Installed ADT Custom Home Services in my house. System was a Custom ADT system, that cost $2,600.00 althought I got it installed for $1,800.00 since I have been a member of ADT for over 4 years in my other house, and through USAA Federal Savings Bank.
First the system was installed 2 weeks late, when I was unable to be at home. First they installed the second key pad inside the master bedroom closet, out of reach and not a suitable location, when the salesman told me that he would have the technition install it on the wall next to the bed. Let me remind you that this extra key pad cost an additional $200.00.
Then the billing department billed me for 2 months before the system was installed $65.00. That was just the begaining. Then the billed me to relocate the secondary key pad $125.00. The salesperson promised my a couple of months free monitoring due to there fault in the billing and installation. That did not effect for approximately 4 months, and after twenty two (22) phone calls to the ADT billing department. Did I remind you that we are on the ADT Custom Home Services that is promised to be for the best customers and higher end homes.
It just goes on and on. Billing department is almost as bad as the contract technitions they send out to your house. I had installed as a primary telephone cantact system ADT wireless GSM network $280.00, plus additional monthly fees.
Approx 3 - 4 months after it was installed, ADT informed me of the need to test the system. I intiated a immediate test, and it failed to dial out and reach the ADT monitoring station for over ten (10) minutes. ADT informed me that they would send someone out to fix the problem. A few days later, a questionable ADT contract technition arrived at my house and informed me that this was the norm for the system to take 5 minutes or more to contact he ADT monitoring center. I told him that the salesman told me that it should happen within the first 30 seconds or so, and he told me that the salesman must have lied to me. Then he told me that he would have to charge me $125.00 to enter my house. I refused. He left.
My contract with ADT stated since I was a USAA member, and installed it throught the USAA program, that I had 1 year of free service/warrantee. Even the salesman confirmed this after this last incident.
I also received a 6 month money back garantee if I was unsatified with the system. Basically I had a $2,600 annoying alarm, with monthly monitoring fees.
Montoring fees were very reasonable, $31.95 a month for fire, burglary, and carbon monoxide montoring.
Eventually Bay Area Alarm stopped by the house as requested for an assessment. Imagine my horror as they told me that we were not being monitored for fire/smoke alarm. ADT completely forgot to install the wired smoke detector that they promised during the salesman visit, I paid for, and paid the montly fees.
I informed the salesman, ADT, and USAA that I wanted my money back and they could take out the equipment. This process took an addition thirty (30) to forty-five (45) days to get them to agree, and only after I threated legal actions against them, and that I would take out a add in the paper with this story. The local ADT manager assured me that he would send someone over to take our the system, and patch up any and all holes.
Well guess what. They ADT technition, this time a actual employee and not contract technition showed up and took at the system. He informed me right from the start that he would not be patching up holes when I asked. So I informed him to just leave the wiring in then, since I would probably have Bay Area Alarms install a different sytem. Imagine all of the holes, some were punched out by what appeared to be a hammer for the key pads, because someone was to lazy to do it the right way with a drill. This is in a jhouse values at over one million dollar house.
I decided to just get someone else to patch up the work. I should have sent ADT the bill since they said the would do it, but I did not feel like placing another fifteen (15) phone calls.
Last, it took an additional seventy two (72) days for ADT to refund my installation charges and all monitoring fees.
I spent atleast 15 hours of my time dealing with all of this. Placed somewhere around fourty five (45) to fifty (50) phone calls.
I would highly recommend not wasting your time with ADT if you live in the Bay Area.
Ripped Off By ADT
Orinda, California
U.S.A.
0 comments