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Moxie Pest Control Moxie Pest Control Scams Homeowners into 1 Year Contract Agreements Raleigh North Carolina
Moxie Pest Control - of Raleigh, NC & it's door to door salesman here in Raleigh, NC, are scamming homeowners into thinking they are signing a one time pest control treatment for the small price of $35.00, when in all actuality they are signing a one year contract for a heavy price tag of $435.00 a year. These scams are occurring nationwide, mostly in the California area, as I am now researching the company's consumer reviews.
I am currently a victim of this scam, a young salesman by the name of Chase came to my door last month, and was very pushy in his sales tactics, he arrived at my door, close to 5:30pm, and while on my door step he cleverly pointed out cob webs and spiders on my front porch. Chase was very persistent in his sales approach, explaining how several of my neighbors had been complaining about ants, and that he was treating several of my neighbors the next day, he went on to ask if he could arrange a time to come and spray my yard for pests as well. I initially told him my husband was not home, and that he made these decisions for our household, I suggested him return when he could speak to my husband.
This was my way of trying to get rid of him. Sure enough an hour later he showed back up, now 6:30pm asking if my husband had returned, I responded no, he hadn't, but that he could leave a business card. He then suggested that I just go ahead and sign up for a one time treatment, and if I indeed liked the service, we could sign up for an annual contract. He jotted join a bunch of numbers, then crossed through them all, saying he was slashing the price for a onetime special, the price was something ridiculous like $1200, he marked it down to $435.00 and said this is a great deal for annual pest control, I proceeded to tell him I was not interested in that price, nor was I interested in a year service agreement.
He went on to say, alright we will charge you $35 for a one time outdoor treatment, and we can spray tomorrow, as we are already in the neighborhood doing a few of your neighbors. He said that the treatment was all organic, and safe for children and pets, ECT. I said, this sounds great, $35 sounded wonderful, and honestly we too were experiencing an ant problem.
Then Chase asked me for my credit card number.This was a red flag for me!! I said, I am not giving you my credit card number, I will write you a check in the amount of $35 for this ONE TIME TREATMENT, but I refused to give him my personal credit card information. He hesitated, but agreed to accept my check as a form of payment. After, I gave Chase this check, he held onto a clip board and handed me a pen and said initial here, here and here. He went onto say, initial here agreeing to pay $35, initial here agreeing that you will not be home at the time of service, and initial here stating that if you wish the interior of your home treated you will contact our scheduler. I signed everything, without reading the fine print and he went on about his way, and I went back to tending to my boiling spaghetti noodles and my screaming 3 year old.
To my knowledge, Moxie Pest Control may or may not have even serviced my yard! I say this for several reasons, one, we still have ants, and two, I was in Maryland vacationing with my mother, the next day when the Moxie Tech was scheduled to arrive and my husband was at work. But my husband and I both felt confident, that they would service the yard, as we paid them to complete a service.
Today, June 17th I received a call from a young lady named Erin, who worked for Moxie Pest Control, she was calling to schedule an appointment for this quarter. Her call caught me off guard, after all I hadn't signed up for one year contract, just a onetime yard treatment, which was scheduled to be completed while I was on vacation in MAY! I went on to explain this to her, and she told me I would need to speak with her manager.
I was then transferred to the manager, whose name is Phillip Nielsen. Once on the phone with Phil, I addressed myself, and told him, I was trying to clear up a misunderstanding, I informed him that I made myself VERY clear to his sales representative, Chase, when I told him, I was not interested in a yearly contract, only the one time treatment for $35. I further explained that this is why I paid by check, because I didn't want to get ripped off or robbed by a stranger.
Phil went on to say that a lot of people call him trying to GET Out of annual contracts but that he had my initial, which clearly stated that I was signing up and agreeing to a one year pest control agreement. He said this was his protection. I thought my protection was payment by form of check, but apparently that's not even safe anymore! Unfortunately, I threw m y copy of this agreement/invoice away, as I was under the impression this was a onetime treatment, and I had paid by check, so I really thought I was playing this safe!! Well, here I am totally screwed. Phil's attempt to resolve this issue was to charge me a onetime cancellation fee, for a service I never even agreed to in the first place.
I think it's unfortunate that I was taken advantage of in this manner, I feel very violated and deceived. I refuse to pay Moxie for services I did not ask for, and in addition to this I refuse to pay a cancellation fee for a service I verbally declined. All in all, I want to inform other local residents, not to utilize Moxie Pest Control, as they will SCAM YOU, just as they are attempting to scam me. Moxie Pest Control failed to disclose key conditions, fine print, and lastly their verbal representations are not consistent with written contractual terms and agreements. I have reported Moxie Pest Control's shady business tactics and unethical sales tactics to the Better Business Bureau, but I want to inform the world, DO NOT USE MOXIE PEST CONTROL, THEY WILL SCAM YOU! In this economy, you can't trust anyone! Businesses are struggling to keep afloat and in desperate times, they are forced to scam you, their clients! It's a sad, sad world! In the future, I will never ever open my door to a stranger! TRUST NO ONE! In addition to this, I might add, that these sales representatives are working on a commission bases, so they will scam you into a yearly contract, just to EARN MORE MONEY!
Best Wishes-
Jacqueline
Raleigh, North Carolina
U.S.A.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Jackie
Raleigh,North Carolina,
5 Years!!?!!
#5Author of original report
Tue, August 12, 2014
Well Moxie, thanks for your apology! 5 years later!
Another fine example of your excellent customer service!
Moxie Pest Control -- Raleigh, NC
Alabama,Company Response
#5UPDATE Employee
Tue, August 12, 2014
We certainly apologize for the frustration you experienced. Our one-year agreements may be canceled at any time, though if the customer receives a discount on the initial service, we do ask that that the discounted portion be repaid at the time of early cancellation. This procedure is documented in the service agreement and explained to all new customers during the technician’s initial visit and again during our welcome phone calls. It’s never our intent to hide or misconstrue this information, as it’s neither in our best interest nor our customers’. We’re looking to rid our customers’ homes of pests, not become pests ourselves!
Jackie
Raleigh,North Carolina,
U.S.A.
Cancellation Fee Waived!!!!
#5Author of original report
Fri, June 19, 2009
The manager of Moxie Pest Control just left me a Voice Mail and he apologized for any misunderstanding and waived my $184.00 cancellation fee, told me the bill was generated automatically!!
I am very pleased, but had I not bitched and called the Better Business Bureau, they would have never waived the ridiculous fee. Let it be known Moxie Pest Control will never receive my business again!
Jackie
Raleigh,North Carolina,
U.S.A.
SCAM GETS WORSE
#5Author of original report
Fri, June 19, 2009
As an update, today I was at the neighborhood pool with my son and while there one of my neighbors informs me that she was recently "ripped off" by Moxie Pest Control as well. She told me her story, and it's the same exact story I have!!! She thought she paid for a one time sevice treatment of $35, and was later called by Moxie to arrange her quarterly service treatment, even though she only paid and asked for ONE service,she denied service, and sure enough they billed her a cancellation notice!
After our visit at the pool, I came home and checked my mailbox and sure enough I have a bill from Moxie Pest Control, they are trying to charge me $184.00 to cancel services, when I verbally agreed to one treatment in the amount of $35, they scamed me into signing a 12 MONTH contract, and now they are RIPPING ME OFF!!
What really cracks me up, is the invoice is titled as "Early Cancelation Reimbursement" How is a bill a reimursement, this company is WACK!
DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM!