ComplaintsforGuardian Protection

• Initial Complaint

  09/06/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They are constantly telling me that a technician will come out holding me there for the entire day at my house waiting for the technician when a technician never shows up at the end of the day around 4:00 they call me and tell me that he called out soon that he won't be there that day we'll make another appointment with you they've been doing this for 2 or 3 months

  

  Business response

  09/16/2024

  September 16,2024
  
  
  BBB of ********************
  ****************************
  ******************
  
          RE: **** ******* Complaint ID ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  Thank you for forwarding our customers complaint. ********************************************* values the opportunity to provide response and work with our customer in an effort to resolve his complaint.
  
  Our customer expressed dissatisfaction with several onsite service appointments that resulted in his staying home all day only to have the technician not show up or receive a phone call advising Guardian needed to reschedule the appointment.  Our customer has requested compensation for his time spent and earnings lost when waiting on the technicians.
  
  Guardian is terribly sorry for the inconveniences caused by the three service appointments Guardian ended up needing to reschedule.  Guardian was able to locate the information for the last three on-site service appointments.    Guardian can confirm two of the appointments resulted in the customer waiting for the arrival of a technician for most of the day.  However, a narrowed arrival window of 4:40 PM to 6:40 PM was issued the night before one of the three appointments,and our customer did not need to stay home all day waiting for the technician to arrive.
  
  Guardian agreed to apply a credit of $400.00 to our customers account and refund it, or let it remain on the account to prepay future monthly monitoring fees.  Our customer accepted the credit and noted he felt notification of an arrival window the evening before an appointment didnt  provide enough advance notice for planning. 
  
  Guardian posted the credit to our customers account and again apologizes for his service experiences.  Guardian is diligently working on improving the scheduling of service calls and looks forward to improved service experiences in the near future.
  
  Thank you for bringing this matter to Guardians attention.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at 1-800-776-832.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Agency Complaint Response Team

• Initial Complaint

  08/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Unsatisfied customer, they automatically renewed my contract without me, knowing .Now they expect me to do a pay 1300 to cancel them not only that when I first contacted them it was for 2 years. Initially I call to have a service tech go to the house to fix a camera that has been working since Dec. 2022 and they could also see that in there system. The camera wasn't much of a concern since i had another camera that i had put with my internet service. A few days prior i had a false alarm and figured to call them and have everything working in perfect condition. The customer care rep mention to have a tech go would be 75.00 which i was ok with then went to mention that 30.00 per hour that the tech is there and to replace the camera and system i would have to also pay for every part of the equipment that get replaced. I had the customer rep transfer me to another person to be able to then delete the camera out of my account in which the rep also said that it would not change the monthly amount. i also mention to cancel my contact they didn't mention anything about being extra feeand recalled till this morning when i told them i have went to another company that is associate with the better business bureau and had amazing reference and the i stated that i went to there website and noticed that they didn't have any association with the better business bureau and they had multiple complaints due to the lack of customer service and overcharging. The only reason that i started with them was when we purchased the home the owner already had then system in the house . I just want to leave that company for the horrible time i have every had dealing with them and they aren't even available 24 hours a day they operate on eastern time. i am located in central time i work for Dallas county and by the time i get off work they are close and they don't answer emails.

  

  Business response

  08/27/2024

  August 27, 2024
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main Street, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA   15106
  
  RE:        ******* ******** ********* ** ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  Thank you for advising Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”) of the above referenced Complaint.  Guardian values the opportunity to address the customer’s statements and concerns. 
  
  Our customer states she contracted Guardian for 2-years and when she requested to cancel the service she learned she had signed an agreement with a 60-month term instead of 2 years and would have to pay a $1,300.00 early termination fee.  She also notes she has had issues with her camera, did not like the quote for an onsite service call and inquired about canceling the camera portion of her service.  She further states she was told canceling the camera portion of her service would not change her monthly fee and on that same phone call she inquired about canceling her service altogether and was not advised of an early termination fee.
  
