ComplaintsforEcoShield Pest Control North DC, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  02/21/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had a free consultation 1/16/24 and decided to set up an account to have monthly service and to have them fill any potential entry points that the person from the free consultation showed me. That appointment was set for 12:30pm on 1/17/24. Later the same day (1/16/24 at 4:20pm) I decided to cancel both and notified them by phone and they confirmed the cancellation. The contract states I can cancel within 3 business days of the agreement. Received an email and text and responded to both confirming cancellation. So on 1/17/24, I went to work, only to see a text at 11:58am that someone came and completed the work. I went home to check and recorded where work is incomplete (can email pics). I told him he wasn't supposed to come out at all and contacted the company. They tried to transfer me to a local manager but the manager wasn't available and would call me back. They never did. This happened a few times over the phone. Never received a call or voicemail (if I missed a call) and it's been over a week. In fact, on 1/22/24 I called twice and was told I'd be transferred to a manager who was sitting in their office and both times I got their voicemails. I received texts and emails saying I needed to contact them and replied each time confirming that I wanted to cancel and should not be charged for work they confirmed would not be done. I'm getting emails that I need to contact them, but when I call, the local office is never available. If my cancellation was an issue, the first person on the phone should have never confirmed it. Each person I have spoken to (on recorded calls) has not indicated that my cancellation was an issue. This is an EcoShield problem, yet they put a balance on my account of $1250 for incomplete work that I asked not to be done. They also emailed on a Sunday (1/21/24) saying I needed to contact them that day, but their customer service lines were closed. I have responded to every text or email and they keep emailing as if I am hard to contact.

  

  Business response

  03/04/2024

  Hi *****,
  
  Thank you for reaching out to us. Our records indicate that your account was closed on February 7th, 2024. Regarding the service appointment, our technician was unable to perform the service as there was no one available at the residence at the scheduled time.
  
  If you have any further questions or concerns regarding this matter, please feel free to let us know. We are here to assist you and address any issues you may have.

• Initial Complaint

  02/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  EcoShield has fraudulently charged me $169.00 for services that were not provided and is harassing me with emails, text messages and letters demanding payment while threatening to send the fraudulent charge to collections if I do not pay. This alleged bill stems from a services purported performed on November 30, 2023. On November 28, 2023, I received an email notifying me that a technician would be dispatched to my home to perform a quarterly service. On the same day, I responded to that email and said "Please remove me from the schedule". I did not get a response from the company. On November 30, 2023, an EcoSheild technician, Mr. C*******, rang my doorbell and said that he was there to provide quarterly service. I explained to him that I emailed the company days before declining service, he said that I was the 3rd customer that day to say this to him and he understood. Shortly after 9:30 pm that day I received an email attaching an invoice for service and this was my response "Why are we receiving an invoice for service? When the gentleman rang the doorbell today, I told him that we emailed, when we received notification of the appointment, to refuse treatment. He told us that he understood and left our property. I will call to follow up in the morning but DO NOT CHARGE MY CARD. Thank you, *** ******". Since then, I have had several conversations with the company with varying degrees of nonsense explanations and resulting in this charge being removed and causing an end to the harassment. I was supposed to get a call from their top Manager, John S*****, months ago but that never happened. At this point, they are aware that this is a fraud. The last person I spoke to in accounting said that the time stamps on the ticket showed that it would not have been possible for Mr. C******* to perform a proper complete service based on his arrival time to my property and departure. How many other customers are similarly situated. We have already closed our account.

  

  Business response

  02/19/2024

  Hi ***,

  Thank you for bringing this to our attention, I want to sincerely apologize for any frustration caused. Thank you for attaching a screenshot of the email. As part of our verification process, we need you to forward the same email to us at ****************@theshieldco.com to verify that the date was on not edited. Once received, we can move forward with a proper resolution.

  

  Business response

  02/29/2024

  Hi ******,

  Thank you for your cooperation in forwarding those emails over. The $169 balance for the 11/30/23 service has been waived. Please allow 10-15 days for the 3rd party agency to update their records. There are no other charges and the account is closed. 

