Welcome

Welcome to the Sentricon* Users Group website. The Sentricon Users Group is comprised of Authorized Sentricon firms who are utilizing these communication resources to learn, share ideas, and share experiences amongst themselves. The Users Group was created to get you the facts and to make sure that each AO was equally informed and given equal opportunities. With so many issues surrounding Sentricon from day one of its introduction you need a communication resource like the Sentricon Users Group.  Every AO has been affected by so many issues.  Due to Dow's efforts to hide many of them, it's understandable that AOs may not be aware of some of them. Some have significantly affected your ability to provide termite protection to your customers and impacted the profitability of your business.

It's now clear that all those companies not chosen by Dow to sell and service Sentricon have also been the victims of Dow business strategies. For years, thousands of companies have accused that Dow illegally chose the companies that Dow authorized to sell and service Sentricon.  And for years Dow has vehemently denied those accusations. We now learn that the accusations have been correct all along. According to a letter written by Reid Sprenkel (Dow's business development strategist for Sentricon) on January 6, 1994, his statements undeniably prove the allegations were completely correct. In that letter sent only to Dow's select top customers, Sprenkel revealed a portion of Dow's strategy for the introduction of Sentricon.  Sprenkel states, "It is our intention to share information with, and maintain the involvement of, only those customers who continue to support our termiticide business". Clearly this is evidence of Dow's scheme to intentionally restrain the trade of this product and an attempt to monopolize the trade of a unique, new means of structural termite protection. It was an admission of a scheme to reward only Dow's top customers with a competitive advantage. It was part of a strategy aimed at stopping Dow customers from switching to competitive products at a time that Dursban was coming under intense scrutiny by the EPA. Dursban was coming under that scrutiny because of Dow's flagrant violations in hiding adverse health incidents and other chlorpyrifos discoveries which ultimately caused Dursban to be removed from the market. It was also aimed at getting competitive customers to switch to Dursban products with the hope that they too might be chosen to sell and service Sentricon. (Dow actually chose less than 10% of the pest management companies in the U.S. to sell and service Sentricon). That scheme has had an enormous impact on the entire pest management industry including Dow's competitors for the last ten or more years. But it's only a small part of the big picture when looking at what Dow has done with Sentricon and the issues surrounding Dow Management.

Here are a sampling of the other issues and questions that are being dealt with by Sentricon Authorized Operators:

• Why did Dow's largest Sentricon Authorized Firm discontinue their use of Sentricon and move to a competitive product for their termite bait system? This was an enormous task involving the conversion of hundreds of thousands of structures. There clearly were extremely compelling reasons for them to abandon their investment in Sentricon and make the switch. Maybe they didn't like Dow's unethical behavior or the fact that Sentricon hasn't kept up with baiting improvements to keep it on top.

• Do you remember Dow's old sales slogans - "Partners in Your Future" and "Customer Driven Worldwide". Many AOs say they've been "driven" but they'd rather not say where. Do you really feel like a "Partner" of Dow's in servicing and selling Sentricon any longer? That's how they sold it, you're their "Partner". Has Dow treated you like a "Partner"? Don't you expect a business partner to warn you if they cause a catastrophic problem which will affect your business? Especially when that problem causes you to pay additional expenses to achieve the result you pay for and use Sentricon. Shouldn't they take responsibility for the performance of Sentricon?

• Who's customer is it anyway? The customer you sold, you serviced and you dealt with through all the issues isn't yours? That's right. If you try to discontinue your use of Sentricon, Dow will send your customers a letter stating that your company is no longer authorized to sell Sentricon and that they should switch to another AO. Some AOs have reported that because of Dow's threat to send that "deauthorized" letter that they have used an alternative course of action of making the Sentricon system at their sites a Halo* System by using stickers Dow provides. Is this ethical for you or your customer?

• Have you had sites at which you just couldn't achieve "colony elimination" with Sentricon? What's the real reason Dow attempted to "retrieve" Recruit bait that had been shipped to you, or did they even make an attempt at your company? If you were an AO in '96 and '97 you should have received this letter from Kevin Burns, then the Sentricon Marketing Manager. Some have reported they did and others were totally unaware of this issue, but all AOs were affected.  Dow sent that letter about ten months after Dow's first production of "bad" bait. They completely withheld their knowledge of what they had done and the damages they knew they had caused. That letter was intended to cover-up the real cause of the problem. It is the first piece of evidence of the fraudulent actions Dow took in this event, an event that few AOs truly understand what Dow really did or how large a problem Dow had created.  Dow intentionally gave incorrect warnings about 1) the true impact of the bait to the stations in which it had already been used; 2) the impact of what continued use of the bait in new stations would have caused; and 3) the steps Dow knew were required for you to take to remedy the bait's long term effects on the millions of stations where it was used. This meant the damages caused by Dow's Recruit bait were multiplied by Dow's fraudulent act to cover-up the problem they created. Dow Management has gone to great lengths to keep the truth from being known, including perjury in sworn legal depositions. Dow management didn't want to tell you the truth then and they still haven't told you today.

