Royal Forest Pest Control
Big Problem with Pest Management Company in Toronto
After receiving bites on my leg in a telltale pattern, I discovered that my home had a light (thankfully) infestation of bed bugs. It may be hard to believe but this has been, bar none, the most upsetting domestic pest problem I’ve ever had. Even mice did not distress me this much. After some exhaustive research, I was able to determine a few things about bed bugs.
They are rampant in Toronto and Montreal. Since discovering them at home, nearly everyone I’ve spoken to has had the problem or knows someone who has. There may be a stigma attached to having bed bugs but the sheer ubiquity of the problem would suggest that it’s not a matter of slovenliness at all (they’re blood suckers, not at all attracted to garbage),simply a question of the pervasive nature of these tiny beasts.
I probably acted too fast in choosing a pest control company but my 2-year old son had been bitted as had I. I contacted the first company I could find on-line who dealt exclusively with bed bugs.
Their name is Royal Forest Pest Control. Don’t forget that name since – if you do happen to be infested with bed bugs – you never, ever want to call them to solve your problem.
At first, the woman who answered the phone was lovely – helpful, sympathetic and full of advice about preparing the home for fumigation. She sent a technician out the very next day (they have a 2-hour window of service), as promised. But the technician obviously wanted to be in and out. He was dismissive, rude and careless. I had requested mattress encasements from the company twice; he never recorded the order. I asked him to do my son’s room as well; he said he didn’t have time. He didn’t even check the mattresses for the little critters. You’re not allowed to stay in the home when they spray since there’s a certain amount of toxicity. I asked him to tell me where he was going to spray; he said ‘around’.
When I called the next day and spoke to the same woman, she was barely responsive. I’ve since realized that once they had my money – you have to pay in full at the first appointment even though they come back for a second spray – there was no need to court me anymore. She had also strongly suggested that I purchase a bottle of ‘organic’ pesticide to spray things like shoes, luggage, purses, etc.
I’ve since spoken to an officer at Toronto Public Health. He’s been the only person without a vested (read: economic motive) interested in misinforming me. He said anything you can buy in a store or on-line that claims to get rid of bed bugs is pure bunk. The lady also said not to vacuum. Apparently, that’s the best thing you can do.
I left a message earlier this week inquiring about the bed casements I had asked the technician, Justin Wong, for. No call back. The next day I called again, made the same inquiry. That afternoon, I got a call back from someone who may well own the company, Daniel Morgan. He told me I hadn’t ordered the encasements since I would have had to pay for them on the spot. I had asked Justin twice for these encasements and even been told by Justin that I should expect them by Monday, latest. I told Daniel that it was very upsetting that his technician had f—-d up – admittedly a poor and offensive choice of words which I regret – since he had told me to expect them immediately and told me to put them on the bed and box springs immediately. Now, it was four days later. There was no apology, only a flat-out refusal that his technician hadn’t done the most thorough or reliable job. He told me I’d have to wait until the next spray appointment – one week later – and order them then. In and of itself, this was no big deal but his attitude was so hostile and anything but oriented to a satisfactory outcome for his customer, that it took my breath away. He actually hung up on me. I called back, calmer and said ‘ok let’s try this again’. I explained that I had indeed asked Jason – twice! – to order those encasements. He assured me I didn’t which was why they weren’t ordered and didn’t I know that since I hadn’t paid for them, they couldn’t have been ordered. I said I assumed I’d pay on receipt of goods. He told me that was stupid. He took absolutely no responsibility for his employee’s utter failure to do his job right which was frustrating in the extreme.
I hope this doesn’t seem petty. Please understand that bed bug infestations are enormously difficult to get rid of and can wreak havoc on your mental state since it’s almost impossible to sleep. All you’re thinking about is getting bitten!
If the news stories are accurate, bed bug infestations in Toronto are only going to get worse. Which is why I’m writing. I’d like to warn away anyone from this company who not only are unpleasant to deal with, but are one of the most expensive pest management companies out there. And they’re peddling mis (or dis?!) information to boot.
Please call or email me if you require any further information. Thanks in advance for your time and attention.
