Home Security System Reviews – Home Alarm Comparisons
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24
Jan

Be very wary of platinum protection!  They are one of these new start up sites which promotes there products door to door.  While there service isn’t actually a “scam” in the laws eyes we feel it is a very poor decision to go with them.  There service has been considered by many to be poor or even none-existant.

When you buy an alarm system with one of these door to door companies proudly displaying there name brand equipment produced by Honeywell or GE your falling right into there scam.  Yes the equipment they put in your house is of good quality, but it is often poorly installed, and your alarms monitoring service is then sold off.  This means that they won’t even be the ones to monitor your system.  What’s even worse is companies like Platinum Protection often overcharge on their products.  You will be goaded into a 5 year contract paying up to 50 $’s a month!  If you were to get your alarm monitored by a sensible company you would be paying around 35 $’s a month, and you would be signing a contract for half the length of time.  You can get a free quote from adt by clicking here.  If your wondering about what users around the internet have to say about platinum protection we have included a few comments from an unbiased review board.

(Added Jan 21/10) Platinum Protection did the same as posted by PA. resident to me-in addition-they lost my contract- found contract 5 months later and started to bill me even though they were not monitoring my home. I had a couple of incidents with my father setting off the alarm when I was not home and also my boyfriend, both times it went long enough to require a call from Platinum- none was received by them because they were not monitoring since they had no contract. I installed with ADT and then 3 months later Platinum takes almost $200 in charges. They found the contract and my bank account info and decided they could just take the money out. I am in the process of having to legally clear this up. Do not go with PLATINUM PROTECTION!!!  Very sleazy practices. I have their system all boxed up for pick up. Which was not as inclusive as ADT. Burned in SA, TX

Added Oct 24/09) (Updated Jan 22/10) I am being forced to pay for a system that I will never use.  The sensor fell off the back door and keeps setting off the alarm.  I refuse to get the necessary permit from the Police Department and Fire Department.  I was unaware that this was a requirement, until after the installation hole was cut in the wall.  The salesperson informed me to watch the same Grandchildren that would be “protected” by this system from inadvertently setting off the alarm, as this would result in bills from the Police Department or Fire Department.  BUYER BEWARE  – It is not a 36 month contract it is a 60 month contract.  One month is too long to pay for something you won’t use.  Five years is ridiculous.  I hope the money I am paying is being put to good use.  It is not going to my “unprotected” Grandchildren.
Update:
I am no longer under contract with this alarm company.  I was able to buy out my contract for $650.00 additional dollars.   The phone calls have stopped.  The alarm is not sounding off.   So all is not lost.  I made a ridiculously costly mistake.  Live and learn.
I purchased a Platinum Protection system on 4/23/09.  The salesman did not mention that I was signing a 60 month, iron clad contract and stated that his system would be equal to my current system. The initial system installed by Platinum Protection was incompatible with my digital phone service provided by Comcast. Subsequently, Platinum Protection installed a separate cell phone system.

On 8/6/09 I initiated a test (not pre-arraigned) with their system.  The test resulted in a failure to communicate with me and to alert my emergency calling list. According to the monitoring service, the problem occurred because the system was not in a fully operational state and so my alert did not get to them. According to Platinum Protection I needed to reset the system with their technical support which would require an access code and some special keys to be entered into my system. At my age (93), I could not do these instructions myself even with directions over the phone.

I have been without protection, in case I fall, since 4/23/09. So far I have been able to prevent falling but each time I am reminded how easy it would be for me to fall and that there would be no way to get help. The protection system installed in my home on 4/23/09 has not provided a medical alert response in accordance with that described by their salesman. To date, the salesman’s statement in regard to Platinum Protection’s response to a medical alert has turned out not to be the case. I have lost confidence in receiving the medical emergency response that I expect from the Platinum Protection system. I feel that it was sold to me under false pretense. During the time that I was attempting to get the Platinum Protection system to respond correctly to a medical alert initiated by me, I called Platinum Protection and ordered a cancellation of their service. They informed me that they would cancel their service if I paid 80% of the balance of a 60 month agreement with them.

All the attempts by Platinum Protection to make their system work for me to date have resulted in my conclusion that, in time of need, their system would not respond correctly to a medical alert.  When they test their system it works.  When I test it it doesn’t work.

If you would like to include an unbiased review in our post feel free to email us, and we will include it.  That’s it for this review, and be sure to make an educated purchase on your next alarm system!

Category : Security Scam Alerts | Blog
24
Jan

Vector security has been upsetting a lot of consumers with there current policies. People are lured into poor overpriced contracts by over pushy salesman using bait and switch tactics. Many of these companies will make you to believe that your getting a free home security system, and that you won’t be entering any form of contract by signing up. However this is absolutely incorrect!

Vector has started a joint venture with another company, and now they are selling security systems door to door. Our readers, and boards around the internet have reported these salesmen as being very dodgy. They will come to your home offering you a “free security system” the downfall is in order to get the system you need to sign a 5 year contract paying 45 $’s a month in monitoring fee’s. However these salesmen will often use pressure tactics, and will almost never use the word contract substituting it with words like “agreement” instead. Here are a few comments from users on different review sites across the internet. We recommend that you go with an industry standard such as ADT. You can visit adt’s site here. Also please note these reviews may be semi biased(only the really upset off customers will take the time to write up a complaint).

