Watsonville, California - 9/06. I am dealing with these idiots right now.  I inherited them when they bought out the local company, which wasn't any good either. When I moved, I tried to transfer service to the new house and that got all screwed up so I just decided fine I'll just cancel it. Well a month or 2 later I get something saying they in fact had transferred it. Nobody ever showed up. We did all this in July, well the next March some guy shows up to do service.  I told him we wanted nothing to do with them and do not spray.  He said no problem we will remove you.  Well Im sure you can guess I got a bill for $70.00 for the service they never performed.  I called , they said no problem we will clear it up. Once again Im sure you can guess I kept getting bills and kept calling and being told no problem. Well now it’s in collection. I called the collection company and they put me on 3-way calling with Terminix. The Terminix employee said that they showed I had been credited $70.00. I asked how I could be credited money that I never paid in the first place.  He said he didn't know but that they showed I didn’t owe them money.  I then asked him if I didn’t owe money then why the hell was I on the phone talking to him through their collection agency. He had no answer for that but told me and the collection agency employee that he would immediately fax over a statement saying I owed nothing.  Well as you can guess we are still getting calls from the collection agency. I called this morning and was told that they had sent a letter to the collection agency saying I had a credit and didn't owe them, and that they would send over a fax. Hmmm where have I heard that before?  This is the kind of incompetence you can expect from Terminix.

Massapequa, New York - 9/06. My wife and I have recently experienced a very disturbing situation with the Melville NY management team member, Stephen Florio. The problem came about when we were serviced and billed after cancelling our service contract several months ago. We contacted the Terminix office to inquire and were treated harshly by a customer service representative.  We asked to speak with a manager, and Mr. Florio got on the phone and was extremely hostile from the beginining. Both my wife and I had a lengthy conversation attempting to understand why Terminix had not properly cancelled our contract and why are we still being billed for services.  We also explained that the Terminix field technician entered our property and opened closed gates without permission when we were not home. At this time, Mr. Florio became increasingly nasty and called my wife and me liars and threatened to send us to a collections agency if we did not pay the service charges. I have contacted the Terminix executive complaint line and have been told that they contacted a Mr. James Jacobs at the Melville NY office and he felt that no investigation or disciplinary action will be taken against Mr. Florio for his behavior and treatment of a Terminix customer. I hope you understand that an employee like Mr. Florio does not enchance the corporate image of Terminix.

Huntsville, Alabama - 8/06. Do you have any complaints concerning Mid-South of Huntsville, Alabama? When I purchased my home in Feb 2003, they were listed as the company holding the termite bond.  They came out shortly thereafter and wanted to put in the bait system (which they did).  At no time did they enter my home for inspection. Within the first 6 months of ownership, I discovered live termites coming through a small hole in my bathroom. I immediately called them, they came out, looked at the one place I pointed out to them, agreed I had termites and treated that one area by drilling holes in the brick foundation (home is on a slab), and injecting some sort of chemical.  I was/am continually looking for signs of termites. I noticed a few dark spots where the ceiling meets the outside wall in my living room, called them again. They came out and treated that one area again.

The most recent problem was when I was cleaning my dining area (open area next to my living area -- same wall as living room area mentioned before -- I noticed the framing around the window was “wrinkled,” I pulled the curtain back and guess what?  More termite damage.  I called AGAIN and demanded they send someone out immediately.  They sent a carpenter out first to replace the frame. The carpenter told me that they (Mid-South) had fired a couple of guys earlier because they had discovered that the guys were not actually inspecting the properties.  I asked the carpenter if he knew if my home had been treated for termites before I bought the house, he said that he had.  There was nothing revealed at the house inspection prior to purchase, documentations or from Mid-South indicating prior infestation(s). The house was less than a year old when I purchased it.  I have a feeling now that that is why the people I bought the house from sold it.  Mid-South showed up, checked the window area and said that the damage was old and there was no activity.  I pointed out a couple of tiny dark spots on the adjacent wall, they assured me that there was no damage to any other wall.  Again -- they did not check the entire house saying that the treatment they were going to do would take care of any existing infestation.   This time they treated the entire house, drilling the holes in the foundation. That was in April 2006.

This week (Aug 22), I noticed the familiar dark spots where the ceiling meets the outside wall in the dining area (above the window frame mentioned above).  I tried for 2 days to reach Mid-South to see when I was scheduled for my next inspection (realizing it had been more than 90 days when they had been out).  The phone was continually busy. On Aug. 24, I called the phone number listed in my address book (different from # in the yellow pages). A lady answered and said that I wasn’t listed as one of their clients.  I asked if they were located at (gave her the address where I had made my payments), she said no then asked me if I was trying to reach Mid South of Terminex. I said Mid South and then she informed me that they had taken over / bought out Mid South. They then put me on hold for over 20 minutes, then came back on and told me that they couldn’t tell me anything until they talked to someone!!! I asked her if Mid-South no longer existed and she said yes, they had gone out of business.  She said she couldn’t guarantee me that they would be able to cover my house since they had found that Mid-South had some “shady dealings.”  She assured me she would call me back today and let me know what is happening but she hasn’t. I just called the phone number where I had reached Terminex (old Mid-South phone number) and the number has been “temporarily disconnected” “no additional information is available.”  This is my first experience with homeownership.  I didn’t realize until I read your information that these folks are regulated by the state. I have checked the BBB and they are not listed as a client.

