Moon Security Services, Inc.

Mr. [redacted] moved into a house with an existing alarm system. It was not installed by Moon Security. The system was at least 20 years old. The manufacturer was FBII, and parts are no longer manufactured. Attached is a link that describes that an upgrade of the main control panel is the only remedy if...

the main panel fails.http://www.home-security-systems-answers.com/fbii.html. This link is readily available on line. Moon Security has no connection to this web site; and no input as to what is posted. The simple fact is that 20 year old electronics need to be replaced occasionally.This was the issue with the system Mr. [redacted] found himself in possession of. Many people do not understand that when you run power through an electronic device 24 hours a day for 20 years, a failure is likely at some point. This upgrade was not forced on Mr. [redacted]. He made a decision to purchase when his alarm system could no longer communicate properly. He was offered the opportunity to supplement the expense of a full system sale over time by agreeing to be monitored for a 3 year time frame. We traveled to his home twice in order to meet his needs. Baker City is a 3 hour one way trip. So a total of 12 hours of travel, the cost of the replacement equipment, the time on site to properly install, program, test, and train. The state of Oregon requires licensed electricians to install these low voltage systems. Our hard cost of just the travel was over $600.Mr. [redacted] sent only the contract he signed on 5/13/2013 where he quite correctly wrote 2 weeks for the monitoring time period. This was to cover him during the time between diagnosing the issue with the old system and the day we would be available to install the new system. I have attached that contract. What Mr. [redacted] failed to provide was the contract he signed on the day of the new installation, dated 5/17/2013. This clearly shows a 3 year term, and Mr. [redacted] did not cross out the term on this agreement. It had been fully explained to him, proven by the fact that he crossed out the term on the earlier agreement and wrote in 2 weeks. Also attached is the service ticket signed by Mr. [redacted] on 5/13/2013, which shows he wanted to upgrade the system; he was not charged for the first visit; and the battery and siren we installed on 5/13/2013 was not charged for, but included in the upgrade price. Again, Mr. [redacted] signed this service ticket as well.It is common practice in our industry to charge little to nothing down and to earn that upfront cost back over the life of the agreement. In the residential market it is almost imperative, or we could not compete with the large national companies. Mr. [redacted] could have paid full price for the marked up cost of equipment, labor, and travel. If he had chosen to do that, he could have had a month to month monitoring agreement. He made a purchasing decision he now regrets because he chose to sell the house and move.Our contract is valid; was offered and signed freely; in fact Mr. [redacted] had four days between visits to change his mind. Yet he freely signed the second agreement on 5/17/2013. I think it likely he deliberately failed to include the newer contract in his complaint to the Revdex.com in order to either shame us into dropping the balance of contract invoice or hoping our record keeping was so poor that we would not have a copy of his actual valid monitoring agreement. If this is not an attempt by Mr. [redacted] to defraud us, then he clearly does not properly recollect the events surrounding his decision to upgrade his security equipment. I am in possession of a 25 page packet detailing his disconnect request via email with one of my customer service representatives. If Mr. [redacted] chooses to proceed with this complaint, I'll break out the packet and provide all of the correspondence. This packet contains several documented attempts by my CSR to have Mr. [redacted] put us in contact with the person who purchased his property. Our standard practice in these situations is to offer our monitoring services to the new owner. If they accept, we write off the balance of contract invoice and do not pursue payment from the former owner. Mr. [redacted] failed to respond, and failed to provide any assistance to prevent the balance of contract billing. His decision to purchase over time; his decision to sell his house and move before advising us; and his decision to fail to provide us with the ability to assist him in this process; are the reasons he has been presented with the balance of contract billing. We will pursue this through a collection agency if that becomes necessary. This is not the manner in which we wish to conduct business; and we only resort to it when a former client decides to change the terms of payment because their situation has changed and they wish to stick someone else with their debt. His misrepresentation of the facts withstanding, this is a legitimate debt and we expect to be paid in full.Thank you for your time.Respectfully Submitted,[redacted]General Manager

