Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  08/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Peat Bear billed us for an unauthorized service after we had cancelled our contract. They were supposed to have a manager come out and discuss our issues and in turn we could decide if we wanted to reverse the cancellation. Instead they did not have a manager come out because someone named ***** decided something else was more important than honoring a commitment made to a customer and the tech apparently at least according to pest bear decided to service our home without our authorization. We called to dispute but ***** was arrogant and quoted inaccurate information regarding any service reinstatement. We ant a full refund of the $124.80 that was billed to our credit card. It is possible that we are experiencing elderly abuse by this company

  Customer response

  09/01/2022

  The company has not reached out to us about this complaint. Given their arrogant response when we called them the first time I don't expect that they will.

  Business response

  09/13/2022

  Elderly abuse? We have had a relationship with this customer since February of 2021. The customer has an insurance warranty with us for termites. That service is charged every quarter to keep insurance active. I do see that the customer has been credited in the past and it this time I believe we can no longer obtain a relationship with this customer and their expectations. 

  Customer response

  09/14/2022

   
  Complaint: 17895691
  
  I am rejecting this response because the issue is fraudulent billing and we believe because we are elderly they think they can take advantage of us we told them we canceled the service. They asked if they could aend a manager to speak with us to see if we would consider continuing the service. We allowed that but the manager decided he had more  important things to do and did bot show up. They instead sent a tech and he decided he would ignore our cancellation and apparently although not verified by us treat our property. 

  They had no authority to provide treatment. They failed to comply with their commitment to have a manager on site to speak with us BEFORE any continuation of any service. Then they billed us which we reject. They also lied and stated that we agrees to restore service.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  08/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been a customer with Pest Bear for several years. Initially both lawn and pest care, but after the quality of lawn eroded and service techs seemingly changed monthly, I removed the lawn service 2 years ago. Quality of pest control services has gone downhill as they could not retain their service techs who seemingly changed monthly on my account. As a stated and agreed upon condition of my 8/1/22 renewal, PestBear agreed that I would have just 1 rep (Steve) service my residence. I prepaid $540 for the full year (8/1/22-8/1/23) in June 2022 with the condition that Steve would be only technician or I could cancel. When I learned on 8/16/22 that Steve had left Pest Bear (yet another technician to leave this company), I called to cancel. PestBear is now refusing to refund my full $540 when NO services have been performed during the 2022-2023 annual period. Further, on today's call with Chris, PestBear now disputes that my annual service fee is $540 (despite clearly evidenced by the annual charge they assessed to my credit card in June) and now want to withhold $160 for 1/4 of the year, when NO services have been provided since the renewal date (first service would be scheduled for late August 2022). NO SERVICES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED SINCE MY 8/1/22 RENEWAL AND I DEMAND A FULL REFUND.

  Business response

  08/30/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/08/17) */ Customers price for service is $154.50 x 4 = $618 a year. We gave a discount for prepay for a total of $540. This payment was received on 6/09/2022. One of those payment went towards the service provided on 5/23/2022. The customer has now canceled and will get a return of $379.32. Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2022/08/17) */ I have gone back and looked at this account. Even though Pestbear has done nothing wrong I can see where the confusion is. I have tried explaining to customer but failed. I will refund full amount and check will be cut. Please allow 7-10 days for check to be in mail. Consumer Response /* (3000, 9, 2022/08/18) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Please advise that the refund amount will be $540 at which time I will dismiss the complaint upon receipt of refund. Business Response /* (4000, 11, 2022/08/19) */ My last response was you will get full refund of $540

