Florida - 8/99. We also took a contract with Terminex/Service Master, and have been given the royal shaft. Their promises to do regular inspections of our inground stations have proven to be false. They, of course, deny any such wrongdoings, even though we were able to show such proof.  Station which was broken due to lawn mower mishap was not replaced for nearly two months, and inspections underground which called for removal of their great system (wooden sticks) were not replaced except for once in three months. Their answer to this was they want to make us happy customers and will do anything we want to make us happy. We stated we cannot be satisfied in any manner and the only wish we had that would satisfy us would be to have the contract canceled.  Oh no, was their reply, because it costs them $700 to be licensed to put sticks in the ground.  These sticks are what appear to be their great system. You can buy these sticks at any hardware store!  There is no system, there have been no chemicals used, or anything to monitor the activity of anything living or dead. The only system that seems to be in working order here is the system to rip the public off!!!!!!! They give you the stick, but not where it really belongs...for they should bend over and see just how that stick feels!! According to Terminex and their parent company, ServiceMaster, we are still obligated to pay the remainder of our contract which is another $900 in addition to the $488 that we already gave them.  In retrospect, I can hardly believe I got conned into spending $1252 to have them place these sticks in the ground.

New Jersey - 8/99. I was sent to collection over a bill I never received. I had mailed a check to Terminix on 5-19-99. They never received the payment. I had no reason to think the payment had never arrived until I received the collection notice.  When I spoke to the manager of the branch, he was very aloof.  I explained what happened, and his statement was just pay the bill and we’ll reinstate you. I explained that I had never been to collection and I wanted to pay the branch directly.  Once again, he stated that the policy was to pay the collector first. His indifference to this matter really upset me.  In an industry where you would think customer service was imperative, that they wouldn’t want a good-paying customer to have to shell out $20 to put a stop payment on a check.

California - 7/99. We were robbed by the tech.  It was only $16 out of my wallet left on the counter, but the violation was the disturbing part.  It was incontrovertible yet circumstantial evidence, that even the local PD agreed with.  Yet to add a dimension, the company dispatcher alerted the tech after we called to complain immediately after he left; and despite our request to never have him return, he did just that, to deny his guilt.  Had he been a psychopath as well as a petty thief, we might have been in for far worse than a gainsaying with this criminal. Then to add insult to injury, the manager called us to ask if there’s anything he can do, but then proceeds to defend his tech, saying he couldn’t have possibly done such a thing, basically calling us and the local PD liars.  And what’s more, he doesn’t even offer reparations, just insult.  We’ve warned our neighbors, warn your browsers.

Ohio - 6/99. I’m in the process of terminating my Terminix agreement. They don’t show up, bill for services I don’t think they provided, and, in general, are a bunch of idiots, missing appointments and showing up unannounced to perform services in a half-ass manner. I’m filing a complaint with the BBB in Canton, Ohio, which is their base for Youngstown, Ohio.

Ohio - 6/99. Here is a copy of a letter that I sent to Terminix four times to their Internet site and their address on their advertisements. Come to find out, my neighbors are going through the same thing.

My wife and I have been faithful customers for the past two years in the West Chester, Ohio area.  Approximately January of 1999, your company changed to a new office for our service. After February of this year, your company has missed many appointments and tried to confirm appointments that did not exist for Saturday afternoons. We told the service man that we have had appointments on Fridays for over 1 1/2 years and that is the only time available.  When I called the office, I was told that my service was discontinued after February, that appointments would be set, appointments were set and no one ever showed up... The list goes on and on. I called and talked with the supervisor at the new facility and he told me he would fix everything.  Nothing happened, so I asked for my initial investment of $129 plus tax be returned to me so that I can look for service somewhere else.  He told me, “That’s just not going to happen.”  I then asked to speak with his supervisor over a week ago and have heard nothing from anyone. This is not acceptable in my eyes to be treated so poorly by this one facility should be looked into.  I even called the 800 number to complain and nothing happened. Your Eastgate store did a fine job and had courteous service men come into my home. Please, can I get some assistance or get the people from the Eastgate facility to come back?

Texas - 6/99. My dad and stepmother are on a fixed income with dad on disability.  Terminix assumed the pest control contract from another company that treated the house originally.  Terminix reinspected and gave a clean bill with a letter in the mail and a note on the door (no one in person). Now their entire kitchen floor has been torn out and they have another room to do. The local Terminix guy says that part of the house wasn’t covered by their warranty. They never told anyone about that; and that part of the house was never inspected, and I quote the Terminix guy, “my skinny ‘n-----’ isn’t available to crawl under the house because I don’t do that.”

North Carolina - 6/99. I ran across your web site while I was searching the web for a name and address of a mucky-muck at Terminix to whom I can send a nasty-gram. We are having questionable (and negligent?) service on our Terminix contract; and, to date, I do not believe that I have gotten a reasonable response from the local office.

Texas - 5/99. Our experience began September 22, 1992, with a misapplication of pesticide. The Terminix people were most accommodating until they were able to remove the bulk of the evidence. They indicated they were willing to do whatever it took to make things right, and we naively trusted them.  But when I asked for a meeting with their management to address problems that persisted even after the removal of our carpet, we were told that they would have no further communication with us, that the matter would be referred to their insurance company. The insurance company gave new meaning to the words “no further communication.” Why? Because we had asked the SPCB to investigate, and they knew the so-called “investigation” would result in a finding of “no violation.” They could then hang their claim of “no liability” on that finding.  So for the next five months, every communication with the insurance company was initiated either directly or indirectly by my wife or me.  Not once did they take the initiative to contact us.  The SPCB’s investigation was a joke, and lent itself quite handily to preserve the interests of Terminix.