Mr. [redacted] is correct, he has been a long term client. We acquired the assets of Wired Technologies, a local company that went out of business in 2007. Mr. [redacted] was one of those accounts. The alarm system in Mr. [redacted]'s residence transmits signals via a cellular communicator. This communicator...

was using 2G technology. In 2015, we bagan sending letters to all the clients - over 1200 locations - who were utilizing this soon to be defunct technology. The cellular companies were required by the government to keep the 2G towers functional through December 2016. We have a record of three letters sent to Mr. [redacted], in addition to six calls made to the two numbers he provided us with. Likely because of work and travel issues, Mr. [redacted] left this issue wholly unaddressed until the system had failed and the cell towers were no longer capable of receiving the signal. All clients were mailed letters detailing the cost of a replacement unit - and the cost to the client was also the cost to our company. We were not making money from this issue; we were more interested in continuing to protect our client's interests and keeping their systems functional. Out of 1200 clients, approximately 20 systems went past the time alloted until the 2G Sunset took place. Mr. [redacted] was one of those. He eventually responded to the certified letter we sent, and spoke with Stephanie in our scheduling department. I'm unsure of what was said during that conversation, but it does not sound as if Mr. [redacted] was provided the correct information. We receivied signals from Mr. [redacted]'s system until 1/11/2017. A history of signals received by our automation software is attached. He contacted our monitoring center on 1/20/17 and said he wanted to cancel service. An email was sent by our accounting/attrition department on 1/23/17 detailing all of the options, including the requirement in the contract to provide notice in writing in order to casncel, 30 days prior to the expiration date on the contract. This was the last contact we had with Mr. [redacted] until June 2017, when he responded to the certified collections letter. We again asked for cancellation in writing so we could process the request. Mr [redacted] was also offered a replacement communicator, at no charge, in order to make his system functional. I have no record of a response on that, and have yet to receive cancellation in writing.This is an unusual situation, due to the end of a long used technology, and many of the clients were unaware or confused by it. It appears Mr. [redacted] was simply too busy to address it. We have no desire to send long time customers to collections. The lack of response is what precipitated this action. I will make the following offer: Mr. [redacted] could accept the installation of a new, 4G communicator, at no charge to him, other than signing a new updated agreement. Or, Mr. [redacted] can send written notice allowing us to satisfy the attorney's who require it, and I will hold him to a 30 day notice (one month of regular service billing) and end the collection action.Whatever Mr. [redacted] decides, we appreciate his business, and will take whatever action necessary to close this issue amicably.Respectfully Submitted,Thomas P[redacted]General Manager

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
I want to thank Mr P[redacted] for his candid and friendly response.  This is the service I had always received and expected from Moon Security.  I do appreciate his kind offer for the new wireless transmitter at cost (and Moon Security was always clear that they weren't trying to make an extra buck off people that had to replace their systems -- but wanted to help people continue with new upgrades at cost -- much appreciated!).  I did not feel that I could ask for such a deal when I wasn't sure how long I could really afford to continue monitoring.  Having lost my regular job that I held for 22 years, I am struggling with 3 part time jobs, with loss of health insurance, etc. and all the uncertainties associated with that financial situation.  Hence the decision to discontinue service.I'm sorry that things went awry on communication.  I have had to travel out of the country for a lot of the work that I do, and that is true it did not help with communication for me to be out so much.  Indeed, I only filed the complaint with the Revdex.com because I had to be sure and file a dispute with the collection agency as I had realized I had recieved three letters and had to respond within the week while I was again out of the country (before I left).  I had called Mr. P[redacted] earlier,  but he had not had time to respond to my call.I want to leave on good terms with Moon Security.  When/if I feel that financially I am on a better footing, I will again consider reinstituting service, and perhaps the technology will have improved options even beyond what is available now.  Please let me know the final cost on the one month of service for January 2017 and I'll get that in the mail as soon as I return at the end of this week (8/14/2017) and I'll get the payment made.  Sincerely, [redacted]

