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ADT - Sales Practices

ADT Security • Sales practices • Service • Military clause

Richard of Gloversville NY (4/22/04):
I am a federal military civilian employee. On september 11th we were sent home as our military installation was being "locked down" for the rest of the week due to the WTC attacks. Yep, you guessed it the next day ADT had a subcontractor in our neighborhood called SOS Security selling door to door ADT security systems with the "no obligation cancel at any time home security systems. All we want to do is place a sign in front of your house for advertising".

We repeatedly asked and were told that we could cancel at any time. After about a year of monthly payments and calming down like the rest of the country I decided to cancel the monthly service. I was told that to read the fine print in the contract and I was liable for two years at 75%. Currently a collection agency has contacted me and ADT want the two years at 75%. I am more than willing to go to court as these bloodsuckers should not be allowed to capitalize on my personal fear for profit. Their timing was by no means accidental.

Stephen of Ballwin MO (11/11/03):
Based on a telemarketing call we purchased a 3 year contract for ADT monitoring and received a free security system. We were planning to move so the salesperson told us the system would be moved for free anytime during the contract. He put this in writing after the fact. We later found this company was an authorized ADT "dealership" not ADT itself. Keep in mind that ADTs name was all over the documents we signed, and we are being billed by ADT on our credit card too!

Anyway, we signed a contract. No address was specified for monitoring on the contract as it was left blank when we signed (I have a copy). To make a long story short, we moved and ADT wouldn't honor the salesmen's promises. They say the "dealership" made the promises of moving our system, not ADT as they just provide monitoring. Of course, the dealership is no longer in business. An ADT rep told me that they don't like working with the dealerships and they are trying to get rid of them because of these issues.

What's funny is ADT won't provide monitoring services to me if I reinstall the system myself at the new address. They're talking out of both sides of their mouth. So, I'm stuck with paying my pre-authorized credit card charges of 29.99 which they say I can't stop, and ADT will NOT provide monitoring services to a different address. The Better Business Bureau was worthless beacause they just note that we agree to disagree. I don't even see my complaint as a "black mark" on their web site.

ADT keeps asking for extensions of time to respond to the compaint, and I just keep paying them. What really steams me is that ADT bad mouths the authorized dealerships and blames all issues on them, but they are aware of all business practices of dealerships and are glad to purchase new contracts from them. FYI, you can buy security systems from local companies (or wireless self install kits online) and get monitoring for 1/2 the price of ADT.

Sam of Ocala FL (6/14/03):
I was consulted by a group of door to door salespersons in June 2002 about a free installation of the ADT equipment if we agree to put their sign in our yard and on our windows. Several times my wife asked, "what's the catch?" We were assured several times by the salespersons that there was no catch. They presented us with a Crime Grid of the area, stating the incline of Criminal Activity.

At the time, we were considering putting our house up for sale and we explained that to the salespersons. They told us that in order for us to receive the "free installation" we would have to sign the contract for three years. I again explained that we do not think that we will live in this house for three years and that we did not want to sign the contract. They were persistant. One "pretended" to call a supervisor and ask if we would be able to break the contract if we moved within the three years. The "supervisor" reassured me that the contract was easy to break as long as we SOLD OUR HOUSE we would not be obligated to the terms of the contract.

I asked that it be put in writing, and that section be crossed off our contract. The salespersons did cross it through and intitial it. We were satisfied with their cooperativeness and we agreed to have the system installed. In Nov. 2002 we put our house on the market and it sold in two weeks. We officially sold our house in Feb. 2003, at which time, we called to cancel our contract. During the phone conversation, the person agreed to cancel our service and stated that they would send our final bill.

When we received our bill, it stated that we owed over $950.00 for 75% of the contract. We were completely surprised to say the least. My wife called and was told that NO MATTER WHAT we could not break the contract. My wife explained that we were assured and reassured that by selling our house, the contract would be voided and she was laughed at by the phone rep. When asked to speak with the Manager, she was told that there was no way a manager would talk to her. Aggrevated, my wife hung up to call back a different day. Of course, each and every time she called, she got the same run around.

Finally two months later, she talked to the only helpful person at ADT, Melissa. Melissa explained to my wife that independant contractors do the door to door sales. (by the way they work on commission only) She told my that ADT gets a lot of complaints due to the deceitful tactics of these salespeople. She also told me that ADT does not officially own the contract, that the company that initially sold it to us holds the contract for one year and then ADT buys the contract. She told us to contact that company for problems.

My wife then called that company. She was told by the Manager that the sales crew that sold to us that day no longer works for the company and that all of the files for that crew has come up "missing." I agreed to send a copy of our contract, which I did. Of course I received no call. I called back two weeks later. The manager stated that he can't be sure who put that line through the part of the contract in question, however in any event, the salespeople are NOT AUTHORIZED to alter the contract in any way. I explained to the Manager that they called their supervisor and got authorization. The Manager said that the supervisor was the one who initially sold me the service, and of course he is no longer with the agency. And we were instructed to call ADT.

Sam should go to Small Claims Court with a copy of the contract that was modified by the salesperson.

Richard of Detroit writes:
A sales representative came to my home as he was going fromm door to door. He told me that if I placed their company's sign in front of my house, that they would give my a home security system free of charge. All I had to do was to sign up for the service, and that if I didn't want the service later on, that I could cancel it at any time, and that the company may either take the system back out, or let me keep it.

What he didn't tell me is that after the three-day cancellation date if I decide to cancel the service, that theie contract says that I have to pay them 75% of the remaining service charge for a three-year contract. I called the company a few months later because my mother didn't like the system, and she didn't use it. I sent a letter of cancellation in November. Then I found out that I still owe them $742.00. I believe this is contractual fraud, and that I have been deceived by ADT Security Services, Inc.

Richard ought to read contracts before he signs them. Also, when he has an evening to spare, he could go rent a copy of "Tin Men," where he'd see the exact same pitch used by some pretty spiffy aluminum-siding salesmen.

Angela, who owns a small retail store in Banning, CA, writes:
On 08-10-00 at about 6:13a.m., I received a call from ADT stating "the store alarm had went off and entry showed at zone 1 front door". I asked if the police been dispatched and the lady said yes. Because i was at least 40 minutes away, I called the police department and the officer told me that the burglary occurred the night before and the alarm company said they could not reach me, so the police secured the building as best possible.

When i arrived and went inside the business had been burgularized and i called the police out so they could take a report. The officer told me again that this occurred the previous night and the alarm company said they had no way of contacting me. I told the officer that three different telephone numbers are listed with the alarm company.

The loss was estimated at about $1,000.00. I then called ADT to find out why I wasn't notified and spoke to Marty. She said I was paged and no return call came in and then she connected me with Kim who read over the log and said that proper procedure was not taken, all the contact numbers listed should have been called.

Kim said she did not know the procedure to be taken next but there are some people who need to be trained on this type of situation.

The business remained open all night long. The front door was standing wide open, a person passing by called the police and notified them the door was open again. The economic damage is loss of inventory and fixtures needed to operate the business.

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