Completely different from the price on the net?! Beware of pest-control troubles - They are rising especially rapidly among younger people! -

Consumer affairs centers and the like nationwide are being consulted about so-called "pest control services"-i.e., services to exterminate pest bugs and animals like cockroaches, bees, rats, and so on. The number of consultations has continued to increase over the past few years, and in FY 2023, it shot up to around 1.5 times as many as in the same period in FY 2022. Many of the consultations are about situations where the consumer searches the Internet and finds a company advertising very low prices, but when the people come to do the job, they ask for a price that is far higher. Cases where people in their teens and twenties end up signing contracts are rising particularly rapidly, so this is a problem that that age group should definitely be aware of.

So, in order to prevent the occurrence and spread of troubles, we will share some actual examples of recent consultations and the background to them, and alert consumers to the issues.

Examples of consultations

[Example 1]

I saw some cockroaches and got scared, so I hired a cheap company I found on the Internet, but the price they actually charged me was really high.

[Example 2]

I even asked them to stop exterminating the cockroaches, but they didn't listen, and charged me a fortune for doing it.

[Example 3]

I got worried when they told me getting stung by bees can be fatal, so I hired them to exterminate them. However, it's going to be really expensive, so I want to cancel the contract.

[Example 4]

They got me worried about rats so I hired them to get rid of them, but the work isn't going to be thorough enough, so I want to cancel the contract.

[Example 5]

I hired a bat exterminator I found online, but then they lied to me, so I want to cancel the contract.

Problems seen in the consultation examples

• The prices advertised on the Internet are wildly different from the actual ones.
• Exterminators are playing on consumers' fears to rush them into signing a contract.
• They are forcibly doing work and charging people for it.
• People are not getting a chance to compare and consider multiple estimates beforehand.
• Sometimes, the documents the consumers are given fail to clearly state the specific service details, etc.
• Interference with cooling off is also seen.

Advice

• Beware of sites and ads that show extremely low prices.
• Do not sign a contract with any company that does not give you time to compare and consider multiple estimates.
• Cooling off, etc. are sometimes possible.
• If something seems wrong, consult a consumer affairs center, etc. immediately.