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Pest control warranties come in three general flavors:
- no warranty
- limited warranty
- “guaranty“ or “money-back guaranty”
- vague verbal promises
Ants are the first pest you will find under general pest warranties.
The No Warranty Scenario
If you are getting a one-time ant control service, there is a decent likelihood that you will get no warranty. From the pest control company’s perspective, the price you received, probably a phone quote, may not be representative of the conditions they find in the home or business. “Some people are just filthy.” Perhaps you’ve seen these homes were the dishes pile up or the teenagers eat in their rooms. In these situations, you can’t expect miracles from the pest control technician. Even when going into a recurring treatment general pest service agreement, you may find that the pest control company has stated that the first one or two treatments or the first x number of days are not warrantied. If you are receiving a one-time service for ants (as the problem called in or inspected), it is highly unlikely that you will be warrantied for other problems at all. Should you call the next day with problems with spiders, it will not be warrantied under the payment for ants.
Limited Warranty
This is probably the most common type of warranty in general pest control. Look for this warranty to spell out what pests are covered. Certainly, it will cover the pest you had a problem with, such as ants. If you are entering into a “general pest control agreement,” you will have a limited warranty for a variety of other pests. We usually call these pests “common indoor pests,” not including larger pests, such as rodents. Occasionally, you will receive a broader general pest agreement for minor rodent services such as baiting outdoors or indoor rat/mice trapping upon request. Getting a warranty for a large set of pests does not mean that they are actually treating for all these pests, only that they will be addressed if the issue arises. The warranty needs to state what period is warrantied in exchange for the compensation. So for example, a monthly pest control service would have a monthly warranty; an every other month pest control service will have an 60 day warranty, etc. Occasionally, you will find companies that only warranty for 30 days, even if the service interval is the longer 60 or 90 days.
Guarantees and “Money Back” guarantees
Often, customers will call to state “the technician gave me a guarranty” or even a “money back guarranty.” Typically, these are verbals that were or were not actually stated. It’s anyone’s guess what was really warrantied. You do find some companies making these statements. For something like ant control, it is really hard to guarranty that a customer will never see another ant. We at “Ants Anywhere and Everywhere” are of the opinion that this is a deceptive practice. Kudos to the company that will give a full back money to the customer who is not satisfied with the ant service, especially after they have been out two, three, four or more times to help the customer. More often, we hear “Oh, our guarranty is that we will come back for a period of time.” Well, isn’t that a limited warranty?
Full Year Warranties for ants and General Pests
Occasionally you find companies that request a fee to cover the entire year, in which case it is appropriate to warranty the entire year. When entering into this type of agreement, you need to pay close attention to see if the pest control company is simply collecting a fee and only coming out upon request or if they will maintain a set service interval.
General Pest Service Exclusions
Again, if you are contracting only for ants, especially on a one-time basis, expect that other pests are all excluded from the warranty. If you enter into a general pest service agreement, pest control companies may wisely exclude specific pests that are real doosies to eliminate. Any smart company will exclude such pests as bed bugs, bees and wasps. Some will exclude cockroaches or pests that are elevated such as birds. Generally speaking, when you have that ant problem that causes you to go into a general pest service agreement, expect it to simply cover common household insects and spiders, not anything more. If you want more, ask for it. I’m sure that the pest control company will be happy to cover other pests at a price.
Vague Verbal Warranties for Ants or General Pests
Beware of companies that don’t specify what the warranty is, whether for one service or recurring maintenance. It is a sign of total unprofessionalism to perform pest control work without a written warranty. If you are not getting a warranty, you should know that! The pest control technician will be applying pesticides on your property, around your family or place of business. Don’t work with companies that seem to promise the world verbally, but can’t put it in writing. Make sure all the sections of the warranty are understood and reviewed. Got pests? Call today! You’re also welcome to complete the form on our website.