  Guardian is sorry to hear our customer has had  issues with her camera.  Upon receipt of this correspondence, Guardian performed a thorough review of her account.  Our customer’s account came to Guardian by way of an Authorized Dealer know as Choice Home Warranty.  Choice Home Warranty is a separate and distinct company for which Guardian performs installations and provides 24-hour monitoring services for customers whose systems were sold by Choice Home Warranty.  Guardian does not control any day-to-day business activities or any internal policies or procedures of Choice Home Warranty, including security evaluations, sales promotions or processes, or any other aspects of Choice Home Warranty’s business.
  
  Guardian also found that Choice Home Warranty negotiated the sale and installation over the phone.  A review of the phone call between our customer and the Choice Home Warranty representative confirms the representative quoted a $50.00 installation cost, a 60-month term and a $49.99 monthly service charge.  Also, our customer repeated the term back to the representative to ensure it was for sixty (60) months.  At no time during the conversation was “2 years” mentioned by our customer or the Choice Home Warranty sales representative. Upon completion of the negotiation, the Choice Home Warranty representative emailed the Monitoring and Sales and Installation
  
  Regarding our customer’s camera issues, she has only spoken with Guardian four times over the course of twenty-seven months.  She mentioned she was having an issue with the camera on June 1, 2022 when Guardian called her to welcome her and verify some account information, on June 27, 2023 when she called to update her autopay information, and on August 26, 2024.  The fourth call, made by our customer on August 27, 2024 was to cancel her account. 
  
  Our customer was not at home when we spoke with her in 2022, 2023.  She was asked to call back from the home so we could help her troubleshoot the issue.   Her first and only request for a service call was made on August 26, 2024 when she was not home to troubleshoot the camera.  The camera was out of warranty, per Section 6 Limited Lifetime System Repair Coverage of her Sale and Installation Agreement, and she was quoted Guardian’s current time and material rates for an on-site service call.   She inquired about canceling the camera portion of her services during this phone call and was transferred from Customer Care to Guardian’s Loyalty Center.
  
  The Loyalty representative our customer spoke with on August 26, 2024 offered to reduce our customer’s monthly service charge by $2.00 if she canceled the camera service, even though she was not being billed for the camera service as part of the Choice Home Warranty promotion she took advantage of.  At no time during this phone call did our customer make any inquiry about her monitoring agreement or mention she was considering terminating her account.     
  
  Our customer called back this morning at 7:04 AM CT to cancel the service she had with Guardian.  She spoke with another representative from Guardian’s Loyalty Center.  He reviewed the notes from the representative who spoke with our customer on August 26, 2024 and confirmed she reported issues with the camera to him and he was in the process of having her monthly service charge lowered to $47.99.  The representative she called this morning again offered a service call which our customer declined.  He confirmed our customer had 33 months remaining on her agreement.  Our customer advised the representative she signed a 2-year agreement.  The representative confirmed the agreement we have on file has a 5-year term, had a copy of it emailed to her, and to have any 2-year term agreement she may have reviewed if she could forward it to Guardian.  The representative then quoted the early termination fee of $1,039.50.  The representative then went out of his way to offer as service call to try and reconnect her camera (not replace it) for a flat fee of $75.00.  Our customer declined the service call and said even if he could somehow arrange to send a technician at no charge, she was not interested.
  
  Due to the investment in this account, Guardian respectfully declines to discount or waive the Early Termination Fee.  Thank you for informing Guardian of this matter and providing an opportunity to have the issues reviewed and resolved.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  Agency Complaint Response Team

• Initial Complaint

  08/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased this service on 8/12/2024 and on 8/15/24 i reviewed the information and noticed that they had enrolled me into a 60 month contract that i did not have knowledge of. when the installer was at my home and we were going over the paper work everything looked good. however, while reviewing the contract to print and put in my housing file, it now contains a page informing me that i am enrolled for 60 months and this was not apart of the packet he went over with me at my home. Its a very shady business practice. And i would like to cancel and get out of this 60 month contract that i didnt agree to.