• Initial Complaint

  06/15/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Pest Bear - Lawn Service with Tree and Shrub Combo Package. Account #XXXXXX Amount due- $81.37 Pest Bar came on 02/23/22 to conduct monthly yard service. Shortly after four of eight of our shrubs in backyard began dying. I have been in contact multiple times since February to have some resolution. Calls where not returned, and required multiple call backs before I was able to connect with a manager. Upon connecting he flatly stated no way is this Pest Bear's issue, and they would not reimburse for the damages to bushes. He had said someone would come out to assess, however I would be required to stay on with their service. Additionally they would no adjust or comp the bill. I did cancel my services with them at this point. I placed another call this week after receiving a bill again. I was connected to another manager stated I was to provide them photos. I was never requested to send photos. I requested if they where not going to come check the bushes, I request last bill to be resolved (this is significantly less than the cost of the four bushes. Her response was, "we are not going to take care of the cost of the bushes, and this is your last call because I'm going to send you to collections". I have never encountered this type of rudeness and unprofessionalism with a business. My husband and I have great credit, pay our bills. I have never placed a complaint with the BBB, I am hoping for your review and advisement on this situation. Thank you, ***** *****

  Business response

  07/01/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/16) */ We will remove balance. Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  06/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  PestBear is to fertilize, treat for weeds etc. every 5 weeks, but they haven't been always on that schedule. The man that comes is very nice and rings the door bell each time and puts a warning sign in our lawn. The last time was on March 7th, on June 2nd I received a statement that charged me for service on April 30th, which is a Saturday and they usually come on a week day. I always hear the door bell and look for the warning sign and talk to the man so I know how much to water. Well, he never came, my wife and I were both home that day and I'm home everyday and work from home. The windows and sliding doors are such that we can see the yard from every room and no-one serviced our yard that day, in fact I was wondering if they had stopped coming because they haven't been in a long time. After receiving the bill I called June 3rd and got the so called customer service department. She kept asking for how I would pay and I told her they didn't come that day but she didn't offer any assistance so I asked that she have the person that serviced my lawn to call me and gave her my number, no one called. I text on their web site and haven't received a response. When I called she said they emailed me the statement, but I didn't look for an email since I always received paper statements. I told their customer service person I wasn't going pay for service I didn't receive. They sent another statement. I just wrote them a letter to cancel the service and advise them unless they prove they performed the service I wasn't going to pay. I'll mail that today. We have no contract just a verbal agreement and I have always paid when I received the paper statement.

  Business response

  06/14/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/08) */ So I am not sure what we are upset about. They are an active customer. Does the lawn look bad? Customer is set for 10 times a year. They will only get service 10 times a year. We try to do service every 35 days. Are they upset because we dint answer the phone or that we answered the phone and didn't give the correct answer? Or are they upset that the technician didn't call them? I am not sure. I see where CSR spoke to them and said would email them invoice. In any case I will have tech call him and see if he can solve the issue. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/06/10) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) They responded today with a call to me from the service dept. My complaint was that they billed me for service on the 30th of April which wasn't performed on that day. The service manager confirmed there was no service on that day and they credited my account. He said they came out June 2nd. The GPS on their truck made the error. I had sent a letter to all depts. and cancelled my service because their customer service didn't have anyone contact me to resolve the issue. I'm not sure if it was my contacting the BBB or my letter that they called me in any case the issue is resolved, and I think their main problem is their customer service dept.. Had the customer service dept called the service dept when I initially called they would of resolved the problem in the beginning. I appreciated the call today from the service dept. he handled everything quite well and I resumed service and have a contact person if I have any other problems. They need to improve their communications internally. The man that does my lawn does a very good job.

• Initial Complaint

  05/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I had been using PestBear for my home pest control for a couple of years (2020 & 2021). At the end of 2021, I decided to take a break since our infestation problem was getting worse although we were using a professional service to rectify the problem. In December 2022 I phoned the company and said that I wanted to stop service for a few months. During this time we tried to resolve the problem on our own since PestBear's treatment was not working. We saw a drastic improvement doing the job ourselves. Then one day out of the blue, (3/28/22) a PestBear employee showed up inquiring if we needed to have service. We told him no and that we were looking at other options. The employee offered to sell us another, more expensive service that he said would solve our pest issue. I declined. They had made the situation worse so why would I pay them any more money. I never contacted them to start up service again but was sent a bill for services from 3/28/22. I phoned the company and was told that their employee did perform spraying on the outside of our home. This was news to me as the employee never said anything like that when I spoke with him on that date. I also told them that I did not ask them to come back out and resume service. They then told me that it was their policy to try and contact the clients and if they are unable to reach them they still send someone out to perform the service. We went back and forth and they never offered any accommodations for this mix up. I told them to cancel my account with them once and for all. I am still receiving bills for a service I did not authorize and do not believe was performed. They showed very poor customer service, instead of trying to rectify the problem, they were adamant that they were due the charges. Since they came out without authorization, they should have asked the homeowners if they wanted them to resume services first before doing any work if in fact they did.

