Complaint Review: CPI Security

I am tired of companies taking advantage of consumers.  CPI is well known for their shady business
practices and I think it is time something is done to protect the consumers. My complaint is about how they obtain their "contracts" and the  "small print" they use to trick people into 5 year contracts.

I completed a 2 yr contract with another security company and was on a month to month service.  The same sales person, David DiMartino, who sold me the first contract had switched his job to CPI and contacted me out of the blue to tell me about a better security system offered by CPI.  He told me it would be a smaller monthly charge and more for my money.  I told him I wasn't sure I would be in my home much longer and he stated it didn't matter since the service would transfer anywhere I moved to in NC and if I moved out of their service area, the contract would be voided.  He told me I had nothing to lose and during his sales"pitch", I was told it was an annual renewal (he purposely left out the part about after the initial 5 year term) and if I signed that day, CPI would refund the monthly fee I had already paid to the other company.  I naively trusted this person and was consequently screwed!

I never received the credit and when I called about it, they didnt know what I was talking
about - that was the least of my problems.   I ended up selling my house (short sale at a loss) and was forced to move to an apartment within the same general area.  Two months prior to my move, I contacted CPI and told them I needed to have my system relocated to the new apartment.  The apartment complex was brand new and had the exact same security system installed that I had in my home.  I was told they would not transfer to an apartment and I had to purchase a wireless system at a cost of $500 plus an increased monthly fee.  I had no money and was not going to spend $500 on a system so I told them I wanted the service cancelled and I would pay the remaining 3 months on my annual contract.  I was then informed that I would owe over $1200 because I signed a 5 yr contract.   When I told the person I only signed an 1 yr contract, I was informed that they did not offer 1 yr contracts and I signed a 5 yr contract. 

I then called David DiMartino and after several days of trying to track him down, I asked him how I
signed a 5 yr contract when he told me it was an annual.  His response was, Oh, Im sorry you
misunderstood.  Its annual renewal after the initial 5 yr contract.  When I told him he never told me that, he just apologized for the mis-understanding.  I then complained to his manager who did absolutely NOTHING and apologized again for the mis-understanding.

After this conversation, I contacted some of my neighbors who also switched to CPI at the same time I did and they also did NOT know they signed a 5 yr contract.    One neighbor even repeated the same comment David had said about it transferring anywhere in NC which I had to explain that did not include anywhere since mine was not getting transferred.

The person who purchased my home was not interested in taking over the CPI contract and also knew of their shady business.  I reported this mess to the NC Attorney Generals office which resulted in nothing.  CPI has now sent me to collections for $1258.78.  I refuse to pay and will go to court but I think a class-action suit needs to be brought against CPI to stop the consumer rip-off that continues by this company!!