BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — Trash troubles have garbage bags piling up and dumpsters overflowing, and it’s not just one company behind the mess.
Driveways across Blue Springs are starting to look like dump sites.
“It’s a little frustrating, right?” WCA customer Lonnie Smith said.
She’s gone three weeks in a row with no trash pick-up. Smith and other homeowners said a couple of collection companies are to blame.
“It seems that there’s quite a few people experiencing the same problems that I’ve experienced in the past six years with WCA,” Smith said.
She said this is the second time WCA Waste Corporation bought a local company in Blue Springs, tanking his pick-up service.
“Enviro-Star and Gravatt performed great. I was really happy with their services. It’s just too bad. It’s Groundhog Day with WCA,” Smith said laughing.
Even his 5-year-old is noticing the pile-up.
“She mentioned, ‘Well, that’s a lot of trash daddy,'” Smith said.
This issue is causing an eye sore on the Blue Springs Community Awareness Facebook page, too. There are piles of complaints about missed pick-ups and lack of customer service after WCA took over Gravatt Waste Solutions in late December.
WCA isn’t the only trash company people in Blue Springs are having problems with. Garbage is piling up for AAA customers, too.
One AAA customer tells FOX4 she and several other people on her street haven’t had trash picked up for three weeks, either.
AAA and Texas-based WCA both blame the holidays and bad weather.
FOX4 reached out to local company, Lies Trash Service. They said the holidays and recent winter weather have not halted their service.
Smith is thinking about switching to Lies, leaving WCA with a message.
“Stop buying the trash companies that I move to,” Smith said.
Some WCA customers have received collection notices, saying they haven’t paid their bills when they say they actually have paid.
WCA spokesperson Tom Coffman said the problem should be cleared up by Valentine’s Day.
Coffman suggests customers send an email to kccustomercare@wcamerica.com because their customer service lines are receiving an influx of calls.