  Customer response

  03/01/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me provided that I receive something in writing for my records from the business and or the 3rd party collection agency.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  02/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  EcoShield is auto-renewing a contract that we have not authorized to auto-renew. They sent a technician to our property without providing advance warning to our email or telephone notification agreement. This is trespassing. EcoShield conducts predatory business practices. We have a second contract with ecoshield that will be satisfied in April 2024 and we sent an email and conducted telephonic follow up to ensure this contract will not be auto-renewed and were told on the phone to call back in April 2024 to cancel. The company refuses to accept the customer's requests to stop service after the initial contract is competed. The signed contracts between ecoshield and the customer do not stipulate the contracts will be auto-renewed, they do not provide information how to stop these auto-renewals, and no attempt was made by ecoshield requesting if the customer wanted to continue a contract past the initial service period. We want ecoshield to confirm our bi-monthly will not be renewed after April 2024. We want ecoshield to return the $200 collected for the annual renewal exclusion contract that we did not agree to renew.

  

  Business response

  02/19/2024

  Hi ****,

  Attached is a screenshot of our system sending the service reminders before the service would take place.

• Initial Complaint

  01/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On Thursday, December 21, 2023, EcoShield sent someone to do a Pest Inspection to my house. The inspector came into my house and immediately wanted to see my attic. As soon as he entered to attic he started saying that he saw mouse droppings. He proceeded into the attic where he said he was taking pictures and came back down and said that I had a mouse infestation. I asked why I had never seen any mice or mouse droppings. He stated that they can live up there for 20 years off my installation and never come down. He stated that they were up there breeding and probably having babies every 6 days. I was terrified of the thought of mice running around in my attic. He stated the Ecoshield could remove my installation and the mice the in just a few days for $5000.00 and patch any way they get in for $1,250.00. He just needed to either get me approved for a loan or put it on a credit card. I also needed to sign a contract. I gave him a credit card. The next day I had someone else go into my attic and take pictures of my actual attic. That's when I discovered that the Inspection was a scam and that the Inspector had shown me pictures from someone else's house. I didn't even have to same installation as the pictures he showed me. He made the whole mouse infestation up. I cancelled the contract.

  

  Business response

  01/15/2024

  Hi *******,
  
  We want to extend our sincere apologies for the experience you've had. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we take your concerns very seriously. To address this matter thoroughly, we will be escalating it to our General Manager for further review.
  
  At EcoShield, we place a strong emphasis on integrity and transparency in all our interactions, and it's disheartening to hear that these standards may not have been upheld during the inspection process. Rest assured that we are committed to investigating this issue thoroughly and taking the necessary steps to ensure that such instances are addressed appropriately.
  
  To assist us in our investigation, we kindly request that you provide pictures of your attic for our review. These images will be used to compare with the inspector's findings and will aid us in reaching a resolution.
  
  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention, and we appreciate your patience as we work to resolve it.
  

  

  Business response

  01/21/2024

  BBB,

  Our General Manager was on a company trip this past week. Please give us some more time to review the photos with our team in order to provide a response/resolution for this customer.

• Initial Complaint

  01/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Be very very wary of what is said by the door to door salesman and what you are actually agreeing to. This is not a pest control company it’s a long term expensive pest control membership. Once you sign up you will never be able to speak the salesman again…only a “nightmare” of a customer service gauntlet. This is by design Summer of 2023 a door to door pest control salesman knocked on my door. It was a very nice gentleman offering pest control services. I told him I had only one item I could use the services for (sugar ants) and absolutely not interested in an ongoing treatment plan. He attempted to close me on this plan and finally realized it was sugar ants or nothing. This would be two applications one month apart. I told him I needed this assurance in writing that after the treatment we would be all done. No cancellation fee or any issues at all. Two months after the “final” treatment I began getting texts asking to set up my appointment and a price attached to this. I called customer service and it was one of the most aggravating experiences I’ve ever had. They kept saying over and over they could give me a discount on the rest of my contract. Finally I found the initial form where the sales man made the notation that this was a one treatment deal which I had to send them proof of. I sent the proof and was told they were “doing me a favor” and cancelling the remainder of the contract but I had to pay $150 fee. I told them I was guaranteed I would have to pay a cancellation fee by the salesman. Since that last conversation I’ve been harassed via text, calls , and email over and over. The latest text is a threat to turn me over to collections. The fact that there is so much man power involved in dealing with enforcing these long term contracts and then an entire collection department speaks volumes to their business model. I want the fee waived as I was assured by the salesman who came to my door as a cold call.

