Complain about a product or service

Protection One

Juan-Carlos of Silver Spring, MD November 25, 2009

This issue has dragged on for years. I purchased an alarm system from the Southern Company years ago at full price so that I would not be locked into any contract. I was on month to month. A few years later Southern Company/PowerCall Security sold its monitoring service to Protection One. After my wife passed away in May of 2001 I had to relocate to the Washington DC area and at some point while up here I decided that I did not want to continue the 16 a month service so I called to have the service discontinued.

Well years later after I got a credit report I learned that Protection One disregarded my request and decided to continuously bill me for a while until the bill reached well over 100... of course I was livid and complained, but to no avail. I made my initial complaint to the then CEO Annette B.

When I inquired later (after she had left the position) the lady I spoke to indicated that Annette B.'s notes did not indicate that I called about termination, but a problem with service. (I never had a problem with service because I was not residing in the house); This Company is nothing but a vulture and not willing to resolve issues in the interest of fairness!

This issue has scared my credit report for years. I refuse to pay them one red cent. beyond the month after I reported to their call center to discontinue service. I did not pay all that money (full price for the alarm system) to be suckered into the dilemma I fell into, had I been obligated for a certain period of time of a long term contract.

mildred of carson, califorina 90746, CA November 3, 2009

we call to council our service in april of 2009 they did not tell us they were sending a card to sign. they clain the card was return to them unsign because we did not know about it. now they want to charge us up to oct.1,2009 for not signing the card.that we did not receive

Mary of Rialto, CA October 23, 2009

On Saturday, October 3rd my home was burglarized even though all my doors and windows were locked and I had a monitored alarm system through Protection One. My daughter, who lives in a neighboring city, was called by Protection One at almost 12:30 am. The representative told her there was an “extension module failure” at my home. My daughter asked the representative what that meant to which the representative replied that she didn’t know but was required to inform her. My daughter then asked, “Is there an alarm going off?” The Protection One representative replied, “No, there’s no alarm going off.” My daughter then informed the representative that no one was at the house for the weekend.

My daughter and her husband got dressed and drove over to my home. My daughter entered the locked front door and found that the alarm key pad had been ripped off the wall. She continued on and discovered that some of the drawers of my jewelry armoire in my master bedroom had been gone through and a couple of them were lying on the floor. In addition, my dresser drawers had been rifled through and my safe which was bolted to the floor was pried up and taken. Upon further inspection she found that the thief had broken a window in my family room to gain entrance.

Protection One called my house once again, I believe because the front door had been opened and asked if everything was okay. My daughter informed them the house had been broken into. They then asked her if she wanted them to call the police to which she said yes. The safe contained all of my fine jewelry, most of which was purchased in the 1970’s and 1980’s as well as my will, the pink slips to my vehicles, some old coins left to me by my parents and some wrapped silver dollars I had been saving. My daughter also kept her jewelry in the safe and a collection of 2 bills.

A week later at about 4:30 in the afternoon, I decided to air out my room and opened the window in my master bedroom. About three minutes later my phone rang. Protection One was calling because they said there was an alarm was going off. I explained to them that I had been robbed one week prior and there wasn’t even a keypad on the wall. I hung up the phone only to hear my cell phone ring. Another representative told me that I needed to supply them with the okay code. When I gave her the code she said that it was wrong. I informed her that it was the correct code and that the original code (which was a number) had been changed a couple of years ago to a word. Apparently this monitoring station didn’t get the change and called the police. When the police arrived, I had to prove my residency. Funny how Protection One didn’t feel it necessary to call the police at 12:30 in the morning but felt it necessary at 4:30 in the afternoon. To add injury to insult, I also received a bill from Protection One that same day for 95.00. The bill was for technical services.

I feel that Protection One failed to protect me. I pay a monthly fee to this company to monitor their alarm system and for what? They didn’t call the police even though they were informed that no one was home and they couldn’t explain what an extension module failure was. I spoke to my neighbors who said they never heard an alarm siren sound. The thief crossed in front of a motion sensor on the way to the master bedroom and ripped the sensor off the back door I believed when he left my home. In addition, they put my daughter in a potentially dangerous situation. They told her there was no alarm going off that it was an extension module failure. I’m thankful that by the time she entered my home the thief was gone. My daughter and I were not only robbed of our possessions but of our sense of security too. I am now installing window guards on my home costing thousands of dollars.

Maegan of Redmond, WA May 26, 2009

Protection One installed our home security system. The entire installation was a nightmare, it took almost two months for the alarm to be in proper working order. The technicians came ill equiped, had to order parts, replace faulty sensors. You name it. That was frustrating, but in itself wouldn't have been enough for me to write a complaint. What happened today is the reason why I am taking the time to warn other consumers.

In October, our prescription medication was stolen from our home by a Protection One installer. We kept the medication in master closet where our alarm panel is located. Nobody but the installer, my husband, and myself had access to the closet.

