Complaint Review: Monitronics - Dallas Texas

As soon as I read this in your report: "told me that they are different than any other alarm company in the fact that their systems were monitered[sic] by the police department" A red flag should have not only gone up, but should have gone supersonic and hit you in the nose! IMMEDIATELY upon hearing such an outlandish claim, the questions should start being fired out; Which police department? Who is head of "monitoring" and what is their badge number? Sorry to say, but YOU are partially responsible for believing such an unbelievably tall tale. There's a few little details missing here, but I'd wager that you were subjected to some kind of high pressure sales, was told that this was IMPORTANT and that you needed to do this and sign on the dotted line RIGHT NOW for the SAFETY of you and your loved ones... I'd also bet that as soon as that whopper was launched, the subject was steered so you didn't think about that "fact" for too long too. Remember; when these sleazeballs come skulking around, DOOR TO DOOR, that can be a tip off right there. If their claim stood up to scrutiny, people would be flocking to THEM, not the other way around. Plus, they aren't ADT or the like, right? Some little company most people haven't heard of (another red flag), making outlandish claims (red flag) and using and stressing the specter of threat to your safety and well being (red flag) to separate you from your wallet in as short a time as possible. I *can* understand how some people fall victim, but it hinges on something: common sense... I mean, think about it... Have you EVER heard, for an established and verified *fact*, of ANY police department ANYWHERE in N. America (or even the world for that matter) that *directly* monitors ANY alarms by/for private persons on behalf of a private alarm company? Even a national one? Have you? Police departments don't even do it for MAJOR BANKS, why would they do it for individual residences? Don't you think, with police levels where they are, that the cops have *enough* to do without looking after John Q. Public *directly*? Does such a thing make any real *sense* to you? What did your GUT tell you the moment you heard that claim? Anyone approached and confronted with such pie in the sky codswallop should get the representative's full name and/or company I.D. with employee number which, if they're anywhere near legit, they should provide with a smile. Tell them that you'd like them to wait while you call the police department they say "monitors" their alarms and verify that they do, indeed, provide the service the rep claims. If you can, get that claim IN WRITING from the rep. It'll make good evidence indtead of a "he said, she said" thing if it comes to a court case. If they start making excuses, try to prevent you in any way from getting verification, or suddenly seem in a hurry to leave, you are being LIED TO and led down the garden path. Thank them, send them on their way, then call the cops anyway, ask for the fraud division and talk to a detective there and let them know that this company is procuring accounts by making false claims regarding a liaison with the police. The cops will absolutely take a, shall we say, "dim view" of this type of shenanigans, because it puts them on the hook too... Imagine the cop shop getting *customer complaints* if things go wrong. Think they'll be grateful? Not a chance. Write every detail you can recall about the entire situation, from sales pitch to present time. EVERY detail. Now. Before you start forgetting. Names (if given), dates, correspondance, *everything*. Call your local/county/state Attorney General and file a complaint. Stress the importance, politely but firmly, of putting a stop to this company before someone depending on their "service" gets robbed or, worse, dead, because they believed this "monitored directly by the PD" fairy tale. Be sure and mention the billing for a service you don't desire and the phone harassment. Offer them a copy of your written diary of events. Notify the Better Business Bureau too. Next, if you are getting billed and you are getting harassing calls, if you don't have it already, ask the next caller for the full surface mailing address of the company and the name of the receptionist or head of customer relations. Under the Fair Debt Collection Act, they are *required* to provide you with this information. Write the info down and then write a "cease and desist" letter (you can Google generic form letters for this and adjust them to your specific need), send it to the address and person provided as a REGISTERED letter that has to be signed for. State that you will NOT pay for a service you do not desire, have canceled and that you will consider any further calls as harassment under the law and not to call you or attempt to contact you via ANY method. That should stop the calls. If not, it's actionable in a court of law. If you are out any monies via over-billing or are owed any monies by the company, including refunds, you may need to consider small claims court to recover them. This could be necessary to have the courts look into this distasteful business practice, as a judge can forward a request for investigation to the Attorney General as well This is another fine example of "if it sounds too good to be true, IT IS". Good luck.