ADT Alarm - RIPOFF SPECIAL - CUSTOMER SERVICED

ADT Alarm Ripped of a Friend

While friend was replacing a low battery, securing tabs of the battery cover were broken off.

Needed a replacement plastic cover to keep window alarm unit functioning.


ADT RIPOFF SPECIAL

SERVICE CALL - REPLACE THE ENTIRE WINDOW UNIT AND BATTERY

$150 SEEMS EXCESSIVE - EXTORTION

BATTERY DIED WITHIN THE WEEK!

COULD HAVE MAILED A $2 PART!

Customer was SERVICED

RE:Humor 12/6
http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge/712929-humor-12-6-a.html?highlight=HUMOR

Humor Number 1 for that day

Bekeart

That’s why I just buy security system signs and not actual security systems. I believe in hard barriers (sturdy doors, good solid locks, and guns), not cameras/alarms. Not that they don’t have their place but for my money, where I live, I don’t feel the need to invest in a sec system.

Not really knowing any particulars of the above incident, I am prompted to relate the following.
I've been a ADT customer for about a decade or so. My problems / issues have been few, but small parts and batteries have always been provided by the company cheerfully, promptly, and free of charge. Not only that, they will work with you on subscription rates to keep you as a customer. That has been my experience, and I hope it continues to be a positive one.

JH1951,

I have personal knowledge of the only problem being BROKEN TABS ON THE BATTERY COVER.

I did not make the call for service.
I would have demanded a battery cover.
Would have demanded supervisors all the way up.

I told friend to request a replacement battery cover.

But friend got SERVICED for $150.

Battery dying within week is an example of POOR QUALITY CONTROL!

Bekeart

Bekeart

Internal Revenue Service. Service Call. Dropping off the Bull to service the cow.

Guess who is the cow.

I live in a community that is right next to the town judges as "the safest town in the USA" for many years now. We have no measurable crime.

I don't NEED a security system. I HAVE a security system. Why? Because they don't rob houses in the ghetto, and the peace of mind derived is priceless.

This is the second house I secured. No ADT. I bought an ala cart system and wired it myself. The main house, the outbuildings, garage, etc. are all wired. I put a few wires in myself when the house was built, but 95% is wireless battery operated. Not just burglar alarms, but sump pump water issues, fire and smoke and power outage.

I have seen ADT systems and mine is better. Plus it costs less. Plus I don't have to pay exorbitant service fees.

First off I am not in the security or alarm business, however I was a small business owner for 30+ years. It is NOT the $2 plastic cover he paid $150 for, it was the time, transportation, gas, labor, insurance, unemployment ins. advertising, etc. to own and run a business. When a Company sends a repair person or tech to your house, they need to be trained, knowledgable in what ever field they are in. If your friend was charged $2 for the battery cover only, the company would be out of business in weeks. Businesses are in business to make a profit - yes, that almost sounds like a curse word these days, but that's why people take the risk.

The flip side of the coin is these businesses pay taxes, support schools, police, hospitals, etc. They also support all the ancillary businesses they get their supplies from and so it is not as simple as many think. They support the Deli's, pizza joints and hamburger joints around their businesses that they eat at. Believe me, after running a successful business for 30 years I know for a fact that employees, customers and the Gov't THINK that 95% of the incoming money a company earns is profit - NOT SO! National statistics say that most small & mom and pop business make between 10 and 15% profit after expenses. Many larger business make even less of a percentage. That means that 85%-90% or more of all the money they worked their butts off for goes somewhere's else.

I'd bet the company that sent a repairman to your friends house does not think he charged too much. BTW, I do not know if ADT is a franchise or company owned but if it is a franchise then the owner /operated must pay ADT a franchise fee on top of all other expenses. I am just pointing these things out as many who were never in business for themselves are totally unaware of all the expenses a business incurs. The other interesting statistic is that 90% of start up business fail in the first 2 years!! Not very good odds to risk a ton of money on when it's your hard earned money.

