ComplaintsforPro Tech Security Inc

• Initial Complaint

  04/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  ProTech Security deceptive practices – Pro Tech tried to force me into a $1000 agreement back in 2020, which I declined. The told me my service would be terminated, which I agreed by phone to terminate. Below is the timeline. · Became a customer in 2000ish (23 yrs. total) · Moved and resigned in 2008. · Upgraded in 2016 to cellular from a landline for service communication. · Tried forcing me to upgrade in 2020 or my service would terminate. · Accidentally paid in May of 2021 (not requesting this refunded.) · I do not believe my alarm has worked since Jan of 2021 Timeline of ProTech Notices: · 1/13/2021 Pro tech letter: Important notice - Your system needs an upgrade to start communicating with our central station again. o Called and spoke to a representative, I am not interested in doing so, please cancel. · 10/16/2021 Pro tech letter: Important Notice – You must upgrade, or your system will no longer work o Pay $99 and sign a new 3 yr commitment. · 8/9/22 Pro tech letter: You need to upgrade for your system to continue to work · 8/21/22 Pro tech letter: Your system does not work · 10/21/22 Pro tech letter: Final Notice · 4/13/23 Pro tech letter: bill notice o Due 07/01/2022 o Due 10/01/2022 o Due 01/01/2023 · 2/17/23 Pro tech Letter: Final Notice · 3/21/23 Pro tech letter: Notice of Cancellation of service. They have offered to settle for $175, and after reading reviews on **** and talking to an attorney, I asked them to stop pursuit of any money from me in this matter. I have found other people they have done this to over the same time frame. The say your service will stop if you do not agree to $1000. They use scare tactics and threats to try and have you pay and sign new agreements. If the BBB complaint does not resolve this matter, I plan to sue and reach out to other victims.

  Customer response

  05/16/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates that the business has not responded to you directly.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  At this time, I have not been contacted by Pro Tech Security Inc regarding complaint ID *********
  
  Regards,
  
  **** **********

  Business response

  05/19/2023

  *** ********** had been a customer since 2006, during this time he signed multiple contracts that contain our terms and conditions.  In 2016 he signed a new contract when he did a cellular upgrade.  The contract was for a 3 year period automatically renewing for a 1 year term unless written notice is given 30 days before the end of the current term.  Invoices are generated on a quarterly basis for recurring services.  The last payment received was on 5/5/2022.  The equipment that the customer had contained a 3G cellular card that we notified him would be sunsetting.  If the card was not upgraded, the system would eventually quit working.  We offered discounted equipment to affected customers if they signed a new contract.  *** ********** never scheduled to take advantage of the discounted offers.  We continued his service through 3/21/2023 attempting to reach out multiple times by phone and **** to attempt to collect payment and discuss options.  When no payment was received, we terminated his service and referred the account to our collection agency.  At no point prior to this did he provide a cancellation notice or attempt to reach us about cancelling.  The customer had consistently working service through 12/27/2022 when his 3G card had stopped working.  The customer did not contact us until he received a letter from the collection agency.  Understanding the frustration, we offered to accept $175.00 for the $350.97 balance he owed.  The $175.00 was more the $146.81 he owed for services 1/1/2023-3/21/2023 when his system was not working.   The customer claimed that they notified us of cancellation in 1/2021 however we had no record of this and the customer was unable to provide documentation of this.  We received 4 payments after the date the customer claims to have cancelled. 

  3/22/2021 – EFT $102.08

  4/12/2021 – EFT $102.08

  10/14/2021 – Check 1004 $207.43 (customer also paid the late fees)

  5/5/2022 – EFT $204.16

  Additionally, we can see that the customer actively used his VKP app, a paid service, through May of 2022.  The customer continued to receive messages from our monitoring company monthly from 1/2021 – 12/2022 when the customers equipment did sunset. 

  Attached is a document providing some screenshots along with descriptions.  I have also attached a copy of his signed contract.  I attached a separate document with the terms and conditions since the first ones are hard to read in the scan. 

  If there are any additional questions, please let me know.

  Customer response

  05/19/2023

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

  I have been a customer starting since 1999 and then moved to a new address in 2006. 22 years = well over $6,600 of paid invoices. 

  I do not agree with Protechs claims. Not even familiar with what application they are referring too. I cancelled over the phone and told multiple people I do not want to upgrade service and based on their instructions, my service will be cancelled. They continued to collect even after the sunset date they threatened with. I have attached their letters whereas they offer very specific indications the service will be disconnected with out upgrade which I verbally declined and told the to go forward with the cancellation. The contract appears to be from 2016? I consider the cancellation to be very clearly written within the guidelines of their own letters. Upgrade or else... I choose no thank you and they still collected and harassed me. I want out of the $375 they are trying to unjustly collect. They provided no services fro this time frame, and they tried to use very unethical tactics to have me upgrade into a contract of $1000+ dollars. I have turned this over to my attorney who will be communicating with the ** office as well as they Protech representation. In addition to fighting this unethical business practice,  I now have many hours in to this disagreement cutting into valuable work time and costing me far beyond the $375. 

  Attached is the letter chain. 

  Regards,
  
  **** **********

  Business response

  06/09/2023

  In follow-up to the response provided on behalf of *** ********** through the Better Business Bureau, please see the below feedback:

  • *** ********** *dentifies that he has been a customer for 22 years and paid well $6,600 of invoices.  These costs estimated by *** ********** were for services provided and utilized by *** ********** and have no bearing on his current dispute.

  • The application (Virtual Keypad) that *** ********** states he is not familiar with was identified on all invoices sent to *** ********** and used by him up until May 08, 2022 (noted previously by ProTech Security Accounting Manager ****** ******).

  • *** ********** notes that he cancelled his service over the telephone and told multiple people.  The policy of ProTech Security is to only accept cancellations in writing (paper / email). In discussion with *** **********, he was unable to provide the names or dates of any ProTech Security staff he had spoken to and then proceeded to pay on 4 occasions for his recurring service well past his stated cancellation date (noted previously by ProTech Security Accounting Manager ****** ******).

  • At no point in the correspondence between *** ********** and ProTech Security (previously attached by *** ********** and ProTech Security) was any reference made relative to the cancellation of the account until a Notice of Cancellation of Service letter was sent to *** ********** on March 21, 2023, for lack of payment.

  • *** ********** was provided multiple opportunities to upgrade his system (noted in his provided correspondence), one of which was to purchase the equipment / labor at $418 with no additional contract commitment.  This is not reflective of *** **********’s comment relative to a contract of $1000+ dollars.

  In summary, *** **********’s comments and allegation are not only unfounded, but also incorrect.  It is the position of ProTech Security that after our failed attempts to negotiate a reduced cost for *** **********, that he remains responsible for his outstanding balance of $350.97.

   

  Sincerely,

  ***** ******

  Director, Operations

  ProTech Security

*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. ↩