Complaint Review: Monitronics International Inc.

My husband and I owned a home in Dallas, TX. In October of 2002 we were notified that our previous monitoring company was going out of the monitoring business and our local representative signed us up to a three-year monitoring contract with Monitronics International, Inc. Approximately a year later we sold the home and moved to an apartment. Although we no longer needed the monitoring service, we contined to pay the monthly fee.

We planned to pay the remaining balance of the contract and then close the account. Last summer I decided that it was an inconvenience to continue paying the fee monthly, so I called Monitronics to find out what would be involved in paying off the contract in a lump sum. I was surprised to find out that we needed to send a letter with detailed information and signatures to close the account - although this is included in the fine print on the back of the contract, it was never emphasized or mentioned in any conversation with Monitronics representatives. This includes conversations where I clearly explained that we no longer owned the home and no longer needed the monitoring service.

On November 16, 2004 I sent a letter requesting closure of our account along with a check for the remaining balance to the address the representative had given me. I thought this would take care of closing the account. I had no idea that as of today, February 27, 2005, I would still be receiving "credit balance" statements from Monitronics on a not-yet-closed account.

The first correspondence I received was a letter on 11/22/04 stating that I needed to speak to a Monitronics representative before the company could process my request. During that conversation, and during the many subsequent conversations I have had with the company, I was pressured to consider continuing the monitoring at my new address. Each time I patiently explained that I am renting a property that is covered by another monitoring service.

On December 3, 2004 I received a notice informing me that the fees were increasing. Obviously this was a surprise considering that I believed that the account had been closed. I had a copy of my canceled check, and a representative had, after first claiming that I must have sent the request letter without the payoff, admitted that they had received the payoff amount.

On 12/22/04 I received a montly statement from Monitronics showing a large credit balance (the payoff amount). I called the company and after a long wait on hold, I was connected to a representative who was more interested in laughing at me than in helping me.

Eventually I demanded to speak to a supervisor and was connected with Rosie King in the N. Stemmons Freeway office. I told her that I was aware of complaints by consumers who were being rolled over into renewal contracts even after trying for months to close their accounts, and I told her that unless Monitronics complied with my request to close my account, I would file a complaint with the State of Texas.

The next day I received a faxed letter from Ms. King stating that our account had been closed. The letter said that I might continue to receive a statement within the following 30 days, so I was only somewhat concerned when I received a statement dated January 22, 2005, still showing a large credit balance. I xeroxed a copy of the letter acknowledging closure of the account, put it in the envelope with the statement, and mailed it to the Chicago Monitronics address.

Today I received a statement dated 2/22/05. Next week I'll have to sit on hold again for upwards of an hour, listening to Monitronics' pre-recorded professions of love and respect for their customers, and again try to convince them to close my account and leave me alone. When I calculate the dollar value of the time that both my husband and I have had to expend on letters and phone calls, Monitronics would owe us considerably more than the payoff amount we sent to them.

From reading of others' experiences with this company, I am convinced they target responsible customers who pay their bill promptly, and play a waiting game to try to drag out the current contract so that they can force a renewal on the customer for another one- or three-years. They are using the provisions of their contract to cheat honest customers by forced renewals. I am surprised that, given the number of simililar stories I've seen, that no attorney has yet put together a class action suit against Monitronics.

I will do whatever it takes, including working with an attorney, to get this company to admit that I have fulfilled all the requirements for closing my contract. If notoriety on badbusinessbureau.com helps me rid myself of this continuing expense and worry, I will be very appreciative! I am more than willing to listen to any attorney who is considering such a suit.

Diane
Alexandria, Virginia
U.S.A.

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