{"id":"terminix","page":"https://escalate.alexgaoth.com/#/c/terminix","html":"https://escalate.alexgaoth.com/c/terminix/","generated":"2026-10-15","company":{"id":"terminix","name":"Terminix","aliases":["terminix international","terminix global holdings","rentokil terminix"],"sector":"home_services","parent":"Rentokil North America, Inc. (Rentokil Initial plc)","website":"https://www.terminix.com","account_url":"https://www.terminix.com/my-account/","official_domains":["terminix.com"],"regulators":["ftc"],"notes":"Pest and termite control. The terminix.com footer reads \"© 2026 Rentokil North America, Inc.\", and the privacy policy is hosted on the parent's site, rentokil-initial.com. Terminix does not publish its residential Service Contract online: the online Terms of Agreement page says the service representative provides a copy of the Service Contract to sign. The contract term, renewal terms, cancellation notice period, early termination charges, guarantee conditions and any 3-business-day cancellation notice in that contract could not be sourced. No Terminix page about scams or impersonation was found.","channels":[{"id":"customer-service-phone","type":"phone","label":"Terminix customer service (\"Call\")","value":"+1-855-485-6300","hours":"7 days a week, 6am-10pm CST","purposes":["cancel_service","billing_error","poor_service","refund_request"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"invoice-appointments-phone","type":"phone","label":"Invoice and appointment questions (MyAccount FAQ)","value":"+1-855-348-3152","purposes":["billing_error"],"notes":"The MyAccount FAQ says \"For questions about invoices, please call 1-855-348-3152\" and \"For questions about appointments or to reschedule by phone, please call 1-855-348-3152.\"","source":"https://www.terminix.com/myaccount-faq/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"text-line","type":"sms","label":"Text Terminix customer service","value":"+1-866-980-8669","hours":"Mon-Fri 7am-7pm CST; Sat 7am-3pm CST","purposes":["billing_error","poor_service"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"live-chat","type":"chat","label":"Online chat with a representative (start from the \"Chat\" link on the contact page)","value":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","hours":"Mon-Fri 7am-7pm CST; Sat 7am-3pm CST","purposes":["billing_error","poor_service"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"residential-inquiry-form","type":"web_form","label":"Residential Customer Inquiries form (on the contact page)","value":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","purposes":["cancel_service","billing_error","poor_service","refund_request"],"access":"open","notes":"The contact page says Terminix responds \"within the next business day.\" The form opens from a \"Click here\" link on the contact page; it has no separate URL. Do not use the \"Corporate Inquiries\" form, which says it is not for current or potential customers.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"myaccount","type":"portal","label":"MyAccount (invoices, payments, AutoPay)","value":"https://www.terminix.com/my-account/","purposes":["billing_error"],"access":"login","notes":"Invoices are under the Payments & Billing tab. Customers on AutoPay or with a prepaid balance have no invoices to view online. AutoPay is set up or viewed under Payments & Billing > My Payments Due.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/myaccount-faq/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"legal-notice-mail","type":"mail","label":"Written Notice of Dispute (terminix.com Terms of Use)","value":"Rentokil North America, Inc., ATTN: Legal Department, 1125 Berkshire Blvd., Suite 150, Wyomissing, PA 19610","purposes":["poor_service","billing_error","refund_request"],"notes":"The website Terms of Use say \"Your Notice of Dispute to the Company must be sent by mail to Rentokil North America, Inc.\" at this address, and give 60 days from receipt to resolve the dispute before a formal proceeding. These Terms of Use cover the website; a signed Service Contract can name a different notice address.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/legal/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"escalation":[{"rung":"frontline","channel":"customer-service-phone"},{"rung":"written_complaint","channel":"legal-notice-mail","note":"Send a dated written complaint by a method with proof of delivery. Terminix publishes no other written-complaint address; check the signed Service Contract for its notice address."},{"rung":"payment_dispute","note":"Card or bank dispute for charges after cancellation or for service not provided. The online Terms of Agreement say cancelling the AutoPay authorization does not cancel the customer's obligations under the agreement."},{"rung":"state_agency","agency_kind":"attorney_general","note":"In November 2020 the Alabama Attorney General announced a $60 million settlement with Terminix over termite service contracts."},{"rung":"small_claims","note":"The terminix.com Terms of Use require individual AAA arbitration for claims related to those Terms, with no small-claims carve-out and no opt-out window. They describe themselves as the entire agreement regarding the website. The residential Service Contract is not online, so check it for its own dispute clause before filing."}],"playbooks":[{"issue":"cancel_service","summary":"Terminix does not publish a cancellation process online. Cancel by phone, confirm in writing with proof of delivery, and check the signed Service Contract for notice terms. Cancelling AutoPay alone does not end the contract.","evidence":["signed Service Contract","AutoPay authorization","date of the cancellation call with the representative's name and reference number","copy of the written notice and proof of delivery","card or bank statements"],"steps":[{"do":"Find your signed Service Contract. Read its term, renewal and cancellation clauses. Terminix gives it at signing and does not publish it online."