ComplaintsforBulwark Exterminating

• Initial Complaint

  02/21/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We were Bulwark customers but recently had to end our relationship with the company due to several no-call, no-shows. The technician was scheduled to come but they did not show up for at least six months. When we inquired about this, we were initially told that they did come out. However, when we informed them that we had active Ring doorbell cameras and they indeed did not come to our home, we were told they could not access our yard which was also not true. We were actually considering giving Bulwark another opportunity but the customer service representative was very rude when we simply inquired why the services were not being performed. Consequentially, we canceled our service since we were not receiving the exterminating service that we agreed to. We recently received a bill for $82.64 for services that we did not receive. We do not owe Bulwark anything as they are billing us for services that they did not perform due to lack of showing up. We would like this amount to be removed from our account immediately and a statement from the company that we do not owe them any funds.

  

  Business response

  02/26/2024

  ********,

  Thank you for reaching out regarding this concern! We've conducted an audit of your account and can confirm that you already received a credit for the last service we performed before you closed your account. The only remaining balance on your account is from the regular service we performed on 3/31/23. This appointment was requested by you on 3/24; a reminder text was sent to confirm the appointment on 3/30; and you acknowledged that you were aware of the balance for this service when we spoke with you on the phone on 4/20. Thank you again for reaching out.

• Initial Complaint

  12/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My home was infested with brown recluse spiders and I found bulwark online. I told them I had been bitten by a brown recluse in the past and had to have surgery so I was very scared to stay in my house. I also told them I have 4 kids so safety was a huge concern. I gave them 4 months, the spiders did not slow down at all, there were no changes, spiders seemed to get worse and eventually I had spiders coming out of my light switches!!! The guy who came to my house in the first visit was a younger guy, his # was the only number I had to contact the company, he ignored most of my texts and calls. Eventually the supervisor at bulwark was coming to my house to spray and they dusted the attics. Still nothing was changing. One night my husband and I were in bed and a brown recluse spider was crawling on my husbands leg. we were terrified and went to a hotel. I called a different company and at the first visit they removed my baseboards and all outlet covers to spray into the walls of my home. I noticed they sprayed in places that bulwark did not and it became very evident to me that bulwark's employees did not know what they were doing... after the new company left, we did not see another spider and it was immediate that we stopped seeing spiders. It went from seeing 2-3 per day to zero on day one with the new company. I canceled with bulwark and they tried to bill me again for their services saying I had an outstanding bill. I declined the bill based on my observations of their lack of knowledge and their poor product. Bulwark sent me to collections for a bill that was a little over $125. Not to be rude but I am a multi-millionaire, this was not about the money, it was about the fact they knew I was scared and had past trauma and they led me to believe my home would be spider free and they led me on for 4+ months. I want the collections reversed asap. I will be leaving very honest reviews of this awful company on every platform I can find until this is resolved.

  

  Business response

  12/28/2023

  Hi *****,

  Thanks so much for reaching out and voicing these concerns! Your feedback is crucial to our continual growth and improvement. It's certainly frustrating when pest issues persist throughout the year, but it's unfortunately quite common as well. To really sterilize the grounds around the home and get things under control, it takes at least a year of consistent treatment, every couple months. In addition to your regular outside treatments every two months, it's common for us to have to come out three, four, or five extra times in between those regular treatments, but all of those extra treatments are always free. Other companies often use contact killers to provide demonstrable results more quickly, but they don't get to the root of the problem - before too long, pests will return in greater numbers than before. That's why it's crucial to continue enforcing the barrier around the perimeter of the home every couple months.

  Although your signed service agreement does indicate that you had agreed to the initial full year of service (since treating consistently for a year is the only way to obtain long-term results), we certainly don't want you to leave dissatisfied, so we will be more than happy to exercise our Money back Guarantee and remove whatever outstanding balances you may still owe. Please just allow a few days for this to be processed. Thank you again for your feedback and we wish you the best!

