OT: Termite treatment plans, what a ripoff

[djbleach]

Here's my story. We've been in our house for 8 years. At first we had a termite contract.
In reading the contract, it stated that even if termites were found, the company wouldn't be liable for any damage, they would just retreat.
That was costing $82 a year, and was going to go up. So after 2 years, I declined.
I've been told that if a house was treated right the first time, you'd never have problems with it. It's on a crawlspace.
So I'm in the process of saleing my dad's house. The company needs a termite/moisture letter.
This has got me thinking about what if I sold our house?
So I inquire about getting under a contract.
They quote me $998 for the booster treatment. and $98 yearly.
What a rip!
Hindsite, I really haven't saved any money because it will cost me $400 more to get under contract, if I just had stayed with the original. I guess you live and learn.
I still have a problem with what the new contract company said. They said if termites are found, they will come and treat?
I thought that is what I'm paying them for? Not to have termites?
Anyway. I haven't signed any new contracts. I will call around first. I will look for a cheaper scam artist! LoL
Anybody have any advise?
Does one have to have a termite contract when a house sales? Or can I just hire a company and they would come out and give me a termite/moisture letter?
I've been using some industrial spray that I get from a turf and garden store. Inside and out. It seems to work just fine. On the bottle it is used in schools, and other places?

 

[Melrosgirl]

We just sold our house and had a termite contract. (We had termites several years ago - very little damage though.) So we got a termite contract. Cost us $2500 back then (for the protection stuff, etc.)

It was through Terminix. (just had the inspection and no termites found.)

 

[trulygoofy]

You really have to have a termite plan in place to sell a house. We use Terminix and it is more that $98 a year, but it is worth it. We had termites a few years ago and they had to repair the damage. The only problem was that they send their guys and we had to closely monitor the repairs lets just say.
They treated our house again and there is so much poison under our house that I think we will not have another termite anywhere near here for years. They come out every year inspect and treat if they find a problem, but one treatment will not last forever. It really is a good deal when you are dealing with a little bug that can literally destroy your home and easily go unnoticed for a while. I do hate to write that check, but I would never go with out a termite plan.

 

[momoftwins]

maybe we were lucky.

We had our house for 12 years. When we sold it last summer, the buyers wanted to have a termite inspection- which we did say we would pay for.

The inspectors found nothing. My realtor said if they had found termites, we would have to treat only.

 

[PiRSquared]

We had a plan once and when they found problems, they treated and fixed the damage. When we went to sell, we still had to have a different contractor prove there were no termites. Since then we have sold several houses all without contracts. A couple of times they found termites or carpenter ants, but no damage. We just treated and the buys accepted that. A couple of times no damage was found and all was well.

 

[Disneefun]

We had a contract and, same as OP, they sent a notice that it was going up -- a scary amount. So we said no thanks. Now we just have the various termite services come out once per year and do their free inspections. They all offer this. We just switch companies each year, have them come out and do the free inspection and then just decline when they offer the contract.

 

[goofyforlife]

Op....

you do know that when they "treat" termites. It just makes them move to another location (outside, wood pile or mulch, or neighbor's house). You keep em moving and they don't eat your foundation.

They don't die like other insects....

So if one of your neighbors has termites....You all should get treated...

When your neighbor treats their house...the termites move again..(sometime back to your house)

My sister had this happen when her neighbors treated their house and didn't tell her....

 

[msloise]

Hello Everyone,

Basically, I pay a regular annual fee which will cover all of my future termite control costs. Sort of a termite insurance plan. Well, almost all because the fine print excludes drywood termites, which are different from the more common ground or subterranean termite. According to Orkin, subterranean termites cause 95% of all Pest control Sydney. However, they also thrive primarily in warmer coastal areas like where I live. So… I don’t know if this is a big deal or not.

 

[tvguy]

Never had an issue selling my MIL's and my mom's house without a termite contract. Buyers had their own inspections, and found nothing. To my knowledge my MIL's house never had a termite treatment.
My mom did have a treatment, and the paperwork I found says the work is guaranteed for life to the owner at the time of the treatment. No contract needed.
When I had my house treated last year, they did offer a contract. My inspector did agree, given the minimal damage my 38 year old house had, that after treatment, that a contract was a waste of money.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

zombie thread

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Dh has a friend who owns an exterminator business. He did our initial inspection when we bought our house and all was clear. It was not required by our town to have a termite contract in place by either the seller or the buyer in order for the sale to complete, only a clean inspection. He warned us that our neighborhood was a hot spot for termites. We didn't bother with any of it for a while because our home needed a LOT of cosmetic work which we were more focused on, but maybe 12 years later (whew, time flies!) we started seeing little winged "ants" on our screened back porch, only in the spring, and decided to have him take a look. We did have termites and minor damage. Just a few sections of framing above and below our sliding door to the porch needed replacing. Dh is very handy and could do this himself so the termite treatment was around $1300 with a 2 year warranty that is renewable. (Our home is on a crawlspace, no basement.) At the end of the warranty period we were offered an ongoing warranty for something like $140/year which states if there's any further evidence of termite infestation, they'll treat our home again for free. It doesn't cover any future potential for structural damage.

I do clearly recall him telling us at a party once, to never use a national, chain exterminator, no name mentioned but ours here are either Terminex or Orkin. He said their employees don't possess much knowledge about termites and had very little training. They also tend to be stingy in using enough chemicals to properly treat a home for termite infestation. He said that using a smaller, locally reputable, family-owned business is better. They tend to care more about their business reputation in the community and generally will take better care of you. I suppose there may be exceptions to this as well.
Good luck.