},{"do":"Call customer service and ask to cancel the service and the AutoPay authorization. Write down the representative's name, the date and a reference number. Ask where to send written notice.","channel":"customer-service-phone"},{"do":"Send written notice that cancels the service and the AutoPay authorization, by a method with proof of delivery. The AutoPay authorization stays in effect until the fifth business day after Terminix receives written notice."},{"do":"If Terminix charges you after the cancellation takes effect, dispute the charge in writing, then with your card issuer or bank.","channel":"legal-notice-mail"},{"do":"If the dispute is not resolved, complain to your state attorney general and the FTC.","regulator":"ftc"}],"facts":[{"kind":"deadline","claim":"The online Terms of Agreement say the AutoPay authorization \"will remain in effect until the fifth business day following Terminix's receipt from Purchaser of a written notice to cancel.\" No address for that notice is given on the page.","issues":["cancel_service","billing_error"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/terms-agreement/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"The online Terms of Agreement say \"Purchaser understands that cancellation of this authorization does not cancel Purchaser's obligations under this Agreement.\"","issues":["cancel_service"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/terms-agreement/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"process","claim":"The online Terms of Agreement say \"Your service representative will provide you with a copy of the Service Contract to Sign\" and \"Your Credit Card will be charged at the time of service.\"","issues":["cancel_service","billing_error"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/terms-agreement/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}]},{"issue":"billing_error","summary":"Check invoices in MyAccount, call the invoice line, then dispute in writing and with the card issuer.","evidence":["invoice or statement with the charge","Service Contract price","AutoPay authorization","check copy and mailing date if paid by check"],"steps":[{"do":"Sign in to MyAccount and open Payments & Billing to see invoices and AutoPay.","channel":"myaccount"},{"do":"Call the invoice line with the invoice and the price in your Service Contract. Ask for a correction and a reference number.","channel":"invoice-appointments-phone"},{"do":"If Terminix does not correct it, send a written dispute with the evidence and keep proof of delivery.","channel":"legal-notice-mail"},{"do":"For a card charge, send a billing-error dispute to the card issuer within the deadline in rules/fcba-billing-error."}],"facts":[{"kind":"contact","claim":"\"For questions about invoices, please call 1-855-348-3152.\"","issues":["billing_error"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/myaccount-faq/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"process","claim":"For a check mailed before a statement arrived: \"Please allow up to 2 weeks, from the date the check was sent, for processing.\"","issues":["billing_error"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/myaccount-faq/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"process","claim":"Customers on AutoPay or with a prepaid balance have no invoices to view in MyAccount.","issues":["billing_error"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/myaccount-faq/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}]}],"facts":[{"claim":"A Terminix press release dated October 6, 2022 says Terminix shareholders approved the merger with Rentokil Initial plc and that \"The acquisition is expected to close on October 12, 2022, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.\"","source":"https://www.terminix.com/newsroom/press-releases/2022/terminix-shareholders-approve-merger-with-rentokil-initial/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"compensation","claim":"On November 5, 2020 the Alabama Attorney General announced a $60 million settlement with Terminix, saying it systematically overcharged Alabama customers for termite services and failed to honor service contracts, in violation of the Alabama Deceptive Trade Practices Act. It included $25 million for a consumer relief fund for refunds and $10 million to retreat over 12,000 homes in Mobile, Baldwin and Monroe counties.","issues":["refund_request","poor_service"],"source":"https://www.alabamaag.gov/attorney-general-steve-marshall-announces-60-million-settlement-with-terminix-over-illegal-business-practices-targeting-alabama/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"Terminix's pest control page says for ongoing plans \"If pests come back between treatments, so will we— at no additional cost\", and for one-time plans \"If pests come back within 30 days of your treatment, so will we — at no additional cost.\" It does not mention a money-back guarantee. Footnotes with conditions are not shown on the page.","issues":["poor_service"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/pest-control/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"limit","claim":"Terminix's termite page says the \"Terminix It & Fix It Guarantee\" means \"if termites come back, so do we—at no additional cost. We'll even fix any new termite damage up to $250,000.\" Its FAQ says repairs apply \"as long as you maintain your plan\", and that \"not all homes qualify for coverage under certain plans.\" Footnotes with conditions are not shown on the page.","issues":["warranty_claim","poor_service"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/termite-control/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"The terminix.com Terms of Use send claims related to those Terms to \"FINAL AND BINDING INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION\" administered by the American Arbitration Association, waive class actions, require a mailed Notice of Dispute and a 60-day period to resolve it first, and are governed by Tennessee law. They state no opt-out window and no small-claims exception.