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Pinnacle Security Unethical, high pressure sales - victimizing elderly, terrible customer service Orehm Utah
A salesman came to my mothers house stating her home security system had been bought out by his company, Pinnacle Security. He also stated her service contract with her current carrier (ADT Security Systems) was about to expire. He told her he could upgrade her system, but that "by Virginia law" she HAD to sign a three year contract with Pinnacle, and that the offer was good for "that day only". After repeated attempts by my mother to tell the sales rep she was not interested, or to at least give her time to think about it, he gave her the hard sell and finally got her to sign a three year contact (approx $1400.00 for three years service). The "upgrade" was a different plastic faceplate on her current system, with no increase in coverage, response or services. My mother signed this contract the first part of June, and moved to a retirement home 30 days later. The people who bought her house do not want the security system, and want it removed from the property. Pinnacle refuses to remove the system until my mother pays them the $1400, saying that she signed the contract and they have to honor it. My brother, the realtor and myself have tried several times to ask the company to let her pay them half the contract price, and come remove their equipment and consider the deal closed. The first line service reps are very aggressive and rude, refusing to let any of us speak to a manager (they did offer to transfer us to voice mail, where several messages were left with no response). My Mother is on a fixed income, elderly, and was pressured by a salesperson who saw an opportunity for an easy sell. Currently, $40.00 per month is being taken from her bank account to pay for a security service that will never be used. The bank has told us we cannot stop payment - that Pinnacle must agree to discontinuing the automatic draft. The only resolve she will have is to close her current bank account and open a new one. Several phone calls to come to a reasonable arrangement has been met with harrassment and rudeness. Between my brother and I, we have decided to pay Pinnacle what they claim my mother owes them for services never delivered so the security equipment can be removed safely from her old home. We are doing this to satisfy the new owners of the property. STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!!! We even got the BBB involved, and it looked like we had Pinnacle to agree to 1/3 of the purchase price of the contract. We were told by the Customer Service Manager to wait until we were invoiced for the 1/3 price, and dont pay anything until then. Well, 30 days later, a registerd letter comes in the mail and they want the entire $1400 NOW or they will attempt to garnish my mothers wages. Can you believe it!
Irene
Virginia Beach, Virginia
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Grant
Newberry,Florida,
U.S.A.
Young College Students Should Not be Selling Security on a Whim
#3UPDATE EX-employee responds
Tue, July 01, 2008
It is duly noted that the anonymous employee wishes to set the record straight, but the suggestion that the customer should read over the contract to ensure they are not being scammed is a huge "red flag." It is great to be vigilant with any transaction, but, if one is burnt by a company, then it is even more important to inform people of such bad business. For that very reason this site exist, anonymous employee.
First, I recommend that everyone that signs a contract read it first. However, it is the obligation of the business, in this case a very serious service of home security, to be one hundred percent honest with their customers. Overzealous Pinnacle Security reps are detrimental for customers, but irresponsible misdirections at the expense of a customer trying to protect their livelihood? That sort of justification will not suffice. Forthright businesses should treat their customers with consistency--and that consistency, when it comes to home security, should be with humanity's best interest in mind.
Second, any company that employs young, inexperienced college students to provide a tremendously important service of home security, with very little expert training (only that of pressure sales) is not a credible company. Take it from me, Mr. anonymous, this is not good business.
Technicalmind
Orem,Utah,
U.S.A.
My apologies for the sales rep
#3UPDATE Employee
Sun, March 30, 2008
Almost all of the sales reps that you find with any security company are college students that are working for the summer. These sales reps can get over zealous and and a lot of times tell the customer exacly what they want to hear, whether it is true or not. Unfortunately, security companies (whether it be Pinnacle, ADT, etc...) will not be able to confirm what was said by the sales rep as usually they are only with the company for one summer. In these cases, the companies need to go by the contract that was signed by the customer. There is nothing that I can do (as a lower end employee who tries to keep it real for our customers) except advise you to read any contract carefully before you sign. Also, if you are truly not interested in the system in the first place, don't hesitate to just close the door! Best of luck in the future...
Anonymous employee