  

  Business response

  08/20/2024

  August 20, 2024
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main St, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA   15106
  
  RE:         **** **** * ********* ** ********
  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  Thank you for forwarding the above referenced complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”).  Guardian values the opportunity to address our customer’s statements.    
  
  Our customer has expressed dissatisfaction with learning on the day of installation that she entered into a 60-month monitoring commitment.  Our customer states she purchased the system on August 12, 2024 and her installation was performed on August 15, 2024.  Our customer states the cover sheet was not present with the original agreements she signed when purchasing the system, and that she didn’t agree to a 60-month monitoring term.
  
  With regard to our customer’s claim that the terms of the agreement were not communicated prior to signing the agreement, Guardian references the attached electronic paperwork sent to our customer for execution.  Guardian would first like to note that once Adobe Acrobat documents have been initialed and/or signed by the customer, the document cannot be altered.   Terms cannot be changed and pages, such as the cover sheet with the important terms of the agreements, cannot be inserted. The cover page was part of electronic paperwork at the time of creation on August 7, 2024.  Please refer to Adobe Acrobat’s “Packet Final Report” in the attachment.  It shows each step the electronic paperwork took, from creation to completion. Please note there is no reference to the document being edited or updated. 
  
  When reviewing the “Packet Final Report”, one will  notice the system was sold on August 7, 2024, the date the agreements were created and emailed to our customer, not August 13, 2024.  Our customer executed the Sale and Installation and Monitoring Agreements on August 7, 2024.  The paperwork included the cover sheet discussed above as well as a Notice of Cancelation that informed our customer she could cancel the transaction without penalty or obligation up until midnight on August 12, 2024.  Additionally, please refer to section E) Initial Term and Automatic Renewal.  Our customer had to initial the statement “The initial term of this Agreement is 60 months (“Initial Term”) in order to execute/complete the electronic paperwork.
  
  We are sorry our customer did not review her agreements again during the 3- business days she had to cancel the transaction without penalty, or even prior to allowing our technician to perform the installation.  Guardian now has an investment in the home and is not in the position to release our customer from her Monitoring Agreement.  If our customer wishes to terminate the agreement early, she may do so per the terms of Section 18. EARLY TERMINATION / CANCELATION in his monitoring agreement. 
  
  Thank you for bringing this matter to Guardian’s attention and providing an opportunity for Guardian to respond to our customer’s statements.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  Agency Complaint Response Team

• Initial Complaint

  08/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company keeps sending me a bill claiming that I owe them money , i have not done business with this it company , I had a account with vintage security which I terminated a few months back i don’t understand how this company keep’s sending me a bill . Sounds like a scam .

  

  Business response

  08/19/2024

  August 19, 2024
  
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main Street, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA 15106
  
          RE:  **** ******* * ********* ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  Thank you for forwarding our customer’s complaint.  Guardian Protection (“Guardian”) values the opportunity to resolve our customer’s issue.
  
  Our customer expressed dissatisfaction with continued billing after she terminated her account with Vintage several months ago.
  
  Guardian reviewed our customer’s account upon receipt of this complaint.  We found our customer had terminated services during the transition of services and billing from Vintage to Guardian.  We were able to confirm the request for termination and that a cancelation document was sent to the contract signer to sign and authorize the termination.  The signed cancellation document was never received from our customer, resulting in the final payment being applied to the account incorrectly.
  
  A representative called our customer and confirmed the billing would be terminated and the account balance was credited to $0.00 on this date.  We apologize there were issues with the processing of the account termination.
  
  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Agency Complaint Response Team

• Initial Complaint

  08/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In the summer of 2021 I purchased my very first home. I opted to have a security system, I chose guardian because several other houses in the neighborhood used them. 3 years went by and I sold my house. I tried to cancel my account but they said there would be a cancellation fee of $1200 due at the time of the call. I told the rep, that there was never a cancellation fee discussed with me at the time of set up. She stated that the contract is for 60 months and that if I end it before the 60 months there is a fee. I do see on the contract where it says 60 months but NOWHERE on the contract does it go over an early cancellation fee. I feel this is wrong of them to try to enforce a cancellation fee without putting it in their contract. I would have never signed that contract had I known that!