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/legal/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"known_blockers":["The residential Service Contract (term, renewal, cancellation notice and fees) is not published online; the person must find their signed copy.","MyAccount needs sign-in.","Chat and the residential inquiry form start from links on the contact page and have no direct URL. Chat and text run only Mon-Fri 7am-7pm CST and Sat 7am-3pm CST."]},"playbooks":{"cancel_service":{"company":{"id":"terminix","name":"Terminix","sector":"home_services","website":"https://www.terminix.com","account_url":"https://www.terminix.com/my-account/"},"issue":{"id":"cancel_service","name":"Cancellation problem"},"playbook_source":"company","summary":"Terminix does not publish a cancellation process online. Cancel by phone, confirm in writing with proof of delivery, and check the signed Service Contract for notice terms. Cancelling AutoPay alone does not end the contract.","evidence":["signed Service Contract","AutoPay authorization","date of the cancellation call with the representative's name and reference number","copy of the written notice and proof of delivery","card or bank statements"],"steps":[{"do":"Find your signed Service Contract. Read its term, renewal and cancellation clauses. Terminix gives it at signing and does not publish it online."},{"do":"Call customer service and ask to cancel the service and the AutoPay authorization. Write down the representative's name, the date and a reference number. Ask where to send written notice.","channel":{"id":"customer-service-phone","type":"phone","label":"Terminix customer service (\"Call\")","value":"+1-855-485-6300","hours":"7 days a week, 6am-10pm CST","purposes":["cancel_service","billing_error","poor_service","refund_request"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"do":"Send written notice that cancels the service and the AutoPay authorization, by a method with proof of delivery. The AutoPay authorization stays in effect until the fifth business day after Terminix receives written notice."},{"do":"If Terminix charges you after the cancellation takes effect, dispute the charge in writing, then with your card issuer or bank.","channel":{"id":"legal-notice-mail","type":"mail","label":"Written Notice of Dispute (terminix.com Terms of Use)","value":"Rentokil North America, Inc., ATTN: Legal Department, 1125 Berkshire Blvd., Suite 150, Wyomissing, PA 19610","purposes":["poor_service","billing_error","refund_request"],"notes":"The website Terms of Use say \"Your Notice of Dispute to the Company must be sent by mail to Rentokil North America, Inc.\" at this address, and give 60 days from receipt to resolve the dispute before a formal proceeding. These Terms of Use cover the website; a signed Service Contract can name a different notice address.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/legal/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"do":"If the dispute is not resolved, complain to your state attorney general and the FTC.","regulator":{"id":"ftc","name":"Federal Trade Commission","level":"federal","when_to_use":"Report fraud, scams, identity theft and unfair or deceptive business practices, such as a company that blocks cancellation. The FTC does not resolve individual cases, so pursue your refund with the company, your card issuer or a state agency at the same time.","channels":[{"id":"reportfraud","type":"web_form","label":"ReportFraud.ftc.gov","value":"https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/","purposes":["fraud","unauthorized_charge","cancel_service"],"notes":"For fraud, scams and bad business practices.","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"identitytheft","type":"web_form","label":"IdentityTheft.gov (identity theft report and recovery plan)","value":"https://www.identitytheft.gov/","purposes":["fraud"],"source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"donotcall","type":"web_form","label":"National Do Not Call Registry (unwanted calls)","value":"https://www.donotcall.gov/","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"consumer-response-center","type":"phone","label":"Consumer Response Center (1-877-FTC-HELP)","value":"+1-877-382-4357","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"id":"headquarters-mail","type":"mail","label":"FTC headquarters mailing address","value":"Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20580","notes":"The contact page lists this headquarters address. Online reporting is the documented path for consumer reports.","source":"https://www.ftc.gov/contact","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}],"facts":[{"kind":"process","claim":"The FTC and other agencies use reports to investigate and bring cases, but cannot resolve cases for individuals.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/04/reporting-fraud-101-protect-your-community-reporting-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"Reports go into a secure national database that law enforcement can use. FTC investigators, lawyers and analysts review reports to spot patterns and build cases.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/08/did-you-spot-scam-heres-what-do-next","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"After you submit a report, the FTC gives you steps to protect yourself or try to get your money back.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/04/reporting-fraud-101-protect-your-community-reporting-scams","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}],"notes":"The FTC collects reports; it does not mediate. A report number is still useful evidence for a card dispute or a state attorney general complaint. ReportFraud.ftc.gov was still the reporting path in an FTC consumer alert dated 2026-08-28."