I only wish I made even close to what my employees and customers thought I made - most don't have a clue! Being in a legitimate business today is very difficult and as hard as it once was years ago, it's even harder today.

Chief38,

There was no reason EXCEPT for PROFIT to send the repair person instead of mailing the needed battery cover. Customers are expected to replace low batteries themselves. That involves removing and replacing the battery cover.

Bekeart

I've been a Brinks/ADT customer for over 35 years. The battery backup for the current wireless control panel died after about 8 years service in my current residence. I called ADT customer service to order a replacement battery pack and gave them all the information off the old battery pack and the customer service tech. shipped a replacement out right away at no charge. Since I obviously knew how to replace it myself (unplug old pack, plug in new pack) there was no need for a service call.
Now the bad part. After 35 years with the company, I will be dropping their service after the first of the year. In the 10 yrs that I have been in this house, the monthly charge has increased every year and sometimes more than once a year to the point the monitoring fee has doubled.
Also, just the other night my 6 month old kitten activated a motion sensor which set the alarm off. I was out of town and while they did call the primary home phone (not home), they left an unintelligible message but never bothered to call my cell phone or my secondary contact person. All they did is send a text with an internet link to click on to cancel the alarm. My phone does not have the capability to access the internet. I received no information as to which sensor had been activated, (whether it was burglary or fire) and from what I have been able to find out, they did not contact the local police either. SO WHAT IS THE USE OF THEIR "SERVICE"?
I will start the search for a new system provider after the first of the year.

Bekeart said:

Chief38,

There was no reason EXCEPT for PROFIT to send the repair person instead of mailing the needed battery cover. Customers are s expected to replace low batteries themselves. That involves removing and replacing the battery cover.

Bekeart

Click to expand...

Maybe you are right, maybe not. All we know is that the repairman did indeed come, but we don't know the exact discussion the buddy had with the company in the first place.

Example in point....I had a wifi issue so I called the company. Our discussion lead to a possible conclusion that the modem was bad. The Service Dept. said they would send me a new one free of charge, but if a tech had to come the minimum labor / service call would be $99. I had them send the part overnight and the problem was solved.

Bottom line....maybe we don't have all the facts - need a phone conversation transcription.

(OTOH Chief was spot on)

mckenney99 said:

I've been a Brinks/ADT customer for over 35 years. The battery backup for the current wireless control panel died after about 8 years service in my current residence. I called ADT customer service to order a replacement battery pack and gave them all the information off the old battery pack and the customer service tech. shipped a replacement out right away at no charge. Since I obviously knew how to replace it myself (unplug old pack, plug in new pack) there was no need for a service call.
Now the bad part. After 35 years with the company, I will be dropping their service after the first of the year. In the 10 yrs that I have been in this house, the monthly charge has increased every year and sometimes more than once a year to the point the monitoring fee has doubled.
Also, just the other night my 6 month old kitten activated a motion sensor which set the alarm off. I was out of town and while they did call the primary home phone (not home), they left an unintelligible message but never bothered to call my cell phone or my secondary contact person. All they did is send a text with an internet link to click on to cancel the alarm. My phone does not have the capability to access the internet. I received no information as to which sensor had been activated, (whether it was burglary or fire) and from what I have been able to find out, they did not contact the local police either. SO WHAT IS THE USE OF THEIR "SERVICE"?
I will start the search for a new system provider after the first of the year.

Click to expand...

I previously said that ADT wasn't my first choice.

MY system has no monthly charge. When an alarm goes off a phone call is sent to both the wife and my cellphones, describing exactly which sensor was triggered. My phone has the Police on speed dial so at my choice I can call them....for free. If the power went out, my phone also gets a message that the backup genny is on. If the basement is flooding, my son lives nearby if I'm out of town.

When the main backup battery finally failed (after about 20 years) I got one off Amazon for $12.

IMHO, with the technology we have today there is no need for monitored service at a monthly fee.

