Republic Services has a horrible reputation in Wyoming, and I strongly recommend not doing business with them. I feel their contract legal language and business practices are deceitful and misleading.
We were locked into a 36-month contract for residential trash collection, which has expired, but was automatically renewed by Repulic Services. We would have never signed the original contract if we knew it included the following-
*The inability to cancel trash collection service before the end of a 36-month term without paying a $1,400 penalty.
*Monthly rates that increase in any dollar amount, at any time, without notice.
*A contract that automatically renews itself for 36-months if a cancellation notice is not given at least 60 days before the end of the 36-month term.
We believed we were on a month-to-month service since our contract had expired four months ago. We recently found a local trash service provider with lower prices, and we asked Republic to cancel our service. Republic's response was that we needed to sign an updated contract with them. We refused to sign a new contract as we preferred to cancel. We were told that regardless of whether we sign the contract, we are already under a new 36-month contract with them. Additionally, there is no locked in monthly rate. Republic can charge whatever they want.
I spoke at great length with our account manager, asking her to cancel our service and she told me there is nothing she can do. I explained to her that their business practices are unethical, deceitful and potentially illegal, and she again told me there is nothing she can do. I spoke to Customer Service and Escalations and they both told me that there is nothing they can do. Shortly after those phone calls, I received a letter from Republic reminding me that if I choose to cancel my service, I will be billed $1,400+ for liquidated damages.
I immediately called our attorney for guidance, and I filed a formal complaint with the Wyoming Attorney General's Office. read more
