ComplaintsforAlpha Marketing Strategies

• Initial Complaint

  05/21/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Signed up for ADT SafeStreets January 25, 2024 through ALPHA representatives *************************** and ***************. Contract says ATT/DirectTV Telecom bill will be reduced by ADT monthly charge as ADT monthly charge will be paid directly. Telecom account has not reflected this deduction and am paying ADT directly for monthly service. I am paying double - that was not the contractual agreement.No one will return my call when leave messages or speak with ***** at the ************ Safe Streets Authorized Residential Operations number. ADT 800 numbers refer me back to Safe Streets and mention ALPHA which is not referenced on any paperwork. ALPHA Marketing Strategies phone numbers in ************ and ********** out of order, Sacramento number a machine only. I am locked into a 24 month contract, unable to cancel and no one will straighten out service charges that are clearly stated in contract.

  Business response

  06/13/2024

  This has been resolved. 
  
  

  Thank you,

  
  

  Human Resources Department 

• Initial Complaint

  04/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They have unethical selling practices. They go door to door trying to convince customers they can lower their internet but many times theyre lying. They have a lot of dirty accounts that arent made aware to the companies they represent. If ***************** knew the extent of the scam they wouldnt support Alpha Marketing Startegies.

  Business response

  04/15/2024

  We can find no evidence that this person was or is a prospective or active customer with our service. While he may have received advertisement materials surrounding the offers our company promotes, he was never signed up for the service nor would he be capable of making a statement for or against the validity of those offers. 

   

  If this person is attempting to make a claim on behalf of an active customer, we would need to know the account information to verify or resolve any complaints. 

• Initial Complaint

  04/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On November 13, *********************************************************************** conjunction with *** ******** Services ans *********** Services, knocked on my parents door both of whom are in the mid to late 80s in age. This representative went on to offer them a discounted ******** plan through *** stating that if they signed up they would receive a substantial discount on their Spectrum bill which would not only pay for the *** Service in savings but also save them money overall. They convinced my parents to participate and gave them a very flimsy and unprofessional contract to sign up with. The contract called for a few initials and a signature which my father provided. The *** system was subsequently installed at a cost of $99. Monthly billing then began being drafted automatically from their account. When no discount was noted on their Spectrum bill the next month my mother tried calling Spectrum and they state the have no knowledge of any such program. 2 1/2 months of calls later and still no discount and no resolution. So my mother asked me to see what I could do. I called Spectrum and as expected they had no knowledge of any such discount program. I call *** and they stated that my parents were now locked in to their 2 year security plan at $69.99 a month and cannot cancel it without paying off the full 2 years costs, and they had no knowledge of any Spectrum promotion. When I called the third time asking to speak to the employee who sold the promotion I was told that that employee worked for Alpha Marketing Strategies and we would have to contact them for more information. I called a number I was given and was only able to leave a voice mail. I Googled the company and found 3 different locations with numbers. The ********** number cannot complete the call, the **** number just has a busy signal and the ********** number goes into voice mail. PLEASE PEOPLE DO NOT FALL FOR THIS SCAM!

  Business response

  04/15/2024

  On 11/13/2023, customer *************************************** was contacted by a door-to-door sales agent (*************************) at his residence of ******************************************************************************  The agent spent about 30 minutes with ********* gaining an understanding of his current home telecom and security services and where there is room for improvement.
  ********* informed the agent (as notated on his paperwork) that he currently had ******** services and was paying a total of $260 a month.  The agent offered to help him get new ADT security for $63.99 a month, and a deal for his tv and internet services for $163, bringing his new monthly total to $227 for tv and security. These details were filled in on the paperwork described below.
  At the point of sale, the following steps were taken to ensure the customer understood the process and the new services he was signing up for.
  The customer was entered into the portal in order to qualify for his new ADT security system.  This process required the customer to provide his legal name and date of birth to the agent.  At this point in time, the customer was also prompted to digitally sign a customer consent form verifying that the customer understands he is entering into a 2-year contract with ADT/Safestreets for a monthly total of $63.99, that the company has authorization to charge his card accordingly, and that the customer has 3 business days to cancel the transaction without any penalty if he wishes to do so. The customer also provided billing information to the agent that was entered into the portal at this time.
  After this digital form was completed with the customer, the agent filled out a paper copy of the details (attached).  This paperwork outlined ******* current services as mentioned above and the new services and pricing that he was agreeing to.  This paperwork states that changes applied to existing accounts may take 1-2 billing cycles to apply and that correct account information is necessary for any changes.
  Once the paper copy was filled out, the agent called into the Safestreets/ADT call center to complete a verbal, recorded welcome call verifying the services, terms, and charges.  On this call, the customer verbally agreed to a ****** security contract for $63.99 a month and that the first month's charge would take place 48 hours after install.  On this call, the customer requested to be installed that same evening at 5:30PM.
  At 5:30PM that same night on 11/13/2023, the technician ******************* arrived to install the customers equipment which included Install 1 5" Command Panel @ $0.00 each, 2 Contact @ $0.00 each, and 2 Emergency 2-Button Key Fob @ $0.00 each, and 1 ****** Nest Doorbell Camera @ $0.00 each. Prior to the installation, the technician helped the customer get an account set up on alarm.com which was linked to the email address ***************.  This same email was then sent a final contract signed by ******, again consenting to a 2-year contract at the rate of $63.99.
  