Scottco, my local alarm guy, sends a guy out to change batteries or replace any faulty equipment, at no charge.
My cell dialer was 3G, he had it replaced with a 5G, no charge.

Bekeart said:

Chief38,

There was no reason EXCEPT for PROFIT to send the repair person instead of mailing the needed battery cover. Customers are s expected to replace low batteries themselves. That involves removing and replacing the battery cover.

Bekeart

Click to expand...

I hear ya. Company's in the alarm business are not doing nearly as well as they used to do. Do-it-yourself company's like Simply Safe, Ring, Blink, etc. are selling the wireless hardware online, in Costco, in Home Depot and Lowes and pretty much anyone who can use an iPhone and peel the sticky tape protection from the back of each devise can now install their own alarm system. These DIY alarm systems were once cheap and unreliable but have now become quite the opposite. The big guys are trying desperately to keep their share of the market but loosing badly and so they have to scrounge up every drop of business they can. So as in your friends case and yours as well, I guess their practice is going to cost them another two customers. There is no easy answer - business changes over the years and there's not much left to to.

I hear ya loud and clear and realize you feel ripped off, taken advantage of and pissed off - got it. Unfortunately, times move on and methods change.

I dropped ADT when it was discovered that people in Eastern NC were paying for 24/7 monitoring and they were not monitoring the systems.

Went with another vendor and got much better service (actually monitored) and lower price.

I use a very protective Angel! The 90# Weim with German intelligence and determination. If he/they get past her they have a 4’ 10” Italian/Polish mix to deal with! Hopefully I’ll wake up and eliminate the wannabe gang banger. If I’m not home then I’m (we’re) safe. I don’t want one of these low life teenagers ending my life after all the fun I’ve had.
Oh, I just have to house and feed my alarm. I don’t pay a company. Idiocy has been the cause of leaving the garage door open all night. I never lock the door into the basement. No problem yet. They think it’s a trap.

chief38 said:

I hear ya. Company's in the alarm business are not doing nearly as well as they used to do. Do-it-yourself company's like Simply Safe, Ring, Blink, etc. are selling the wireless hardware online, in Costco, in Home Depot and Lowes and pretty much anyone who can use an iPhone and peel the sticky tape protection from the back of each devise can now install their own alarm system. These DIY alarm systems were once cheap and unreliable but have now become quite the opposite. The big guys are trying desperately to keep their share of the market but loosing badly and so they have to scrounge up every drop of business they can. So as in your friends case and yours as well, I guess their practice is going to cost them another two customers. There is no easy answer - business changes over the years and there's not much left to to.

I hear ya loud and clear and realize you feel ripped off, taken advantage of and pissed off - got it. Unfortunately, times move on and methods change.

Click to expand...

When I put my last system in I did a lot of R&D. The system I chose has been completely awesome.

I didn't know it when I bought it, but after it was received I learned that the parent company was based in Israel. All components are Israel manufactured.

I have dozens of sensors, and if any one of the batteries gets low, the system tells me. All of the batteries are USA standard so I never have to worry about replacing one.

Just so I would be safe in the future, I bought spare sensors for the key locations. It has been 36 years now and none have failed, but at least I'm ready.

Valmet said:

That’s why I just buy security system signs and not actual security systems. I believe in hard barriers (sturdy doors, good solid locks, and guns), not cameras/alarms. Not that they don’t have their place but for my money, where I live, I don’t feel the need to invest in a sec system.

Click to expand...

unless you have bars on the windows..... glass breaks like, well, glass.

Racer X said:

unless you have bars on the windows..... glass breaks like, well, glass.

Click to expand...

Yes. But a little forethought and research you can stop people from breaking a window enough to get in.

No bars needed.

I've had several....

....alarm companies. They are all bad. Some are worse.

My system was installed and maintained by me. When it needs service, which is rare, I give myself a substantial discount.

My back up system requires much more maintenance but is more effective because it is proactive: