ComplaintsforPestNow

• Initial Complaint

  06/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I received a "termite warranty invoice" addressed to "**** OR RESIDENT" for $98.00. I have never contacted nor been contacted by the company. I have no account with them, yet there is an account number listed. I called the phone number on the bill ************ but it is not in service. The website and address listed on the bill are consistent with info on the web. One link on the web redirects to a php - ************************************** ************************* - which is a programming tool used by malicious actors for a variety of nefarious activities. This leads me to believe this solicitation is a scam and not a legitimate invoice.

  Business response

  07/04/2023

  Dear BBB

  Thank you for allowing PestNow to respond.  Maybe for good reason the world is consumed by conspiracy theories but a little research could help settle the minds of some of those most concerned.  I have attached the extensive history PestNow has had with this address including the Termite treatment (HTT) performed last year, of which PestNow, as it does thousands in the Metro area, extends a one-year termite warranty that is renewable each year for 98.00, the consumer has a choice to renew the warranty or not over 100,000 customers a year are thankful for the warranty and gladly pay it to termite companies around the Metro area.  This is standard and expected practice for termite treatments.  PestNow is the 30th largest pest control company in the USA with fully functionable website and phone numbers, had the consumer made half an attempt to research the matter this letter and your time would not have been wasted.

  ***************************

  Corporate Director

  PestNow Operations 

  Customer response

  07/10/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  The respondent is unnecessarily insulting and ignorant, and does not address the problems with his company's communication. First, there were no conspiracy theories involved in the making of this complaint - rather years of experience as a cybersecurity specialist who knows the ins and outs of how malicious actors work to obtain user's information (yes, even using poorly designed 'invoices' like those of PestNow). Second, while the respondent has access to their company's records, the recipient does not - something the respondent clearly fails to think through. The recipient's research was limited to general internet searches and calling the phone number listed on the invoice. The arrogance of the respondent to presume otherwise only reveals his unwillingness to see where his company failed in their communications, and further alienates himself from potential clients. No amount of research suffices when the company's communication fails to provide adequate context and facts. Likewise, no amount of insulting the complainant will nullify their failures in communicating. Third, the respondent does not address the fact the listed phone number on the invoice is not in service. A company with no functioning phone number sends a huge red flag to customers, especially those in any security-related job. If a company is legitimate, it should have a working phone so customers can communicate easily with them. If they have no functioning phone number, I will not go to their website (based on my professional experience). Thus my research was further limited by their own failure. Had their phone number worked, I would have been able to resolve this issue without having to go through the BBB for resolution. Finally, if the company is willing to review their poorly written communications, or at least be willing to acknowledge their communication failure, rather than blaming and insulting the recipient, this issue can have resolution.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In April 2022; In the process of purchasing a house, settlement company hired PestNow to conduct a pest inspection. The inspector found no evidence of infestation and I was able to purchase a house. A 1 year warranty was provided by PestNow. I was not aware of the warranty as PestNow did not provide any information about it. I did not even know I had an account.( Account #*******. A few weeks ago, 30 days before the warranty expires I received an invoice in the mail to extend my warranty and service with Pest Now. This was the first time I learned of the warranty I had. Two weeks after purchasing a house in May 2022, I noticed about 100 termite looking bugs on my fireplace mantle. I wnet to ********* and purchased a spay to treat the area. Even more bugs fell out in the following days. PestNow did not find obvious evidence of infestation and did not treat it. They collected the money and simply said the house was clear. While still under warranty I contacted PestNow and requested a technician to come out and access the situation, However no one is coming. Pest Now is wasting time emailing back and forth until the warranty expires in a few days. I am reporting PestNow for negligent inspection and not standing by their promised warranty.

  Business response

  05/10/2023

  Thank you for getting us back involved, I am not sure what the confusion is as you can see via our email transmissions we are trying to accomodate and even extended the consumers warranty three months to make sure no matter what we find he does not fall out of warranty.  We have no problem honoring the warranty or inspecting and providing treatment under that warranty, however, our manager in that area tried to set an appointment up to inspect and evaluate under warranty and for some reason a the consumer has had difficulty making a schedule.  Inspections have to be during our normal inspection working hours Monday thru Friday with our last appointment being 3:00PM to 4:00 PM or anytime during the day before the last appointment.  This should not be an issue, there is no non-compliance as we have offered (per the emails below) several times.

  Give us a date a two-hour arrival window during the working hours provided above and we will make it happen, if treatment is needed, as I said earlier in the email, I will extend the warranty.