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
It is too bad that Moon's staff wasn't adequately trained, and failed to bump up the complaint for guidance or follow up with me directly.  If they had, I would likely still be a Moon customer.
Thank you for helping to resolve this.  While it doesn't help me directly, hopefully my experience will prevent unpleasant incidents for others needing or using security services.Sincerely, [redacted]

Mr. [redacted] resides in Mattawa, an area known to have issues with cellular signals. With the equipment we provide, we have the options of two carriers; Verizon or AT&T. If neither work, the client is required to provide an analog phone line. As a consumer, Mr. [redacted] is likely unaware that the...

phone companies often use digital or internet (VoIP) methods along their backbone to transmit the call or data from one place to another. VoIP services garble data signals when the traffic is heavy, and signals are unable to be received by our monitoring station. It is an industry wide problem, which is why the emphasis is on cellular communication. In a rural area like Mattawa, this is sometimes not possible. So we apologize to Mr. [redacted] for his frustration, and do not have a solution for him that will not include occassional intermittent outages. We also cannot control access to full response by public agencies, but do provide a service to rural clients by contacting them directly and advising them of alarm signals, both security and fire, so they are not walking into danger when they arrive home. Mr. [redacted] provided documents along with his complaint. Page six of that packet is a copy of our direct sale and monitoring agreement. The first paragraph under the text box states that the agreement is valid for the first three years, and then renews annually unless canceled 30 days prior to the anniversary date. The contract was signed in June, and was a year to year agreement at this point. Mr. [redacted] chose to cancel in December, and we took approximately three weeks to process the request. We only invoiced him through February, instead of holding him to June as we are entitled to do. This was done in appreciation for Mr. [redacted]'s past years as a client, and for the inconvenience of not having his cancellation request answered for three weeks. This decision saved Mr. [redacted] $151.80, the value of four months of monitoring service. Additionally, Mr. [redacted] is requesting the removal of late fees and other charges. Upon review of his invoices, there were no late fees or cancellation fees applied. It was for two months of monitoring service at $37.95 per month. While I believe we provided the best service we could based upon the location of the property and the situation; and provided a 66% reduction in the balance of contract billing, this is obviously still an irritant for Mr. [redacted]. I will issue a refund for the February service of $37.95 as Mr. [redacted] requested in order to close this matter.If this is acceptable to Mr. [redacted], I will wait for acknowledgement, and then process the refund.Respectfully,Thomas P[redacted]General Manager

After receiving notification of this complaint, I had my staff research Mr. [redacted]'s information. Mr. [redacted] is essentially correct in the majority of the facts he states. He was a long time client, paying for monitoring services and a maintenance agreement. There should have been no delay...

between his calling for service and us sending a technician out at no charge to him. This call was not handled properly, and I have discussed the issue with the employee involved to both recognize the clients who pay for maintenance, and to follow through as promised. This remedial training does not of course help Mr. [redacted] in any way. While his contract is valid and does not expire until the end of the calendar year, we do offer to waive the balance for long term clients when our services no longer suit their needs. We do have a 30 day notice to cancel requirement, but my staff should have recognized that it should not apply in this case. Due to the fact that Mr. [redacted]'s original request was improperly handled, I will immediately process a refund for the July services in the amount of $45.30 and have a check mailed to him. I would also like to apologize for this issue, thank him for his business over all these years, and wish him the best of luck moving forward with his new provider. 
I would be happy to discuss this with Mr. [redacted] if he would like. 
Respectfully Submitted,
Thomas P[redacted]
General Manager

