgage on the home to pay Terminix after they turned her into collections. This 76 year old widow still has termites, because the Terminix warranty doesn’t cover repairs if conducive conditions (wet damp areas close to the home) were found.

New Jersey - 11/01.  I bought a house in New Jersey two years ago. I used Terminix for the termite inspection.  Terminix and my home inspector checked the crawl space at the same time.  They found a carpenter ant colony on the ground in the crawl space.  It had a couple thousand ants in the nest. The inspector told me Terminix broke the nest and let the carpenter ants scatter away before they treated the nest.  Since then, I keep finding sawdust material and carpenter ants in different spots in the crawl space.

? - 10/01.  I paid in full in advance for one year to have Terminix service to two different homes. Near the end of my year, I received numerous offers from them to renew my service at both homes. I was uninterested, being displeased with their service, and ignored them. Yet at both homes, I received service after my year was up, and now they expect me to pay for service which I did not request. They say it was in the contract that I signed that the service would automatically renew.  This certainly was NOT indicated to me when I agreed to pay for one year of service at either house with two different salesmen. This can’t be an oversight, can it?  In my opinion, it must be their policy to trick people like this.  I think this was underhanded dealing. I think it was obvious I did not wish to continue the service, since I did not renew my contract. Now, they have a bill collection agency involved trying to force me to pay for service that I did not request or want. I plan to do a lot of FREE ADVERTISING for this company and will tell all of my acquaintances just how this company has treated me.

Florida - 9/01. I inherited Terminix when my small, but effective, pest control contractor was acquired.  Since then, I’ve had a myriad of pest control problems, including rodents and termites. I am no expert, but I knew I had termites and repeatedly requested inspections.  These inspections were usually undertaken when I wasn’t at home, and the reports left behind indicated “no live infestation.”  My persistence finally paid when I showed the inspector areas of live infestation.  After paying for a service contract for 11 years, I thought I would finally get the service I had been paying for. The inspection was in June.  I now have an appointment for tenting in late November!

Webmistress suggestion:  For peace of mind, have a locally owned and operated company inspect your home after the tenting -- just in case there are still infestations or there are damages that need fixing per your pest control contract with Terminix.

Illinois - 10/01.  We’ve had termites since 1994.  We started with Economy Pest Control; and when they went out of business, Terminix took over our contract. We’ve had so many re-treats it is not even funny.  One time, my 10-year-old son even found live activity for the Terminix employee who was giving the house her stamp of approval as we spoke.  All they ever wanted to do was re-treat the area with live activity.  We asked them if that just chased the termites to another area. They basically had no answer.  Toward the end of our dealings with them, they tried to clam we should have had some Sentricon baiting system put in; and since we didn’t, they couldn’t help it.  No one had ever even mentioned this to us so how could we have done this?  Thank goodness we didn’t anyway, because it would have just been more money wasted with Terminix.  Anyway, we had MAJOR damages requiring us to remove some siding, a sill, several floor joists, two windows. All of this cost us thousands of dollars.  We have since used the services of a local pest control company. They tell us that our house was never properly treated, and they started from square one.  In 1994, one man came for half a day to treat our house. Last month, two men from our new pest control company spent two days doing the job right.  They say they are willing to stand behind us if we proceed with our case.  Our lawyer tells us any settlement could quickly be eaten up in attorney fees.  I have contacted the Better Business Bureau looking for help.

Louisiana - 10/01.  I entered into an agreement with Terminix for a Termite Protection Plan.  The contract called for monthly inspections throughout the term (12 months).  After a couple of months with no inspections made, I called and spoke with the office.  I was told they had computer problems and did not have me on file for scheduled inspections but would make sure it was corrected and apologized.  They finally came, but not on the date I was told, and performed an inspection -- which I received no information about. Since then, it has been a couple of months and, again, no Terminix. The salesman said they would give me the second year of inspections free for my troubles. I never received anything in writing or any kind of acknowledgement and found out the salesman was no longer with Terminix.  I contacted the office, left messages, and was told I would be contacted but have not been.

