Certified Security Systems Deceptive tactics in contract signing and billing. Jacksonville Florida
My family was first moved to Tallahassee, FL in July, 2004 and entered into a rental agreement of one year at a house. The landlord had security system installed and still had one year of prepaid service with Certified Security.
He asked that I come in to put my info in the system for emergency service contact.
When I was there, I signed some kind of paperworks which I was not informed that it was a 3 year contract.
A year later, the landlord took the house back to sale. He also took possession of the security system remote. By not remembering/knowing that I was under a contract, I moved without contacting Cetified Security in July, 2005.
During the next two years, my wife and I, from time to time, received phone calls from Certified Security systems' call center informing us of system malfunctions or alarms. Each time, we informed Certified Security that we no longer reside at the address. No one informed me at all of contract or billings.
In June 2007, we started receiving collection calls from Certified Security of unpaid services (for the past two years). There had been no bills in writing.
I had attempted to contact Certified Security Systems multiple times and spoke to multiple personnels and they had not informed me of: I need to cancel the service in writing and without this, billing will continue as well as a new contract is to be automatically renewed.
Not until Sep. 2007, that's when I was informed of the cancellation requirement but that was already too late to stop the contract to get renewed for another three years.
Certified Security will no longer speak with me and referred the account to Collection Agency. Though no bills in any form has presented to me in writing to date.
Avphan
Tallahassee, Florida
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Matt
Jacksonville,Florida,
U.S.A.
Response to Mr. Phan's Complaint re: Certified Security
#2UPDATE Employee
Fri, December 21, 2007
Mr. Phan is completely inaccurate in his comments made regarding his contractual obligation to Certified Security, and the company's position on this matter has been so noted and accepted by the Better Business Bureau.
Mr. Phan moved into the home of an existing customer of Certified Security. This customer had prepaid for 36-months of monitoring service at the home; utilizing six of those 36 months. Mr. Phan expressed an interest in continuing the service. Mr. Phan understood that he too would have a 36-month monitoring commitment as well. However, out of complete goodwill (no legal requirement on our part), Certified Security credited the 30-months prepaid service the prior customer paid for to Mr. Phan. In essence, Mr Phan received 30-months of free monitoring and would then be billed for the final six months of his 36-month commitment. At $19.95/mth for monitoring service, Mr. Phan was given $718 of value for FREE.
Portions of the front of Mr. Phan's contract read (he cannot dispute it):
"Monthly Rate $19.95 after Prepaid Service is Used"
"TERM: This agreement shall remain in full force for 36 months from the date hereof and the company shall have the option to renew this agreement from year to year upon the same terms and conditions set forth herein unless a written cancellation notice is given by the subscriber to the company at least sixty days prior to the termination of the initial term or a renewal term."
Both of these statements are within a few inches above Mr. Phan's signature. In additon, Mr. Phan has never paid a dollar for the services we provided him.
In short, we are having to defend our reputation with the BBB (which is an impeccable record), now, defend our reputation on Ripoff Report.com, with an individual who received service from us and never paid a single dollar in consideration for it.
It is very disappointing to extend an act of generosity to someone, then be treated like this.
Matt Fenner, COO
Certifed Security