  Customer response

  01/01/2024

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  *********************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  10/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  There's NO good communication (saying they'll be there within a certain window & not showing up at all or after 7pm). Then when you try to talk to customer service they keep transferring you so you'll give up. They charge you $50 for coming out, even with spraying not being done at all. They won't let you cancel the monthly protection plan, even with no contract & asking REPEATEDLY to cancel. They feel so much like a scam that it's truly scary they haven't been held accountable yet.At the end we had to talk to no less than FIVE TRANSFERS just to get someone to CANCEL any future service (and all this without a contract). THEY STOLE $50 from us without ever providing the service it supposedly paid for & AFTER telling us our account was canceled!!!When we called they literally said "Oops, it looks like it was coded wrong."Seriously?

  

  Business response

  10/05/2023

  Hi *****,

  Thank you for reaching out and providing this honest feedback! It definitely wouldn't be right if we arrived outside of any of your scheduled service windows. There are extremely rare times when uncontrollable circumstances preclude us from arriving within the service window, but we always strive to let you know ahead of time when that's going to happen. We'll be doing an audit of your account to ensure that anyone who failed to communicate with you is held accountable. 

  We also see that you were set up on our budget-friendly monthly payment plan. This plan charges you the same amount ($43.50 per month), regardless of how often you need us to come out. We schedule exterior services for you every second month, but it's extremely common for us to need to do a few services in between those, too - especially in the first year of service when we're trying to initially gain control. Even if we have to come out three, four, or five extra times, you're still just charged $43.50 per month.

  We also found that you were promised one free month of service when you spoke to one of our Supervisors on September 29th. It looks like we requested that this be refunded to you when we spoke to you yesterday. Please allow 5-7 business days for your bank to return those funds to you. Since you were clearly quite unhappy with your service and we weren't able to perform the entire first-year treatment series to achieve the best results, we'll also be initiating a separate refund of your $43.50 payment from September to ensure that this interaction is satisfactorily concluded. Thank you again for the feedback and we wish you the best!

• Initial Complaint

  10/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I've been a customer with ******************** for the last year. I've had to request a retreat almost every single time and that hasn't been very helpful either. I've had some minor issues each time that they have failed to address and these have only gotten worse in recent months, with the service really being rushed the last several times and it being effective for less and less time. I had service last week and had bugs in my house within a few days. I've cancelled service with Bulwark but they refused to provide a refund outside of $42, which I'm charged monthly and doesn't even apply to one full visit. Since they have royally failed in keeping bugs out of my house, especially since June, I'd like them to refund all the payments I've made since June as they haven't provided the service properly that I've paid them for. I've given them multiple chances to correct the issues and improve but they haven't done so effectively.

  

  Business response

  10/05/2023

  Hi ****,

  Thank you for reaching out and providing this honest feedback! It's certainly frustrating when pest issues persist, but it's also extremely common, especially during certain times of the year such as summer when temperatures are up in the 100's and 110's for months at a time and pests are highly active. It's quite common for us to have to come out three, four, or five extra times over the course of a year to keep things under control. That's why we charge the same amount per month, regardless of how many times you call us out for service. It looks like the last time you requested extra service was toward the end of August - we followed up with you via text and email five days after your treatment to make sure everything went well and you didn't need anything else, but we never heard back. Had you communicated your need for extra service, we'd've been more than happy to get back out there and get you taken care of.

  Our money back guarantee does entitle you to a refund of your last bill, which we see has already been processed. However, in case our policy on free in-between treatments wasn't clearly communicated to you, we'll be happy to provide an additional $42.00 refund for your August charge to bring your total refund amount to $84.00. This additional refund has already been initiated on our end; please just allow 3-5 business days for it to process. Thank you again for the feedback!

   

  Customer response

  10/05/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  09/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I hired Bulwark Exterminating to treat my house for termites. They started treatment onJuly 27, 2023. They finished treatment on August 3, 2023. I found live termites on the following dates: August 13 & 30. September 7 & 11. A after each of these dates I called Bulwark and they sent a person out to spot spray where I saw the termites. Today is September 14 and I still have live termites. The manager in *************** ( ***** ) said "you have to give the chemicals time to work"I think 6 weeks is plenty of time for the chemicals to work. I believe the ground " barrier " has breaks in it allowing the termites to continue to enter my house.

