TOKYO -- When he got the bill from an exterminator he had contacted about a wasp problem, a 72-year-old man living in the suburban Tokyo city of Akiruno was shocked. The bill was over 1.72 million yen ($10,900).

The man had called a pest control service for a quote, and before he knew it the contractor had started work. The National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan (NCAC) is warning people to be on their guard against unscrupulous contractors following a surge in trouble over pest control.

The elderly man was alerted to the wasp problem by a neighbor who told him in August 2023, "There are wasps flying around your place." His house was over 40 years old. Concerned about the safety of children passing by, he decided to search for an exterminator, and requested an estimate through an intermediary website.

The man received a phone call from one contractor, who told him, "I'll come right away." A young, kind-looking worker showed up that evening. When the resident asked him for a quote, the worker told him, "Maybe around 25,000 yen" (about $160).

The resident only replied, "Oh, about that much?" and didn't specifically ask the worker to get rid of the wasps. The contractor told him, "OK, let's get started then," and immediately opened a hole in the ceiling at the entrance of the home to uncover a wasp nest about 30 centimeters in diameter. The worker told him, "I'll be blowing smoke on the nest, and it's not safe so I'd like you to stay at the other end of your house," so the man couldn't oversee the work. The job was completed after 10 p.m. The hole in the ceiling was covered with a piece of plywood.

The man was then presented with a handwritten invoice which listed "Smoke operation: 315,000 yen (roughly $2,000)," "Preventive agent spraying: 600,000 yen (about $3,800)," and other charges, amounting to 1.727 million yen.

The worker asked for half of the payment on the spot. The man went to a nearby bank ATM and withdrew 500,000 yen (approx. $3,170) and handed that and another 100,000 yen (some $630) he had at home to the worker and had him leave.

Thinking the huge amount strange, the man didn't pay the remainder of the money, which he'd been told to deposit by 3 p.m. three days later. When the clock ticked past the deadline, the contractor immediately called and told him, "If you're not going to pay, three of us are going to head to your house right now."

The man then went to a local police station to consult them. An officer at the station called the contractor and told him, "If you're going to come to the house, we'd like to ask you some things." The contractor never showed up.

The man then consulted with the city office and learned about Japan's cooling-off system that allows people to unconditionally cancel contracts within a certain period. He informed the contractor in writing that he was canceling the contract, but he has not received his 600,000 yen back.

In November 2024, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested the 26-year-old representative director of the pest control company on suspicion of violating the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions for providing the man a contract without necessary information about the cooling-off period. The company was also referred to prosecutors as a corporation.

According to the MPD, the same business struck over 200 contracts nationwide from July to December 2023, with sales believed to be around 37 million yen (approx. $235,000). The representative director denied the charges and was later released. The MPD is continuing to investigate the company on a voluntary basis.

Fear of insects? Consultations from young people on the rise

According to the NCAC, in fiscal 2023, there were 2,346 inquiries about pest control services for cockroaches, wasps, rats, masked palm civets and other creatures, or roughly 2.7 times more than the 854 cases recorded in fiscal 2018. As of the end of November in fiscal 2024, there had been 2,379 cases -- the highest level since statistics began in fiscal 2014.

Consultations about pest control services are notably increasing among younger people. Up until fiscal 2019, the proportion of people in their teens and 20s who entered into contracts hovered 5% or below, but the corresponding figure rose to 13.2% in fiscal 2022, 23.8% in fiscal 2023, and 35.0% as of the end of November in fiscal 2024.

An NCAC representative believes that the increase is due to more young people having an aversion to insects, panicking when they see cockroaches, for example, and not knowing how to handle them.

Consultations about pest control are often about companies advertising low prices online, such as a "basic fee starting at 500 yen" (about $3.17) but upon carrying out the work, present consumers with invoices for tens of thousands or even millions of yen.

When considering pest control, officials say it can be helpful to contact the Japan Pest Control Association, a public interest incorporated association of pest control companies, or local governments to check what work is necessary.

Officials also say that damage can be prevented by being wary of websites and advertisements displaying extremely low prices, and avoiding hiring contractors that try to stir up customers' fears about pests or rush them into signing contracts. "We'd like people to compare multiple estimates and consider them calmly," an official said.

If a person does end up getting into a shady contract, they are urged to contact consumer affairs centers around the country or the consumer hotline by phoning 188.

(Japanese original by Yuka Asahina, Tokyo City News Department)