  Business response

  06/03/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/06/01) */ I have looked at the account and removed balance and apologize for the inconvenience. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/06/01) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) I appreciate the quick resolution of this case.

• Initial Complaint

  02/21/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Pest Beal offered me a lawn care service (Lawn Bear) that was less cost than that I had been paying. They were to invoice me monthly through email. This worked for several months and I paid when each invoice was received. I was not at my Florida home over the summer of 2021. When I returned home in late October 2021, I observed my lawn was not looking well. I called Pest Bear and was told the service had been stopped as the September invoice had not been paid. I explained I had never received an invoice for the September service. They send me an Invoice by mail for the September service and I paid it. The local manager came to the house and we agreed service was to be restarted. He told me he would personally do the service on December 22. He never came. I called and was then told service would be done on December 24. I was home all day on the 24th. No one came to the door. No service truck was seen. No one was seen doing any service to the lawn. No lawn service warning sign was poste in the lawn. Several days later someone named Brian sent me an email asking me to rate his service. I replied no service was provided. Talked with the Tampa Pest Bear office and they insisted service had been provided. When I said no lawn service sign was posted they replied they were out of signs. I asked them to close my account. Then I received a mailed invoice for the December service. I sent several written statements to them that no December service was provided. Sent the statements both by email and postal mail and said I was not paying for work not done. They continue to send mailed invoices and call me threating to send my charges to collections. I would appreciate anything you can do to help settle this issue.

  Business response

  03/24/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 7, 2022/03/17) */ I assume customer is speaking about last service charge in December? That service was credited in February. There is no balance on the account. Consumer Response /* (2000, 9, 2022/03/20) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) They credited and closed my account as I had requested.

• Initial Complaint

  02/15/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On January 3, 2022 I made an appointment with BestBear to come to my house on January 5 to exterminate an insect that was identified as drain flys. The PestBear scheduler wanted to schedule an appointment for the week of January 9 in order to perform the annual service at the same time as exterminating the drain flys. I rejected that idea as I was not ready to make a decision on whether to continue their service, and wanted the flys exterminated as soon as possible. On January 5 a PestBear technician and a second man arrived to exterminate the drain flys. The second man identified himself at my request as the General Manager. That is all he said and remained outside the house . My perception was the extermination was completed satisfactorily. Two weeks later I received a $276.04 bill for annual service. A service I did not request and did not want, and I did not witness and apparently completed without going into the guest bathroom, the garage, and the lanai. I have made every effort to resolve this situation short of paying their billed amount. I believe this is a communication problem within their company not a scam. By scam I mean performing a service for an elderly person and then intimidating him in to paying. Seniors are easily frightened by situation like this and pay just to get it over with. I repeat I do not think it is a scam. I did speak to both the General Manager and the CEO without reaching a satisfactory resolution. If more details on these conversations would be helpful, contact me.

  Business response

  02/23/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/02/18) */ The account is set up to where every year they account is charged a specific amount until we are told they cancel with a written notice. They are covered for the year. This account started with us on 1/01/2021 so the next year started over on 1/01/2022 for $276.04. During this time customer called in with drain flies so we went out to do both services. The year started over at that time and all retreats are covered. Customer doesn't understand due to the time frame. All retreats are free like this service would have been it just fell in a time that the annual payment is due. I will just cancel the account and make sure the balance is removed. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/02/22) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.)

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