  

  Business response

  09/21/2023

  ******,

  Thank you for reaching out and providing such honest, valuable feedback. Termites can cause staggering amounts of damage to homes, so it is entirely understandable that you would take these pests seriously. Because these pests are extremely resilient and aggressive, though, extra work is oftentimes needed to eradicate them, especially if there is an existing presence in the surrounding neighborhood. Any extra services that *** be required are included in your warranty, so it's free for us to come back out and perform the necessary follow-up treatments. It looks like we reached out to you at ************** on Monday evening to follow up and see how your last appointment went, but we didn't reach anyone. If anything further is needed, we'd be happy to get another free follow-up appointment scheduled. Our office is open Monday through Saturday from 5:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. - please reach out to us any time during those hours and we'd be happy to get you scheduled. Thank you again!

• Initial Complaint

  05/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was referred to Bulwark Extermination by a neighbor in early Fall of 2022. I contacted them after hours and *** received a call from ***** the next morning. He gave me quite the detailed story of how they do not disturb the tracks or rodents because then they just find a new route. He told me that for the first visit a technician would be at my home for an hour and a half. That first visit was to cost me $195.00, and the technician was to pick up the payment and the end of the visit.The service tech did not call in ************ also got out of the truck complaining that he had to drive a long way to get to my house. My husband was home, and he offered to let the tech use his ladder since they were already in the house. The tech was extremely overweight and couldn't fit his head and arm in the scuttle. My husband took him outside to the crawlspace (it is big enough to stand in once you get in the door). The tech refused to go in there. He told my husband he would set some outside traps and then he was leaving. He did not even check the attached guest house, and he left without his check. He was at the house for 20 minutes.I emailed ***** with this information. I called the office in ***********, since that is where my bill was received from. I even sent them a message on their website trying to get resolution. The technician never returned, and no one else ever came. We had ordered service for a year. I cannot get a response from the company at all. How can they have 20 customer complaints about their techs and services and have an A+ rating?Now I have a notice from them stating that they are sending me to collections and are billing me $245.00.

  

  Business response

  05/22/2023

  *****,

  Thank you for submitting this feedback as it will help us grow and improve. Our goal is for all our customers to be 100% satisfied with their service, so we'll do anything possible to make things right for you. Rodent control does take a series of treatments, especially as we approach summer and get into the 70 and 80 degree temperatures - warmer weather makes everything more active. Unfortunately we haven't been able to reach anyone at the number listed on your account, **************. However, we'd be happy to update your contact information and have a Supervisor reach out immediately to address your concerns and make things right. What is the best number to reach you?

  Customer response

  05/22/2023

   

  The same day that I heard from the BBB that you had not responded to the compaint, I received an email from you which is below:

   

  Hello,
  
  Our records indicate your pest control account #****** is over 100 days past due.
  We show a balance due on your account of $245.00.
  Please make a payment within the next 7 days to prevent your account from going into collections. If payment is not received within 7 days of the date of this email, your account will be turned over to our outside collections agency. This agency will report your account to the credit bureaus if it is not resolved. 
  You can call ** at **************  to make a payment over the phone or visit my.bulwarkpestcontrol.com to make a payment online.
  
  Thank you!
  Bulwark Exterminating, LLC
  

   You have my correct email address and my correct phone number.  I have reached out to you many times via phone, email, and even via your website.   Maybe you should refer back to the complaint, ID ********.  My option for you was to finish the job.  You invoice never have a phone number or address to reach you. 

  

  Business response

  05/23/2023

  Thank you for the additional information! After reviewing our phone records, we discovered that we tried reaching you to schedule a follow-up appointment two days after your initial service, on November 17th. We then left another voicemail on the morning of December 23rd; then on January 26th, to inform you that we had scheduled your next regular treatment; and again on February 16th, **************. As stated previously, we are more than willing to come to a resolution regarding this matter, but we will need to speak to you over the phone to do so. Our number is **************. Please reach out and ask for a Quality Control Supervisor so we can get this taken care of for you. We will also be reaching out to you at ************** to attempt to get this resolved. Thank you again!

