Tip of the Day: Don’t get ripped off by an alarm company

The scenario: A representative from a home-security company knocks on your door and offers you a free alarm system in exchange for displaying his company’s sign on your lawn. Swayed by the prospect of getting a security setup gratis, you sign a long-term monitoring contact and end up stuck with a shoddy installation and substandard equipment and service.

Learn more about this type of scam—and, more important, how to avoid it—by reading the Scam Alert in the June 2008 issue of Consumer Reports.

Comments

[shirley santanello]

Apex alarm called an offered me a 60 mo contact for a free alarm system in exchange for displaying his co's sign on my lawn all I had to do was pay the $ 40.00 mo rental fee . Thanks for the warning Buyer beware !!!
This scenario was "word for word"

[evander]

A guy from APX alarms came to my house today and presented this scenario... Nice guy, but his pushiness to "sign up today" gave this scam away. Frustrating.

[Michael]

I have recently started to use a cd from www.deterrentsounds.com. It has prerecorded household sounds, and my flat really sounds occupied when the cd is playing. Good if you are away on vacation, or weekend escape, or even if you leave your home during the day for several hours.

[Satisfied Customer from Washington, DC]

My mom recently got an alarm system through APX and we've been happy with the product. The rep wasn't pushy and had my mom contacted me for approval. 2 way voice works well and the installation was fine. We've had a few incidents where we thought there may have a burglarly issue and the company immediately contacted my mom, me, and my brother along the emergency contact lane. We've had two technical issues that were resolved by the tech support the company offered. For a system with 2 way voice, cellular backup, we are getting a very competitive rate and great service compared to other companies we have researched. I doubt honeywell, a well known company, would have APX distribute their merchandise if were not competitive or a quality product. Just food for thought.

[Tracie]

I fell for APX's scam. They came late (after 8 pm) to the door and my "scammer senses" were tingling, but the smooth talker fooled me. The customer no service is horrible. Technical service, is that what they call it they don't do anything technical and there isn't any service. They want to charge you $35 to come out and repair a problem that could have been prevented if installation was done correctly.
To get out of a contract, you have to either pay out your contract, (over $2,0000) or get someone you know to take over your contract. How can you ask a friend or family member take over a contract or a product you don't want, and keep a friend?

[Imagine That]

Dear Satisfied Customer from Washington, DC:

To call a spade a spade, it seems that you work for APX. How many people do you know defend their mother's alarm system company in an unsolicited manner? It seems very salesman like, mentioning the cellular backup, "honeywell, a well known company" and talking about the non-pushy salesman. Any normal person doesn't refer to the "thing where they talk to you when there is a problem" as 2 way voice, that is a technical word.

Maybe I am wrong, but it seems that writing the comment at almost 3am and with all of the other sales-like talk, you probably work for the company. Maybe you had a close sale who looked up some consumer reviews and didn't like what they saw. Perhaps.

Best of luck though...

[Satisfied Customer from Washington, DC]

No actually, We do have the APX system here in our home. It works fine and hasn't given us any headaches. I am not a sales person and actually a doctor in the medical profession so pardon my french.

I am telling you like it is. You can choose to purchase or not and go with ADT or Brinks. I have no ill will towards either product. I am simply stating that the alarm system we have works just great.

Satisfied customer from DC who gave my mom the ok to purchase.

Thanks

[MH from Phoenix, Just Had APX Installed]

We just had the APX Alarm system installed in our home; we are cancelling Brinks (our contract ends soon), and I am very skeptical about this new APX system. We were enticed by the idea of a wireless system and the "intercom" on the keypad, and I am curious to see if the system, and customer service, is going to follow through. Several things seem strange about the sales rep and the technicians, including the door-to-door sales and immediate installation, and the technicians were here for over two hours having trouble installing the new system. Also, there was no company vehicle, which is odd. The sales rep was not specific about the monthly charge and he did not tell us about the 90.00 activation fee until just before we gave him our check card. So we'll have to see what happens!! I hope it turns out that the APX products and service is excellent.

[M from MI]

We purchased a APEX system about 13 months ago. (we prev. had ADT for over 15 years) APEX (which I had never heard of) was going door to door in our sub. As a seasoned sales rep, trainer and manager of sales, I was quite alarmed (if I may -smiles) with their sales tactics. They used the names of other neighbors to gain trust and offered referal discounts. I cut thru the poor technique and told them to come back in a hour. I went online... checked the BBB, called some neighbors and decided to hear the rest of their pitch and compare what they offered to what I had. I phoned ADT and they could not come close to the price and options, so I decided to give it a try.