  

  Business response

  01/15/2024

  Hello ****,

  Thank you for reaching out and giving us an opportunity to address your concerns. While we have notes on the account that the Service Agreement was reviewed, signed, and a copy was emailed to you for your records. We will go ahead and waive the $150 annual commitment discount payback as an act of good faith. There are no other charges and the account is closed. Please allow 10–15 days for the 3rd party agency to update their records.
  

  Customer response

  01/16/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** ****

• Initial Complaint

  12/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 8/25/23 I was approached out front of my home (in a posted no-soliciting community) my a young man named Parx who claimed to be completing pest management at the neighbors. He pitched the product and specifically stated that the service would be quarterly with no other costs, that they would be out in a few weeks after the first treatment to spray for eggs at no additional cost, that the service would follow us to a new address because we intended to move within the year, that my card would not be charged until the first treatment was done that next week and that I could cancel at any time with no cancellation fee. Every one of those statements was a bold faced lie. My card he asked for to keep on file (I intended to pay with cash at first treatment) was immediately charged that next morning. I was told by customer service that I was in a 1 year contract and could not cancel without paying a large fee, and that there was an additional entire payment equal to a quarterly charge that was due for the egg spray after the first treatment. I made many calls and complaints about this solicitor employee that lied so freely to gain my business and was told there was nothing that could be done. I told them to cancel and I will not be paying for any other charges based on the above facts. I am now being harassed daily via phone and email to pay the cancellation fee of $150. The account number associated with my cancelled account is *******. I demand that outstanding balance is redacted. This company should be held accountable for illegal business practices. I would like my monies paid refunded as well.

  

  Business response

  12/15/2023

  BBB,

  We reached out to this consumer on 12/12/23 and waived the $150 balance as an act of good faith towards them. There are no other charges and the account is closed.

• Initial Complaint

  10/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We were lied to by the door-to-door salesperson named *** which is no longer with the company. 1. *** said that the follow up egg treatment would be free. We were charged 159 dollars, but Ecoshield has refunded this fee. 2. *** told my wife and I 2 times during the sale that we could cancel the contract at any time for a 25-dollar fee. Ecoshield has ignored my request to confirm that we have been cancelled from this contract and that we do not want any more services from this company. Jordan W**** treated our property after we told them not to. I even spoke with him on the phone while he was there while I was not home on 9/28/23. He confirmed that *** was no longer with the company due to customer complaints of lying during the sale. We simply want to be done with this company and want written confirmation stating that. Our next quarterly service would be in December, and we do not want them showing up and treating/charging us again. They show up whenever they want even when told not to. They have multiple complaints with you for similar problems. This company is terrible to communicate with and resolve customer problems. Please see the details of our grievances with them with dates and explanations attached.

  

  Business response

  11/05/2023

  Hi *******,

  This is written confirmation that your account has been closed. There is no charge or balance.

  Customer response

  11/06/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* ******

• Initial Complaint

  10/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company's business philosophy relies on bullying and stalking and should no longer be in operation as it currently exists. They are a bigger pest than the pests they are supposed to be treat. This is easily the worst company I have ever encountered in my entire life. I foolishly fell for their high pressure sales tactics and had them treat my house for insects. A gentleman spent five minutes at my house on 6/8/23. I am not sure what they did but the insects were MUCH MUCH worse than before they came. They charged me $139. When I complained, they sent another rep and charged me $179 on 7/27/23. I then saw ants that we were invading my kitchen. I called them and complained. They sent "an inspector" who claimed we had termites and tried to con me into signing a $1600 plus $250 ***ual fee to treat them. I had other termite companies inspect and found no evidence of termites whatsoever. Now, they won't stop emailing, texting, calling even though I paid them over $300 for absolute trouble. Their representatives are from far flung places such as Vegas and the Philippines. They should stop acting like pests and starting treating pests. They also must have some fraudulent relationship with ****** to have Bots place phony reviews. In light of the fact that they failed to do what they promised (rid my house of insects, namely spiders and crickets), I hereby request a refund of $318. Further, they should agree to never contact me again.