  

  Business response

  08/19/2024

  August 19, 2024
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main St, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA   15106
  
  RE:        ****** ***** * ********* ** ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  Thank you for forwarding the above referenced complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”).  Guardian values the opportunity to address our customer’s concern.
  
  Our customer has expressed dissatisfaction with Guardian’s request for payment of the $1,250.00 Early Termination Fee noted in her agreement.  She noted the Early Termination Fee was not discussed by her sales representative and stated she would not have signed a 60-month term had she been aware of the Early Termination Fee. 
  
  For background, our customer’s security system was sold and installed by a representative working for AAA Home Security, LLC (“AAA”) whereby all aspects of the sale and installation, including the electronic paperwork, took place directly with the representative of AAA.  AAA is a separate and distinct company from Guardian, for which Guardian provided 24-hour monitoring and related services for customers whose systems were sold and installed by AAA, until such time that Guardian purchases the account from AAA.  Guardian does not control any day-to-day business activities or any internal policies or procedures of AAA, including security evaluations, sales processes, installation practices or any other aspects of AAA’s business and employees.
  
  Guardian is a customer-centric organization that has put several options in place to assist our customers who move.  Guardian offers to relocate services to our customer’s new home when possible, to waive the balance of the customer’s agreement term if the new owner of the home subscribes to monitoring services with Guardian, and payment of an Early Termination Fee being the worst case scenario.  Our customer confirmed she is not in a position to relocate the service at this time, and it is apparent the new owner is not interested in the monitoring services.
  
  A Guardian representative performed an in-depth review of our customer’s account then contacted our customer.  She noted the terms for terminating services before the end of the initial term are included in our customer’s Monitoring Agreement under Section 8) “Suspension; Termination; Default…”  This being said, due to status of our customer’s initial term and her account history, the representative found we were able to offer a reduced early termination fee which our customer indicated was satisfactory.
  
  Thank you for advising Guardian of this matter and providing an opportunity for additional assistance to our customer.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  Agency Complaint Response Team

  Customer response

  08/19/2024

  [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 is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** *****

• Initial Complaint

  08/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  my complaint to Guardian Protection: “My video doorbells battery has been degrading over the past 4 month i literally talked to more than 4 people & no one noticed today i was harassed & threatened on my porch & my video doorbell was broken & not working because your techs failed to catch a problem. so i call service & they say i have to PAY for a new one despite the product that you sold me & backed breaking. this is the most egregious issue ive ever dealt with in my entire life, Corbin employee * ***** *iterally told me im out of luck. i just paid a $600 bill for my annual subscription & your services aren’t working, you’re breaking the contract we signed & i’m going to be reporting this to the better business bureau. the one & only time i’ve ever needed your camera the camera was broken due to a degraded battery which once again <4 techs looked at it & said nothing about battery degrading. You guys are scamming me 100% & i will not stand for it. i’m going to be reaching out to his superiors with this complaint. your company failed to protect me when i needed it to. i will not rest until the whole world knows what happened today with your equipment malfunctioning while i got harassed on my own door step. this is EGREGIOUS!!!! this is not right & you are refusing to right the situation. you’re scam artists. nothing more”

  Customer response

  08/05/2024

  I had to call to have my broken video doorbell camera removed from my account. they tried billing me for a broken product that they know is broken i’ve talked to so many people there. it’s a corporate scam this is in reference to *********

  

  Business response

  08/12/2024

  August 12, 2024
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main St, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA  15106
  
  RE:        ***** ******** * ********* **********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau: 
  
  Thank you for forwarding our customer’s complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”).  Our customer has been in contact with several Guardian representatives, and we invite the opportunity to perform another review of his account and respond to his assertions.
  
  Our customer expressed dissatisfaction with his video doorbell.  He noted the battery has been degrading, Guardian was unable to detect there was an issue with the battery, the video doorbell no longer works, and feels Guardian should replace his video doorbell at no charge.  He is also unhappy that Guardian did not immediately stop the video doorbell service and reduce his monthly rate.  And lastly, our customer asserts a representative literally told him he was out of luck. 
  