Review: Moon security, gave m e equipment that was not tested and I had to take a day off work to have it replaced cost me $100.00, in lost wages I also told them I get paid 2 a month can I pay very to weeks they said yes we will put you on a big weekly payment. ..then I had court and they told me I had to pay again the following week again I said I was to be big weekly. .they told me OK we will fix this again I was called up the following week and told I need to pay.agian I explained to them my pay days they said we will put you on a big weekly. ..today a week later they told me I'm late and I have to pay again I said wow I'm to pay every to weeks. ...they finally told me if I am to do this I have to pay 2 weeks in advance. I was never told this in the start. ...also my daughter had to witness an employee talk down to a client ...and wean I was trying to explain my side of the story I was over talked ..... I told that person this is not professional. And talk to like I feel I was a criminal. ...I also explained by all their mistakes they ate putting a hard ship on my family and I. This company treats their clients unfair and does not disclose all the info and do not test equipment before sending their clients off...quite are at the mercy of the courts...quite this scram bracelet and they know this and take advantage of that..they are not the law.....I also explain I'm a Marine and can understand directions and give them...at that time they started listening. ..sum it up.just because we are being charged with a crime does not give them the right to treat people with disrespect, and wean they make a to own it. Like giving faulty equipmentDesired Settlement: I would like to see this company treat their clients with respect and caring and be sensitive to their needs and when they do you make a mistake example faulty equipment they should prorate the rental on that equipment I also like to see let me explain clearly to their clients what is expected of them on their payments and be sure to ask him do they understand this which is no time was this explained to me the payments

Business

Response:

Our company services courts and probation departments by providing participants with court ordered compliance assistance of house arrest and alcohol monitoring requirements. Mr. [redacted] is in the pre-trial phase on the charges of DUI and driving on a suspended license in the 1st degree. His was sentenced by the King County District Court to be monitored until his charges have been fully adjudicated. Many of these participants come to us upset about the process and the overall expense of the monitoring. Most have the option to refuse to be monitored, and to turn themselves in and wait for their trial date while incarcerated. Many times, this choice leaves the participant upset and frustrated. Additionally, since these court orders require the participant to refrain from using alcohol, many experience mood shifts as they attain sobriety as required by the order of the court. Mr. [redacted] has been difficult from the beginning. He is frequently rude and over bearing, and is not happy that his actions now require him to go through this process. Since these participants must pay for this program in advance, we offer as many payment plans as possible. We accept credit cards, or a client may pay in advance on a weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly basis. Since Mr. [redacted] is in pre-trial sentencing, he is obligated to pay from court date to court date. Often a judge will take note of any full compliance of his original order, and allow the participant to be released without any further monitoring. So Mr. [redacted] was paying for a set amount of days in between each of his court dates. Most clients pay weekly, so I believe it is very possible that Mr. [redacted] was asked more than once for payment on a weekly basis. That would be our error, as we want to accommodate the participant's payment schedule to best fit their needs. At one point, Mr. [redacted] did only pay for one week of service, and then became upset with the employee who called him asking for further payment. We then waived a late fee in an attempt to placate him and to get him on a regular payment schedule. Mr. [redacted] is correct that the original wireless communicator he was assigned to stopped working and had to be replaced. These units are very durable, and we have little issues with equipment malfunction, but we make no guarantees of 100% error free equipment. When this happens, we apologize for the inconvenience, and schedule a time to replace the device with a different, fully functional one. No one in my office required Mr. [redacted] to take a full day off of work, and we work a very flexible schedule in an attempt to accommodate everyone's needs. We monitor over 300 participants on any given day for more than twenty five jurisdictions in the state of Washington. We experience very few issues with equipment or allegations of poor customer service. Our employees are trained to deal with difficult and upset individuals, as they are a frequent and unpleasant reality of our industry. If Mr. [redacted] truly feels he was poorly treated, and that his conduct played no part in how we responded to him, then I offer him my apologies, and an invitation to contact me directly at our Pasco corporate office. Our number is listed on our web site. I would be happy to listen to his concerns, discuss our policies and procedures, and to see if we can find a way to make this a more pleasant experience for him.

Review: see Attached documentDesired Settlement: see Attached document

Business

Response:

Ms. [redacted]'s statement is not entirely accurate. She had a 23 year old security alarm panel that had stopped working after 23 years of 24/7 use. The system was dead and unrepairable as parts were no longer made for that model. The replacement price was more than expected, so she turned to ADT who does a very low down and finances over time. Her system was replaced by ADT which is why she was able to be monitored again.

