Irresponsible Pest Control Company
We found bed bugs in the bed frame and we immediately wrapped everything up in plastic sheets and plastic bags to stop propagation. Then we called Pest-O-Kill, Vance came and we took off all plastic coverings for the treatment. There was a lot of concern from our part:
1) No written or oral instruction was provided regarding the treatment and post treatment.
2) Inspection prior to treatment is essential yet Vance did not inspect our suite or our master bedroom.
3) Vance told us to just take the plastic sheets we wrapped the infested bed frame straight out for disposal, but I disagreed and insisted we put them in sealed garbage bags first to avoid spreading of beg bugs in our suite and in our condominium building.
4) Vance did not bring a steamer to steam the mattress. He said he cannot use steamer in condominiums. He told us to take the mattress cover off so that he can spray the mattress. We were surprised that he did not bring a steamer when all the other companies told us the mattresses should be steamed and -not sprayed- due to the toxicity of the treatment.
5) Bed bugs eggs are spray resistant but can only be killed using heat or steam. But Vance did not have a steamer.
6) Vance did not bring a vacuum nor instructed us to vacuum after spraying. Vacuuming is a regular procedure companies do in order to pick up all the eggs which are spray resistant.
7) Our brand new carpet was stained due to the spray dripping off the bed frame. We tried several ways to clean it but realized that the stain will be permanent. The wall was scratched as well during the treatment.
8) One days after the treatment my husband was bitten for the first time. He also found a bed bug in a living room chair. The bed bug was more likely from the bed frame Vance sprayed.
9) I asked Nidia how much they would charge to spray the entire suite. She said there will be additional charge; again, without inspecting the suite first. Regardless, we agreed to pay more to have Vance come back and spray the entire room.
A bed bug situation is a terrible thing to deal with; they hide well and spread fast. We were devastated. We forgot that we were supposed to report this event to our Management office. Once we realized that, my husband went down immediately to Management who recommended another company.
The new company our management hired brought us relief. The inspection confirmed that the infestation was contained only in the bed frames. The technicians were very professional and handled the furniture and our home with lots of care.
Note: We have not received any compensation or refund from Pest-O-Kill.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $275.00
- Company Response
The customer called in about a used bed frame that she had purchased from a local classified. She insisted that only the bed frame be sprayed although every attempt was made to have her at least spray the entire room. Oral instructions were given over the phone as well as a link to the city of Toronto website. The customer was told the mattress would be steamed but she refused to remove the plastic from the mattress for which reason we were unable to steam it. It was explained to the customer that we don't provide heat treatment on any floor above the 5th. The technicians who did the job decided that it would be in their best interest to spray the whole room despite the fact she was only paying for the bed frame. Unfortunately this version of this fabricated story is at least her 3rd as she has been emailing us and we have been addressing her complaints and in the process she has been constantly changing her story. In fact within this version of the story she contradicts herself by saying a day after her bedroom was treated a bed bug was found on the living room chair. she than states The new company our management hired brought us relief. The inspection confirmed that the infestation was contained only in the bed frames." despite the many lies I emailed her and told her i would give her a full refund but like any other refund she would have to give me in writing that she received the money. The customer wanted me to put it in an envelope and leave it with concierge. This was unacceptable to me.