Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall urges consumers that July 15 is the deadline to submit claims in the state’s historic $60 million settlement with the pest control company, Terminix International.
“I am extremely pleased with our success in reaching consumers, who have responded in encouraging numbers to seek their due compensation,” said Attorney General Marshall. “One of the challenges of providing justice in cases such as this is providing those who have been wronged with the information and means to claim what is owed to them. If you or someone you know was harmed by Terminix, I urge you to seek information and take action immediately.”
The attorney general’s settlement provides compensation for Terminix’s alleged illegal business practices that victimized thousands of customers in Alabama, primarily in Mobile and Baldwin counties, in 2019 and 2020.
Terminix accepted in the agreement that it engaged in a pattern of unconscionable price increases, collecting annual termite protection premiums while failing to provide services promised in its contracts, causing many homes and businesses to suffer termite infestations and to incur significant financial losses.
Existing Terminix customers who are eligible are automatically included in the settlement and do not have to file a claim. Former customers who are eligible must file in order to receive compensation, and may submit a claim online here, or may mail a claim form to Terminix Consumer Fund C/O Jeffrey C. Schneider, 201 South Biscayne Boulevard, Citigroup Center, Suite 2200, Miami, Florida 33131. The claim form may be accessed here to be printed and mailed.
More information is available at the settlement fund webpage, by calling the office of the court-appointed receiver, Jeffrey C. Schneider at (786) 347-2564, or by emailing to terminixfund@lklsg.com.
Consumers who do not have access to the internet may call the court-appointed receiver at the number above, or the Attorney General’s Consumer Interest Division at 334-242-7335 or 1-800-392-5658, to have a form mailed to them, but should do so quickly. Consumers should be sure to keep a copy of claim forms that are mailed.
As of now, more than 63.5 percent of former customers have filed claims, which is a significant increase over the customary average of 10 to 20 percent of claims filed by consumers in class action cases. This constitutes 10,250 claims filed by former customers, of which there are a total of 16,133. These claims are still being processed and are averaging approximately $691 each. Of 4,097 existing customers, refunds are still being processed and are averaging about $493 each.
“This settlement is a tremendous victory for the consumers of Alabama brought about by the hard work and dedication of many,” Marshall said. “Mobile District Attorney Ashley Rich brought her concerns to this office of reports about Terminix, and stood by my side as we sought justice. My office conducted a thorough investigation of this matter, along with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. I am extremely proud of this resulting settlement, which is a great achievement by this office’s outstanding consumer protection staff, in particular Assistant Attorneys General Olivia Martin and Dan W. Taliaferro.”
In addition to compensation being made through consumer claims, the settlement also provides that all existing customers may have their property treated again for protection against termites, that consumers who want to retain Terminix coverage will have their annual premiums reinstated at the 2018 prices, that customers may have their seven-year contracts replaced with pre-existing lifetime contracts, and that for the next seven years Terminix may not increase its annual premium by more than 5 percent annually plus the Consumer Price Index.
- Access the Terminix settlement webpage: https://terminixfund.com/
- Submit an online claim: https://terminixfund.com/file-an-e-claim/
- Print a claim form: https://terminixfund.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/TerminixFund-ProofOfClaimForm.pdf
Inquiries about claims should be made directly to the court-appointed receiver, whose contact information follows:
Jeffrey C. Schneider, Court-Appointed Receiver
LEVINE KELLOGG LEHMAN SCHNEIDER + GROSSMAN LLP
201 South Biscayne Blvd.
22nd Floor
Miami, Florida 33131
Telephone: (786) 347-2564, Facsimile: (305) 403-8789
Email: terminixfund@lklsg.com
Marshall is running for re-election. The Republican primary will be on May 24, 2022.