I will say that we closely oversaw our installation, making sure that everything was exactly what we expected. After the installation we made sure that we tested the system, including the call center response while the installers were still in our home and again the next day, after they were gone.

So far, we are still pleased with our choice. Aprox 10 neighbors purchased systems and to my knowledge all but 1 are happy and kept their system. The one that removed his one day after installation was very frightened by his APEX sales persons exaggerated scare pitch. He was so unhappy with the APEX installation that had them remove the system and had the most expensive ADT system installed, just for some peace of mind -at
3 times the APEX install price. ouch.

[Gloria]

One of our neighbors bought a system through Platinum Products & I have an appointment with them. Their pitch is alarmingly similar to the above - free GE system with the 2 way voice. The system my neighbor got was pretty basic coverage of the entrances, but it appears there is no way anyone could come or go without triggering a door, window or the panning sensor (can't think of name). Their monitoring is $40/month for 60 months. The salesman was acting like they were giving free systems to a select few in hopes of slling to neighbors. I am leery of that approach.

One thing that is giving me pause is the mandatory 'light' credit check where they say they obtain only the credit score. They say this is necessary to ensure their free equipment is in the hands of spmeone who will fulfill the contract, but I have problems around giving out my SSN. When I recently bought my Prius, the Toyota dealership insisted I give them my SSN for a credit check even though I paid for the car with my American Express Card. I did that just to earn cash back & paid off the card within a few days. I refused the SSN & they finally caved.

My neighbor raves at the attention he has gotten, about the installer checking back to make sure he is happy, but after reading the abouve, I wonder if he did that just to get an excellent reference toward more sales.

Has anyone heard of this outfit or have advice?

Thank you,
Gloria

[justme]

Come on, there is no such thing as "we can hear an intruder" through our two way. It seems as if the elderly and lower income individuals are taken away with much awe with these people. If you APX lovers look at your keypad, you will realize that it is a "1 point system" meaning that the control panel, keypad and most importantly siren are all in the one keypad. How can they hear someone actually breaking in (obviously if you accidentally set it off, I am sure they can hear you) if the siren is blasting right in the operators ears? Why is a company trying to listen to see what is going on when they should be contacting the police? Think about it, valuable time wasted in both police and medical situations.

BTW, the two way voice was with Protection One over 10 years ago and that keypad has the appearance of one of Brinks older keypads during the 1980s. Just to let you know it isn't new technology as they claim.

[Don't be fooled by ADT's claims that your pets won't set off the motion sensor!]

ADT basically lied to us. They swore up and down that
our 2 cats, weighing a total of 22 lbs would not set off a motion sensor that was set to 40 lbs. Well, our second false alarm in 2 months happened this morning. They made me wait all day for a tech to come "fix" the motion sensor, and it turns out all he could do was put in a new motion sensor in case the first was malfunctioning (for a fee), or take the motion sensor out completely. When I contacted ADT, they said they were very sorry the sales rep told me the cats would not set it off even though, as the customer service person told me, cats are a major problem for them and a main source of false alarms, but they couldn't promise they would let us out of our 3 year contract just because of what the sales rep told us. Long story short, don't believe what the sales reps tell you. Your pets can and will set the alarm off, and you'll be the one stuck with the police fees (not to mention the embarrassment of having 3 cops show up to your house). Oh, and alarm systems are not like in those nice commercials. From the time the system goes off, it takes about 45 minutes for the cops to actually arrive at your house, and thats when ADT actually knows which county you live in (they were calling the wrong county for us). My advice: get a dog.

[Bruno the Butcher]

Went thru the time and hassel of sales pitches.
Finally decided on ADT. Price was fair, installation was very good. Both salesman and installer know their product. Remote on/off fob is great. Highly recommend their service.

[Krakower]

I recently got the apx alarm, but before I got it installed I set off my ADT alarm to see if they would respond. They didn't call and the police never came. I called ADT to see if they received any signal on their end. They said everything looked fine. Come to find out I wasn't being monitored for the last couple years because I had switched my phone services from Verizon to CableVision. ADT never told me I needed a Cell Unit then wanted to charge me over $300 for the extra equipment I needed. I cancelled right away & took the cell unit free from APX.

[Billy]

I have ADT for my home security. In December I had my home broken into 3 times in a 24 hour period while I was away. Immediately I wanted to blame ADT. After I calmed down and took a look at the situation, I realized it wasn't ADT that failed me; it was the local PD that failed to respond in a timely manner. My friend who lives 30 min across town made it to the house before they did. Each time she drove from her place to mine. An alarm monitoring service can only do so much.