  Guardian would first like to say that we are sorry the customer’s doorbell has been malfunctioning and is now no longer working at all.  With regard to Guardian detecting issues, we refer our customer to Section 9) of his Monitoring Agreement which clearly indicates Guardian does not monitor any signals or images from camera devices.
  
  "9.  CAMERA SYSTEMS: If You purchase a camera, including video doorbells,
  and / or video storage (the “Camera System”), such specialized video service will
  be provided by a subcontractor.  Any capture, use, storage, transmission, or
  destruction of video events or alerts pertaining to the Camera System is conducted
  solely by the subcontractor.  The fee for video Services is included in the MSC.  You
  agree that the video Services are expressly limited to viewing real time events,
  recording and playback of events captured by the Camera System, and receiving
  alerts via Your web-connected device(s).  We do not monitor the video feed from the
  Camera System.  We will not receive signals or images from the Camera System
  and cannot notify any Authority in response to any signal from the Camera System.
  You agree that; (a) We need to access Your computer network to program the
  Camera System; (b) Your computer network will not be operational during
  installation; (c) You will need to have or obtain a compatible wireless router; and (d)
  We are not responsible for the security of stored images or data, including, without
  limitation, those stored on Your device or Your computer network."
  
  The notifications our customer received when his video doorbell lost its wi-fi connection or had battery performance issues, were received from a sub-contractor.  Guardian Technical Care representatives were able to help him reconnect  his video doorbell when he called on June 27, 20024, July 18, 2024, and July 30, 2024.  It was when he called on August 2, 2024 that it was determined the Video Doorbell’s battery was no longer functioning properly.
  
  We are sorry our customer is unhappy with the billable service rates he was quoted.  The warranty on his device has expired and the terms of his sale and installation agreement clearly state the Limited Lifetime System Repair Coverage does not apply to several items/situations including (a) video devices, including cameras, video doorbells, video storage (the “Camera System”) under Section 6.3 “What Is Not Covered.” 
  
  Our customer spoke with a representative from Guardian’s Loyalty Center on August 3, 2024, the day after our customer spoke with Technical Care regarding the video doorbell battery issue.  The Loyalty representative made two offers to our customer, who was not eligible for a free replacement video doorbell:  1) to have the  video doorbell replaced for a flat charge of $175.00 rather than at our billable rates,  or 2) delete the video doorbell from the system and receive a $10.00 per month reduction of his monitoring fees.  
  
  Guardian’s liaison tried reaching our customer to advise him Guardian will honor the Loyalty Center representative’s offer to replace the video doorbell for a fee of $175.00, but her voice messages were not returned.  If our customer decides to take advantage of this offer, he  must contact Guardian and schedule the replacement of the device by August 31, 2024.  If our customer does elect to have his video doorbell replaced as Guardian has offered, his monthly service fees will increase by $10.00 per month when the video doorbell service is reactivated.  
  
  As to our customer’s annual payment for services, his billing was changed back to monthly billing.  Guardian should be able to request a pro-rated refund for the fees he paid for service through July 16, 2025 on August 17, 2024 when the change to monthly billing is completed.
  
  Thank you for providing Guardian with an opportunity to address our customer’s complaint.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  Agency Complaint Response Team

• Initial Complaint

  07/31/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Upon inquiring about the service I was told that the service could be transferred to new location since we anticipated needing to move before the 60 month contract was up. Was not disclosed that it had to be somewhere they operated. Moved out of state after 12 months and asked to transfer service to new location and was told the options were to pay the remaining charges for the life of the contract or transfer the contract to the new owner which they did not want. I knew that I would be moving back to my hometown and was told that it would not be an issue. When the time came I emailed the general manager and she emailed back that they did not operate in my new city.

  

  Business response

  07/31/2024

  July 31, 2024
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main St, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA  15106
  
  RE:        **** ************** * ********* ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau: 
  
  Thank you for advising Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”) of the above-referenced matter.  Guardian values the opportunity to provide address this customer’s concerns. 
  