Salt Lake City, Utah - 8/06. I talked with one of the Salt Lake City Terminix sales representatives 2 or 3 times in deciding to accept their service.  While I considered getting just one or two visits, he talked me into paying for 1 year of service in advance, but NEVER said anything about a monthly renewing contract. When he came out and had my wife pay and sign the contract, it stated that the service would renew unless cancelled after 12 months. They never emphasized this to me or my wife. So now they came out to our house after the 12 months and are forcing us to pay for an extra visit.  Despite their "satisfaction guarantee"--they will not refund for a visit we never called to schedule or even that we never asked them to come for. I would strongly recommend to anyone looking for a pest control company to look for a different company than Terminix.

San Antonio, Texas - 8/06. I had termite service from Terminix in San Antonio, Texas. A termite repair claim was submitted on May 17, 2006; and as of August 10, 2006, it was still unpaid.  I had spoken to the customer supervisor multiple times during this time period and given assurance the payment would arrive within days, however on August 9, 2002, I was told by an accounting staff member that the claim was never processed. I then spoke to the San Antonio office manager and was told the problem was a simple error and the payment will take more time, perhaps two additional weeks.  I asked for compensation for this "error" and was told he would give me interest according to a bank savings account which would be about $5.00.  I will no longer do business with this company, and I would urge others to do the same.

Florida - 8/06. I cancelled my Terminix account in February of 2006 for nonservice.  I found termites in my home, and all they did was sprayed outside when no one was home.  I got a bill for service after the cancelation; and even though I felt cheated, I paid it to get rid of them. Now (August), I get a letter from a collection agency that I owe $97.  I called Teminix to complain, was asked for a cancelation number???, put on hold for 10 minutes and finally told that the account was canceled and paid and that they will call the collection company.  No I'm sorry or anything like that. No last name of the person I spoke with, no cancelation number.  I called the collection company to tell them the debt is not valid, they said ok but who knows what will happen.  I will check my credit in a couple of weeks and see if it's there.

Alabama - 8/06. This company DOES NOT do what they say they will do... no if’s, and’s or but’s.  I have been waiting 4 months for Terminix to rid me of a roach problem.  They don’t show up when they say they will, don’t call when they say they will, don’t spray when and where they say they will. TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE COMPANY.

San Antonio, Texas - 8/06. Received notice(s) about FREE OF CHARGE upgrade on my termite bait system; contacted Terminix at least 5 times during a 2 month period, with absolutely no results. I will not be using Terminix when my contract expires. Word of mouth is the best and WORST advertising and Terminix has certainly got my service FREE OF CHARGE!

Amelia Island, Florida - 8/06. Just received a letter from Terminix wanting to discontinue service to my Centracon system and give me two options. 1-Terminix advanced bait system or 2-Terminix Liquid Defend System. They don't explain either one, but give a number to call.  Am I in for a scam here.  Their web site says nothing about this change.

Webmistress Note:  I heard Dow sued Terminix, and Sentricon is manufactured by Dow. Also, it's easier for customers to know if bait stations are checked rather than if a pesticide (correctly or incorrectly applied), just water, or nothing at all has been applied.  Dow did not respond to my request for confirmation or denial of a lawsuit against Terminix.

Duncanville, Texas - 8/06. My issues were minor, but I am still angry. I see their M.O. is to lie, lie, lie.

North Carolina - 7/06. I have had a contract with Terminix for about a  year, and the company has been nothing but trouble for me from the very  beginning. As a new home owner, I felt it was important to protect my equity, so when I noticed a termite swarm in the backyard, I decided it might not be a bad idea to invest in a pest protection plan. Unfortunately,  the only exposure I had to Termnix at the time was through its commercials.  I had no idea that their track record was so abysmal, and now I can only wish that I had discovered this site before I made that phone call. From the start, it's been obvious that our local Terminix office doesn't coordinate its account records with the corporate office, and that the company is all about the sale and not the service. Isigned up for a specific payment  plan, $94.61 a month for two years with a $300 downpayment, and was given a coupon book with one coupon for each month of my 2-year contract.  I was called  by a rep from the local office who reviewed my contract with me, and led me to believe that $94.61 a month for two years was all I would have to pay. Then I began receiving statement after statement, sometimes as many as four in one day, saying that I owed varying amounts from $9 up to almost $200. I  contacted the local office about the issue and was told to ignore the statements that I was receiving and simply continue to make payments with my coupon book.

