Safeway Pest Management, Inc

Review: I contacted Safeway about some roaches that we had in our building. They were collecting around and inside the dishwasher and in our kitchen. When I called Safeway to review the issue one of my largest concerns was the price. The customer representative on the phone had worked out a quote for me for services that would include spraying the unit. Specifically I remember them asking how big the unit was and how many rooms it had so they can figure out how much it would cost to spray the area. Once I booked my appointment they even sent me a check list of things I needed to do before the company could come and spray my place. I had to remove all items from the cupboards and pull furniture away from the walls and collect everything in the middle of the floor. I was also told that I would need to vacate the premises for a certain period of time. My verbal commitment to them was to pay $xxx.xx dollars to come in and spray the house, a fee I would have been happy to pay because it requires professional experience.

When the service man came he was very helpful and informative however he did not spray the unit. He informed me that the best thing for roaches is to provide a bit of poison (bait) around the unit and in corners of the cupboards and ensured me that it would take care of the problem. He even went out of his way to place a little by the garbage shoot. The problem was resolved and I even gave the company information to our building manager to provide them with more business. When I received my bill I was a little surprised because the amount of work and effort that it took to bait the house was very minimal. The service man simply took a tube of roach poison and placed small amounts in the corners of the cupboards and inside the dishwasher. I had an issue with the bill because I was told that I would be paying for a service that required professional equipment and experience. Instead I received services that I could have easily done myself. The bait that the company used I found online for around $30 and I could have easily put small amounts in the corners of my cupboards, it did not require professional or trained work.

I had called Safeway Pest Management a number of times to discuss my discrepancy. I explained to them that I was quoted for a service of spraying the house and not baiting it. Considering I could have purchased the same bait online for $30 I did not think a $200 bill was acceptable. I felt scammed and basically baited myself. The company told me one thing and delivered another. I called a number of times to discuss the price as I was not trying to get out of my bill, I just wanted to pay a fair amount. The company was unwilling to meet me in the middle. Instead of charging me a fair price and having a happy customer they ended up selling the bill to a collection agency for penny's on the dollar! Way less then what I would have ended up paying them.

I would strongly suggest that if you have a pest issue you work with another company. Do not trust Safeway Pest Management as they practice bait and switch advertising. The services provided can easily be preformed by the homeowner with the same product. They will tell you that only they (professionals) can purchase the roach bait but I found the same stuff online. They will not return your phone calls in a timely manner or even answer the phone during the day. If you have a discrepancy they will be unwilling to work with you. Stay away from Safeway.

Note that this is the first time I have written a customer review and complained to the Revdex.com, I think that says something.Desired Settlement: All I want to do is pay a fair price for services preformed. As of today a check is in the mail to United Credit Service, Inc for the full amount invoiced. I would expect a partial refund. 1 hours work plus a little bait should not cost $228.20.

Business

Response:

Safeway Pest Management has done what they were contracted to do, which was to eradicate the property of the current cockroach infestation. The customer was quoted a price of $165-195 for the treatment. The baiting method is the most effective way to treat for cockroaches, spraying is sometimes done as well, however in this situation the technician felt that baiting was the best option. Like when hiring any trained professional, you do pay for the knowledge and expertise as well as the product being used. For example, anyone can purchase the items needed to fix a plumbing problem, but when hiring a plumber, the cost is much higher than buying the material yourself because you are hiring a trained professional. The total charge was not $228.20, prior to being sent to our collection agency. After speaking with the customer multiple times, the account was declared uncollectable and forwarded to our collection agency. The total cost of the treatment itself was $180.00, which was in the range of the price quoted. The additional charges/fees are for having to send the account to an outside source for collection. Anyone can purchase the products that we use, the key is having the knowledge/expertise in knowing where and how to apply the product in an effective manner. We told the customer that we would eliminate the cockroach problem, which is exactly what was done.

Business

Response:

While Safeway does understand the customer's frustration, we do not agree with the complaint. The customer contacted Safeway for the elimination of cockroaches in their home. They may have been misinformed about what would be done over the phone, and for that we do apologize however they were quoted a price for treatment for cockroaches and the ultimate goal was the elimination of cockroaches. The technician did explain what he was going to do prior to beginning the treatment, as the customer stated in their previous response. If the customer did not want just baiting done, even though that is what the pest management professional recommended, they should have stated that at the time of service. In most cases, spraying for cockroaches tends to scatter them and not eliminate the problem. We were contracted by the customer to eliminate the problem. The only problem they had stated to us in the original phone call was regarding the cockroaches. Safeway provided a service to the customer for the problem stated and eliminated the infestation, therefore should be paid for their service (which we still have not received payment for and the treatment was done in September of 2013). The technician provided a very thorough treatment which was indeed done by method of baiting. Once again, as stated before, anyone can buy the products that we use. The reason for hiring a pest management professional is to have the knowledge and expertise to know where and how to apply the chemical/product effectively. That is the reason for the cost of the treatment. Safeway prides itself on providing honest and quality service to all of our clients. We are not out to scam anyone. Just to provide quality service at a reasonable rate.

Consumer

Response: