ComplaintsforGuardian Alarm Company

• Initial Complaint

  04/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Twice since I have been a Guardian Alarm customer I was told things that were not true, initially when I purchased the alarm almost eleven years ago I was told that all of my equipment was covered by a warranty as $7 of my monthly payment was to warranty my equipment this was not true and I found this out due to a previous issue with my alarm. Currently I called several days ago because I was having issues with my control panel and was told the first available appointment was on Monday April 15th, but I was told if my alarm quit working all together to call back and they would send someone out sooner than that. I called today because it is no longer working at all and was told that was not true as well!

  

  Business response

  04/16/2024

  I spoke with ********************** regarding his signed agreement that covers his security and what is covered. He did not purchase the maintenance the coverage that covers normal wear and tear.  He was under the impression that maintenance was automatically included. I also reviewed his alarm history and informed him that his system was still operational and apologized for the time it took to get service to him his home. We value his business as a longtime customer and has issued two months of ******************** credit. ********************** stated he was appreciative, 

  Customer response

  04/16/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, 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,

  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  01/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  It started in early May, 2023. Our security cameras that we purchased from Guardian failed, and since we pay a monthly maintenance fee, I called for service. A technician was sent out 2 weeks later, and he said we needed a new dvr device. He ordered it and said he would be back as soon as it came in. He never called back. I called mid June, in August, and again in October. On Oct. 20, 2023, the tech came again and stated we needed new cameras, and he should have them by Nov.4, and would schedule a time to install them. That never happened. On 10/24/2023 I received a service bill for $1264.92. I called again and spoke to a supervisor, who looked at my reports, apologized, and removed the charges. He also said we would be getting a refund for the 6 months we paid for services we did not get. I told him to terminate our service and to come get their equipment. On 12/7/2023 I got another bill for $453.97 with no explanation why. I called again on 12/13/2023 and was told to disregard that statement, that a refund of $886.85 was being processed, and the check would be here by Christmas. Called again on 1/4/2024, and got it is being processed. As of today, I still have not received any correspondence. I informed them if I did not hear from them by today, I was filing a complaint.Some of the dates are vague because I had not anticipated problems with Guardian, since we have 2 properties using their services, and we had been customers for 15 years more or less, I thought they were reputable.

  

  Business response

  01/22/2024

  Ms.  ******,  i have researched the poor service you received, and I want to apologize for the delay in servicing your system in a timely matter. We take the feedback of our customers very serious, and we use the feedback to hold ourselves accountable, improve our processes as well as our customer experience. Our records indicate that a check for ****** was mailed on January 4. The service charges that you received for the service calls were removed and should never have been charged. We have implemented an audit process to ensure that our customers are not charged for services or parts they have not received.

  Customer response

  01/24/2024

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, 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,

  *********************

• Initial Complaint

  12/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I was a customer of executive ********************** for years before guardian alarm took over. We decided to upgrade our system this year. We received a new system complete with door locks and a doorbell in August. In October, our doorbell stopped working. We reviewed user manual and were not able to reset the doorbell on our own. We called guardian alarm and they sent out a technician. The tech said that we did not have access to reset the doorbell and he had to do it. We were then charged a $98 + tax service call charge. Im not feeling great about having to pay for a service call when the equipment was 2 months old. I do not want to pay this as it sets a precedent that they can install faulty equipment and charge customers for service calls. I called guardian alarm to dispute this bill. The representative I talked to did not have the authority to waive the charge and a supervisor was supposed to call me. But they have not.

  

  Business response

  12/14/2023

  The amount of the service call has been refunded to the customer.  We apologize for the delay as customer called on 12/1/23 and the credit was issued on 12/5/23, the same day that a supervisor reached out to speak with the customer. 

  Customer response

  12/14/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, 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,

  *****************************

• Initial Complaint

  10/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Entered by BBB staff LO Consumer states he was given a notice from ******* that Guardian would be taking over. When they received their first bill from Guardian he states they were reluctant to provide a welcome package. He had to contact them to issue some type of paperwork to provide to the insurance company. The consumer also did not know where to call to contact the business about the alarm system. The consumer states there was also a communication error that caused the alarm to go off and he could not get it to shut ff. He contacted them and they advised him they would send someone out but it would be $80.00 for a service call as well as an hourly charge and a charge for parts. The consumer was not happy with the service and decided he wanted to cancel the service. It took about a week for someone to come out and disconnect the service. The consumer called them again the following week and asked how much they were going to get back and they advised he would only be getting reimbursed for 2 months per house (4 months total) because he did not give them a 1 month notice of cancellation. He was told he would get 2 separate checks, 1 for each house. He was then told he was not going to get the tax back on the reimbursement checks. He was advised that their computers were not set up for that.

  

  Business response

  10/31/2023

  We apologize for any inconvenience experienced by the customer and have issued a refund check in the amount of $163.94 on Monday, Oct 30. 

• Initial Complaint

  02/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have attempted to contact this company multiple times as i met with a sales rep and was promised I was on a three month trial period before i would be charged and i would be 100 percent satisfied with the services and equipment, During this period immediately had faulty equipment causing alarms to go off multiple times a day traumatizing my animals and there were not able to silenced them, The equipment was faulty and was setting off a sub Pump alarm. There was zero follow up on initial equipment delivery or signage that was part of the deal, When i purchased my home 1year ago there was an alarm installed by Guardian alarm. All I wanted to do was have continued service on my one year old existing system. They pitched me and said the one year old ring doorbell/ ***** needed moved. They started moving fire detectors and all kinds of BS. My home is a new build all i wanted from day 1 is my ring door **** to work! THAT IS all! now i have dogs freaking out due to doors beeping nonstop, alarms sounding and want no part of this. This companies service is terrible. I have never once set any alarm, had no protection had nothing actively working. I am not in contract with you. I had a 3 month trial. I want this relationship ended and you to remove me off your billing list, email list and contact list .

