Stinky stoop

COMPLAINT: Angie Venetsanos, Centreville, Va.

"I hired ACS Wildlife Service to investigate a skunk under my porch. They agreed to trap the skunk, deodorize and fill the holes under the porch. I paid them $249, and they said they'd spray for free because they were two hours late. The technician said he thought the skunk was under my neighbor's porch but would come back to spray again.

"When he came back, he said he saw a skunk but didn't have a trap. He came back three days later and found a dead skunk that he said had been there for more than a week. He then removed the skunk and filled in the holes for an additional $149. I called him a few days later because there was still an odor and flies. Now, no one will return my calls."

DESIRED RESOLUTION: "I'd like them to thoroughly check under my porch, deodorize the area, finish the concrete and send me a copy of the contract."

RESPONSE: Wendy Weeks, office manager, ACS Wildlife Services

"We told Mrs. Venetsanos we'd be there between 8 and 11 a.m. The technician arrived at 10 a.m. That day, we charged a $249 for a service/inspection fee. She wrote us a check but put a stop payment on it because she saw a skunk in the neighbor's yard.

"A technician then went back to dig out rocks and gravel, fill holes and spray again. The tech found a freshly dead skunk under the stoop. That charge was $149. When the technician went back to address the complaint, he didn't see any more flies and didn't smell the skunk. We don't cover the whole neighborhood. We feel we did our job. We mailed two copies of the invoices to her."

STATUS: Stalemate