• Dow reps have reported that they were instructed by Dow Management not to use certain words in any inter-company communications including emails during the time of this event. The words prohibited by Dow Management would have described why the bait was "bad".  Those words would have been clear evidence of what Dow had done and the long-term damages Dow was responsible for causing, damages that were greatly multiplied by Dow's fraudulent actions to cover-up what they had done.

• AOs now want to know what really was causing termites to die in the recruitment chamber of Baitubes? Dow used many excuses. First, Dow said it was because the paper was too dry for termites to eat. Then they said it was too dense for termites to eat. Then they said it was from oxygen depletion because the cap was tightened too much? Does this sound like the tale of Goldie Locks and the three bears? Well none of these were the real cause but Dow certainly tried many fairytales.  Some AOs found Dow's excuses to be an insult to their intelligence. It should have been insulting to all. Understanding Dow's attitude toward AOs, toward correcting the problem they caused, and making things "right" is even more of an "eye-opener".  Here's a glimpse of Dow's real attitude.
  
  Most importantly, Dow's scheme to deceive AOs meant the properties that AOs were paid to protect were going to have long-term issues with termites, probably making it completely impossible to protect the structure with Sentricon alone. AOs paid for  supplemental treatments because Sentricon stations had been rendered useless. And the problem wasn't just with Recruit Baitubes, Recruit AG was also involved. Dow covered up the real cause in an attempt to avoid lawsuits by AOs and property owners. The truth would have also resulted in huge fines by the EPA for pesticide manufacturing and distribution violations. How Dow handled this initially affected hundreds of thousands of properties.  But because of Dow's fraudulent cover up, it not only affected those original properties but also hundreds of thousands of new sites where the "Bad" bait continued to be used. You need to understand that every station in which this "Bad" bait was used has been permanently rendered useless for termite baiting. Since the success of the Sentricon system depends upon the interception of foraging termites by placing stations around the perimeter of the structure these useless stations could now leave a significant "hole" in that protection. Dow internally joked that many PCOs wanted to get chlordane back and  they almost did. Dow knew the ramifications of what they had done from the day they discovered the problem but have since fraudulently hidden everything they could about the event.
  
  From what's been learned, sheer and complete incompetence in manufacturing followed by a total lack of quality control led to this entire fiasco. Then Dow Management decided to commit what is now easily considered one of the largest cases of fraud our industry has ever seen. This event involved millions of paper rolls used in Baitubes that were distributed nationwide (probably globally), and Dow even used them later in Recruit AG stations when that product was first introduced in June of 1997. Dow Management made the choice to fraudulently hide the truth. Dow knew that choice was going to result in far greater continuing damage than if it had been handled responsibly, but Dow saw that the damages (or expenses) would be borne by the AOs instead of Dow if they hid the true cause.
  
  Dow did attempt a meager effort to get the "Bad Bait" back in some areas. Though they didn't put much of an effort into that recall.  Why? Probably, as many now believe, because any overt effort would have brought the attention of the EPA and also of lawyers. The effort that was made resulted more in returning already used bait devices far more than getting the "Bad Bait" out of the inventory from AOs. You should also of course realize that Dow had the means to warn every AO of the exact station at which this "Bad Bait" had been used from the data reported by AOs through the Prolinx Data Management System. They never attempted to do that because their story or stories never implied that their was any issue with the bait that would have had a long-term impact on the stations. Dow took the low road, as many now realize, they do very often.
  
  Want to learn the real reason? Then join the users group. You may think you know the reason but only Sentricon Users Group members really know the facts.  Additional Note: An interesting thought is that Sentricon won the Presidential Green Award in 2000. If the EPA knew what Dow's incompetent manufacturing and marketing had been covering up would Sentricon have received the Green Award?

• Do you think not signing the contract but continuing Sentricon use is protecting you? Think again. From the first day of the introduction of Sentricon, Authorized Operators have had reservations in signing the Authorized Operator contract. It's kept some of the largest PMPs from using Sentricon ... or it's been an additional reason why they haven't signed.  Some larger AOs in fact have not signed the same agreement and do not adhere to the same contractual terms. Also, why is it that Dow eliminates your rights to hold them responsible in any way for use of their product - Sentricon? This contract wording change was made after Dow introduced ESP.

• Are you receiving the same level of support as other AOs? Do you receive the same level of help from Dow reps as other AOs? Do they give you monetary support for your marketing/advertising programs at the same level as your competitors?

• Are you getting the same price breaks and support that other AOs receive?  While you may feel privileged to have been chosen to be an Authorized Sentricon Firm you likely are unaware that Dow has been giving your local Sentricon competitors price and sales support which has put you in a competitive disadvantage when dealing with the same potential customers. Dow has had special pricing deals with many AOs to incentive their conversion of their existing customers and also to target new customers fitting specific criteria. These pricing programs may have been giving your competitors a price advantage over your costs from Dow. Have you ever wondered how a competitor could price Sentricon at such a low cost? Dow's incentives to them are probably the reason. There have been many incentive programs since the time Sentricon was first  introduced and there still many programs and special deals day. With the loss in market share Dow has experienced in the last five years, these deals have become Dow's response to AOs threatening a switch to competitive products. You may be the victim of a competitor's threat to switch.