Added Jan 21/10) (Vector) can’t ever hear me over the speaker even when I am less than an inch away screaming at the top of my lungs. They’re own technician person came to my house and told me nothing was wrong with my speaker, that the people on the other end of the speaker aren’t trained properly and can not hear me. When I called to see what I could do about this problem, the supervisor told me he could not vouch for the conversation with the employee since he wasn’t present the time it took place. He said Vector could not be responsible for things their employees tell me. I asked him if he would personally come to my house so that way next time he could be present. Obviously, his answer was no. He offered to send out another technician. Basically, its a repititive cycle with technicians and supervisors that will never stop because no one from this company will take responsibility for their ridiculous worthless system.

my other home and can’t stand it. I don’t even both to arm it.
(Added Dec 29/09) I would finally like to thank Vector Security for giving my child a wonderful Christmas. Because of them and their unwillingness to accept a reasonable payment plan, 200 for the last 3 months, (which I shouldnt be paying in the first place). They pretty much drained anything I had saved for my kid. I wasnt able to buy but only 7 presents for my kid this year, and that money was donated from Sears, Thanks Sears. For anyone considering this company, DONT, find another. I also ask anyone seeking to use this company to read the other reviews they sum it up pretty well. If you are in the military this company is NOT military friendly whatsoever. Some companies give, while Vector only takes

(Added Sept 9/09) The service provided by Vector Security in Montgomery county, PA is atrocious .It is virtually impossible to get anyone on the phone, even the monitoring center request you leave a message, but don’t worry they will absolutely not call you back. Their web site states that ‘personal service is a bedrock value …blah blah blah”. This is without doubt the worst customer service I have ever encountered. I recommend you look elsewhere, I doubt you can do worse.

As you can see vector really has a poor customer service rating. Hopefully we have done our best to make you an educated customer

Category : Security Scam Alerts | Blog
11
Jun

Are you curious about what customers are wondering about apex home security? Apex alarms have not received many good reviews from their current subscribers. There are many reasons behind this, and this is a problem that faces part of the door to door industry. Apex currently does not monitor their own alarm systems, and what this means is they will install system for you, and sign you to a contract however they have the right to sell your contract to another company at any time. What this usually results in is you getting stuck into a 5 year overpriced contract with poor support for your alarm. Many customers have had similar complaints when using apex because they were lured in when a door to door salesman promised a free alarm.

However the alarm really is NOT free this is because in order to get it installed in your home you will be signing a 5 year agreement to keep the alarm connected for 44.99 $’s a month! Their salesmen have been known to often use deceptive sales tactics, and they will use misleading terms such as replacing the word contract with “agreement”. The end result is an upset consumer. We recommend you stick with a tried and tested brand that has recieved good results from many customers. You can get a free quote from ADT by clicking here. By comparison ADT is over $10’s cheaper, and has a much shorter contract length. If your still wondering about apex here are 3-4 completely unbiased reviews we have gathered from various boards. Please bear in mind that these reviews may be slightly biased, because only the more upset customers will take the time to write out a review. Also note that if you would like your review to be listed here please drop us a line at Editors@homesecuritysystemreviews.org!

(Added Dec 4/09) I am very dissatisfied with APX Alarm. How and why I got talked into changing over from Brinks to APX still mystifies me. I was told I could get out of my Brinks contract easily because I had had it so long [over 5 years]. I did not realize I was on a year to year Brinks contract after the initial contract. I ended up paying a much higher fee with APX. It is my fault for changing to APX, but I do not think the sales rep should have said it was standard to get out of the Brinks contract that currently was in place. The sales rep also did not point out the 3 day cancellation clause in the contract, which definitely should have been done at the time the contract was signed. Now I am stuck with paying for a disconnected Brinks and a connected APX for 5 years.

(Added Aug 23/09) We were slammed into a 5 year contract which we were pressured to sign after being led to believe there was a one year term. Service is subpar – it is virtually impossible to get details from the company when an alarm has been triggered. Installers put ugly white boxes at the top of the doors instead of the bottom and couldn’t remove them due to the adhesive. Company refused to let us out of the contract when we told them we weren’t informed of the term. Two years later I have been diagnosed with MS and am faced with crippling medical bills. The company suggested I get a doctor to lie and say that I was physically unable to press the buttons or else pawn the contract off on someone else. I can’t bring myself to ask doctors I rely on to lie for me or to push this junk off on another human being. This company is morally bankrupt.

(Added July 15/09)By far, the worst experience we’ve ever had with a company.

The equipment did not work satisfactorily for our home. After signing a contract, we FAXED a written cancellation to APX within the 3 days specified by law. A few days later a representative telephoned my wife and in this unsolicited telephone call pressure her into allowing someone to bring some additional equipment to see if they could “make things right.” After two tries, it still did not work.

But, even though no additional papers were signed and a valid written cancellation was sent, they insist that my wife’s consent (in a telephone conversation) binds us to a full five year contract. In effect, this means a written cancellation becomes merely an opportunity to for a skilled salesperson from this aggressive company to telephone a consumer to pressure them into an oral consent — the very thing laws regarding written contracts with full disclosures and the right of cancellation are intended to protect the consumer from having to endure.

This is our first experience (in more than 30 years of marriage) involving a dispute with a business regarding a debt or contract claim. We have appealed to our state’s Attorney General to join several other states in investigating the sales practices of APX Alarm.

Category : Security Scam Alerts | Blog