}}],"channels":[{"id":"customer-service-phone","type":"phone","label":"Terminix customer service (\"Call\")","value":"+1-855-485-6300","hours":"7 days a week, 6am-10pm CST","purposes":["cancel_service","billing_error","poor_service","refund_request"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"residential-inquiry-form","type":"web_form","label":"Residential Customer Inquiries form (on the contact page)","value":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","purposes":["cancel_service","billing_error","poor_service","refund_request"],"access":"open","notes":"The contact page says Terminix responds \"within the next business day.\" The form opens from a \"Click here\" link on the contact page; it has no separate URL. Do not use the \"Corporate Inquiries\" form, which says it is not for current or potential customers.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"facts":[{"kind":"deadline","claim":"The online Terms of Agreement say the AutoPay authorization \"will remain in effect until the fifth business day following Terminix's receipt from Purchaser of a written notice to cancel.\" No address for that notice is given on the page.","issues":["cancel_service","billing_error"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/terms-agreement/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"The online Terms of Agreement say \"Purchaser understands that cancellation of this authorization does not cancel Purchaser's obligations under this Agreement.\"","issues":["cancel_service"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/terms-agreement/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"process","claim":"The online Terms of Agreement say \"Your service representative will provide you with a copy of the Service Contract to Sign\" and \"Your Credit Card will be charged at the time of service.\"","issues":["cancel_service","billing_error"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/terms-agreement/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"claim":"A Terminix press release dated October 6, 2022 says Terminix shareholders approved the merger with Rentokil Initial plc and that \"The acquisition is expected to close on October 12, 2022, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.\"","source":"https://www.terminix.com/newsroom/press-releases/2022/terminix-shareholders-approve-merger-with-rentokil-initial/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"The terminix.com Terms of Use send claims related to those Terms to \"FINAL AND BINDING INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION\" administered by the American Arbitration Association, waive class actions, require a mailed Notice of Dispute and a 60-day period to resolve it first, and are governed by Tennessee law. They state no opt-out window and no small-claims exception.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/legal/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"rules":{"in_force":[{"id":"ftc-cooling-off-rule","title":"FTC Cooling-Off Rule for door-to-door sales (Rule Concerning Cooling-Off Period for Sales Made at Homes or at Certain Other Locations)","citation":"16 CFR Part 429","jurisdiction":"us-federal","status":"in_effect","summary":"A buyer may cancel a covered door-to-door sale (made at the buyer's home, workplace or dormitory, or at a seller's temporary location such as a hotel room, convention center, fairground or restaurant) until midnight of the third business day after the sale, for any reason. The seller must tell the buyer about this right orally and in writing, give two cancellation forms, and refund all payments within 10 business days of a valid cancellation. Home security systems, alarm monitoring and pest control sold at the door are common examples. State laws may give more rights.","source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/buyers-remorse-ftcs-cooling-rule-may-help","last_verified":"2026-10-13","points":[{"kind":"limit","claim":"A \"door-to-door sale\" is a sale, lease or rental of consumer goods or services with a purchase price of $25 or more if made at the buyer's residence, or $130 or more if made at other locations, where the seller personally solicits the sale (even if the buyer invited the contact) and the buyer agrees to buy at a place other than the seller's place of business.","issues":["cancel_service","refund_request"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/16/429.0","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"limit","claim":"The definition excludes sales after the buyer visits the seller's permanent retail store, sales conducted entirely by mail or telephone with no other prior contact, buyer-initiated emergency sales where the buyer gives a handwritten, dated, signed waiver, home repair or maintenance the buyer asked for (extra goods or services sold during that visit are still covered), and sales of real property, insurance and certain securities.","issues":["cancel_service"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/16/429.0","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"deadline","claim":"The seller must give a completed receipt or contract that states, near the buyer's signature, in bold type of at least 10 points: \"You, the buyer, may cancel this transaction at any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of this transaction.\" A business day is any calendar day except Sunday and federal holidays, so Saturdays count.","issues":["cancel_service"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/16/429.1","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"process","claim":"The seller must give the buyer two copies of a \"NOTICE OF CANCELLATION\" form and must tell the buyer orally, at the time the buyer signs, about the right to cancel. The seller may not misrepresent the buyer's right to cancel.","issues":["cancel_service"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/16/429.1","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"deadline","claim":"Within 10 business days after receiving a valid cancellation notice, the seller must refund all payments, return any trade-in in substantially as good condition, cancel any negotiable instrument and security interest, and tell the buyer whether it will pick up or abandon any goods left with the