  ***************************

  Corporate Director

  PestNow

  Termite warranty account ******
  External
  
  Inbox
  ***** ******** <***************@pestnow.com> Apr 28, 2023, 7:48?AM (12 days ago)
  to ****************, PestNow, ***
  Good morning **********************,
  The administration department sent this issue to me and I have to admit I am trying to unpack not only your issue and why according to your email there is no record of you calling our office to request a warranty inspection or assistance with what you are seeing in regards to infestation.   Regardless, if you are seeing evidence of infestation, and you are correct you are still under warranty, the logical thing to do is request the warranty inspection and let us determine what needs to be done under that warranty.  It is really that simple, "Hello PestNow, I am seeing what I believe to be wood-destroying insects, I am under a termite warranty with PestNow please schedule a warranty inspection for me."  All this other diatribe and rhetoric about reviews and receiving requests to renew your warranty is, as you said, a waste of time.
  So,  that being said, please provide me a date and time with a two-hour arrival window so that we can schedule a warranty inspection and proceed from that point with treatment (if needed) recommendations.
  I look forward to hearing from you.
  Regards,
  ***************************
  Corporate Director
  PestNow
  -------- Forwarded message ---------
  

  From: ******************************<**************************>
  Date: Fri, Apr 28, 2023 at 6:23?AM
  Subject: Re: Termite warranty. Account # ******
  To: info <*********************************************************>
  
  You still can't provide an answer, as to why your tehnician did not see the obvious infestation?  My warranty is still in effect.  Instead of wasting time messaging back and forth; why don't you have a competent technician come out and access the situation? 
  
  ********************************* Fri, Apr 28, 8:31?AM (12 days ago)
  Hello **. ************** Do you have anyone available today (Friday) or tomorrow (Saturday) anytime after 3:30pm? Monday, April 30, the warranty expires. Thank you,***
  
  *************************** Fri, Apr 28, 8:47?AM (12 days ago)
  Thank you for your quick response. I will extend your warranty for three months to make sure we do everything we can once we identify the problem. Rushing an in
  
  
  ********************************** Fri, Apr 28, 9:15?AM (12 days ago)
  Thank you for the extension. I get home at 4pm during the week and home all day on Saturday. On Apr 28, 2023, at 8:47 AM, *************************** <************************************>
  
  *************************** Fri, Apr 28, 10:00?AM (12 days ago)
  I have copied the ********* Branch Manager, **. **, can you go direct with ********************** and let him know the next Saturday you are working, I think a Saturday

  
  ******************* Fri, Apr 28, 11:21?AM (12 days ago)
  ************ replied letting him know I'm working next Saturday and asking him what time I the morning would work best for him. I will let you know how things go. **
  *******************************, Apr 28, 11:36?AM (12 days ago)
  Awesome thanks
  
  ********************************** Apr 28, 2023, 12:34?PM (12 days ago)
  to me, ***
  Thank you **. ***************************** has contacted me and we made arrangements for May 6th.  
  
  Thank you for your help. 
  
  On Apr 28, 2023, at 10:00 AM, *************************** <************************************> wrote:
  
  ***** ******** <************************************> Apr 28, 2023, 12:39?PM (12 days ago)
  to ******
  Excellent, ** has advised as well, I look forward to hearing back from you as well as a report from **.*****
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have repeatedly received deceptive renewal offers designed and phrased to fraudulently suggest that I already owe the renewal amount, that is it past due, or that it is a "final notice." This is a grotesque and vile scam, similar to phony companies putting official-looking logos and names and disguising their offers as legal obligations. I want PestNow to halt this fraud immediately and never contact me again.

  Business response

  04/28/2023

  Please see the attached copy of the termite renewal that is mailed to thousands of customers that have had our service in the past.  In this case the customers home was inspected December 2021 in the process of a Real Estate transaction.  As a result and requests from the thousands of Realtors that use PestNow a termite warranty for one-year is provided at no cost, PestNow performs approximately 3,000 of these inspections a month in the Metro area.  Over 23% of those customers renew their termite warranties, every year, thousands would be extremely misled or unfairly denied coverage if we did not send out the renewal notice reminder.  I am not aware of any company that does not send out renewal notice reminders, the fact it has the renewal price on it does not qualify it as nefarious or worthy of the language used by the complaint in this matter.  This process has been done to protect our customers in the Metro area for over twenty years, the renewals are generated by our data system and not meant to do anything but remind our customers the warranty renewal is coming up or expired.  The customer has the choice to renew the warranty or to decline, assuming they read the renewal notice this is clearly not a bill for service. 