  

  Business response

  03/03/2023

  Good Morning! Per our ****** Branch Manager, the customer's issues have been resolved and he is satisfied at this time. As of now, he is continuing his services with Guardian Alarm Company.

  Thank you! Have a great weekend!

  Customer response

  03/03/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, 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,

  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  02/01/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I contacted Guardian Alarm specifically for a month-to-month alarm system - which should be available in Guardian's call notes. They sent me a contract to sign, which they said I could cancel at any time. Unfortunately, they have refused to cancel my now 3-year contract for services I will not use. I believe they knowingly deceived me to get me to sign a contract they had no intention of allowing me out of. I have drafted a letter to send to their legal department with a copy to my attorney, but would like to avoid legal action if possible. I simply need to be released from the contract and they need to ensure they are truthful in their marketing and sales.

  

  Business response

  02/02/2023

  Customer called to cancel in October *******, giving notice that would cover November billing. Customer signed agreement but there was not a mention of month to month. Salesperson who sold it is no longer with Guardian. Unable to verify with him it was month to month. Cancelled both sites without balance owing per request of customer. ********************** 

  Customer response

  02/02/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, 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,

  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  10/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Entered by BBB staff LO Consumer states she had ******* and they went out of business and Guardian took over. The consumer states she never received anything saying Guardian was taking over. She received a final bill from ******* and then an initial bill from Guardian. She received a call 8/1/22 saying her system was not working so they sent someone out to look at it. The tech told the consumer the phone plug was not all the way in causing the failure. The consumer then received a bill in the mail for a service charge of $152.28 which she was not made aware of. The consumer called Guardian on 10/15/22 and was told to call back 10/17/22. The consumer called this morning and they took down her information and told her she would just have to pay the bill.

• Initial Complaint

  02/22/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We were going to cancel our service with Guardian in October 2021 at $48.68 a month but were talked into keeping to Fire Protection only for $10 a month. Guardian continued to direct withdrawal from our bank account for the full amount of $48.68, so my wife called and talked to a representative at their ***************** in December to cancel service. Guardian continued to withdraw from our account, so we canceled the withdrawal at our bank. My wife tried to call on numerous occasions to find out why they continued to **** us. Each call was about an hour, put on hold, and no one ever picked up ( she has a screen of the wait time). She finally got ahold of someone yesterday, 2/21/22, and was told that they did indeed have a record of her calling, but she had talked to the wrong person, so we still had to pay for the past three months, and we are now in a new month, so we owe for this month also. . She was told that if we didn't send a check for the full amount, they would turn our account over to a collection bureau.

  

  Business response

  02/23/2022

  We were able to speak with ************ and have agreed to cancel his account and credit back his balance. If there is anything else that he or his wife needs, we are happy to help.

  Customer response

  02/23/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, 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,

  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  11/04/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I would like to tell you about a SCAM. I signed up for 3 years for guardian alarm. We have had many storms and outages this summer..Everytime we had an outage, This affected my alarm. The alarm keypad battery will last only for 12 hours, We were without power for 96 hours. We had no WIFI for longer than that, thus my security lights did not work. This left me very vulnerable for days. Someone did break in.I called the guardian Alarm Company and explained the situation.. They made excuses and told me to talk to my Saleslady, *******************. She never returned my calls. They promised me three times that they will put my alarm under a different system. They never contacted me to have it done. Someone is controlling my alarm. I found out that someone may have copied my fog..I am very displeased with the Alarm. I wrote to ***************************** the ******************************** president and COO; ***********************, Vice President of information technology; ***********************, Vice president **** and Monitoring and ***************************; Vice- President of monitoring Service. I have not heard from anyone. A lady called several times and took my complaint but nothing was done.I am very displeased with Guardian Alarm. Why have an alarm if the people can bypass it? Why have an alarm if every time we have a storm, I don't have a working alarm. The Alarm company told me I had signed a three-year contract, the smallest number of years I could sign up for, and I would have to pay it off or continue to pay the monthly amount. What a scam!!

  

  Business response

  11/05/2021

  We appreciate ******************** for reaching out about her concerns. A Guardian Alarm manager spoke with her earlier today. We have arranged for a technician to visit her home for free to reprogram her system. We were also able to answer her questions regarding how the system works during a power outage and that her codes could not be changed without her knowledge. We have offered her a credit on her account for her inconvenience, which she has accepted.

• Initial Complaint

  08/16/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My husband passed in 2019 which handled the alarm and knew the code. After his passing I contacted Guardian Alarm to provide me with a password. A Technician came out on 8/14/20 and informed me that the equipment was obsolete and wasn't working. I never called to receive a upgrade or have it serviced. However, the **** continued to be paid for nothing because there was and is no service. Therefore, from 8/14/20 to current I've been being billed $25.95 a month for 12 months ($311.40). I called to speak with someone regarding the latest **** at which time the rep issued a $50.00 credit to the account, which left a balance of $84.09. We've had the service since 2007. I'm very unclear why I should have to pay the $84.09 since she's been informed and made aware of the situation. I was told by *** (per her Supervisor) they would wipe out the $84.09 if I upgraded my system. I declined. I feel the practice was deceptive to a Senior because they continued to **** for nothing.

  

  Business response

  08/25/2021

  Mrs. Bush is most likely referring to the outstanding balance of $84.09 that would have been due previous to September invoice posting. Final cancel credit has not posted yet from cancel processing. We are calling the customer to update her on this resolution.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