  On 12/04/2023 the customer called in to inquire after cancellation. On the call, the customer was reminded of the 1-2 billing cycle timeline for discounts to reflect as was agreed upon with the contract signed at the point of sale. The customer was also informed of their BOC as they had called outside of their right of rescission. The customers account was sent for expedited discounts to assist with the process. 
  On 12/05/2023 the discount team looked into the customers account and found premium add-ons as well as an active landline on the customers account that had not been included in their initial quote. As per procedure, the team did not move forward with making package changes without customer approval and the account was sent to the customer service team for additional follow-up. An agent reached out to the customer to review the account on 12/07/2023, was unable to make contact and was unable to leave a voicemail. They re-attempted the call on 12/11/2023 and was able to speak with ************************, who refused to confirm packaging and ended the call before information could be confirmed. 
  The account was then sent for additional management follow-** in an additional attempt to validate packaging on the account. On 12/21/2023 and on 12/27/2023 a manager attempted to reach the customer but was unable to make contact and was unable to leave a voicemail. The account was placed on hold until our team would be able to speak with the customer. 
  On 12/24/2024 our team received a missed call from the customer and an agent returned the call that same day to attempt to review packaging. ************************ answered the call but stated that he was no longer interested in having our team work on his account. The account remained on hold based on the customers request. 
  On 3/15/2024 Mr. *********** wife called in regarding cancellation and stating that they had attempted to cancel the account while still in ROR. The customers wife was informed that there was no record of anyone calling in regarding cancellation while still in their ROR period. ************************* then stated that they still had not received their discounts and the account was sent for additional follow-up. On 3/19/2024 an agent reached back out to the customer in an attempt to review previous notation and verify if the customer was still interested in receiving discounts and finalizing included packaging. ************************ answered the call but disconnected before any account details could be reviewed. The agent called back immediately but the customer did not answer. Later that same day, ************************* called in and the agent was able to review notation, reminding the customer of BOC and attempted to review the account. Again, the customer stated that they were not interested in having discounts applied to their account. The account remained on hold. 
  On 3/25/2024 the customer called in inquiring about the held discounts. The team re-confirmed with the customer that they were still interested in receiving their discounts. The account was re-opened and sent for review before a customer service agent could reach out to verify packaging. In the interim, the customers son called in inquiring about the status of the account and was assured that the team would be following up shortly to finalize discounts. 
  On 3/29/2024 an agent reached out to the customer and was able to fully review the account and verify preferred packaging. The account was sent to receive discounts which were successfully applied on 4/5/2024. 
  On 4/8/2024 a customer service agent reached out to the customer to confirm all discounts placed onto the account. The customer had elected to retain their premium add-ons and landline but were made aware that they were not included in their quoted pricing. The included services, TV and LL, were brought to the quoted pricing. The customer stated on a recorded line that they understood and were satisfied with their pricing. 
  As of today, this customers account has received all eligible discounts and has been brought to the quoted pricing for the included services and has stated that they are satisfied with the service.
  

• Initial Complaint

  02/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  9/21/2023 *********************** came to the door of my house and said Alpha Marketing DBA Authorized Residential Operations could lower my Spectrum internet to $22 a month if a added in an alarm. It took about two months of me calling before they said I had to fill out a form, which was for low income residents. I have a new Tesla in the driveway and I work for SpaceX, I am not low income. So, this did not work and was told that is how I get the promised discount. They can't help me. I try to cancel and they say I have to pay out 75% of the contract. I am looking into hiring an attorney so i no longer have to deal with this company. Lied to my face and in writing.