buyer.","issues":["refund_request","cancel_service"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/16/429.1","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"deadline","claim":"Under the notice of cancellation form, if the seller does not pick up the goods within 20 days of the buyer's notice of cancellation, the buyer may keep or dispose of them without further obligation.","issues":["cancel_service"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/16/429.1","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"process","claim":"To cancel, sign and date one copy of the cancellation form and mail it to the address given, postmarked before midnight of the third business day. If the seller gave no form, write a cancellation letter postmarked within three business days. The FTC suggests certified mail with a return receipt and keeping a copy. No reason is needed.","issues":["cancel_service"],"source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/buyers-remorse-ftcs-cooling-rule-may-help","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"process","claim":"Report a seller that does not honor the rule to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general or local consumer protection agency. For a credit card purchase, also dispute the charge with the card company.","issues":["cancel_service","refund_request"],"source":"https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/buyers-remorse-ftcs-cooling-rule-may-help","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"limit","claim":"The rule does not apply to sellers of automobiles at auctions, tent sales or other temporary locations when the seller has a permanent place of business, or to sellers of arts or crafts at fairs or similar places.","issues":["cancel_service"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/16/429.3","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}]},{"id":"rosca-negative-option","title":"Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act (ROSCA) negative option requirements","citation":"15 U.S.C. 8401-8405","jurisdiction":"us-federal","status":"in_effect","summary":"A seller that charges consumers online through a negative option feature (for example an automatic renewal or a free trial that converts to paid) must clearly disclose all material terms before taking billing information, get the consumer's express informed consent before charging, and provide simple mechanisms to stop recurring charges. The FTC enforces ROSCA.","source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/8403","last_verified":"2026-10-12","points_omitted":2,"points":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"Before obtaining the consumer's billing information, the seller must provide text that \"clearly and conspicuously discloses all material terms of the transaction\".","issues":["cancel_service","unauthorized_charge"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/8403","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"The seller must provide \"simple mechanisms for a consumer to stop recurring charges\" on the consumer's credit card, debit card, bank account or other financial account.","issues":["cancel_service"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/8403","last_verified":"2026-10-12"},{"kind":"process","claim":"A ROSCA violation is treated as a violation of an FTC rule on unfair or deceptive acts or practices, and the FTC enforces ROSCA with its FTC Act powers and penalties. Report violations to the FTC.","issues":["cancel_service","unauthorized_charge"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/8404","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}]}],"not_in_force":[{"id":"ftc-click-to-cancel","title":"FTC \"Click-to-Cancel\" amendments to the Negative Option Rule (2024)","citation":"16 CFR part 425 (2024 amendments, published November 15, 2024)","jurisdiction":"us-federal","status":"vacated","summary":"The FTC's 2024 amendments to the Negative Option Rule (\"click-to-cancel\") were vacated in full by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit on July 8, 2025, and never took effect. Do not cite them. For online subscriptions, cite ROSCA (rules/rosca-negative-option) and applicable state automatic renewal laws instead.","source":"https://ecf.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/25/07/243137P.pdf","last_verified":"2026-10-12","status_note":"Vacated in full by the Eighth Circuit on July 8, 2025 (Custom Communications, Inc. v. FTC, 142 F.4th 1060). The FTC removed the 2024 text effective February 12, 2026 and restored the pre-2024 prenotification rule. A new rulemaking is only at the ANPRM stage (March 13, 2026), with no proposed text as of 2026-10-12. What remains in force: ROSCA (rules/rosca-negative-option), Section 5 of the FTC Act, and state automatic renewal laws (for example rules/ca-automatic-renewal-law, rules/ny-automatic-renewal-law).","do_not_cite":"This rule is not in force. Do not cite it as current law."}]},"tips":[],"escalation":[{"index":0,"rung":"frontline","channel":{"id":"customer-service-phone","type":"phone","label":"Terminix customer service (\"Call\")","value":"+1-855-485-6300","hours":"7 days a week, 6am-10pm CST","purposes":["cancel_service","billing_error","poor_service","refund_request"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"index":1,"rung":"written_complaint","note":"Send a dated written complaint by a method with proof of delivery. Terminix publishes no other written-complaint address; check the signed Service Contract for its notice address.","channel":{"id":"legal-notice-mail","type":"mail","label":"Written Notice of Dispute (terminix.com Terms of Use)","value":"Rentokil North America, Inc., ATTN: Legal Department, 1125 Berkshire Blvd., Suite 150, Wyomissing, PA 19610","purposes":["poor_service","billing_error","refund_request"],"notes":"The website Terms of Use say \"Your Notice of Dispute to the Company must be sent by mail to Rentokil North America, Inc.\" at this address, and give 60 days from receipt to resolve the dispute before a formal proceeding. These Terms of Use cover the website; a signed Service Contract can name a different notice address.