Complaint Review: Monitronics International - Dallas Texas

Hi Diana, As an owner of an alarm company I can assure you that a written request for cancellation is standard in this industry for liability reasons, and it is also mentioned on the front page of most alarm contracts, and on the front page of the contract you signed. Here's a scenario. Joe Smith or someone with Joe Smith's passcode claiming to be Joe calls up an alarm company and says "cancel my service" The alarm company cancels Joe's service Joe's house immediately. Later that night Joe's house is robbed or catches fire. The alarm company doesn't respond because Joe called to cancel his service. Joe now denies ever cancelling his service, and since the alarmco has nothing in writing they are now liable. While the odds of the above happening are slim the alarm companies and insurance providers would rather keep those odds at nil. Liability insurance for alarm companies is quite a bit higher than you'd expect. There are only a handfull of companies who will insure alarm companies, and the one thing they all require is written notices of cancellation by customers. That's not to say an account has never been cancelled over the phone by any company, but the insurance company surely requires that to be done. Now as for not sending a certified letter to your alarm company because you fear them having your code, think about what you just said. They already have your passcode. Your frustration would be non-existant if you would just follow the simple terms of the contract's cancellation policy. Monitronics has does plenty of things wrong over the years, but on this particular occassion they are not scamming you. Send them the certified letter requesting they cancel your service AND they unlock your control panel. You need the panel unlocked so if you choose to do business with another alarm company they can simply program their central station #, and account # into the panel. Without it being unlocked the panel and keypads will be rendered useless to anyone other than Monitronics. Have the letter notarized for your protection and send it return receipt requested and be done with them. What really troubles me with this whole situation is that a customer WANTS (not NEEDS, MUST or HAS) to cancel. That to me means you are an unsatisfied customer, and unfortunately see no value in the service being provided. Shame on them for letting you reach that point. It should have been avoided, and you should still be a happy customer of theirs. I love my customers and if they have an issue with me we hash it out before it gets to a point like where you are at. Move East and I'll install an alarm up for you :-) You'd love my contract too. My contract is just like every other contract you will ever sign. I posted my terms in another thread, but I'll gladly share them with you. It says (well I am just paraphrasing): I am always right. You are always wrong. You agree to pay me. I agree to nothing. When you are wrong you agree to pay more. When I am wrong it is just an oversight which is to be expected. Oh, and when I am dead wrong on something, and you have absolute proof, it's chalked up to being an Act of God, and the contract excludes me from being responsible for anything God does. I hope this helped you. Best of luck.