Disclaimer
This article was submitted by one of our readers. Penciltrick cannot make any claims as to its authenticity but the article was accepted on a good faith belief that it is an accurate and truthful account of the events listed.
June 27th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
The importance of utilizing mattress and box spring encasements when conducting an integrated approach to bed bug extermination cannot be overstated.
It is extremely important that the encasements are the correct type and that they fit well.
For this reason, our service includes personal – on site – measuring of each mattress and box spring to be encased, this is done by a licensed exterminator so as to ensure that the correct size of encasements are ordered for each and every one of our customers. This simply cannot be done consistently and accurately by phone so we do it in person at no extra charge.
It is of great importance to us that when a customer orders encasements from us that they be of the correct size so as to assist in the extermination process. Too large a size may result in snagging of the excess material and possible tearing. Too small a size may result in stretching of the material to the point of breakage, again – not condusive to containing any insects or eggs that may be in the mattress / box spring or preventing any from entering the mattress / box spring after encasement installation.
Our policy is to conduct ourselves in a manner consistent with the best practices for bed bug elimination. We will simply not alter how we do things for the sake of expediency or additional revenue. Doing a proper job is always paramount and we are willing to sacrifice additional income to ensure that it remains so.
August 2nd, 2010 at 5:15 pm
So true. The best place to go for mattress encasements is the allergy guy. They offer highly competitive prices (cheaper than most because there’s no bricks and mortar), next-day service, came highly recommended and are extremely helpful.
September 7th, 2010 at 11:20 am
I could not agree LESS!
I too had a bedbug problem in my home which lastest almost 2 months.
I was completely satisfied with Royal Forest and would highly recommend them.
Everyone i dealt with at Royal Forest were professional, kind, very sympathetic and patient. My calls were always returned within a few hours, usually by the owner (Dan), the technicians (especially Justin) were very professional and friendly.
I was very satisfied and impressed with the level of customer service we received.
Also the level of compassion and caring about my family was unbelievable. I spent many hours on the phone with the owner, who was always willing to listen.
September 27th, 2010 at 11:10 am
I too would highly recommend Royal Forest. Jody, Dan, Justin, and Rob were all incredible. Their knowledge and professionalism was matched only by their compassion and patience with my questions. The comments of the negative review above in no way resemble my experience. They were always punctual, reliable, and willing to take the time to answer my questions. My encasements arrived promptly. The spraying was very thorough. When I called to book a third spraying as a precaution when I saw a couple more bugs, they booked me an appointment the next day. (Note: The third spraying has little financial incentive for them as it is at a nominal price as part of their guaranty.) Bed bugs are quite literally a nightmare. I am reassured that I hired the best company for the job.
December 12th, 2010 at 2:31 am
Buyer beware!! Check out the Better Business Complaints!!
March 12th, 2011 at 10:57 pm
This company is very shady! It operates many web sites and operates under many different names and phone numbers. They will have no trouble taking your money and making promises but they do not deliver! Avoid these guys.
April 21st, 2011 at 11:41 am
Since Bruce and Marie have been asked by Dan the owner to make these posts, I wouldn’t put too much stock in them. Don’t take the chance. Go to a reputable company that has proper customer service protocols, good common sense and a professional demeanour. Royal Forest has none of the above
July 24th, 2011 at 6:21 pm
Hey,
I am unfortunately dealing with bed bugs right now.
I dont know where to turn to for sound advice.
September 24th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
I too have a HUGE issue with this company. I called them as I am a landlord of a triplex. Justin came out to see me and told me we had a VERY LIGHT infestation. My tenants had already done all the prep work before hand. I DO NOT believe they do anything. Justin is very nice but he is doing his job. I was never told I needed to pay everytime they came out until they got there and would not start until I paid them. They charged me $525 plus HST for the first visit and the second visit was free. We continued to have problems and my tenants moved out. The tenants did everything they were told to do. I then brought them in 1 or 2 more times which they charged me for. If you have a guarantee why are you charging? Bedbugs continued so I decided to call PCO. I paid $1050 plus tax and decided to get the whole house done as my other tenants reported seeing 1 each in their units. There were 2 technicians on site for 3 hrs steaming and spraying. I am happy to say it has been 6 weeks and not a sight of anything anywhere. My tenants are extremely happy. Don’t waste your money with these people. Call someone else. They pay good money to have their listing at the top of the search engines so that desperate people like me call them first. NEVER AGAIN!!!!
