Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/24/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  ****** infestation;letter included

  Business Response

  Date: 09/21/2023

  Rentokil/ Allied acquired this contract from a pest control company purchased previously, but a note on the computer said initial treatment was **** and treatment was for  ******************* house at ***************************** in **** for "eastern Subterranean termites", the local native species in this area. That agreement was to treat the structure, and warranty any new infestation for which we would retreat the area to maintain control as long as the agreement was in effect. After the first initial treatment, the owner may continue or renew the agreement at her option each year for the oncoming year. This has been done since that initial treatment with an annual inspection and any retreatments needed to maintain control. Due to the age of the original signed agreement and the file systems, handwritten and/or computer, there is no remaining copy of the contract to be viewed. However, Allied  has continued the control agreement for these years. Allied also offers  an agreement to repair of damages if the structure qualifies which this one, due to age, would not. On or around August 15 2023, Allied got a call from *************** about same infestation and damage that her handyman found while doing repairs to the roof line and fascia. I inspected the damage, no one was there but a neighbor known to her accompanied me around the house. The upper fascia, from lower side of roof upward to the peak, was infested with ********* bees which had bored into the board and laid eggs to develop, thus damaging the wood. Woodpeckers had discovered the galleries and had pecked into the wood to eat the developing larvae, thus damaging the wood further. On the other side of the house was old roofing at the edge of the shingles, damaged by water, rain, and had begun to rot with wood decaying fungi or water rot. ********* ants had infested the damaged wood trim and decking under the shingles and they had produced winged swarmer ants, which to the general public may resemble swarming termites. On a second inspection with *************** and her handyman present, I pointed out to *************** and to her handyman, the differences in morphology (body structure) of ants vs termites and how each was significant. I have pictures of the ants. The handyman remarked that he had called these swarmers "termites" all his life.  ********* Ants do not eat wood but excavate into usually damaged wood in which to live. The comment about "spraying every 20 years" was explaining after the original treatment  any retreatment necessary to control an infestation, new or old, would be done as necessary and most control chemicals may last 10 years or longer even past 20 years, due to the environmental conditions, age and condition of weathering of the structure, soil condition and type chemicals used.  Almost all pest Control companies inspect the house annually  (required by most State Depts of Agriculture), and evaluate its condition as to whether or not to retreat any areas. No termite problems have been seen and no treatments have been needed.  We have seen no infestation of termites and the warranty covers only eastern subterranean termites. Along with C Bees, C ants, there are several other insects that damage wood homes, such as wood boring beetles, powder post beetles as many have seen in barn boards, as well as other species of termites, not usually found in this area, such as Drywood Termites and Formosean Termites. The presence of all of these pests are noted during annual inspections if seen.