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/legal/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"index":2,"rung":"payment_dispute","note":"Card or bank dispute for charges after cancellation or for service not provided. The online Terms of Agreement say cancelling the AutoPay authorization does not cancel the customer's obligations under the agreement.","rules":["fcba-billing-error","efta-reg-e"]},{"index":3,"rung":"state_agency","note":"In November 2020 the Alabama Attorney General announced a $60 million settlement with Terminix over termite service contracts.","agency_kind":"attorney_general","agencies":"Ask for the person's state, then call find_regulators."},{"index":4,"rung":"small_claims","note":"The terminix.com Terms of Use require individual AAA arbitration for claims related to those Terms, with no small-claims carve-out and no opt-out window. They describe themselves as the entire agreement regarding the website. The residential Service Contract is not online, so check it for its own dispute clause before filing."}],"known_blockers":["The residential Service Contract (term, renewal, cancellation notice and fees) is not published online; the person must find their signed copy.","MyAccount needs sign-in.","Chat and the residential inquiry form start from links on the contact page and have no direct URL. Chat and text run only Mon-Fri 7am-7pm CST and Sat 7am-3pm CST."],"security":{"official_domains":["terminix.com"],"never_asks":[],"known_scams":[],"report_phishing":[]},"credibility":{"grade":"A","primary_share":1.0,"sources":{"primary":18},"verified_from":{"page":18},"last_verified":"2026-10-13","oldest_verified":"2026-10-13","stale_items":0,"explanation":"Grade A (high: almost everything comes from official pages read directly). 100% of 18 sources are the organization's own pages or government sites.","dossier_last_verified":null},"context":{"dossier":false,"sector_guide":true,"hint":"Call get_context for how this company handles complaints in practice and which scams use its name."},"notes":"Pest and termite control. The terminix.com footer reads \"© 2026 Rentokil North America, Inc.\", and the privacy policy is hosted on the parent's site, rentokil-initial.com. Terminix does not publish its residential Service Contract online: the online Terms of Agreement page says the service representative provides a copy of the Service Contract to sign. The contract term, renewal terms, cancellation notice period, early termination charges, guarantee conditions and any 3-business-day cancellation notice in that contract could not be sourced. No Terminix page about scams or impersonation was found.","warnings":[]},"billing_error":{"company":{"id":"terminix","name":"Terminix","sector":"home_services","website":"https://www.terminix.com","account_url":"https://www.terminix.com/my-account/"},"issue":{"id":"billing_error","name":"Billing error"},"playbook_source":"company","summary":"Check invoices in MyAccount, call the invoice line, then dispute in writing and with the card issuer.","evidence":["invoice or statement with the charge","Service Contract price","AutoPay authorization","check copy and mailing date if paid by check"],"steps":[{"do":"Sign in to MyAccount and open Payments & Billing to see invoices and AutoPay.","channel":{"id":"myaccount","type":"portal","label":"MyAccount (invoices, payments, AutoPay)","value":"https://www.terminix.com/my-account/","purposes":["billing_error"],"access":"login","notes":"Invoices are under the Payments & Billing tab. Customers on AutoPay or with a prepaid balance have no invoices to view online. AutoPay is set up or viewed under Payments & Billing > My Payments Due.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/myaccount-faq/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"do":"Call the invoice line with the invoice and the price in your Service Contract. Ask for a correction and a reference number.","channel":{"id":"invoice-appointments-phone","type":"phone","label":"Invoice and appointment questions (MyAccount FAQ)","value":"+1-855-348-3152","purposes":["billing_error"],"notes":"The MyAccount FAQ says \"For questions about invoices, please call 1-855-348-3152\" and \"For questions about appointments or to reschedule by phone, please call 1-855-348-3152.\"","source":"https://www.terminix.com/myaccount-faq/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"do":"If Terminix does not correct it, send a written dispute with the evidence and keep proof of delivery.","channel":{"id":"legal-notice-mail","type":"mail","label":"Written Notice of Dispute (terminix.com Terms of Use)","value":"Rentokil North America, Inc., ATTN: Legal Department, 1125 Berkshire Blvd., Suite 150, Wyomissing, PA 19610","purposes":["poor_service","billing_error","refund_request"],"notes":"The website Terms of Use say \"Your Notice of Dispute to the Company must be sent by mail to Rentokil North America, Inc.\" at this address, and give 60 days from receipt to resolve the dispute before a formal proceeding. These Terms of Use cover the website; a signed Service Contract can name a different notice address.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/legal/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"do":"For a card charge, send a billing-error dispute to the card issuer within the deadline in rules/fcba-billing-error."}],"channels":[{"id":"customer-service-phone","type":"phone","label":"Terminix customer service (\"Call\")","value":"+1-855-485-6300","hours":"7 days a week, 6am-10pm CST","purposes":["cancel_service","billing_error","poor_service","refund_request"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"invoice-appointments-phone","type":"phone","label":"Invoice and appointment questions (MyAccount FAQ)","value":"+1-855-348-3152","purposes":["billing_error"],"notes":"The MyAccount FAQ says \"For questions about invoices, please call 1-855-348-3152\" and \"For questions about appointments or to reschedule by phone, please call 1-855-348-3152.