  Business response

  02/28/2024

  On 09/21/2023 customer ************************* spoke with a sales agent in regard to his existing home telecommunications and security accounts and where there was room for improvement. The agent spent roughly 30 minutes with the customer reviewing his existing pricing and performance. Through the course of the sale, the customer agreed to a discounted rate for his internet services of $22 and a new security system through ADT for $43.99 bringing his combined monthly payments to $65.99. Per the terms and conditions of the contract that the customer signed, this monthly pricing was only applicable if the customer completed the application for and qualified for the Affordable Connectivity Program (***). Otherwise, the customer's quoted pricing was subject to an automatic $30 increase as *** is a government-run program and while our team can coach a customer through the process, we cannot directly enforce or alter the program in any way. While *** has many qualifying factors, some that rely heavily on income, it was largely enforced by area and every customer was encouraged to complete the application to receive the highest amount of discounts possible. 

  From the months of November 2023 to January 2024 our team made several attempts to work with this customer to encourage him to complete the *** application as his discounts had already been placed, bringing his monthly total for internet services from $80 to $55, which is consistent with the quoted pricing prior to *** as indicated above. ************** unfortunately was unable to be approved for this program at which time our team reviewed the previous statement above regarding the terms and conditions for the two-year contract the customer had signed.

  Not only did the customer sign a physical contract at the point of sale agreeing to a two-year commitment for his new security services, but he also completed a recorded welcome call agreeing to all terms and conditions and signed an additional digital contract with the technician who arrived on 09/23/2023 to install the security system. The customer also agreed, at each of these stages, that he understood that he had 3 business days to cancel this contract without penalty and would otherwise be liable to pay out 75% of the remainder of his contract for any subsequent attempt to cancel.

  As of this time, the customer is at the lowest pricing possible for his services and our team has met all promises indicated in the contract entered into by both parties on 09/21/2023. 

• Initial Complaint

  01/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On December 4, 2023, two representatives from Alpha Marketing Strategies came to my home and proposed a reduction in my Spectrum Internet bill from $99.99 to $19.01, coupled with an upgrade to 1 Gbps internet speed. The condition was bundling the internet service with *** security, resulting in a total monthly charge of $83.00 ($63.99 for *** and $19.01 for Spectrum). However, after a month and a half, my Spectrum Internet charges decreased to only $54.99. I contacted an agent from Alpha Marketing Strategies, who informed me about applying to the Affordable Connectivity Program (***) for an additional $30.00 discount. I expressed my surprise, as the *** qualification was not mentioned when I signed the agreement. The agent directed me to the back page of the attached document, where nothing was checked next to "***," and the initial representatives failed to mention it during the agreement signing.Although I attempted to apply for ***, I did not qualify. I am seeking two possible resolutions: either cancel the *** service without incurring a cancellation fee and receive a refund of the $63.99 already paid, or maintain the *** service with a reduced monthly charge of $28.01 to align with the agreed-upon $83.00 bundle (***: $28.01 + Spectrum: $54.99). Regarding Spectrum, my internet speed remains unchanged, contrary to the agreement, which specified an upgrade to 1 Gbps.

  Business response

  02/02/2024

  As of today the account is still under review and we will be reaching out to finalize a resolution directly with the customer within the next 3-5 business days (or one week). 

  Customer response

  02/07/2024

  I am rejecting this response because: As of today, 2/07/2024, I haven't been contacted by the Vendor with a resolution.
  

  Business response

  02/28/2024

  Per management review of this account this customer did not complete the application for the *** program as was required of them in the terms and conditions on the agreement they signed. Those terms state that if the customer fails to apply or qualify for the program their quoted pricing would increase $30 and is therefore to their quoted pricing and at the lowest possible rate for their telecom services.

  This customer was previously paying $99 for their internet services through Spectrum and our team was able to successfully apply discounts to bring that monthly rate down to $55 after taxes and fees. The customer was initially quoted $20 for their internet services (inclusive of the *** discount and before taxes and fees). As the customer failed to complete this process, their quote automatically increased to $50 before taxes and fees, meaning that this customer has been brought to their quoted pricing and their account is considered complete. 

  The original agreement that the customer signed at the point of sale did reference a ****************** in speed, though it did not list a specific speed increase. Our team has offered to give multiple wifi extenders at no cost to the customer to assist with their telecommunication performance but the customer has denied the offer. 

  As of this point, our team has met, or attempted to meet, every promise made at the point of sale and agreed upon on the contract that the customer signed. 

  Customer response

  03/03/2024

  I am rejecting this response because: As I have previously communicated multiple times, I attempted to apply for the **** but I encountered difficulty due to my ineligibility for the program. At the time of signing the agreement, no one informed me about the necessity of applying or qualifying for the *** program. If such a requirement was outlined in the fine print, I would appreciate seeing the signed statement; please send it to me if it does indeed exist. It appears that the company prioritized securing my business without providing comprehensive details, or, more likely, deliberately omitted them. Regarding the offer to install the **** extenders, I did not decline but rather expressed my preference to wait until the dispute is resolved before proceeding with the installation. Alpha Marketing Strategies is urged to honor the agreement by adjusting the bundle price to the agreed $83.00, either by reducing Spectrum Charges to $20.00 or ADT charges to $30.00.  
  