  Customer response

  05/10/2023

  [To assist ** in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because it is a blatant lie. The mailer literally reads "PAST DUE / FINAL NOTICE" in a bright red box and provides the cost of renewal as the "Amount Past Due." The business claims that this is merely a helpful reminder that the recipient has the option to renew service, but it is completely obvious that the intent is to deceive and scare homeowners who don't understand the fine print. This is tailor-made to trick them into entering into a contract when they mistakenly believe they're merely discharging a debt before it damages their credit. This is not only ethically despicable, but may expose them to civil liability for deceptive trade practices. See MD. Commercial Law Code 13-301(9)(i).
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

  Business response

  05/12/2023

  Fact, the house had a one-year renewable termite warranty (please see the documents we provided disproving the consumers first allegation that PestNow had never done any service on the house) on it as do tens of thousands of homes for the last twenty years in this Metro area.  Fact, the warranty was or did lapse and PestNow for the last twenty years for tens of thousands of customers are sent this notice and most if not all appreciate the reminder and either pay it to retain the warranty (most do as they value the warranty) and those that do not do not pay it.  In twenty-years, of the tens of thousands we send out every month every year, this is the only customer that has ever observed this normal warranty renewal (same practice nation wide for all companies like ours)+ as a "lie" or a "trick".  There are people, I am told that have delusionary conspiracy syndrome that see every thing as a conspiracy or attempt to trick others, if that is the case, and I am not stating it is, but if that is the case there is nothing we as a company or you as the BBB can do to ease this consumers mind or satisfy their delusions.  We have provided the facts in documents and provided ample explanation.  Thank you for giving us a chance to respond

  ***************************, Corporate Director PestNow

  Customer response

  05/15/2023

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because "everyone else commits fraud, too" is not a valid defense. ******************** is a liar, and I do not believe for a second that he is unaware that "PAST DUE / FINAL NOTICE" is misleading and deceptive. He can make absurd insinuations about my mental health, but his dishonesty and lack of integrity are on full display. If he is committed to fraud because he can't stand on his merits, then I'll be satisfied if I am never contacted again by PestNow.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***************************
  

• Initial Complaint

  10/07/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On Oct 5, 2022 I received a bill addressed to "resident" claiming my property has a contract with this company, and they just performed termite spraying, and here is your bill for $98.00. One, I do not have a contract with this company, and if they had one with the prior owner they did not address it to her. Two, I have cameras on my property and I can guarantee that no one came to my home and did any termite spraying. I would like this company to not send any future bills to my house, and to not contact me again. note that I did attempt to let them know about this but they did not respond.

  Business response

  10/10/2022

  The complainant has not read the document she received and is wrong on several accounts with respect.

  1- PestNow did perform a service at that address in October of 2021 a WDI inspection was performed at the request of settlement attorneys and Realtors for the purchase of the home.  The fees for that inspection was paid from the settlement and as a result, as PestNow has done for over three decades,  a termite warranty was placed on the structure as we do for over three thousand homes a month in the metro area.  The warranty is for one year.

  2- At the end of the warranty year our customers receive a renewal notice for $98.00 should they wish to renew the termite warranty policy.  The customer may decline the offer or pay to keep the warranty.  In this case the warranty expires at the end of the month, thus a renewal notice was sent for $98.00 should the customer wish to keep the warranty.

  I have attached a copy of the original inspection, the invoice for that inspection and the warranty with the expiration date as well as a renewal notice for 98.00

  I believe this will completely resolve this issue.

  Rusty M***********

  PestNow Operations

• Initial Complaint

  03/26/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My granddaughter signed me up for services with Pest Now and the service was $125 when they came out and for quarterly, we advised them in the beginning that we would call quarterly to set up appts because I cannot walk and I'm partially deaf so someone would have to be here to let them in. I had a mice problem inside so that's where the treatment was. Pest Now came in my home on the initial visit to place traps since then I haven't scheduled but I'm constantly getting bills. I called yesterday and they asked did I call to cancel the appts. I advised them I never scheduled they said they were coming to spray the outside. I didn't agree to do the outside only but inside. So now I'm being billed for services to treat outside when the issue is inside. I have attached an email that shows all the emails pest ow has sent me. Never received anything showing they came out to even spray the outside.

  Business response

  03/30/2022

  At first it appeared to be a lack of understanding or communication but looking into the case it appears to simply be a case of obtaining service with no intention of paying.  The complainant requested pest service, received it and signed an agreement for quarterly pest control

  Normally, when there is mis-communication the customer does not realize they are actually on a quarterly service which for two decades we have serviced the metro area with our quarterly treatments, exterior only at times with interior on request, our most popular service.  When there is a misunderstanding the consumer calls and states they are being charged for something they did not agree to despite the fact they signed for it.  Completely understandable people do not always read what they are signing, as long as they paid for the first service and they only took one of the quarterlies we write off the charge it happens.

  In this case the consumer took the first treatment, signed for it and NEVER PAID, then took a full years worth of treatments despite bills being placed on the front door and email / mail being sent, never called in to complain.  This is, in our opinion, not a case of misunderstanding, this is a case to avoid ANY payment.

  In the interest of good faith business we would consider, if the consumer paid the first service and the second follow up we would write off the last two services, other than that this will remain a matter and record of bad debt.

  See attached signed quarterly contract and agreement signed for by the consumer.

  Customer response

  04/05/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:nothing was ever left at my front door I have cameras and if need be we can take this to court. I will

  only pay for the first service I authorized 
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************

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