As a company, we protect the integrity of our signed agreements because many security companies do not tell prospective clients to check to see whether they are under contract with their existing provider. Because of the predatory nature of many of these door to door companies and companies who advertise 'free' systems, we had to make the decision to protect our contracts by holding our clients to the terms they agreed to. I attached the most recent contract Ms. [redacted] signed with us in 1999, as well as the original 1986 contract, and the declined service agreement from 1993. The 1986 and 1999 agreements clearly state the roll over clause and that the contract is valid unless canceled in writing 30 days prior to the expiration date. The sad truth is, if we had known Ms. [redacted] had decided to go with another service provider, we could likely have matched the free equipment offer and raise the monthly in order to break even on the equipment over time. This is how her new company is doing it, and she will be held to that contract as well if she attempts to break it. The attached 1993 service agreement would have completely covered the cost of replacement for $10 per month. Ms. [redacted] declined that protection.

Our agreement is valid and enforceable. That being said, Ms. [redacted] makes a good point. She was a client for 23 years, and we appreciated her business. Since this was not a contract in it's first term, any price reduction on equipment that needed to be paid back over time had already been satisfied. After reading the complaint and reviewing our documentation, we have decided to no longer pursue balance of contract payment from Ms. [redacted]. I have contacted our collection agency, who has confirmed that they have pulled the file and will no longer work towards payment. We consider Ms. [redacted]'s account closed and settled in full.

Review: I provided written notice of monthly monitored service termination to [redacted] of Moon on June 22, 2013. On July 11, 2013, my bank account was debited for July service. I contacted Ms. [redacted] on July 11, and was told that a refund would be processed. I have not received a refund and believe that Moon has not cancelled its ability to debit my checking account.Desired Settlement: I would like a refund for July. I would like Moon to terminate its ability to debit my bank account. I would like to terminate my business relationship with Moon Security.

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted] has a monitoring agreement with Moon Security to monitor the alarm system at his residence. His initial contract was signed in May of 1989; and a new contract with updated monitoring prices was signed in March of 2008. Each contract stipulates that the client must provide written notice of intent to terminate the agreement at least 30 days prior to the expiration of the agreement. Every stable company in our industry requires a contract to automatically renew for the same term on the anniversay date, excepting a notice of termination within the agreed upon time frame. Technically, we could hold Mr. [redacted] to the full term, which would expire in March of 2014. Our customer service department very reasonably held Mr. [redacted] to a 30 day notice, which would have included July 2013. Because of his long relationship with our company, and due to the fact that no service was provided in July, we have decided not to enfore the rollover provision of our contract in this one case. We have removed the automatic withdrawal of his monitoring fees that he set up with us, and will be processing a refund for the $36. Our entire company thanks Mr. [redacted] for his business these past 24 years, and wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavors.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 9645475. Provided the business follows through (they indicated on July 11 that a refund would be forthcoming which has not been received), this resolution will meet my expectations and be satisfactory to me.

Review: Services substandard.Corrections requested many times and not done or attempted.Company forced upgrade on me claiming existing security equipment was not working properly despite the fact the company had installed the equipment and had been monitoring it for many years. Company claimed the upgrade was necessary for them to monitor the security system.Another company could have monitored the security without upgrade.I signed their contract for 2 weeks term with annual renewal unless terminated. I have terminated the monitoring after two years with proper written notice. The company is refusing to allow termination and threatening me with collection if I do not pay for another year of service. The service is cancelled, there is no phone line to connect to, and the company is not providing any service.Desired Settlement: Termination of contract due to substandard service, refusing to correct equipment not working properly, threatening collection if I do not pay for a year that is not provided in the contract and during which the company will not provide any service.

Business

Response:

Mr. [redacted] moved into a house with an existing alarm system. It was not installed by Moon Security. The system was at least 20 years old. The manufacturer was FBII, and parts are no longer manufactured. Attached is a link that describes that an upgrade of the main control panel is the only remedy if the main panel fails.http://www.home-security-systems-answers.com/fbii.html. This link is readily available on line. Moon Security has no connection to this web site; and no input as to what is posted. The simple fact is that 20 year old electronics need to be replaced occasionally.