I had APX come to my house. They gave me the same script as everyone else except one line. I quote, “We are only giving this deal to customers that sign up for this program, so we ask that you don't share these rates with your neighbors". I decided that I would stay with ADT.

Things to keep in mind:
1. Test your system every 6 months
2. Update any changes to your contact information
3. Ensure you system has back-ups, Battery power, phone, wireless.
4. Ensure you have a close friend or relative to check your home in the event of an alarm and you are away.
5. Most important, keep your insurance current and have a detailed home inventory.

[Jason Nevel]

Dear People,
I have recently purchased an alarm system from a door to door salesman like the others i've heard about, but it was with Stone Security through Monitronics. Sure they gave the same sales approach, but they have proven to give a much better value than Protection One, which was my previous system. Two of my neighbors, one having Brinks and the other ADT also purchased the system. They have given similar praise to the new company. It was only for 36 months, and the equipment was not rented, it was $99 for everything, and $40 a month for monitoring. There was no hidden fees, no fine print. When we asked our company for an upgrade to the "two way voice", they quoted over $300 for the upgrade plus installation. Also, my nephew recently bought a system and asked them for the most recently updated system, and they sold him the old system, not the "two way voice". In order to get that, he would have had to pay much more up front, as well as monthly. I'm not saying that nib companies are bad, but I have heard horror stories from neighbors and friends, including fraud and theft. I gave Stone and Monitronics a chance, and they have stood by their promises and prices.
-Happy Customer
Jason N.

[ALARM SALES REP. PLEASE READ!!!!]

Ok I have been selling alarm systems for 3 years now. I have done the Door to Door summer sales and the year round sales. I have sent out flyers, made phone calls but door to door is the best way to generate customers. I have sold for APX. They are not a bad company. I no longer work for them but it’s not because they treated me bad.

Most Door to Door alarm reps are college kids trying to pay for school. A lot of Pre-Med, Med students and other health related students use this job to pay for school. All are trained not to say they are with Honeywell or GE. They use GE and Honeywell equipment just like how Verizon uses LG and Blackberry phones.

The reason why they use the Advertising pitch is to get you to listen to them. Ill break the sale step by step for you all.
1. You put the sign in the front yard for advertising
2. They install an alarm system in your house at no cost. (Equipment and install)
3. You pay a $99 activation to set up the account (they sometimes have the ability to waive, but not always)
4. You pay from $35-55 a month for monitoring (depending on where you live and how much equipment they install in the house)
5. The equipment is yours you don’t rent it.
6. You sign a 3-5 year agreement. To get free equipment you have to sign the agreement. If you don’t want a contract then you can’t expect free equipment.
7. That day or the next they install it.
8. By law in most states you have 3 days to cancel it and not get stuck in the agreement.
9. The Rep makes anywhere from $125-$500 on the deal. The tech makes $65-125 to install it.

The reason why they might seem pushy is because they are 100% on commission. YOU ARE THE HOME OWNER, BE SMART. Listen to the guy/girl when they come to your house. Don’t be scared. If you want to protect your house and you don’t have $2000 for equipment then this is the best way to go. YOU PAY $50 bucks for cable and that does nothing for you. But when someone offers you an alarm for $40 bucks a month that comes with life time warranty and a free move, you run and hide.

Most of them are good wholesome guys looking to pay for school and take care of their families.

APX Alarm set up close to 200,000 American families in the summer of 2008. Other companies like Platinum, Icon, Pinnacle, and others had similar numbers. IT SEEMS TO ME IF SOMEONE WAS TRYING TO SCAM SOMEONE THEY WOULDNT DO IT IN THOSE NUMBERS.
Just be a smart consumer and be nice to them. It’s a hard job. Offer them water. It can get hot out there.
Anyone that has questions can E-mail me at myfreealarm@yahoo.com
Have a good one! I don’t accept hate mail :)

(I do not promote one company over another; I just know it’s not a scam. I know a little bit about each company because I have research them all. Be a wise consumer and compare.)
I got screwed over by car sales man when I got my Honda, does that mean all the other car sales men at Honda or all the other dealers are bad. NO! Just that one guy. It was my fault. I wasn’t smart.

[mjones]

Set up the system for the wife while working out of state. Since then she's moved here and we put the house on market. Can't find a way out of contract.