\"","source":"https://www.terminix.com/myaccount-faq/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"text-line","type":"sms","label":"Text Terminix customer service","value":"+1-866-980-8669","hours":"Mon-Fri 7am-7pm CST; Sat 7am-3pm CST","purposes":["billing_error","poor_service"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"live-chat","type":"chat","label":"Online chat with a representative (start from the \"Chat\" link on the contact page)","value":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","hours":"Mon-Fri 7am-7pm CST; Sat 7am-3pm CST","purposes":["billing_error","poor_service"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"residential-inquiry-form","type":"web_form","label":"Residential Customer Inquiries form (on the contact page)","value":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","purposes":["cancel_service","billing_error","poor_service","refund_request"],"access":"open","notes":"The contact page says Terminix responds \"within the next business day.\" The form opens from a \"Click here\" link on the contact page; it has no separate URL. Do not use the \"Corporate Inquiries\" form, which says it is not for current or potential customers.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"myaccount","type":"portal","label":"MyAccount (invoices, payments, AutoPay)","value":"https://www.terminix.com/my-account/","purposes":["billing_error"],"access":"login","notes":"Invoices are under the Payments & Billing tab. Customers on AutoPay or with a prepaid balance have no invoices to view online. AutoPay is set up or viewed under Payments & Billing > My Payments Due.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/myaccount-faq/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"id":"legal-notice-mail","type":"mail","label":"Written Notice of Dispute (terminix.com Terms of Use)","value":"Rentokil North America, Inc., ATTN: Legal Department, 1125 Berkshire Blvd., Suite 150, Wyomissing, PA 19610","purposes":["poor_service","billing_error","refund_request"],"notes":"The website Terms of Use say \"Your Notice of Dispute to the Company must be sent by mail to Rentokil North America, Inc.\" at this address, and give 60 days from receipt to resolve the dispute before a formal proceeding. These Terms of Use cover the website; a signed Service Contract can name a different notice address.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/legal/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"facts":[{"kind":"contact","claim":"\"For questions about invoices, please call 1-855-348-3152.\"","issues":["billing_error"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/myaccount-faq/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"process","claim":"For a check mailed before a statement arrived: \"Please allow up to 2 weeks, from the date the check was sent, for processing.\"","issues":["billing_error"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/myaccount-faq/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"process","claim":"Customers on AutoPay or with a prepaid balance have no invoices to view in MyAccount.","issues":["billing_error"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/myaccount-faq/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"claim":"A Terminix press release dated October 6, 2022 says Terminix shareholders approved the merger with Rentokil Initial plc and that \"The acquisition is expected to close on October 12, 2022, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.\"","source":"https://www.terminix.com/newsroom/press-releases/2022/terminix-shareholders-approve-merger-with-rentokil-initial/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"},{"kind":"policy","claim":"The terminix.com Terms of Use send claims related to those Terms to \"FINAL AND BINDING INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION\" administered by the American Arbitration Association, waive class actions, require a mailed Notice of Dispute and a 60-day period to resolve it first, and are governed by Tennessee law. They state no opt-out window and no small-claims exception.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/legal/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}],"rules":{"in_force":[{"id":"rosca-negative-option","title":"Restore Online Shoppers' Confidence Act (ROSCA) negative option requirements","citation":"15 U.S.C. 8401-8405","jurisdiction":"us-federal","status":"in_effect","summary":"A seller that charges consumers online through a negative option feature (for example an automatic renewal or a free trial that converts to paid) must clearly disclose all material terms before taking billing information, get the consumer's express informed consent before charging, and provide simple mechanisms to stop recurring charges. The FTC enforces ROSCA.","source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/8403","last_verified":"2026-10-12","points_omitted":4,"points":[{"kind":"policy","claim":"The seller must obtain \"a consumer's express informed consent before charging the consumer's credit card, debit card, bank account, or other financial account\".","issues":["unauthorized_charge","billing_error"],"source":"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/8403","last_verified":"2026-10-12"}]}],"not_in_force":[]},"tips":[],"escalation":[{"index":0,"rung":"frontline","channel":{"id":"customer-service-phone","type":"phone","label":"Terminix customer service (\"Call\")","value":"+1-855-485-6300","hours":"7 days a week, 6am-10pm CST","purposes":["cancel_service","billing_error","poor_service","refund_request"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"index":1,"rung":"written_complaint","note":"Send a dated written complaint by a method with proof of delivery. Terminix publishes no other written-complaint address; check the signed Service Contract for its notice address.","channel":{"id":"legal-notice-mail","type":"mail","label":"Written Notice of Dispute (terminix.com Terms of Use)","value":"Rentokil North America, Inc., ATTN: Legal Department, 1125 Berkshire Blvd., Suite 150, Wyomissing, PA 19610","purposes":["poor_service","billing_error","refund_request"],"notes":"The website Terms of Use say \"Your Notice of Dispute to the Company must be sent by mail to Rentokil North America, Inc.