  

  Business response

  10/23/2023

  Hi ***,
  
  We appreciate your feedback and concerns regarding the increase in pest activity following our service. It's important to note that this initial surge in activity is a common occurrence, and it's actually outlined in the Service Agreement. Our products are designed to flush pests out from all the nooks and cannies around your home. Over time, as services continue and a protective barrier is established, pest activity is expected to decrease.
  
  Additionally, free touch-up visits were made available to you in case of any ongoing issues. However, we did not find a request for these touch-ups in your account, possibly because you had requested the closure of your account.
  
  For transparency and your reference, we have attached a copy of your Service Agreement for the BBB's review.
  
  To address your concerns and ensure your satisfaction, we have decided to waive the $151 annual commitment discount payback as a goodwill gesture. Please be assured that there are no further charges, and your account is now closed.

• Initial Complaint

  10/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had a door to door salesman tell me that all my neighbors signed up for it AFTER I told him that we had a no Soliciting sign on our private pipestem. His smooth talking convinced me to sign up too. If I sign up now, then I get all sorts of discounts because my truck is already here. Your neighbors did it so you have to now. They used duress tactics to make me sign. I then found out that none of my neighbors actually signed up for him. They then came out and I had to call twice to get them to come out and do the job I signed up for. The first time, the tech spent 7 minutes at my property and 4 of them in the car. I have cameras they were not aware of at the door. The same tech said that he was in my back yard but the side he went to has no gate. Did you hop the fence? He came back and spent a total of 10 minutes spraying. There were bugs and the "supervisor came out to handle it." (2nd touch up.) The happened 2 other times, but on Sept 14, I finally decided to cancel it because they were not providing their service. There's carpenter bees, flies, ticks you name it. I went to go cancel my service, and they offered me discounts galore: discounted next month, free redos someone is coming out tomorrow. When I firmly told her no, after the 5th time, she said she has to charge me 227 dollars to cancel. "Not a cancellation fee, but a refund to them because they gave me a discount that I have to repay." They have breached the contract by not providing the services stated. They made me sign under duress and false statements saying their truck was there, the discounts would go away, and my neighbors had all signed up for it when they had not. They trespassed on private property even after being told so. Please have my money refunded immediately. None of the services were provided as stated. Their contract even got my name wrong! They wrote my middle name and last name. When I told the person on the phone, she did not seem to care that this is not even enforceable contract.

  

  Business response

  11/02/2023

  Hi ******,

  Thank you for your cooperation. What appointment are you disputing was not serviced to your expectations? Can you please provide the footage you have containing time stamps for further review? If you are still having pest activity, we would be more than happy to credit your account for the annual commitment discount payback and come back out.

  Customer response

  11/15/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I do not want to continue with your service. If you guys came out for 2 more treatments, you would charge me 129+129 which is essentially the same amount? As stated before, it is unsatisfactory which is why I would rather have paid MORE money to cancel it immediately at the time. I would just like the $271 cancellation fee charged refunded. As long as you refund me my $271 cancellation fee, I would be happy. Don't even come out.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

  

  Business response

  11/20/2023

  Hi ******,

  Unfortunately, we will not be able to refund the $271 as you are canceling the agreement prematurely. If you do not want us to come out, we can't credit your account back for two more visits. 

• Initial Complaint

  09/25/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Multiple visits to address bee issue. They never address the problem. Sent folks without ladders to exterminate bees. Was told by their expert that the bees were ‘sweat bees’ and could not sting. After being stung, they continued not to address. Canceled service for non performance. They charge a cancel fee which I dispute as non performance. Sent several notes - no responses. They continue to bill.

  

  Business response

  10/14/2023

  Hi ****,

  We reviewed the account and found that this was resolved back on 10/9/23. The balance was waived and the account was closed. We sent email confirmation as well. Please let us know if you have any other questions.

*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. ↩