September 27th, 2011 at 11:29 am
Recently I had this company spray for suspected bed bugs. As it turned out, I never had bed bugs but they did not verify this and I paid them a ridiculous amount of money for the 15 mins of work they did. When I later explained to them that another professional was able to determine that I did not have bed bugs simply by describing my situation to them over the phone (the exact same situation I had described to RFPC), they phoned me back shortly after seeking to take legal action against the person who I had spoken with (and who also did a free inspection of the premises to verify their suspicion – taking more time then RFPC did when they did their work). I would NOT recommend this company.
October 24th, 2011 at 6:10 pm
I’ve had a problem with bed bugs at my condo in downtown Toronto (Jarvis Street). At first the Property Management sent in Rentokill. There was no change in the situation and so I stared to do my own research. I discovered all of the things that I needed to do, and all of the things that Rentokill should have done (and should NOT have done – example: they shouldn’t have sprayed insecticide directly on my mattress).
After doing my research I called Royal Forest. They took the time to talk me through the situation, and educated me about how to battle it. A lot of the information was the same that I learned from Public Health and other sources, and yet some was really good tips that only someone “in the know” can give you.
Royal Forest has always taken the time to hear my concerns, and to give me honest, solid advice. Even if the answer isn’t what I wanted to hear (I wanted a quick fix, but they warned me it was an uphill battle).
To the criticisms of this company, I say your comments are largely unfounded and based on misinformation or unrealistic expectations. Here’s the deal: if you have the bugs, you have them. The technician doesn’t need to look at your mattress. Yes, you should have a cover. Sure, you can buy them from these guys, or you can take an active role for yourself in the battle, and like me, walk down to Sleep Country Canada who sold me the bed and buy the cover they knew would fit.
Vacuuming? The complaint about being given bad advice on this is misinformed. Royal Forest is right when they say not to vacuum… in the weeks following the treatment! You need to leave it undisturbed and let the chemicals kill the bugs that hatch and also you have to not risk moving the bugs over the barrier in your vacuum. Once you’re on top of the issue and bug-free, yes, by all means, vacuum frequently and carefully dispose of the bag.
Everyone has their own preference and likes different companies. For me, Royal Forest has been perfect. My neighbours aren’t dealing with the bugs in their unit, so I’ve had a few re-occurrences which Royal Forest provided fast, thoughtful and courteous service. Each time they help me rid my unit of the bugs completely. Now, if only we could get rid of the source (my neighbours!).
And let me be clear: I do not work for these guys. I was not asked to post this either. I am an average consumer and work for a national health care provider. I found this site when I was looking for Royal Forest’s phone number on-line. I am a satisfied consumer and highly recommend Royal Forest. And while I had a bad experience with Rentokill, I’m not saying anything bad about them. Maybe that company is right for you. At the end of the day, choose who you like to work with but choose someone. Because you cannot fight this on your own, you need professional help.
November 28th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
In response to John Mraz:
I have not been to this website since my last comment, because I have been free of the bed bugs since that time. I was shocked to see Mr. Mraz’s accusation that I was somehow coerced into making my statement. To the best of my knowledge, I do not know any John Mraz, nor does he know me. Dan never asked me to make any posts. If he had, I still would have made my comments, but would disclosed the request. I am a lawyer, so I would not misrepresent myself. In this respect, John Mraz is lying, so I question the veracity of any of his commments. I suspect that he may be from a competing company.
I came across this website independently, and made my comments in order to assist others. Given that I have been free of bedbugs for over a year, I stand by my comments one hundred percent.
January 5th, 2012 at 1:44 pm
DON’T USE THIS COMPANY!!!!
they push mattress en-casements on you at enormous mark ups…$400 where same at allergy store for 1/3rd price
having not solved our problem we went to another company…night and day…
Royal came for the second ‘spray and steam’ guy was done in 30minutes…impossible for a house as large as ours…bugs never eradicated…