I had a recent episode with a company called Protect America, an alarm monitoring service with whom I have been a loyal customer for over 4 years. I purchased the service in after my home was burglarized.
Unfortunately, the industry in which I am employed has been slow for the past few months. I decided it was time to start cutting back on my monthly bills to help support my family. I cancelled my home phone, cut back my internet service to basic service, cancelled my satellite TV, and cancelled my alarm monitoring service.
All the companies I contacted were fairly easy to deal with except one: Protect America. These corporate criminals use legal binding contracts to trap customers into keeping their service. After using their service for over 4 years, I had a legitimate reason for cancelling. I simply cant afford it.
The customer service representative offered to give me a lower rate of $29.95 a month. Well, this was still significantly higher than the $17.95 a month offered by The Alarm Store, so I kindly declined the offer, and asked that she simply cancel the service. She then referred me to section 2 of the agreement, which I signed over 4 years ago. The agreement clearly states:
The initial terms of this Agreement shall be 2 years, starting on the first day of the month that Company or its Authorized Dealer installs and connects the Equipment. This Agreement will automatically continue for successive two-year renewal terms unless the Customer or Company gives written notice of cancellation to the other at least 60 days prior to the end of any initial or renewal term hereof.
There it is in black and white. Im stuck paying $45.00 a month for service I dont even want for the next 18 months. Thats $810 I could be using to buy groceries for my family. Well, being the kind-hearted people they are, they offered to cancel the account after I pay a fee of $253. Thats $253 I could be using to buy groceries for my family.
Sadly, I signed the stupid agreement without knowing that 4 years down the line I would need that extra money to feed my family. So, I agreed to pay the $253 and walk away from the contract. Let this be a lesson to all the other consumers in the world looking to secure their homes. Signing a contract with Protect America is no different from allowing a criminal to walk into your house and steal cash from your home. Save yourself some money and headaches by signing up with a reputable monitoring service.
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