Alarm Relay Inc

The Watchlight Corporation received a signed contract by *** *** pursuant to the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act and the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act. There was no malfeasance on the part of our company regarding his signed terms of service.
Mr***’s account renewed in May 2015. We attempted to collect payment several times by phone, mail and email. The dates we attempted to contact him were 5/19/2015; 6/26/2015; 8/18/2015; 10/6/and 10/7/We also sent out weekly email alerts about account status to the email address on file.Mr***’s panel is still reporting test signals on a bi-monthly basis to our Central Station. We are willing to credit the invoice if Mr*** will call our service department and deprogram his system. The day cancellation notice is required for this reason. Once a customer indicates he/she will be cancelling service thru the proper procedure, he/she is scheduled for deprogramming the panel.Upon completion of the above request, we will credit the invoice and contact the collections company to let them know the matter is resolved

","sans-serif"Times New Roman">On Friday, January 30th, 2015, we resolved
the issue with *** ***. We sent a refund check for the full amount of
his purchase. We also emailed Mr*** a shipping label to return the
equipment sent to him at no costTo our knowledge, Mr*** is satisfied.Watchlight Management

I signed up for service from Alarm Relay at the recommendation of a friend My experience has been nothing but outstanding From my initial signup and scheduling, to the remote programming, the staff is extremely knowledgeable, pleasant, responsive, and professional I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone

Revdex.com:
I have since been in contact wit the company and they have resolved the issue You may close this complaint
Thank you for your assistance in this matter
*** ***

In response to the complaint, please see our response below:We notify subscribers about their renewal rate prior to their renewal date.  If there is a price increase, it is clearly stated in the renewal notice.  When Ms. [redacted] called to discuss her invoice on 9/7/2017, we gave her...

a credit for her annual renewal.  She was charged $8.95/month for the service that renewed on 9/1/2017.  In addition, our website explains our pricing policy (https://www.alarmrelay.com/support/pricing-policy/) as well as our Terms of Service (https://www.alarmrelay.com/support/terms-conditions/).  Per Section 20 of the Terms of Service, it explains that we reserve the right to increase our prices.Sincerely,Watchlight Management

NOTE TO Revdex.com: ** There are two separate entries in the Revdex.com for the same complaint.  One was submitted on 3/14/18 and one was submitted on 3/15/18.  We already provided a response to the complaint submitted on 3/14/18**Customer had service disconnected for non-payment, as stated in the...

previous complaint response.The account was submitted to collections for non payment. Our policy is that we do not reinstate service until after the customer has paid the reactivation fee and the 35% collection fee.  Please see attached TOS. (See Section 4, 5, 14, and 21) and 10 Day Letter.  The contract that was signed is an annually renewing contract.  Customer was provided service from 6/1/17 thru 8/23/17 when he was disconnected for non-payment.The Alarm Relay Accounting Department called for payment on multiple occasions.  We mailed a 10 day letter for disconnection on 8/8/17.  We sent out automated weekly emails to the email on file every Thursday reminding customer about past due balance.  The last attempt made by Alarm Relay to collect on the past due amount from customer was on 8/23/17.  The alarm account was deactivated and submitted to the collection company.  We do not make outbound collection calls to accounts that have been submitted to collections.  The next time that we had any communication with customer directly was on 3/14/18. Our collection company states that customer attempted to pay the collections company in January 2018. The payment method provided declined.  Successful payment was not made until February 2018 for $215.40.  The 35% collection fee is $75.39.We will re-activate the customer’s account and waive the 35% collection fee of $75.39 as a one-time courtesy.  We will provide 9 months of service.  Customer will be responsible for the $60.00 reactivation fee.Please contact the accounting manager to accept these terms and move forward.

We take customer complaints very seriously and strive to
provide timely and accurate information.  On 4/18/2015, Mr. [redacted] called
our sales department because he needed assistance wiring his device. Our
technician schedule was booked for Saturday, April 18th, 2015. 
Mr. [redacted] did not want to schedule an appointment with a technician the
following week.  He asked for a refund.  Unfortunately, the
accounting department is open Monday thru Friday and could not accommodate an
immediate refund.
On 4/18/2015, Mr. [redacted] informed our company by email that he had already
disputed the charge with his credit card company and instructed them to not
accept any additional charges from our company.
On 4/19/2015, a supervisor reached out to Mr. [redacted] by email and let him know
we would issue a refund and alleviate his situation. Mr. [redacted] has been informed of the following:
We have sent Mr. [redacted] a return label at no cost for the equipment.  He may use any available box to send the equipment
back.
The chargeback request that Mr.
[redacted] initiated will not be disputed.  Once a chargeback has been initiated by
a customer, the refund goes through the customer’s issuing bank.
Monitoring services have not been
charged to Mr. [redacted]’s card.  His credit card has been removed from our
accounting software.  Our policy is that we do not charge for monitoring
until a successful programming appointment.  In Mr. [redacted]’s case, this has
not occurred; therefore there is no monitoring fee.  We can assure Mr.
[redacted] that this will not occur.
We have been in contact with Mr.
[redacted] by email, since 4/19/2015, and assured him that we will accept the
returned device and will honor the credit card chargeback initiated by
him.  Emailed correspondence will continue with Mr. [redacted] throughout the
return process.
Sincerely,
Watchlight Management

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution would be satisfactory to me.  I will wait for the business to perform this action and, if it does, will consider this complaint resolved.
Regards,
[redacted]

We take customer complaints very seriously
and strive to
provide timely and accurate information. On 4/18/2015, Mr[redacted] called
our sales department because he needed assistance wiring his deviceOur
technician schedule was booked for Saturday, April 18th, 2015.
Mr[redacted] did not want to schedule an appointment with a technician the
following week. He asked for a refund. Unfortunately, the
accounting department is open Monday thru Friday and could not accommodate an
immediate refund
On 4/18/2015, Mr[redacted] informed our company by email that he had already
disputed the charge with his credit card company and instructed them to not
accept any additional charges from our company
On 4/19/2015, a supervisor reached out to Mr[redacted] by email and let him know
we would issue a refund and alleviate his situation
Mr[redacted] has been informed of the following:
We have sent Mr[redacted] a return label at no cost for the equipment. He may use any available box to send the equipment
back.The chargeback request that Mr
[redacted] initiated will not be disputed. Once a chargeback has been initiated by
a customer, the refund goes through the customer's issuing bank.Monitoring services have not been
charged to Mr[redacted]'s card. His credit card has been removed from our
accounting software. Our policy is that we do not charge for monitoring
until a successful programming appointment. In Mr[redacted]'s case, this has
not occurred; therefore there is no monitoring fee. We can assure Mr
[redacted] that this will not occur.We have been in contact with Mr
[redacted] by email, since 4/19/2015, and assured him that we will accept the
returned device and will honor the credit card chargeback initiated by
him. Emailed correspondence will continue with Mr[redacted] throughout the
return process
Sincerely,
Watchlight Management

I became aware thru the Revdex.com of this company's introductory pricing scheme. It starts out at $9 per month for the first year, then increases on subsequent years to $10.50. That seems very reasonable to me. However, what I experienced when I tried to get service for my organization was not reasonable. During my communications with this company, the price offered kept increasing - first to $15, then to $30, but ending up at $70 per month.
I contacted this company to make sure they could support my organization's equipment. So, my initial contact included the model number and the fact that it was for a commercial building and not a home. After my initial contact, I was asked again about the model and use, which I provided again along with for-dummy questions about how their service worked. I was given excuses about this or that as to why I needed to pay $15 per month - which was still okay. But, I wanted to be sure I would be getting everything as expected. So, after trying short questions and going back and forth by e-mail a lot, I finally asked a long list of very specific questions. To my surprise, I was given complete and specific responses to every question along with a price quote for startup fees and some special cellular module they said I needed. This satisfied me. So, I asked what I should do to get started. They had me send in two forms and a check for the upfront fees and first year's service. I did that. Then, things went bad.
Alarm Relay called and asked very specific questions about how the control panels on the security system were configured. I could not give answers with any kind of certainty (and I'm a computer technician). So, they had me send photos of the control panels. A week later, they tell me that the cellular module they initially told me I needed was not rated for fire monitoring and couldn't be used after all. But, they offered their service using local telephone service (at my expense) for twice the price, $30 per month.
Instead of going back to $9 per month, for some reason, not being able to use the cellular module now costs $30. Plus, I'll have to pay an extra bill for the phone line. It get's even better. In the same e-mail which reported the cellular module would not work, they made another offer for cellular monitoring for a mere $70 per month. Even though never specified, this perhaps alludes to maybe a different cellular module I would need to get. And, somehow it is seven-times more expensive to monitor.
I'm no economics expert. But, this seems a lot like a bait-and-switch marketing scheme. And, the last time I checked, that is illegal. Oh yeah, here's a Revdex.com article written about it: http://www.Revdex.com.org/snakeriver/industry-tips/read/tip/bait-switch-7/.
I cannot see trusting the security of my organization to another that contributes to illegal and unethical practices such as this. $15 or not, I'm moving on. But, I thought everyone should have access to my experience.

