I've really gotten involved with a sleazy bunch of crooks, doing business as ADT Protect Your Home [or Defender Security]. I responded to an ad in the local paper, thinking I was dealing with the local office of ADT. On June 26, a representative came to my house and installed the system. Because I thought I was dealing with local office of ADT, I contacted them the next day to ask several questions, but the local office of ADT informed me that they knew nothing about my contract, and that ADT Protect Your Home was not based locally.
Since I felt ADT Protect Your Home had been dishonest in not informing me that they were based in Indiana, I decided to cancel my contract with them. The ALARM SERVICES CONTRACT with ADT Protect Your Home stated I had three business days to cancel. I tried to cancel, but it was impossible for me to contact the company: I was not furnished with a mailing address; neither was there a functioning telephone system. [The first time I was able to obtain a mailing address for Protect Your Home was in January, when I received a letter from them postmarked 1/5/09.]
Regarding the lack of a valid mailing address, on the ALARM SERVICES CONTRACT from ADT Protect Your Home appears both of the following, Place Dealer Label Here and ADT Authorized Dealer Name and Address. However, on my contract, both were left blank.
Also, it was impossible to contact the company by telephone: every time I tried to call, I would be put on hold, and then after eight minutes, the line would go dead. This happened every time I tried to contact them. I was never able to talk to a live person, no matter how many times I dialed the company's telephone number.
As a result, I was not able to contact ADT within the 3 day period in order to cancel my contract.
I would have tolerated the situation, but on my next credit card statement, there were two unauthorized charges from Defender Security C, one for $618.03 and another for $161.32. I have no idea what these charges were for. The ALARM SERVICES CONTRACT from ADT Protect Your Home only mentions a total monthly service charge of $40.99.in addition, the original advertisement in the local paper has the following language: Free Home Security System! At NO COST to you for parts and activation with only a $99 installation fee and the purchase of alarm monitoring services. I was expecting to be charged only a one-time fee of $99 plus monthly fees of $40.99. The contract does not mention these extra charges of almost $800.
I wanted to discuss these charges with ADT Protect Your home. Again, I tried to contact ADT Protect Your Home by telephone, since this was the only means I had of contacting them. Again, it was impossible to reach them by telephone: after holding for 8 minutes, the phone would go dead. I wanted to discuss the matter with them in a reasonable manner, hoping to clear up what I thought was a misunderstanding. I realize now they are just a bunch of sleazy crooks.
Shortly thereafter, I had left the motion sensor on by mistake. I remained in the house for 5 hours. My son came home and found the sensor activated; however, there had been no police response or any response from ADT during this time. As a result, I assumed my entire security system with ADT Protect Your Home was bogus and non-functional. Again, I tried to contact the company, but just like every time I had tried to contact ADT Protect Your Home, I was not able to make contact via telephone: after eight minutes, the phone would always go dead. I made repeated attempts to contact company by telephone on several days and after different times of the day, but I always received the same response. [And remember, I had no valid mailing address until several months later.]
After the ADT's initial misrepresentation, the unauthorized charges to my credit card company card of almost $800, the failure of services provided, and the impossibility of contacting the company, I decided I no longer wanted to have any sort of business connection with ADT Protect Your Home or Defender Security. Therefore, I instructed my credit card company to stop making any additional payments to ADT Protect Your Home. I also contacted the Better Business Bureau of Central Indiana in Indianapolis to file a complaint. I received the following information from the BBB of Indianapolis:
Based on BBB files, this business has an unsatisfactory record with BBB due to 35 unanswered complaints, 3 unresolved complaints and its failure to substantiate or modify advertising claims.in addition, the BBB had processed a total of 234 complaints about this business in the last 36 months.
Later, I contacted ADT national headquarters in Jacksonville, who told me orally that the contract was cancelled. [I did not receive anything in writing, however.]
Since I stopped making payments to this dishonest bunch of crooks, I have been harassed constantly by them, almost on a daily business. Recently, they turned my case over to a collection agency, Rosenthal, Morgan and Thomas, A Professional Recovery Corporation, 12747 Olive Blvd, Suite 375, Saint Louis, Missouri 63141 (800) 361-0363, demanding payment of $2,382.47.
I filed a complaint with the FTC, and I'm going to file a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General of Alabama.
Gwen
Mobile, Alabama
U.S.A.
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