H H C C - Crestview

Review: This complaint is made about B Safe, Inc., a security system provider. Approximately 8 years ago, in 2007, we entered into contract with [redacted] Solutions, LLC., for a term of 3 years. Buried in the terms of this contract it was stated that this term was automatically renewable for a period of 3 years. We were never informed of this provision. Additionally, there is no date written in section A.3, which is the basis for the renewal condition, and therefore the renewal condition is invalid.

At some point B Safe Inc. purchased [redacted] Solutions but did not request written consent. Pursuant to NJAC 13.45A-16.2, the contract with [redacted] cannot be assigned with out the written consent of the buyer. Therefore we do not have a contract in place with B Safe, Inc. We reside in NJ and B Safe provides services here, although their main office is located in DE.

On February 5, 2015 we phoned B Safe Inc. and informed them that we would like to end security monitoring services. They claimed that due to the automatically renewable provision, the contract did not expire until August 28, 2016 and we owe them $347.20. We spoke with Susan Grear, explaining the problems with the contract noted above, and addressed the fact that the automatically renewable condition for a period of 3 years, hidden in the contract wording, was unethical. She insisted that we were obligated to the remainder of the contract.

At that point we emailed the business manager of the company, [redacted]. Mr. [redacted] informed us that he would release us from the contract if we agreed to pay for a service call made in 2009 that we were told at the time would be free. He said that he would invoice us now for $160-$190 for that call. I explained to Mr. [redacted] via email that this is consumer fraud, because the call was presented as free at the time of service. However he insisted on invoicing us for the call.

We never received any further invoices but received a voicemail on March 27, 2015 stating that we have an outstanding balance on our account.

We are reporting B Safe for insisting that we are obligated to a contract with an automatically renewable condition for a period of 3 years, which is unethical and deceptive. Additionally, the contract that they are trying to hold us to was incomplete, with no start date in section 3 entered. We are also reporting B Safe for attempting to hold us to a contract made to [redacted] systems, when we never gave written consent that the contract be transferred to B Safe. Finally, we are reporting Mr. [redacted] for consumer fraud. He insisted via email on invoicing us $160-$190 for a service call over 6 years ago which at the time was presented as free.

I have all documents referenced and will provide to the Revdex.com if this is helpful. This includes the email exchange with Mr. [redacted], the contract and the invoice. We have also filed a complaint with the NJ Office of the Attorney General - Fire Alarm, Burglar Alarm and Locksmith Advisory Committee Division of NJ Consumer Affairs.Desired Settlement: B Safe agrees that we do not owe them anything. Nothing for the contract which is invalid for reasons stated above, and nothing for the service call over 6 years ago which was represented to be a free service call at the time of service and for the last 6 years.

Business

Response:

l have highlighted the areas that Mrs. [redacted] is contesting. On page 2, line 3, there is a line that is left blank. That is simply an anticipated start date if there were equipment to be installed. The date that I s on page one and on page 4 with Mrs. [redacted]'s signature is the date of the agreement. In number 3 I t is I ndicated that the term of the agreement is for 3 years.Number 4 explains the renewal terms.On page three, line 26 it explains that the agreement is transferrable by the company at the company's sole discretion.B Safe's corporate office is located in Wilmington, DE. We also have an office located in Mantua, N.J.B Safe did perform a service call for the [redacted]'s in January of 2009. We sent our technician to the home as a courtesy because there was a past due balance on the account and the customer refused to pay stating that the alarm did not function. In order to get paid for the past due, we offered to have a technician come ou t and see wha t the problem was and to get it rectified.Mr. [redacted] offered to forgo the buy out of the agreement for payment of that service call. We do not consider that consumer fraud.As I have shown you in the agreement enclosed, Frontier Security had the right to transfer this agreement to B Safe without the consent of the consumer. The term of the agreement and the renewal are clearly stated and was signed for by the consu mer.Please feel free to contact me I f you have any further questions or if I can provide you with any further information.

Review: I came home to a problem with my alarm system. It was intermittently beeping. When that changed to a loud steady sound, I called the emergency number for the alarm company. The technician returned my call and worked with me for the better of 45 minutes to stop the sound. He was wonderful. I've worked with him many times before and he has always been courteous and patient. He is a gem. He advised me to call the office the next day to get service. When I called I was told there would be a service charge to fix the system. I didn't understand why I should have to pay for the faulty equipment when I did nothing wrong. This is where the problem initially lied. I didn't realize that I now owned the equipment. I'm sure somewhere in the contract and in my conversations with the company, they told me this but I'm getting older and I forgot. However, when I talked to [redacted], he was arrogant and rude and the WAY he told me made me feel upset. I told him I would just stop my service and he said I had a monitoring contract and couldn't do that and continued in his arrogant way to say I could buy my way out, etc. I hung up on him a couple of times because he was really stressing me; I suffer from vertigo and I could feel myself getting stressed by his tone and his lack of customer concern. Then, when I said, I would stay with the company until my contract was up; just send the person out for the appointment as given; he said only if I gave him a credit card. I hit the roof at that point because I've been with the company for 7 years. I've always paid my bill. If I could't pay the entire bill, I worked it out with [redacted] in the billing office. She has been a doll over the years and even wrote a letter for me once when the alarm was faulty and going off unexpectedly and the New Castle County Police was going to charge me. They wrote the charge off after receiving her letter. And just a month or so ago when I got a call from B-Safe about an overdue bill that I had thought I paid, the young lady was very kind and I told her how sorry I was. She said it was o.k. and I told her no it wasn't; that I was getting forgetful and I would send the payment in right away. Neither of them berated me or talked to me as mean as [redacted] did. It wasn't necessary for something so minor. I truly forgot that I owned the equipment. I am grateful that Dustin worked with me the other night and I am thankful that [redacted] and [redacted] and the young lady who called me last month have been so kind over the last 7 years, But, I will not be forced to pay in advance because [redacted] thinks I'm a deadbeat because I'm not! I don't know who he is or who he is used to dealing with but he has the wrong one this time. I will find out who owns this corporation and I will write to them about this. In the meantime, I will get my own equipment fixed and I honor my contract with this company.

Business

Response:

I am writing in reference to a complaint that was filed by [redacted], a customer of B Safe, Inc.

Upon reading the complaint, [redacted] has been a customer of B Safe for many years and we appreciate and value her business.

About 6 months ago, B Safe instituted a new policy requiring that all service calls be guaranteed by either a credit card on file or a checking account number on file. This is a new policy and we do make exceptions in some cases.

I have submitted her complaint about [redacted] to his supervisor.

I have spoken to [redacted] and agreed to perform a service call and invoice her. I made her aware of the new policy and she is satisfied at this time.

I thank you ard [redacted] for bringing this to our attention.

Please feel free to contact me if I can provide you with any further information.

Sincerely,