• Initial Complaint

  12/18/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I was approached in the evening by a young man and his "Trainee" asking if I would allow them to look at my Cable bill and see if they would be able to save me some money. We went through the process and they determined that, with a few changes they could save me about $104 a month. The lead sales person assured me that with the faster speed and by dropping the tv service and going to a streaming service through Amazon (also that I would have new Amazon cube and Stick delivered) that I would be just as happy and would not loose my movie tier for streaming. But... in order to get the savings, I would need to sign up for *** service through Safe Streets. Safe Streets installed the *** service with in 15 minutes that night. Since I did not cancel that with in 3 days, calendar not business, I now have a 3 year contract for that service.They claimed to have a 12-22-23 date set up for the internet provider to come out to do the upgrades and when I called them, they had no scheduled date or time set up.After multiple attempts to contact the sales person and even his employer, I have not received a return call or text.I have since contacted my interned and tv provider and reinstated my service back to what it was since I can get no response from anyone at ALPHA MARKETING STRATGES in ********** **

  Business response

  02/02/2024

  This customer agreed to both retain his services and remove the previous complaint once all promised services were rendered as of 1/19/2024. Our team issued a rebate check to account for the months of service wherein the customer had not received his expected equipment and pricing and ordered additional equipment to be shipped to the customer's home free of charge (this was delivered on 1/20/2024). As of today, this customer is satisfied with the help that was provided and the accommodations offered and will retain his account with us through the life of the contract. 

  Customer response

  02/05/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my concern, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

  As of 2/5/24, I am still waiting on the reimbursement check. The equipment was delivered as we discussed.  They did state that it would take 2 weeks for the check to be issued. As long as the check is delivered,  I will be satisfied 

  
  

• Initial Complaint

  11/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On September 12, 2023, ***************************** *****, knocked on our door (he did not introduce himself from Alpha Marketing Strategies and was wearing a DirecTV shirt. At the time I assumed he worked for DirecTV. He said that they have been receiving complaints from customers on the speed of the internet in our area. He asked if we had a problem with our internet. I said no. He said, in our area, he would give us double the current speed we have which is 40 mb to 80 mb at no cost. He also told us that our CenturyLink bill which includes internet and DirecTV would be $57.00 if we signed up for SafeStreets/ADT monthly payment of $63.99. Which we would be paying for all 3 services a total of $121 minus $20 ACP discount equals a total $101.00 which would be less than our current CenturyLink and DirecTV bill of $111.00. He added it was a "no brainer." My husband and I agreed and signed the document. ***** told us if we had any questions to contact Residential Operations. We left several messages and received no responses. Finally we got a hold of a person (******) and we told her how frustrated and deceived we felt. She assured us she would send the message to the manager. Finally some contact. ******* from Residential Operations told my husband our total for all 3 services would be $121. Now they are saying it will be $89.99 plus tax($91.87), this is $54.86 more than what we were told by ***** the salesman and no faster speed as promised.

  Business response

  02/02/2024

  Our team worked with this customer from October - December of 2023 attempting to find resolution for their pricing discrepancy based on the fact that they did not qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program. We explored several options to find the most ideal solution that would retain the customer's preferred packaging while also meeting the expected quote. This included applying additional discounts, assisting in the allocation of a new internet provider, and issuing incentive rebates. 

  As of 12/18/2023, after every attempt by our team to provide resolution to the customer, they were still unsatisfied with the service. On that basis, they were released from their contract with no penalty. The customer had also agreed to remove their complaint on that date due to the level of attention and effort we provided to resolve their concerns. This is no longer an active customer with our business.

  Customer response

  02/02/2024

  I am rejecting this response because: Due to the delay of SafeStreets in communicating with ADT that our contract was cancelled in December and both companies not taking my calls seriously  and not following through to complete the cancellation ADT is still charging me an additional 2 months even though I had my equipment removed at the beginning of December. I continued copying Alpha Marketing and finally Safestreets talked to ADT and it was canceled in January. ADT now shows a cancellation of  February 15th due to lack of communication. This has been so frustrating. In addition we were promised reimbursement for the amount we paid to ADT.  **************, I was told not to pay the bills for Dec. and January. I was told I need to wait until the 15th of February for Safestreets to process our reimbursement. Once all this is taken care to my satisfaction I will withdraw my complaint. I am asking you to please keep this complaint open.  Thank you. *******************

  
  

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