Complaint Review: The Alarm Center

In December 2006, my 91-year-old grandmother was diagnosed as terminally ill.  Although she had lived on her own very successfully until that time, at this point she began spending more and more time in the hospital and/or a nursing home.  She asked me to have a security alarm installed at her house since the house was standing empty.  I obtained the name NorthStar (aka The Alarm Center) alarm from my stepfather, who had the service at his home.  That service was later cancelled due to multiple service issues and was replaced with another company.

I contacted the company by phone (I live 225 miled from my grandmother's residence) and arranged to have the service installed.  The company was to fax a contract to me for review and my signature.  That never happened.  I was not present when the alarm was installed and am unclear on how the technician gained access to the house...my grandmother may have been there with an aide or it is possible that the tenant from my grandmother's rental house next door may have provided access.  At any rate, the service was installed and I believe the technician signed my name to the contract.  I received no contract from NorthStar either by fax or mail.  When I visited my grandmother's house a few weeks later, the paperwork was lying on the desk in the hallway.  By the time I had the opportunity to review the contract, the 3 day cancellation window had expired.  Knowing that my grandmother was terminally ill and aged 91, I absolutely would never had signed a contract for FIVE years.

My grandmother passed away in January 2008 and I sold the house on December 21, 2009.  The company has REFUSED to cancel the contract although my grandmother is deceased and I no longer own the house.  I am not receiving any services at this point and I am not paying for anything that I am not receiving.

Company contacts have been rude and combative.  Satish, a "customer retention specialist" even hung up on me.

The options being offered by The Alarm Center are:

1)  Invite the new homeowner to contract with them

2) Get a friend or family member to fulfill the remainder of the contract.  I haven't lived in the area since 1979 and the only family member I have left at all is my mother, who is in the process of relocating to Florida.  It is unlikely that she would be willing to become involved with this company again.

I have dealt with a lot of service contracts and have never encountered one this bad or a company so unfocused on customer service.