Waste Management Early Termination Fee Waived, Plus 38% Off Trash
The Problem:
Park Place Condo Trust, a condominium association in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was under contract with Waste Management. The community was dealing with missed pickups and hidden fees on its bills. When it tried to leave, Waste Management held it to a $6,300 early termination fee.
What We Discovered:
Fixing the service wasn’t enough; the community wanted out. So we fought the termination fee with Waste Management while getting competitive proposals from other haulers, so Park Place could leave without paying a penalty.
The Results:
- $6,300 early termination fee waived (100%)
- Switched to a new hauler at 38% less per month (about $1,937 to $1,201)
- $32,796 saved over a 3-year term, including the waived fee
- We handled the full switch from start to finish
How the $32,796 adds up:
| Trash bill | Monthly | 3-year term |
|---|---|---|
| Before (Waste Management) | $1,937 | $69,732 |
| After (new hauler) | $1,201 | $43,236 |
| Saved | $736 | $26,496 |
| Early termination fee waived | $6,300 | |
| Total saved | $32,796 |
The Lesson:
An early termination fee isn’t always final. WM’s own standard terms include a service guarantee: if WM fails to perform the services in your agreement and doesn’t fix it within five business days of written notice, you can terminate without penalty. Missed pickups and billing problems are leverage, so document them in writing. Vendors often claim contracts are fixed to discourage negotiation, but contracts can almost always be renegotiated. We also review up to 36 months of past invoices to recover charges like hidden fees.
“Between just two clients, CostFixers saved over $44,000. My Property Managers and HOA clients cannot thank or recommend them enough.”
— Tim Andrews, Platinum Realty Group
Related: how to lower your commercial trash bill · how to cut waste management costs · how we negotiate trash bills · how Delorie cut its Republic Services bill from $906 to $194 a month · how an HOA cut its Comcast bulk TV bill
Frequently asked questions
Can a Waste Management early termination fee be waived?
Yes. We got Park Place Condo Trust’s $6,300 Waste Management early termination fee waived in full, so the community could switch haulers without paying a penalty.
Can I switch trash haulers in the middle of a contract?
Park Place did. We negotiated the termination fee away with Waste Management and lined up a new hauler at 38% less per month.
What leverage do I have against an early termination fee?
Service problems. WM’s own terms say that if it fails to perform the services in your agreement and doesn’t fix it within five business days of written notice, you can terminate without penalty. Document missed pickups in writing.
How much did Park Place save?
$32,796 over a 3-year term: $26,496 in lower monthly bills plus the $6,300 termination fee that was waived.
Want results like this for your community?
Upload a recent trash bill and see what we can save you. There’s no upfront fee, and you only pay if we find savings.
CostFixers is an independent company and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Waste Management (WM).
Industry 
Location 
Challenge 