Then came the ants...an  entire horde of black ants crawling from a tree trunk next to the house, up the wall and into my guest bathroom. Naturally, I called Terminix to have the problem eradicated, but the technician I spoke to acted like my call was an imposition, and took a very condescending tone with me on the phone and in person when he showed up for five minutes and squirted a little gel bait around  the bathroom window.  $94.61 every month, and all I get is five minutes of attitude and a quick spray of gel bait? I called to report my dissatisfaction, but was forced to leave a message for the manager who was conveniently not there and never returned my phone call. Hey, it stinks, but I signed a contract so what can I do?

That brings us to today. I've been making my payments on time for a full year, and this month was no exception, so naturally I was suprised to receive a phone call from Terminix Corporate earlier today. The representative told me that I was overdue for a payment of $75 for this quarter of pest control service. Apparently, the pest control portion of my plan was only financed for the first year, and my subscription had automatically renewed as of the fifth of this month, July 2006.  It would have been nice to review my contract with the rep on the phone to clarify my shock and confusion, but surprise surprise, she doesn't have a copy of my contract.  Here's a question for you: If I have more information about my account in my hand than you have in your computer, why are you calling me to begin with?  And secondly: If you don't have my contract and can't help me, why is your phone number printed on all the crazy, incorrect statements I've received? Luckily for her, I subscribe to the kill them with kindness theory, so I tried to clarify the details of my account by mentioning my coupon book, clearly laying out my payments of $94.61 a month for two years. Get this!  The representative told me that they don't even use coupon books anymore...at least she doesn't think so, and she'll have to run this issue by her manager, who was conveniently out of the office. She promised me she'd call back with an answer before Terminix Corporate closed at 8:00 PM, but that was over half an hour ago, so I don't expect a call back. I do, however, expect the whole miserable experience to start all over again when I call tomorrow. As far as I'm concerned, what really needs exterminating isn't the ants parading across my bathroom window sill, it's Terminix and their lousy customer service, nasty attitude, and deceitful business practices.

Tennessee - 7/06. Terminix has written me that they have sent my account to collections, even though NO SERVICE WAS EVER PERFORMED but an ESTIMATE.  The "ESTIMATE" evidently cost me $150 and they NEVER did ANY TYPE OF SERVICE.

Alabama - 7/06. I'm waiting to see what happens with Terminix, but we are having a problem with them wanting to do the repairs on my home that has been covered by them for at least ten years.  The Better Business Bureaus, contrary to what most people think, are a for-profit company; and if the company pays the yearly fee to them, their client (Terminix) is given a chance to answer the complaints against them. The answer can be that we have repeatedly tried to settle with this client or perhaps we are in contact with them or something like that. The BBB will then not give out that people are having problems with them.  If you are a small company and do not join the BBB (by paying yearly fees) anyone calling about your company will be told they know nothing about you and recommmend that you not use anyone like that...even if you were a previous client...and they had your information.  The BBB has given good recommendations for years to people who later found out that there were multiple lawsuits about a particular company.  The complaints were not on file even though the customer filed one himself....so that's no surprise that they are no help.

New Hampshire - 7/19/06.  I want to notify you of difficulties I have been having getting a response from Terminix, NH.  I have prepaid for a service contract due to a carpenter ant infestation; I think I have a reinfestation. I have been calling for service since 7/15 and have not gotten any assistance.

Palm Coast, Florida - 6/06. Terminix has been treatimg my home for one (1) month to abate a tix problem. On Tuesday, my home was inspected for the third (3rd) time and I received a written report that declared the house free of live tics; endorsed the return of my dog and ok'd the commencement of my cleaning service only to discover live tics crawling up the walls in two (2) rooms on Thursday. I called and today the technician was sent to my home to place insect monitoring strips in several locations and was in fact, lifting tics onto her finger and putting them on the sticky surface as she placed the ugly white containers throughout my family room, dinette and entrance foyer. I'M AT MY WITS END AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I HAVE AN ANNUAL CONTRACT WITH TERMINIX WHICH WILL NOT, I REPEAT NOT BE EXTENDED ANOTHER YEAR.

? - 6/06. Terminix offers free termite inspection by phone to me if I sign up for a one-year pest control contract.  Both service was done on the same day, and I paid the initial deposit of $162.56 which included tax for the pest control as per my contract.  However they applied that money to the termite inspection even though my contract states termite inspection is free.  Now they have been billing me and calling my home stating the termite inspection was not free and I must pay $162.56 for pest control.  My contract says it all and it is in my favor, they have made an error and refuse to acknowledge this.  I am sorry I went with such an unscrupulous company.  I am upset because of the shady business practice and the principle.