• Have you been billed multiple times for the same property? AOs who check their invoices religiously say it been happening for years and still is occurring today. They advise that everyone should be wary of their invoices. Has this over-billing/multiple billing been intentional by Dow?

• Is there disparity in the level of service quality Dow holds some AOs to over other AOs? Are big firms receiving the same scrutiny in quality assurance checks?

• Are you now being offered Sentricon but weren't on the "list" before? Why would Dow now be adding new AOs?

• Why is Dow's support for Sentricon waning and why is their effort now to boost Halo and Hex-Pro sales?

• How do you feel about Dow dropping their use of the Prolinx monitoring system? Is this a positive step in assuring proper use of Sentricon or is this going to result in lowering the standards of a Sentricon service? Is this just one more sign of a loss of commitment to Sentricon by Dow? Certainly this now move proves that the Prolinx System was nothing more than an inventory system for Dow's use in invoicing and controlling the use of stations and bait devices.

• Are you considering moving away from Sentricon to something else? Do you feel YOUR customers are now being held for ransom by Dow? If you have converted your customers to another method of termite protection from Sentricon did Dow send a letter to all of your customers when you terminated your Authorized Operator Agreement? Did that letter insinuate that you were no longer an authorized operator of Sentricon because of issues involving your servicing Sentricon properties properly? Dow sent this letter to the customers of some AOs' and not others, why? Most importantly is this anyway to treat customers? Many find it incredible that Dow would do all the things it has done to AOs and then turn around and accuse them in a letter to their customers of not properly monitoring their Sentricon sites.  A letter that nearly everyone sees as an under-handed attempt to scare property owners into switching to an AO that is not converting from Sentricon so that Dow doesn't lose revenue. Many firmly believe that the same attitude that led Dow to their handling of the Baitube/Recruit AG issue mentioned above is still very prevalent at Dow today and this tactic is used as an example.

• Sentricon ESP* - Is ESP a liability to your business? Can you defend your actions in using ESP in court? Many AOs question the wisdom of spending the time to make a service call to a property and not opening all the stations because a tech is using ESP. Many also point out that ESP was designed to reduce labor costs when techs were visiting frequently on thirty day intervals and following a label that had them opening all stations within a ninety day period anyway. AOs now question the entire use of ESP with Dow's new label and ninety day or greater inspection interval. Users state that the use of ESP could result in not properly inspecting all the stations by opening them for a year or more. Does ESP warn of adverse conditions within the station for termites? Does ESP replace the quality a visual inspection achieves when opening the stations? Dow's contract now states that the AO holds all liability for their use of Sentricon. Why was this elimination of Dow liability added to the contract after they introduced ESP?

• Is Dow keeping up with bait system technology improvements? There have been two very significant improvements to termite bait system stations. The first has been in eliminating disturbance during the baiting process which obviously has huge benefits of greater success in the baiting process.  The second improvement we have all seen is having enough cellulose material in the station to maintain contact with forging termites during extended intervals between station monitoring visits. This also makes the process more success and more economical. Why hasn't Dow made these changes to the Sentricon System to reduce your labor costs and make all your termite protection efforts more successful?

• Is Dow going to sell a termite bait system directly to consumers? When they first introduced Sentricon they said that would never work. That selling to homeowners was irresponsible because homeowners would never properly monitor the stations. What's changed? Is this a "gasping for air" last ditch effort to sell their termite bait system in an attempt to recover from all the AOs discontinuing use of Sentricon?

• Why has Dow repeatedly attempted to hack into the Sentricon Users Group website?

These are just a few of the issues surrounding Sentricon which you as an AO need to understand.  One of the last things Dow wanted is for AOs to actually be able to communicate amongst themselves. Dow has taken AOs, customers, state regulators, the EPA, and even Dow reps for fools. What they've gotten away with is simply incredible when you understand the magnitude of what they've done and are doing.

Communication capabilities between Sentricon users across the U.S. had been a wish by many, now AOs can communicate with other AOs across the world. Here you can ask real questions, get real answers, or help others with their use of Sentricon. From the experience of other User Group members you can't afford not to join, besides its free!

Please remember this is YOUR site. The integrity of its use depends solely on each authorized user of the site to guard against unauthorized usage and transfer of information. If you are not a currently authorized operator please do not attempt to register. We hope that the site helps you and your business. That is its number one goal.

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This website is for the exclusive use of currently authorized Sentricon operators only. By registering for use of this website you state that you are a currently authorized Sentricon Operator. Your registration will be verified. The website has no affiliation with Dow AgroSciences and the information will in no manner be shared with Dow Chemical, Dow AgroSciences or any other entity without proper legal authority.

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