Complain about a product or service

Monitronics Home Alarms

neena of friendswood, TX March 17, 2010

This is the worst company any body can deal with. customer service is worst and service. They charge bill if you,IF YOU CANCEL ALSO. Horrible company. thanks. We all three years we paid without service because of contract.contract is acceptable only if they give service.

George of San Clemente, CA March 15, 2010

I cancelled my account, following the Monitronics procedures after I called their customer service line. I was asked to fax in a request to cancel and that would be sufficient. A week later, they sent a letter asking me to do the same thing, this time, snail mail it - I did.

2 weeks later, they sent letter confirming the account had been canceled.

About a week later, I received a bill in the mail, charging me for 2 months. I called their customer service line and the first guy told me that my account had not been canceled, but moved! Someone in the account resolution dept. said my cancellation notice wasn't signed. After I went off on them, they said they were going to credit the account and close it for good. We'll see...

Donald of SACRAMENTO , CA February 23, 2010

Well it all started about 4 years ago when my Grandma past away my Grandfather felt unsafe after a robbery in his home when he left to go shopping. Not long after that he had an alarm put in from Monitronics. About a year later a sales person shows up from SAI they said they bought his contract from Monitronics so they change the key pad on the wall. Of course he does not no much since he is 78 years old.

Then 6 months later another person shows up looks just like the other sales person with all his info credit card bank account info. Now he says the company SAI is bankrupt and Castlerock is the new company. All along he is getting double billed from both Monitronics and SAI/Castlerock. I have tried to find out how to stop this madness especially the only way to stop paying them is to close the account. He has had that account for over 30 years. He does not want to close that account. Also the alarm does not work and Castlerock wants to charge to service it so he is paying 49.99 twice a month till August 2011. Wow and no alarm.

shirley of Ocean Hills, CA February 23, 2010

I can't get any answers from Monitroics, when I phone them after speaking to someone I suddenly get cut off. I was not told anything about permits, my having to contact the police dept, the peramedics, the fire Dept. in order to get a number and then call the security company with that info in order to be connected to the alarm co. I have a witness who sat through the presetation as I thought two set of ears would be better than one. I also wanted a witness so if anything did happen after I decided to take the offer I had back up.

This is a very smart man, who also had his own business so I think he is a valid witness.I can't get any answers, I just kepp getting another number to call. I really don't know if I am conected or not. I don't think I am,but can't find any answers. I am 80 yrs young, and still prety sharp, but I think I was charmed into this deal for 3 years. I hate it. Also I read the book again and it says I have to be responible for the batteries(what batteries) was never mentioned and I unable to do these things that I found out after fact! I've tried to get my system checked and can't get through to the control people. I would like to join the other dissatisfied customs in a class action suit. How do I do that?

Chip of Gallatn, TN February 19, 2010

I have had Monitronics Alarms for 12 years and I go to cancel the service on March of 09, they tell me I have to send a letter for the reason. I do that about 4 times because they say they never received it and finally they did. After that they keep sendng me invoices for the services from march until present. They say that I owe them back charges and late fees. Now they have an atorney signed to this and they are extreamly rude. If anyone wants an alarm system I would highly NOT recommend Monitronics for any services. They say that any time you sign your name to one of their agreements after the initial term is up it keeps renewing for 2 years after that and you have to cancel on the renewal date.

Matthew of San Pedro, CA February 11, 2010

Had a door-door salesperson offer a alarm service which sounded good with all the bells and whistles necessary to protect my family. I signed a 3 year contract for a little more money that I had been paying for another service and was told that they were opening a office in town should I have any concerns. They never opened the local office. Equipment was taped to newly painted walls and ceilings. Once base unit was plugged in to telephone line, telephone stopped receiving calls, and if a call came through it was accompanied with tremendous amount of static and distortion. Contacted Monitronics, was told they would send out a technician. Technician stated that the problem was with the telephone service provider. Contacted telephone service provider who came out and tested phone line and phone line was good. Contacted Monitronics, they had their installer company call and attempted to "walk me through" the system over the phone. This didn't work.

Told me that a 30 service charge was required because they had already sent out a technician, I declined to pay for their problem. As I had paid the 3 year service contract in advance, I called and cancelled service for which I had for nearly nine months. In addition I found that their was no monitoring due to the fact that I heard chirpping from their unit, due to ?, they had never called to confirm any disruption in service even during a couple of power outages that had taken place during this period. Called to cancel in October 09, requested a refund from Monitronics for the balance of service which was sent a few weeks later. Disconneted equipment from telephone line, telephone is working now.

