Complaint Review: ValuePest.com Of America - Internet

But I wanted to get one of these contracts that ValuePest.com's Bob Jones said they provide to their customers.  So, I made an appointment with Valuepest.com.  I called a local number.  After a moment or two and the operator's statement that "we do work down there", I asked him where he is located.  He said he is located in North Carolina, that there is no office in Charleston, SC, and that the Charleston, SC calls are forwarded to NC where all scheduling is done.  We scheduled an appointment.  I called back to secure a copy of the contract but Arlene said they didn't provide contracts like that and would only email me a billing invoice.

I checked with the South Carolina Department of Pesticide Regulation to see if ValuePest.com is licensed.  Valuepest.com is a licensed SC pest control company and Chris Jones and Robert L. Jones, aka, Bob Jones, are both SC licensed pest control applicators.  

I checked for enforcement actions involving Valuepest.com at http://regfocus.clemson.edu/dpr/greenbook.htm.  Valuepest.com's disciplinary history is available for your review. ValuePest.com and Robert L. Jones have been cited and fined repeatedly according to the SCDPR website.  

I checked with the local SCDPR representative.  He was well acquainted with ValuePest.com and its owner, Bob Jones, aka, Robert L. Jones. 

I checked with the South Carolina Secretary of State to see if Valuepest.com is authorized to do business in SC.  There is a listing for Valuepest.com of Charleston, LLC.  The registered agent is Bob Jones, the owner of Valuepest.com.  The address for service of process at "1403 Rivers, Charleston, SC 29407" does not exist.  Apparently ValuePest.com sub-let an "office" at 1403 Ashley River Rd., Charleston, SC 29407 a year or so ago.   

The "confusion" regarding their actual local address piqued my interest.  I checked with the local Business License Departments.   According to the licensing officials with whom I spoke in Charleston, N. Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, and Charleston County, Valuepest.com does not have a local business license.  

This is important for a variety of reasons.  If you consider doing business with ValuePest.com, or any other company, ask them to provide you with a copy of their local business license for the current year.  If they refuse, call your local business license office. 

I understand that the City of Charleston Business License Department has recently contacted ValuePest.com, Bob Jones, and Chris Jones, about applying for a business license.

When Chris Jones, the owner's son, arrived in his little yellow ValuePest.com truck, he presented the two-part contract to me to sign.  He didn't expect me to read the contract and said I had to pay before the service was performed. 

The first thing I noted about the contract was the statement printed on the bottom of the first page: "If the agreed upon terms are not met, Buyer agrees to pay all reasonable attorney fees and court costs in addition to any other necessary fees for collection.  It is mutually agreed that any dispute under the terms of this agreement shall be submitted to arbitration pursuant to the rules of the American Arbitration Association."  

I would never sign such a one-sided contract.  

When Chris Jones found out I was not going to sign the contract, he demanded I return the yellow copy of the contract he had indicated was the customer's copy.  When I refused, he lunged for the contract in my hand and tore off a piece of the contract.  He said, "Thanks for wasting my time.  I'm going to bill you."  

A few minutes later, I received an angry call from Bob Jones, ValuePest.com's president.  He blocked his caller-ID and it showed as "PRIVATE".  I asked Bob Jones if I could have his number and return his call at a more convenient time.  Bob Jones refused.  I called him at ValuePest.com's toll-free number later but Bob Jones was never available. 

Someone kept calling with "PRIVATE" caller-ID.  I finally answered and it was ValuePest.com's owner, Bob Jones.  Like his son, Chris Jones, Bob Jones also told me he was going to bill me.  I told Bob Jones to do what he had to do, told him to never call me again, and ended the call.  I continued to receive repeated calls from "PRIVATE" for the next few minutes.  I'll check with my cell phone provider to see if they came from Bob Jones.

If you are looking for a pest control company, see if the company and its employees, are licensed with your state's department of pesticide regulation.  Check the company's pesticide disciplinary record to see how careful its representatives are in applying dangerous chemicals to your home and around your family.  

Check to see if they have an office or if they are from out-of-town and live in a motel like Chris Jones of ValuePest.com does.  There are quite a few fly-by-night pest control companies in South Carolina so ask to see a copy of the company's current local business license for your municipality or county.  

Remember, if a company 'cuts corners' and is sloppy in other areas of its operation, is it not logical to wonder if they will 'cut corners' and be sloppy in ways that might hurt you, your interests, or your loved ones? 

Request a copy of the company's contract beforehand.  Insist on an opportunity to review the company's contract and to compare it to that of their competitors.  If they refuse to provide a copy of their contract to you as a prospective customer, that is a clue that perhaps that company has something to hide.  

And, most importantly, check out the people who own and operate the company.  A company is no better than the people who operate it.  Determine if the owners and employees are the kind of people with whom you want to deal on an ongoing basis. 

Facta, non verba.  Deeds, not words.

Value Man