Complaint Review:
Alarm Services - Alarm Traders - Firstline Security Inc.
Alarm Services - Alarm Traders - Firstline Security Inc. Alarm Services -Alarm Traders - Firstline Security went BANKRUPT but sold our monitoring Services to Alarm Services, Albany NY, won't let us out of our contract after we have fulfilled our 3-year cont Albany, New York
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Alarm Services - Alarm Traders - Firstline Security Inc.
99 Pine St., 3rd Floor
Albany, New York
United States of America
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866-477-7738
Web:
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We signed a 3-year contract with FIRSTLINE SECURITY on 10/10/07 (License #ACO 5704 CO 15-42414-000).
Within 6 months, we called to let them know we were going on vacation and no one answered their call center! After many attempts I finally got a hold of someone on a cell phone stuck in a snow storm - this was their monitoring service.
We then tried to cancel the service and were told by a Firstline rep that they will turn us into collection agency if we cancelled, after research online I found out they were bankrupt and had committed fraud as reported in several TV News stories and the California BBB.
The next thing I know our contract was bought by another company - ALARM TRADERS/ALARM SERVICES - LEGAL NAME "McGinn, Smith Alarm Trading LLC". We started getting bills from them. At this point we just thought, let's just get through the 3-year contract and get rid of these people.
Our 3-year contract was up 10/10/10. I wrote Alarm Services a cancellation letter on 10/19/2010. We received a letter from "Nina Duffy" that our contract had automatically been renewed for another year or to give them $235 for a one-time settlement offer.
I found out this company in not licensed in California and the owners were just indicted from the Securities & Exchange Commission for committing fraud and a Ponzi scheme!
These horrible people are trying to extort money from us by threatening a collection agency even though we have fulfilled our 3-year contract for the lousiest security system! Do Not have anything to do with any of these companies!!
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Doug Keenholts
Albany,New York,
United States of America
Company Response
#2UPDATE Employee
Fri, December 17, 2010
We are sorry to hear about this customer complaint and would like to take this opportunity to respond.
While we can't know the exact specifics of this customer's situation, as the posting is anonymous, please let me explain our policy regarding cancellation. If a customer requests cancellation of their account when they are in a renewal term of their contract, we take the following steps.
First and foremost, security alarm monitoring is a service that every homeowner shoud utilize, and we would like to keep all of our customers satisfied and using their security systems. We attempt to work with each customer seeking cancellation to meet their specific needs. If we are unable to come to an agreement to keep them as a customer, the customer is left with two options.
1. We have made obligations to 3rd party vendors who we must pay. Likewise, the customer has an obligation to pay for these services until the end of the term of their contract.
2. If the customer would like to cease using the service immediately and is in an auto-renew term, we offer an immediate cancellation option at 50% of the contractual amount owed.
We strive to maintain the highest level of customer service in the industry, and we take it seriously when a customer feels compelled to lodge a formal compaint. We would love the opportunity to address this particular customer's concerns, and if he or she is reading this, please feel free to contact me directly at our toll free number - 866-4677-7738.
Doug Keenholts
Vice President
Alarm Services