In 1998, I signed a three-year security monitoring contract with a local company in Virginia. Now, in preparation for moving out of state, I attempted to cancel monitoring services that Alarm Center was now providing. It turns out the auto-renewing contract was for 3 years at time and I was 18 months shy of termination date of the current one. Keep in mind I'd been paying monthly fees for 10 years at this point.
Roz Gosselin, "Customer Care Specialist" for Alarm Center was not sympathetic. She told me that my choices were:
"1. Continue your service at your current location
2. Continue your service at your new location if you are moving
3. Make arrangements for another party (family or friend) to take over the alarm system and service. Upon receipt of a signed 36 month contract from the new party, The Alarm Center will release you of legal liability."
Roz was really pressuring me to do one of the three. However:
1. I don't know who will end up buying my house
2. I don't know if I'll have a security system in my new place (I highly doubt it!)
3. I sure as heck was NOT going to get some 'family or friend' stuck in the same scam I found myself!
I told Roz that I needed to know exactly what it would cost me to cancel the contract immediately. Her answer, after some calculations for the remaining months, was $360.
I told her to document that in a letter to me along with the statement that the contract is null and void upon receipt of my payment.
I informed her I would advertise the situation to as many other consumers as I possibly could. Alarm Center and other monitoring companies that are using long-term, auto-renewing contracts to lock people into paying for their "services" are using unfair business practices to milk payments from consumers.
Howard
Chesapeake, Virginia
U.S.A.
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