A month later Monitronics started calling for payment for monthly monitoring fee. Explained completely pass conversations with their customer staff on three different occasions after that initial call cancelling service because of faulty equipment, to no avail. I kept getting the runaround from customer service, their supervisors. They do not cancel contract, they acknowledge the return of the contract amount, but say that does not end contract I still am liable for a service which they cannot fix or monitoring they cannot do and have not provided. Now I getting billing statements and harassing telephone calls several times a week at all hours of the day, saying I owe them, when in fact they stole from me for the first nine months. What kind of contract law allows for a person to continue to pay for a service from a company that can't be delivered, not to mention the unprofessional manner to which it was installed? What is this company owed?

Tracy of Buckeye, AZ February 8, 2010

Monday 2-1-10 at approximately 1:03 in the AM my alarm went off. I called 911 and was on the phone with dispatch for about 7 minutes waiting for the police to arrive. Dispatch and the police both informed me that the alarm company had not notified them the alarm had gone off. After numerous phone calls between Monotronics and American Alarm I spoke to Nicole from American Alarm who informed me the alarm that the alarm went off at 1:05 and 13 seconds and disarmed at 1:05 and 38 seconds and that's why no one called me.

To begin with this is impossible because I was on the phone with 911 for over 5 minutes and didn't disarm it until the police arrived. When I called Monotronics they told me my PW was wrong and I had to call American Alarm. I was then informed by Nicole that the PW they had down was "Cordel" I dont know how this mistake could be made because that was wrong. I then called monotronics and they informed me it was a backup failure, and not the actual alarm.

I don't understand how it could be backup failure if my alarm is on a cell tower. They told me I had to call Ernie to send a technician out. Ernie was very rude when I asked for a technician to be sent out that same Monday. He replied "What do you want me to pull one out of my sleeve?" I don't not appreciate this type of service considering I am paying for this service you are not doing me a favor. A technician Ryan arrived that afternoon and said if Cox communication was doing some type of work and turned off power, it would causes the alarm to go off. Since the alarm is on a cell tower, this should not occurr. I am very dissatisfied with your customer service and at this time would like to terminate services.

amy of San Francisco, CA January 28, 2010

I've heard a lot of bad stories about this company so I shouldn't be suprised. Earlier this year a Sacramento Monitronics dealer signed my grandmother up for a three-year contract. Mind you when I talked to my grandmother that day she didn't really seem to know what she signed up for. (I've since noticed that the dealer had to even print her name for her).

She has been deemed incompetent to handle her finances and health decisions and had to be move to an assisted living facility because her dementia became so bad. I called Monitronics to cancel the service and they tell me we can't, even though we're selling her house and she can no longer live there. She has more than two years left on the contract. They even had the nerve to tell me I'd be financially liable.(Not true).

In an apparently fake attempt to resolve the situation, they make get the nursing home to fax them a letter saying that she's living there. When I call them to ask if they received the letter, they say the contract is too new and that I have to go through the company that installed it. Of course, that company refuses to return phone calls.

We're not going to pay. I'd hope they'd have the sense not to harrass an old lady in an assisted living facility. We'll see. I have my doubts.

Doris of Detroit, MI January 25, 2010

I had Monotronics and my home was broken into they did not send out the police they did not call and notify me of the break in, the burglars tore the monitoring box off the wall and they said we did not have a signal from our phone so they did not know, Duuhh were they supposed to be monitoring it 24 hours and on top of that when I called to complain and cancel our service the person on the other end could barely speak english I asked to speak to a supervisor and guess what they could barely speak english either this company should be put out of business.

Robert of Salinas, CA January 19, 2010

My experience with Monitronics is much like others I have read. Our system never worked. We were robbed three times. They sent repair people foour times over a year. These are independant contractors. Each one said the last repair person did not know what they were doing and everything is ok. When I try to use the system I get false alarms and have paid 700.00 to my local police. We moved, the contract says it is terminated, but when we called Monitronics they refused to cancel. Monitronics successfully segregates each department therefore you can never have a comprhesive conversation they say," that is another dept call them".

Talking with Monitronics is like dealing with the Hydra. Their collection practices are relentless. This is the most souless company on the planet. They can't keep your alarm working, don't honor their contracts, all they can do is COLLECT!

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