The day after the technician was in our house I noticed the theft. The bottle of hydrocodone and bottle of oxycodone were gone. My husband contacted Protection One immediately and was told that they would look into it. We never heard back from them.

I called three times over the last six months and never got a call back. Today I spoke with the regional manager who told me that an internal investigation was performed and that he can assure me their technicians were not at fault. He would not tell me the details of their internal investigation. Lovely. So, basically what he was saying was that we stole our own medication and they are not at fault. Do not let these people in your home, and if you do, do not leave them unsupervised.

Colleen of Scottsdle, AZ March 13, 2009

I originally signed a contract for 3 years. I moved my office at 2 years. I asked them to transfer my contract without a new contract. They told me "no problem". I new that I had one year at my new office. I called to cancel service and they told me I had another 3 year contract and that I initialed it. I initialed because I thought it was my original contract which is what it was supposed to be. They want to bill me for another 2 years. This is unjust. Im very upset because I made it clear to keep my original contract.

Christine of Dobbs Ferry, NY March 8, 2009

I cancelled my service in November on my annual bill. They have refused to cancell. After harassing telephone calls I again requested cancellation. They claimed they would send an acknowledgement that I would sign and the service would be cancelled. Instead no documentation has been sent and the harrassing phonecalls continue seven days a week as late as 8 P.M. at night.

I do not understand why I cannot cancell this service but it is obvious that they wish to harrass and clearly are violating the law. I have not used this service for six months and cannot understand why the harrassment continues.

It is upsetting to receive these constant phonecalls which I refuse to answer. I was promised documentation. It is obvious that they are attempting to threaten me and have no intention of closing the account. It was to be closed effective November, 2008.

Linda of Memphis, TN August 15, 2008

Someone opened an alarm account in my name 12/1998. I didn't discover this until I got financial counseling on my credit. I was sent the original copy of the contract. I've lived at 3763 whitebirch drive from 1993-2000. I called the county accessors ofc in memphis and they didn't show a physical address for 1482 baggett where the alarm was suppossedly installed. I did a zaba people search for Nattie Ford the other person listed along with myself on the contract,no hit. I contacted the economic crime investigation bureau and they told me to file a fraud report,contact you all and lastly put a 90 day flag on my report. I have yet to file the report. It will cost me 15.oo to get a copy but when I can I will get the copy for my record. I've never needed an alarm for any reason and therefore want to protest my innocense in this matter.

Craig of Long Beach, CA April 22, 2008

Alarm system was cancelled when I received a notice that the analog system would not operate after Feb 2008. I switched to ADT who offered a digital cell back up to their system. I notified Protection One immediately and switched the system to ADT.

Protection one has sent me bills through out the whole time. I started out with a credit on my account of two months. I've talked to dozens of people who all assured me it was taken care of. Now I get a bill for almost 250.00 stating I owe them for their basic alarm system. On the billing for the equipment I paid for; 1164.00 plus another 150.00 for the cell feature. They state the basic system is exclusively theirs. The itemized statement I have clearly includes their basic system. I feel Protection one is clearly out to rob me.

Loss of credit of payments, these people are driving me crazy!

Yun of Los Angeles, CA November 18, 2007

I had filed a complaint about Integrrated Alarm Services, and in the end I settled with them. Through the settlement I have terminated my contract with them. Even after the settlement they continue to send me bills, this time through a sister company (Protection One), a company that I had not even known about or had any previous services with. They even have an account number(006837243-01-5059) with me that I didn't even know I had.

This has caused me severe mental trauma and physical anguish. Also I had to pay 318.00 in the settlement as well.

Carol of Valencia, CA September 30, 2007

The salesman told me the contract was for 1 year. I paid over 800.00 for installation of sensors and 1 box, most of the sensors were from an old unused system already in the house. I paid 34.95 for 1 year and had to move out of the house, moving 140 miles away, house is up for sale now. They won't stop the bills even tho' the system is off, and recently billed me for a total of 2 more years. And screamed at me on the phone "you signed for 3 years and you owe for 2 more years" and now billed me for 2 more years in one billing. I'm a senior citizen, in bad health and yet the intimidation and cruelty was there on the phone trying to get them to stop the service since I'm not longer at that house and have it up for sale (at a huge loss), I might have to file for bankruptcy.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Follow us on Twitter.

Terms of Use Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use

Advertisements on this site are placed and controlled by outside advertising networks. ConsumerAffairs.com does not evaluate or endorse the products and services advertised. See the FAQ for more information.

Company Response Welcome If complaints about your company appear on our site, we welcome your response. Please see the Response Form for more information.

For more information, see the FAQ and privacy policy. The information on this Web site is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice.  ConsumerAffairs.com Inc. makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information herein provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from the use thereof. 

Copyright © 2010 ConsumerAffairs.com Inc.  All Rights Reserved.    The contents of this site may not be republished, reprinted, rewritten or recirculated without written permission.