• Initial Complaint

  04/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We were contacted at our door for services on 7/29/22. According to their agreement we were to receive an inside and outside service including wasp nest treatment, rodent boxes, and 20 ft granulation of yard. On the date scheduled they did not call 20 min before as noted in the agreement and did not show up at the scheduled time. Therefore we were not there and they were only able to do the exterior treatment. After 2 phone calls we were able to schedule the interior treatment which included a man with a spray can spraying our windows. After this first treatment we saw zero improvement and in fact things got worse. After the aggravation of trying to set up our first treatment we cancelled. At the time of cancellation no one mentioned the $300 cancellation fee. We do not have a large home and I've used many pest control services in the past and never been charged upwards of $400 dollars for a single treatment. Since we were displeased with many of the services and some were not provided we assumed that would be the end of it. Months later we were slapped with a $300 cancellation fee. I have zero problems paying for a cancellation fee if services were provided as outlined but they were not. We spoke with an agent who referred us to someone higher up. When speaking with him he stated that "sometimes pest control does take a few services to gain traction". We used another company and noticed drastic improvement in 1 treatment so I think the issue lies with the company. The only solution offered was to re-sign with the company and see if they could do better the next time. Why would I allow a company into my home when the first experience was so bad? There is also a money back guarantee which clearly is all words and not actually any sort of guarantee.

  

  Business response

  05/01/2023

  Hello ****,

  Thank you for leaving this feedback as it will help us continue to grow and improve! We do show that you signed up for our standard, recommended agreement length of one year of pest control. Treating consistently through the seasons for at least a year is crucial, as pests are always more active during certain times of year, when temperatures fluctuate. It's also most effective when done consistently for a year since each treatment will only kill 10-15% of the initial population. That's why all reputable companies do require a year of service to get things under control. Some companies rely on spot treatments and "contact killers" which have a more immediate effect, but do not last nearly as long and cause issues further along. Bulwark uses products that last at least ***** days, providing a more lasting impact over time. 

  Because your initial service was extremely heavily discounted, we are forced to charge a cancellation fee upon early termination of your agreement in order to pay back the discounts you received on your initial service. Our money-back guarantee does allow for a refund of your most recent service charge if you first allow us to perform the requisite follow-up treatments to get things under control. It looks like we never performed any free follow-up treatments to try to resolve the pest situation, so you typically would not be eligible for the money-back guarantee, but considering the circumstances, we are more than happy to credit your most recent service charge in order to make things right. This will bring your fee down to $181.

  As a reminder, you are more thane welcome to complete the initial agreement you signed up for to waive your cancellation fee and allow us to gain control of those pests for you. Thank you again for your feedback and please let us know if you need anything else.

   

  Customer response

  05/02/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  04/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I was overcharged for pest control services. I was subscribed to an "every other month" plan. I called to speak to them about the issue and they said they would refund me for my overpayment. Following the last service date, I was charged again and never refunded. I am owed for two overpayments for ***** each plus a charge of ***** that has no explanation. The total I am requesting is ******.

  

  Business response

  04/20/2023

  Hi *****,

  Thank you so much for providing this feedback as it will help us keep growing and improving! After doing a deep audit of your file, we discovered that you had pest control at two separate properties, ******************** and **** ******** Pool. We saw that you were promised a free service credit for ********************, and we fulfilled that promise as requested by performing your next service free of charge. At **** ******** Pool, we did perform your initial service at an extreme discount ($21.65 after tax) and then performed one regular service for the standard $84.00 ($90.93 after tax) before you asked to cancel your account. We honored your request to close the account immediately and you have not been charged for anything at either property since asking to cancel.

  Although the credit you mentioned has already been provided and the other charges you mentioned are valid and just, we'd be more than happy to offer a deep discount on pest control if you ever need service in the future. Please reach out to us any time and ask to speak to a New Account Manager and we'd be happy to discuss further. Thank you again!

