Saveonmyalarm.com American Digital, Renwemyalarm.com, Cancalmyalarm.com Bait and switch to different price plan, locked into contract. Kirkland Washington
I signed up with Saveonmyalarm.com in March of this year. I read all of the advertisements on the web page and on each page it was advertised $5.95 per month alarm monitoring. I clicked on the order page and checked off the box that indicated I was prepaying three month at $5.95. There was no information indicating that I was entering a two year contract that would go to $19.95 per month at the end of the three months, after all, all of the advertisements on the web indicated $5.95 per month monitoring.
When I noticed this increase I contacted manager Ben Price who told me to go back to the page and see the popups that supposedly warned me that I was entering a 24 month contract. I did so, using my old copy of Firefox and no popups appeared. I told him this and then he began to argue that I should have read the terms and conditions when I checked the box " I have read the terms and conditions". There are no terms and conditions on that order page, nor any links to any terms and conditions elsewhere. I understood that I was checking the terms that were on the page I was reading, not some that were located in some other spot on the website.
The website by the way, looks amateurish, with lots of bold text and an overwhelming sales pitch for $5.95 per month. I have since revisited the page with Internet Explorer and yes, if you click on the right spot in the order page, a little yellow window will pop up. I wonder how many other people using other browsers have had a similar problem.
Folks, this is a classic bait and switch. All of their advertising indicates $5.95 and you will indeed be billed that for a few months until the $19.95 rate kicks in unless you check the entire website and read the fine print. I feel ripped off and they will not release me from their contract. Ben indicated that " I have been doing this for 25 years and I know what buyers remorse is". I'm sure he does, since from looking at the Ripoff report and other posts on the web he has a lot of buyers with remorse. Avoid this scam at all costs and contact a local alarm company.
Troy
Austin, Texas
U.S.A.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
Troy
Austin,Texas,
U.S.A.
Here is the popup (which I never saw initially) with terms.
#3Author of original report
Sat, November 08, 2008
Folks, read this and tell me if it is not misleading.
Here is the option that I originally chose as it appears on the final order form. No popup appeared when I first ordered the service. I chose choice A which reads as follows.
"Choice A (button) Promotional Offer: Live Operator Monitoring, Prepay 3 Months At $5.95 Per Month."
Here is what the popup for the choice I made that I did not see in my old verson of Firefox says, verbatim.
"Choose Your Type Of Monitoring And Your Prepayment Term
You may choose to prepay your initial term month to month
or accept a promotional offer form (sic) three months to
a full year. Upon completion of the term simply continue
on our month to month standard rate (no punctuation) you cancel
or pre-pay for services at renewmyalarm.com"
So, if 3 months IS the promotional offer, why am I now in a two year contract.
I thought I was just choosing to prepay three months of the rate that is advertised all over the site, not sign an 2 year contract at $19.95!
Troy
Austin,Texas,
U.S.A.
Mr. Price's response to Bait and Switch complaint
#3Author of original report
Sat, November 08, 2008
I was contacted by Mr. Ben price today after requesting he release me from the two year contact that they locked me into without my knowledge. He refuses to release me, stating that I am canceling for financial reasons only. I am canceling because my rate, the $5.95 that is promoted all over the site, is now $19.95.
I challenge anyone to visit saveonmyalarm.com and choose the $5.95 plan, continue through the steps that are provided, check the box for "prepay 3 months" and tell me if you think that you are signing a 2 year contract at $19.95 per month. Anyone with reasonable intelligence would think that they are prepaying three months, and then going on a month to month billing after that, not locking yourself into a contract.
I'm not alone, all you have to do is Google "saveonmyalarm.com bait and switch" or "saveonmyalarm.com scam" and see how many posts come up from other dissatisfied users who were duped into a two year contract at $19.95 when they thought they were getting bargain alarm monitoring for $5.95
Try the site. I think you will see what I mean.