\" at this address, and give 60 days from receipt to resolve the dispute before a formal proceeding. These Terms of Use cover the website; a signed Service Contract can name a different notice address.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/legal/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"index":2,"rung":"payment_dispute","note":"Card or bank dispute for charges after cancellation or for service not provided. The online Terms of Agreement say cancelling the AutoPay authorization does not cancel the customer's obligations under the agreement.","rules":["fcba-billing-error","efta-reg-e"]},{"index":3,"rung":"state_agency","note":"In November 2020 the Alabama Attorney General announced a $60 million settlement with Terminix over termite service contracts.","agency_kind":"attorney_general","agencies":"Ask for the person's state, then call find_regulators."},{"index":4,"rung":"small_claims","note":"The terminix.com Terms of Use require individual AAA arbitration for claims related to those Terms, with no small-claims carve-out and no opt-out window. They describe themselves as the entire agreement regarding the website. The residential Service Contract is not online, so check it for its own dispute clause before filing."}],"known_blockers":["The residential Service Contract (term, renewal, cancellation notice and fees) is not published online; the person must find their signed copy.","MyAccount needs sign-in.","Chat and the residential inquiry form start from links on the contact page and have no direct URL. Chat and text run only Mon-Fri 7am-7pm CST and Sat 7am-3pm CST."],"security":{"official_domains":["terminix.com"],"never_asks":[],"known_scams":[],"report_phishing":[]},"credibility":{"grade":"A","primary_share":1.0,"sources":{"primary":18},"verified_from":{"page":18},"last_verified":"2026-10-13","oldest_verified":"2026-10-13","stale_items":0,"explanation":"Grade A (high: almost everything comes from official pages read directly). 100% of 18 sources are the organization's own pages or government sites.","dossier_last_verified":null},"context":{"dossier":false,"sector_guide":true,"hint":"Call get_context for how this company handles complaints in practice and which scams use its name."},"notes":"Pest and termite control. The terminix.com footer reads \"© 2026 Rentokil North America, Inc.\", and the privacy policy is hosted on the parent's site, rentokil-initial.com. Terminix does not publish its residential Service Contract online: the online Terms of Agreement page says the service representative provides a copy of the Service Contract to sign. The contract term, renewal terms, cancellation notice period, early termination charges, guarantee conditions and any 3-business-day cancellation notice in that contract could not be sourced. No Terminix page about scams or impersonation was found.","warnings":[]}},"escalation":[{"index":0,"rung":"frontline","channel":{"id":"customer-service-phone","type":"phone","label":"Terminix customer service (\"Call\")","value":"+1-855-485-6300","hours":"7 days a week, 6am-10pm CST","purposes":["cancel_service","billing_error","poor_service","refund_request"],"source":"https://www.terminix.com/contact-us/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"index":1,"rung":"written_complaint","note":"Send a dated written complaint by a method with proof of delivery. Terminix publishes no other written-complaint address; check the signed Service Contract for its notice address.","channel":{"id":"legal-notice-mail","type":"mail","label":"Written Notice of Dispute (terminix.com Terms of Use)","value":"Rentokil North America, Inc., ATTN: Legal Department, 1125 Berkshire Blvd., Suite 150, Wyomissing, PA 19610","purposes":["poor_service","billing_error","refund_request"],"notes":"The website Terms of Use say \"Your Notice of Dispute to the Company must be sent by mail to Rentokil North America, Inc.\" at this address, and give 60 days from receipt to resolve the dispute before a formal proceeding. These Terms of Use cover the website; a signed Service Contract can name a different notice address.","source":"https://www.terminix.com/legal/","last_verified":"2026-10-13"}},{"index":2,"rung":"payment_dispute","note":"Card or bank dispute for charges after cancellation or for service not provided. The online Terms of Agreement say cancelling the AutoPay authorization does not cancel the customer's obligations under the agreement.","rules":["fcba-billing-error","efta-reg-e"]},{"index":3,"rung":"state_agency","note":"In November 2020 the Alabama Attorney General announced a $60 million settlement with Terminix over termite service contracts.","agency_kind":"attorney_general","agencies":"Ask for the person's state, then call find_regulators."},{"index":4,"rung":"small_claims","note":"The terminix.com Terms of Use require individual AAA arbitration for claims related to those Terms, with no small-claims carve-out and no opt-out window. They describe themselves as the entire agreement regarding the website. The residential Service Contract is not online, so check it for its own dispute clause before filing."}],"security":{"official_domains":["terminix.com"],"never_asks":[],"known_scams":[],"report_phishing":[]},"credibility":{"grade":"A","primary_share":1.0,"sources":{"primary":18},"verified_from":{"page":18},"last_verified":"2026-10-13","oldest_verified":"2026-10-13","stale_items":0,"explanation":"Grade A (high: almost everything comes from official pages read directly). 100% of 18 sources are the organization's own pages or government sites.","dossier_last_verified":null},"dossier":null,"guide":{"key":"home_services","title":"Home security and pest control — how complaints work","last_verified":"2026-10-13","file":"guides/home_services.md","page":"https://escalate.alexgaoth.com/#/guides/home_services"}}