  Customer response

  04/20/2023

  By removing the ***** and the ***** charges for **** ******** Pool, we are still left with one extra overpayment in the amount of *****. There is no "free service" to be accounted for or credited for as I was promised unlimited visits in between the standard bi-monthly services. The extra payment occurred in February/March when I was charged for each month. Please refund *****.

  

  Business response

  04/29/2023

  Hi *****,

  Thank you for your response. Our records show you received a full service entirely free of charge in August, the same time that you requested your free treatment. Therefore, you aren't due any further refunds or credits. Despite this, we will be happy to provide you an additional refund of $90.93 in order to permanently conclude this transaction. Please allow 3-5 business days for this refund to process. Thank you again!

  Customer response

  05/01/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  03/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We bought a new house in March 2020 and there was a promotion for Bulwark to do pest control FREE. Although we NEVER signed up for extended or continuous pest control service from them after the free services, they send us a billing that same year. I called and explained to them that there has been a mistake because we NEVER signed up for continued services from them after the free services, and the customer representative said that they are going to take care of it and delete the charges. We never received a bill after that communication.But now after almost 3 YEARS, Im getting this $85.00 bill again that I have to pay. So, I called them 3/22/2023, letting them know that we never had any pest control service last year. The customer representative said that the bill was for the service they did on July 2020. I told them that Ive already talked to them in 2020 & there has been a mistake because we NEVER signed up for continued/extended services from them after the free services. For the past 3 years they have not resolved this issue and now I start receiving these bills to be paid for an unrequested/unwanted service! The company has some serious internal communication and billing problems. I would like for them to settle this billing issue once and for all.

  

  Business response

  03/23/2023

  Hello *******,

   

  Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We provided complimentary pest control services for your neighborhood as part of our partnership with your home builder. Year-round treatment is recommended as it is highly effective, but it is definitely not required. We're very sorry to hear that you were billed incorrectly and we would never intend to charge someone for a service they didn't ask for. We have removed this charge from your account and can confirm that you do not have any balance and do not need to do anything further. Thank you again and please let us know if you need anything else.

  Customer response

  03/27/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***********************************
  
   
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/20/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  After being a 7 ? year customer, ********************************* sent out an exterminator who spent a total of 11 mins here (as proven by my security cameras). He did not spray the 10' barrier, and had no time to circle our **** sq ft house to spot spray, do spider webs, check ants, etc etc. Thankfully, I was here, walked out to check when he left and recognized that he had factually skipped the entire exterminating routine. I immediately called Bulwark, and they said they would redo it in two days. They did. I paid. Three days later, at 8:30pm on a Fri night, I receive a collection call effort from a supervisor ****** ? with Bulwark. She was insistent that I pay right then. I looked, and they had already received my payment. I told her because of her actions, and because I could no longer trust their company to perform services if I'm not home, they were fired and to not call me back. I also sent a very detailed email on 12/12/22 (the next day) to *********************, who is shown on their Corporate records as the Bulwark PRESIDENT. I clearly stated all the issues and that I was firing their company. He did not have the professional courtesy or customer concern to write or phone me back. (I can forward that email to you.)2 months later on 2/18/23, ***** with Bulwark showed up unannounced and serviced the outside of our house. We were at our ranch but I saw him on our security cameras. When ***** texted me to say he had done the spider webs, I told him he should not have come; the company was fired in Dec. He had no idea and was very apologetic. Now I start receiving texts and calls from their ****** office expecting to be paid for the service !!!! How bad must a company be to show up two months after being fired, and expect to be paid for an unrequested/unwanted service ?????? Now its collection harassment over an incorrect charge.

  

  Business response

  02/27/2023

  Hi ******,

   

  Thank you so much for this honest feedback as it will surely help us continue to grow and improve. We're so sorry that you were displeased with our service. We'll make sure your account is fully closed and you won't receive any further bills, charges or phone calls. Thank you again and please let us know if there's anything further that we can do to finally and fully resolve this matter.

*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. ↩