On Friday, January 30th, 2015, we resolved
the issue with [redacted].  We sent a refund check for the full amount of
his purchase.  We also emailed Mr. [redacted] a shipping label to return the
equipment sent to him at no cost. To our knowledge, Mr. [redacted] is satisfied.Watchlight Management

The Watchlight Corporation received a signed contract by [redacted] pursuant to the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act and the Uniform Electronic...

Transactions Act.  There was no malfeasance on the part of our company regarding his signed terms of service.  Mr. [redacted]’s account renewed in May 2015.  We attempted to collect payment several times by phone, mail and email.  The dates we attempted to contact him were 5/19/2015; 6/26/2015; 8/18/2015; 10/6/2015 and 10/7/2015. We also sent out weekly email alerts about account status to the email address on file.
Mr. [redacted]’s panel is still reporting test signals on a bi-monthly basis to our Central Station.  We are willing to credit the invoice if Mr. [redacted] will call our service department and deprogram his system.  The 30 day cancellation notice is required for this reason.  Once a customer indicates he/she will be cancelling service thru the proper procedure, he/she is scheduled for deprogramming the panel.
Upon completion of the above request, we will credit the invoice and contact the collections company to let them know the matter is resolved.

Review: I'm moving to a new home and canceling my home security monitoring service with Alarm Relay. They are refusing to refund me for the remaining months on my pre-paid 12-month payment. The agreement on service initiation was that any remaining funds would be returned to me. They are claiming that a contract was signed stating that refunds would not be granted before renewal periods expired. However, I absolutely did not sign a contract and they cannot produce a signed copy of said contract.Desired Settlement: $40 fees for services not rendered.

Business

Response:

RE: Response to Mr. [redacted] Revdex.com Complaint

Mr. [redacted] agreed to our Terms of Service Agreement on July 22nd, 2011. He used our online sign up method and checked the box which states “I agree to the terms stated above.” The Terms of Service state, “By checking, “I have read and agree to the service agreement”, you will be bound to the following for a one-year term (renewable in accordance with the Terms of Service).

Attached you will find [redacted]'s Cancellation Request and Terms of Service that Mr. [redacted] acknowledged and agreed to.

Please note the following items:

Item #4: Commencement, Renewal, Terms:

"This agreement shall automatically renew each year until Alarm Relay, Inc. or Subscriber indicates termination via Email or in writing. Subscriber may terminate this agreement at the end of one year by notifying Alarm Relay, Inc., 30 days in advance of cancellation, via Email, Fax, or US Mail."

I have had Alarm Relay monitoring my home alarm for more than 7 years and I have saved more than 60% from when I had ADT. They are very reliable and responsive to the alarms and very helpful when I call them. I recommend Alarm Relay to everybody.

Review: I cancelled my alarm contract with them, they told me all was fine and I'm cancelled. Then out of the blue I get a notice from them that the alarm is not giving signal to them. I had switched to another alarm company and told them I no longer need their services. However, they continued to bill me for another year of service which I did not ask for and do not need. Now they are sending me harassing letters saying I am past due and they are sending me to collections and I have a bad check nsf (non-sufficient funds) of $30 on top of their yearly alarm monitoring. I never wrote them a check and do not know what this is all about. I only used them for one year and I guess they had my credit card on file or something because they tried to bill me for a second year even though I had already cancelled with them. I spoke to customer service on several occasions to try to work something out but they refused. Please help.Desired Settlement: Please stop contacting me and do not try to collect for a service that I no longer need or want.

Business

Response:

Review: I purchased a device from Alarm Relay to allow them to start monitoring my alarm. The instructions on how to connect it doesnt match my alarm system. After multiple calls for connection instructions they have been unable to get the device working. When I asked for a refund they said they weren't authorized to issue a refund.Desired Settlement: {1} Send a prepaid return box and label

(2) Refund my money including any shipping charges

(3) Do not charge me for monitoring services

(4) Contact me via email with process.

