SAFE Security Systems

I called Safe Security a week before my service contract was to end and stated they needed a letter. I faxed the cancellation letter over to them but never heard anything back. When I called, I spoke with Josh and Jessica stating that since it was not 30 days, they would automatically renew my contract for a year. I did not receive anything stated that they would automatically renew my contract for an entire year. This is unacceptable behavior and these types of business practices are criminal.

Contract term end date: February 4, 2012

The company automatically renews contracts annually without notification and does not even provide a termination clause. I understand the first year or two being locked in but how they have gotten away with automatic renewal is baffling. The only time that people find out their shifty practice is when it is too late and we are already stuck with a contract that the company is only benefiting from. These alarm company employees' attitudes towards customers are condescending because they are protected by an unethical profession.

When I tried cancelling, the guy named Josh, who is in charge of cancelling, took his time calling me back and then never called back to let me know what the status of my cancellation was. When I called Josh again because I got a bill, of course, he never returned my call. I had to call the general line and the representative on the phone said that it is standard practices to run the contract out to end date.

When I told her that every other company has a termination contract (even DirecTV!), she said that the two-month notification to cancel before the contract end date is the termination clause. I asked her if it was ethical for them to accept payments for a service that they are not providing. She replied that it was my choice to turn on or off the alarm and they are always "monitoring" even though I have told them that I am am no longer in the house. I don't know if this girl was really this ignorant or was thoroughly trained to give sarcastic and irrational responses.

Especially in these hard economic times, it's incomprehensible that their expectation is for people to know exactly how long they are going to be at a residence, and upon moving, their contracts will be transferable to another residence. All other industries have reasonable termination contracts with services that are more flexible and transferable than a physical residence. My contract was sold to them from the alarm company that I was initially signed up with. I paid my bills timely since the beginning of service and for them to treat a customer this way and taking payment for doing nothing is really despicable.

I called SAFE Security in San Ramon yesterday to cancel my contract and was told that I couldn't cancel it until 2010 because I have to call at least one month ahead of the termination of the previous. They automatically renewed my contract for one more year since I didn't call to cancel in July. I never got any notification that that my contracts were about to be renewed. I totally agree with Crystal of Reseda, CA that SAFE Security is unethical and conducts business like corporate terrorists. I've been wondering how this kind of junks could even survive for so long in the first place?

I was contacted 7/21/2005 by 2 door-to-door salesmen who used high pressure tactics at my home and continued to urge me to sign the documents right away. I have tried to cancel the contract with Safe Home several times. I was bullied and threatened that if I cancel the contract before the 5-year contract was up, they would make me pay over $2000 in equipment fees. My equipment broke and does not work.

Although I have a warranty, each time I call they make an excuse and try to make me pay for more equipment or even better they have no record of the call. I have not had working service for approx 1 year but I continued to pay in fear of the threat of breaking the 5 year contract. Today 7/12/10, I sent a cancellation notice as my contract is up on 7/22/10. I was never advised my contract would be renewed. I was not given any notification under the Evergreen Law (that they have to advise me approx 15 to 60 days prior to them doing this to give me ample time to cancel). The Evergreen law, passed in October 2004, says customers must be given ample notification (15-60 days) that their contracts are about to be renewed and that customers have the right to cancel contracts within that time frame, according the Attorney General's statement. Once again they never notified me.

I faxed them 4 cancel notices which they claim they are not honoring. They refuse to allow me to cancel. They claim they notified me 5 years ago when I signed the contract that they could automatically renew it if I didn't cancel 60 days prior to my contract end date and then once again threaten me with a "buy out". When I mention the Evergreen law 3 times by 3 different reps I was hung up on.

Please help me. I paid them for 5 years which I have not had any working service for the last 12 months and now they are trying to rope me and bully me into another 12 months. They claim they are not breaking the law by no 15 to 60 day notification and that I will continue to pay or they will report me to the credit bureau! They are breaking the law and getting away with it and ripping off a lot of people like me who don't even have a working security system! To date, I have paid approx $2570 total.

My problem has been going on for over 1 year when through a routine service call (preventive maintaince, system check, etc) I discovered that SAFE Security's monitoring stations were no longer able to monitor my Sprint Fone Safe equipment.

I refused to be forced into an equipment purchase that I was not obligated to contractually, and told them as much. They pointed out that I had signed an agreement with them. I pointed out that there was two sides to this agreement, and they too had failed to live up to their end. (by upgrading their systems so that they could no longer monitor my equipment)

I had many phone conversations over the next 11 months with various SAFE Security representatives where I repeated this same story. The end result was always the same, they wanted to talk me into buying new equipment. When I would not budge, they would point out my alleged "breach of contract" yet take no responsibility for their own breach of the agreement.

The last phone call I had with a SAFE Security representative, she told me they would sell me the new equipment at a discounted rate and write off the alleged balance due only if I agreed to purchase the new equipment. I told her that regardless of whether or not I agreed to purchase new equipment, that the balance should be written off because they cannot bill me for and expect me to pay for services they DID NOT provide. (and SAFE Security is KEENLY aware that they cannot provide me with services.. hence this is why they keep trying to sell me new equipment)

Finally last month I get a "Final Notice" statement threatening to discontinue my monitoring services if I do not pay the past due monitoring fees. The most laughable part was that the "Final Notice" includes a very ominous message about how I could end up with NO PROTECTION if they discontinue my services.. I had to laugh.. I had already had a year (probably more) of no protection from these clowns.. What was actually going to be DIFFERENT if they followed through on their threat.. I sent a written response recapping the entire fiasco, and how the only remedy I would find satisfactory at this point was for them to credit this balance, and leave me alone.

SAFE Security's response to my letter was to send my account to the firm of Rosenthal, Morgan, & Thomas, Inc. I sent them the same letter letting them know where I stood on this matter, and that I firmly disputed this balance. In response they sent me a copy of my contract and continued to stand on my alleged breach of the contract.

We received THREE calls in one day from this firm. (home phone, my cell phone, my husband's cell phone) Their representative Luther Elliot (probably NOT his real name) only left a message on my husband's cell phone (he left NO message on the other two numbers). I spoke with this Luther Elliot this morning (June 9, 2009). He informed me that he had contacted me because his recommendation to his client was that they should seek civil litigation against me. However, he wanted to give me an opportunity to settle this matter outside of court. I informed him that the BEST thing he could do was to advise his clients to seek civil litigation against me in this matter. I told him that at this point since both sides are clearly at an impasse that perhaps the ONLY way to settle this matter was to go before a judge. While SAFE Security seems to want to stand on "breach of contract", my position is that the minute they no longer were able to provide services that they effectively terminated the contract. Funny how they do not see their actions in this way.

I plan to continue to dispute the charges. In my opinion, SAFE Security is unethical, and conducts business like corporate terrorists. I would NEVER recommend this company to ANYONE. This story was the last straw for me with these clowns.. If I told you of my entire history with this company going all the way back to my early days with them including their relationship with SESSCO and the story of how I ended up with the Sprint Fone Safe equipment in the 1st place......

Well I just won't go there..

I called GE Safe Security in Sept. 2006 to cancel my contract. I was told that I had to call back in Sept. 2007. I asked for a copy of my contract. I never got it. So I called back in 2007 and was told that I couldn't cancel it until 2008. They automatically renewed my contract. I never got a copy so I didn't know the terms.

I will never purchase a GE appliance again. GE will be out more that the cost of the extra year's alarm charges. This costs me about $500.