Oklahoma - 7/01. I was looking for a way to contact Terminix when I came upon your site.  I was trying to contact them with a complaint because they pulled the same “no fault of Terminix” stuff on me.  I was also out and out lied to on the phone when I had proof of the truth in writing sitting right in front of me.  I didn’t realize I was one of a long line of victims. I e-mailed Terminix to tell them I nor anyone I can influence will ever use their services again!!

Illinois - 7/01. Our complaints don’t measure up to the nightmares of others... but after two $600 bare-floor renovations in the past seven years and after discovering your web site, we’re willing to spend $100 [in Small Claims Court] to at least try to get some of that money back. We TOLD them about the previous problems and pointed it out to the annual inspection person, but it still happened a second time.

Texas - 9/01. I have been with Terminix since Oct 1998 and my annual renewal is coming up ($302). I am VERY unhappy with their service:  not showing when scheduled, not treating areas timely or as agreed. It seems the only way I get results is to get on the phone and complain. I am tired of the hassle and in my case their treatments don't work.  I had activity again this summer inside my house by the front door. The warranty that I paid over $1800 for is a joke. I have now realized how difficult it will be to actually make a claim for damage repair.  I want enough of my initial $1800 refunded so that I can signup with a different company.  I do not trust Terminix anymore and would not recommend them to anyone.

Delaware - 9/01. I am also a Terminix customer who is experiencing no-shows for services. I have both a yearly pest contract and Sentricon stations installed. They do not service at all.  They are pestering me, because I am refusing to pay.

California - 9/01. Over a year ago, Terminix tented my five-unit apartment building and put about 10 “pots” in the ground around the building to control subterranean termite infestation. About two weeks after the tenting, one of my tenants complained about termites in her bathroom.  A Terminix representative came by and checked out the problem.  He stated the reason for that was because of what was supposedly occuring with the subterranean control effort. He promised that someone would work on the problem in the unit and that there would be adequate compensation. Three months have passed.  I have heard nothing from the company regarding that problem.

Terminix eagerly sends bills and reminders.  I spent over $5,000 for the tenting and the supposed subterranean infestation control.  I recently got a bill for the yearly $390 cost for the underground termite control. I called the local Terminix representative to complain that in the past year I have not had any reports on the progress of their efforts at controlling subterranean infestation.  I was told someone would contact me.  Two weeks have gone by and no one from Terminix has bothered to call or write. I am going to cancel the $39 monthly service that I have had for about 10 years. I will also cancel the annual $350 termite control program and the $390 yearly subterranean program.  This company and their service “sucks.”

Tennessee - 9/01. On April 15, 2001, I noticed termites swarming in my house.  I called Terminix who couldn’t get to me for 10 days.  When a technician did arrive, he found what he termed “severe infestation” in my basement in a corridor leading from the front of the house back (about 15 feet, judging from his gestures).  He said he saturated it with spray. I’ve had a consumer protection contract with Terminix in force continuously since I purchased the house in June 1992. I called Terminix out to see about getting the damages repaired.  To make a long story short, my calls were not returned for a period of time until I contacted the Terminix Cares web site. Then I did hear from someone at the branch who came out and told me that the sag in my floor was due to the house settling, that the current termite damage had already been repaired prior to my purchasing the house when old damages was repaired, and lastly that he didn’t think I even had termites.  I again contacted the Terminix Cares Customer Advocate who assured me she would be monitoring my complaint until it was resolved. This time, a “regional manager” was sent out who was very sympathetic. He examined the damage and told me not to worry, that he was sure we could work something out. He asked me for my inspection report when I purchased the house. I found it and faxed it to him. He said hje would be through with his report in two weeks. When I heard nothing by July, I started trying to get in touch with someone.  I have not been able to reach the “regional manager” because nobody seems to know which office he works out of.  I have e-mailed J. Merriam, the “Customer Advocate” three times, but I have received no response.