Business

Response:

Review: I have been trying to get set up with Alarm Relay for months. I've probably had 10 appointments with someone (usually [redacted]) trying to set up my system, setting my alarm off over and over again with very few positive results. In November, the transmitting device, which is set up cellular only (not wifi) relayed a few alarm signals. At that time my account was charged and later that evening the equipment quit transmitting (I could tell because the LEDs went out). I spoke with Alarm Relay again to set up another appointment, this is when I found out I had already been charged, and we set up an appointment to try to figure out the issue. The next weekend I received a call in the middle of the night from Alarm Relay stating that my internet had lost signal and they weren't able to monitor. My system has never been hooked up through my internet and it was working fine at that time anyway. Over the next few weeks I worked with [redacted] again and we were still unable to get the system working. I was even sent a backup device, another back up device and another model, just to see what the issue could be. We could never figure it out so I set up one more appointment with whom I was told was the best tech they had. Unfortunately the person called in sick and I decided that I had spent too much time (maybe 20 hours or so) trying to set this system myself and simply wanted a refund. When I spoke to Alarm Relay today they told me they would give me a partial refund due to having to speak with the technician. I didn't agree and tried to explain the situation and the women on the other line simply stated that's what her manager approved and that's all she could refund. Bottom line: I've been charged for a service that I've never received, minus a few hours in November and would like a full refund.Desired Settlement: Simply refund my credit card that you originally charge. I will be happy to send your equipment back to you with you paying the shipping costs.

Business

Response:

I became aware thru the Revdex.com of this company's introductory pricing scheme. It starts out at $9 per month for the first year, then increases on subsequent years to $10.50. That seems very reasonable to me. However, what I experienced when I tried to get service for my organization was not reasonable. During my communications with this company, the price offered kept increasing - first to $15, then to $30, but ending up at $70 per month.

I contacted this company to make sure they could support my organization's equipment. So, my initial contact included the model number and the fact that it was for a commercial building and not a home. After my initial contact, I was asked again about the model and use, which I provided again along with for-dummy questions about how their service worked. I was given excuses about this or that as to why I needed to pay $15 per month - which was still okay. But, I wanted to be sure I would be getting everything as expected. So, after trying short questions and going back and forth by e-mail a lot, I finally asked a long list of very specific questions. To my surprise, I was given complete and specific responses to every question along with a price quote for startup fees and some special cellular module they said I needed. This satisfied me. So, I asked what I should do to get started. They had me send in two forms and a check for the upfront fees and first year's service. I did that. Then, things went bad.

Alarm Relay called and asked very specific questions about how the control panels on the security system were configured. I could not give answers with any kind of certainty (and I'm a computer technician). So, they had me send photos of the control panels. A week later, they tell me that the cellular module they initially told me I needed was not rated for fire monitoring and couldn't be used after all. But, they offered their service using local telephone service (at my expense) for twice the price, $30 per month.

Instead of going back to $9 per month, for some reason, not being able to use the cellular module now costs $30. Plus, I'll have to pay an extra bill for the phone line. It get's even better. In the same e-mail which reported the cellular module would not work, they made another offer for cellular monitoring for a mere $70 per month. Even though never specified, this perhaps alludes to maybe a different cellular module I would need to get. And, somehow it is seven-times more expensive to monitor.

I'm no economics expert. But, this seems a lot like a bait-and-switch marketing scheme. And, the last time I checked, that is illegal. Oh yeah, here's a Revdex.com article written about it: http://www.Revdex.com.org/snakeriver/industry-tips/read/tip/bait-switch-7/.

I cannot see trusting the security of my organization to another that contributes to illegal and unethical practices such as this. $15 or not, I'm moving on. But, I thought everyone should have access to my experience.

Review: I was a former customer of Watchlight Alarm Relay who decided to discontinue service over 1 year ago. Since that time, I have received automated phone calls to my cell phone requesting me to renew my subscription at least once every two weeks and sometimes 3 to 4 times in the same day. I have called and spoke to customer service 6 times requesting to be removed from their call list. Yet still I receive the marketing calls. The most recent call was received this morning (June 25th) at 10 am.Desired Settlement: I would like to be removed from all marketing calls -- both automated and human voice. If the calls continue after this formal complaint with Revdex.com I intend to seek compensation for the wasted cell phone minutes.

Business

Response:

This is in response to Complaint ID [redacted] submitted on 6/25/2013 at 12:27 P.M.:

Mr. [redacted] did not receive a marketing call. We sent out an automated call on all past due accounts. Per the contract terms (attached) all cancellations must be done in writing or the account automatically renews. To protect businesses and homes, we strictly adhere to our cancellation policy. Mr. [redacted] was emailed a cancellation form so that his account could be properly cancelled. To date, Mr. [redacted] has not cancelled in writing.