 

[LovesTimone]

Depending on where you there are different types of termites, the most common are Drywood Termites, and Subterranean Termites, which we have here in Florida along.... with Formosan Termites.

It's call pest control for a reason... you can only control it... there is not way to wipe them off the face of the earth and we need bugs and insect as they are a part of the "circle of life"... as a matter of fact they were here long before you and I.... termites were here before the dinosaurs at least 250 million years they have been here... so they really aren't going anywhere. Along with the plethora of other bugs, that aren't going anywhere... I live in Fl... and bugs are just part of it.

They are offering you a service, and its up to you to make your own decision if you want to keep it or not... and if they are telling/ giving/offering you guarantee/contract that if they come back they will retreat or if you have a repair guarantee/contract that they will repair it. How is that being a "Scam Artist"? for me its like car insurance you might have a accident...or health insurance you might get sick... and aren't you glad that you have it when you need it... Your home is the biggest investment that you have, I am all about protecting mine. I have always used Orkin in our homes, from everything from pest control, mosquito treatments, and termite protection and never been unhappy with them. while costly as most things are its worth it... and when we were thinking about buying house that the home inspection guy was telling us was okay...I had that feeling.... I asked our Orkin man to come take a look...there was not only old damage but live activity and he showed it to us... We did pass on that house...

 

[kymom99]

Dh has a friend who owns an exterminator business. He did our initial inspection when we bought our house and all was clear. It was not required by our town to have a termite contract in place by either the seller or the buyer in order for the sale to complete, only a clean inspection. He warned us that our neighborhood was a hot spot for termites. We didn't bother with any of it for a while because our home needed a LOT of cosmetic work which we were more focused on, but maybe 12 years later (whew, time flies!) we started seeing little winged "ants" on our screened back porch, only in the spring, and decided to have him take a look. We did have termites and minor damage. Just a few sections of framing above and below our sliding door to the porch needed replacing. Dh is very handy and could do this himself so the termite treatment was around $1300 with a 2 year warranty that is renewable. (Our home is on a crawlspace, no basement.) At the end of the warranty period we were offered an ongoing warranty for something like $140/year which states if there's any further evidence of termite infestation, they'll treat our home again for free. It doesn't cover any future potential for structural damage.

I do clearly recall him telling us at a party once, to never use a national, chain exterminator, no name mentioned but ours here are either Terminex or Orkin. He said their employees don't possess much knowledge about termites and had very little training. They also tend to be stingy in using enough chemicals to properly treat a home for termite infestation. He said that using a smaller, locally reputable, family-owned business is better. They tend to care more about their business reputation in the community and generally will take better care of you. I suppose there may be exceptions to this as well.
Good luck.

There was a big issue with one of these national brands back in the 80s. My husband was a victim of their lack of proper treatment during his "previous life." It cost him thousands. I agree, go with a local business. And yes I know this is an old thread but the topic is still relevant.

 

[dex08]

Some states require an active termite contract in order to sell a home. We just went through buying a home in a different state and our realtor repeatedly advised that if a seller doesn’t have a current up to date termite contract that the Seller would have to pay for a new one for us.

 

[gottalovepluto]

SERIOUS ZOMBIE THREAD FOLKS. 2007.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

We had a termite inspection on the house we sold BEFORE it went on the market. That way if there was a problem, can treat with electro-gun instead of tenting for several days. Realtor said electro-gun was a couple of hundred dollars versus tenting which is in the thousands. Thankfully, we had no termites. So, it was also a plus that we can list the house, show we already did a termite inspection (which seller usually pays for anyway).

 

[Anthony Jenkins]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Denise W]

Reported.
Denise

 

[tvguy]

SERIOUS ZOMBIE THREAD FOLKS. 2007.

No biggie. Info is all still good, and if it was a new thread, you would miss out on all the early posts and information.

 

[kymom99]

Dh has a friend who owns an exterminator business. He did our initial inspection when we bought our house and all was clear. It was not required by our town to have a termite contract in place by either the seller or the buyer in order for the sale to complete, only a clean inspection. He warned us that our neighborhood was a hot spot for termites. We didn't bother with any of it for a while because our home needed a LOT of cosmetic work which we were more focused on, but maybe 12 years later (whew, time flies!) we started seeing little winged "ants" on our screened back porch, only in the spring, and decided to have him take a look. We did have termites and minor damage. Just a few sections of framing above and below our sliding door to the porch needed replacing. Dh is very handy and could do this himself so the termite treatment was around $1300 with a 2 year warranty that is renewable. (Our home is on a crawlspace, no basement.) At the end of the warranty period we were offered an ongoing warranty for something like $140/year which states if there's any further evidence of termite infestation, they'll treat our home again for free. It doesn't cover any future potential for structural damage.

I do clearly recall him telling us at a party once, to never use a national, chain exterminator, no name mentioned but ours here are either Terminex or Orkin. He said their employees don't possess much knowledge about termites and had very little training. They also tend to be stingy in using enough chemicals to properly treat a home for termite infestation. He said that using a smaller, locally reputable, family-owned business is better. They tend to care more about their business reputation in the community and generally will take better care of you. I suppose there may be exceptions to this as well.
Good luck.

I have to agree with your friend from personal experience.