Biggest shocker! Can't cancel auto payment from my credit union account. My cu tells me to ask APX to cancel, that cu can't do it. BE WARNED. Your credit card company or bank may not tell you that you have relinquised control of your account. This is the only auto payment that I got set up and I am so glad that I resisted all my other bills request for that "easy and secure" auto payment crap.

[hsmith]

I had signed a monitoring contract with a local company back in 1998, and just went to cancel it due to relocation. That's when I learned that the contract auto-renews for 3 years each time!

The current company that has my contract is:
Alarm Center
1400 N. Providence Road
Suite 305
Media, PA

They wanted me to take their monitoring service to my new residence (which may not even HAVE a system installed) or have the new owners (whom I have not met) take it over.

The bottom line: I still have 18 months remaining before I can cancel a ten year old contract! I would have had to know in May of 2007 that I was moving at the end of 2008!

It will cost me $360 to get out of this scam. I asked Alarm Center to send me the bill as I was cancelling the contract with prejudice.

Carefully examine your monitoring contract immediately and make plans to dump those that are designed to rip you off. I personally will never use such services again and I will always recommend again them.

[Ty Whitaker]

The alarm system was installed and had multiple equipment issues. I called the monitoring contractor, Monitronics several times for service and no service was every provided. I contacted First Defense, Inc. to describe the problems I was having with their security equipment. First Defense, Inc. stated they would send a service tech to my house; no service tech came to service my equipment. The faulty equipment at this point had resulted in over three false alarms with associated fees. I called the local police department to notify them that the alarm system was faulty and I was trying to resolve the issues with First Defense, Inc. I then contacted first defense again and notified them I no longer feel comfortable with their security system in my house, due to the lack of service and faulty equipment. I stated I wanted the equipment removed immediately from my house and the Alarm agreement to be voided due to First Defense Security, Inc. defaulting on providing me with service technicians and a functioning system. First Defense Security, Inc. finally removed the faulty equipment and I sent Monitronics a letter notifying them I was canceling my account. I recently received a phone a call from First Defense Security, Inc., which, I was told I would be responsible for paying the contract amount and would be sent to collection. I guess I am confused why I am responsible for paying out a contract when the company has defaulted in their commitment to providing me (their customers ) with the best available equipment, service and monitoring for their homes and businesses.

I want a functioning security system in my house and now that First Defense, Inc. is refusing to terminate the existing contract I can not sign another contract with another home security system provider. I am requesting First Defense, Inc. to terminate our existing security system agreement so that I can move-on and seek out a new home security system provider.

I need immediate action taken in order to get new security system in place for the protection of my home and family. Please understand, I attempted multiple times to correct the issues with the system and was given no response from First Defense, Inc.

[RJ Douthit]

So, I'm thinking about getting an alarm system. Any suggestions? Are they worth the money? What should I be looking for?

[Jay Gilbert]

But, alarms only alerts you that someone has already entered you home,suggestions show you should beef up your hardware, and this prevents entry, i have a product i bought from a site @ http://www.steeldoorarmor.com and it work fine, it protects someone from kicking in my door. i live in a high crime area and i'm always looking for way to protect my home.

[APX employee,]

okay i want to take the time to address any concerns anyone has about apx, i work for apx alarm, were based out of Provo, Utah. the company has been around for 20 years, and reciently have recieved the j.d power and associates award for best call center customer experience, what everyone seems to be referring to is our summer program, which i agree has its faults, but the people incharge have achnoledged this and are requiring all summer sales people to go through extensive training on all product knoledge, and procedures, requiring them to sign on the dotted line, to say we have given them all the info they need. if issues arrise obviously we as apx will do what we can to take care of it, however the technicians and salespeople will be recieving no pay for that particular install, and other various repremandations, to ensure YOU as the customer are satisfyed,

if you have questions about your system, or comments feel free to email me, i take all the time i need in a day to respond to all of my email.
colton.wadley@apxalarm.com

[Bryan William]

It is not uncommon for your everyday thief to find new ways to break into your home. I learned the hard way that thieves sometimes look for unsuspecting homes during the day and not at night. The reason, which makes sense, is because people are normally at work during the day time and sleeping at home during the night. Therefore the chances of having a clean get away is higher. So this should give families even more of a reason make sure their homes are secure during the day.

[Past APX employee]

I worked for APX Home Security in the St.Louis,Missouri market. They do not have the proper licensing for the city or county to be installing new systems and taking over old ones. Both areas do require permits in order to do this properly. I did bring it up to management and they told me it was the customers responsibilty to get this. The only problem is you have to be a licensed person in order to obtain the permit and the common person is not. Please check your local government before going with a company in non-compliance.