  This customer’s complaint states her sales representative said the service could be transferred to a new location but did not disclose the new location had to be in an area where they operated.  The other options for early termination were to transfer the service to the new owner or pay the agreement’s early termination fee.  The customer stated the new owners did not want the service and she does not want to pay the early termination fee.  She has asked that the contract be terminated without penalty.
  
  For background, our customer’s security system was sold and installed by a representative working for AAA Home Security, LLC (“AAA”), an authorized dealer of Guardian, whereby all aspects of the sale and installation took place directly with the representative of AAA.  AAA is a separate and distinct company from Guardian, for which Guardian provides 24-hour monitoring and related services.  Guardian does not control any day-to-day business activities or internal policies and procedures of AAA, including security evaluations, negotiations, sales processes, installation practices or any other aspect of AAA’s business and employees.
  
  Guardian’s records indicate *** ************** initially engaged AAA’s services on April 7, 2023, as memorialized in the Sale and Installation and Monitoring Agreements, with the installation and activation of service taking place on June 12, 2023.  The initial term of the Monitoring Agreement is designated as sixty (60) months.  *** ************** acknowledged the initial term by placing her initials beside the separate clause which states, “The initial term of this Agreement is 60 months.”  and executed both agreements when she affixed her electronic signature on them.  Further, AAA informed Guardian that the customer told AAA Home Security via a recorded call that she would be I the home for approximately 5 years.
  
  Given that *** **************** complaint and request relate to her sale, installation, and contractual obligation with AAA, her concerns and request will need to be addressed by AAA.  In an effort to assist in facilitating resolution, Guardian has provided a copy of the complaint to AAA.
  
  *** ************** may contact AAA directly at: AAA Home Security, LLC., 1*** ********** ****** ***** **** ******* ******* ** ******  ********** ***** *******7 to discuss this matter further.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Agency Complaint Response Team

• Initial Complaint

  07/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  After completing my 3-year contract with Guardian, I called to cancel the subscription. I was sent e-documents to sign to confirm the cancellation, which I did. I have continued to be billed, and it has been 6 months since the cancellation. I have called to speak to someone and every time I have called, I have been told all agents are busy and to leave a message. I have not received a callback. I would like Guardian to remove the monthly charges past my cancellation date and stop billing me.

  

  Business response

  08/06/2024

  August 5, 2024
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main Street, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA   15106
  
                  RE:        ******** ***** * ********* ** ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”) is in receipt of the above referenced s complaint.
  
  Our customer is disputing monthly fees Guardian has billed after the cancelation date of her account.  She has request4ed that Guardian remove the monthly charges for services after her cancelation date and stop billing her.
  
  Guardian reviewed our customer’s account in detail and found there had been an error with the cancelation of billing and it continued beyond the January 27, 2024 cancelation effective date.
  
  Guardian applied a credit of $264.22 to our customer’s account, reducing her balance due to $119.82.  Our customer owes $119.82 for the last two months of her agreement’s initial 36-month term.  These bills are for services provided from November 28, 2023 through January 27, 2024.  A representative tried reaching out to our customer to confirm the billing correction but she did not answer the calls and it is unclear if the voice messages to her were recording properly.
  
  Guardian apologizes for the error and the difficulty our customer experienced having the error corrected.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  Agency Complaint Response Team
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for Guardian protection services in June 2021. They put me on a 5 year contract unbeknownst to me. They installed outdoor cameras and an alarm system and i started paying them monthly for services. I never really checked the work they did and didn't need to until Feb/March 2024, when i tested the cameras and found out they were not working. I reached out to guardian and they sent a technician on March 16th to figure out the issue. The technician stated that the cameras were not getting power because the previous technician had placed them in the wrong place. They advised me to place an outlet in the attic which i did. A 2nd technician was sent on April 9th to transfer the cameras to the new outlet. He said that the cameras would need to be replaced. I reached out to guardian for replacement of the cameras and they told me that i had a bill of $479 for the 2nd technician's diagnosis. There was no prior disclosure that i would incur a bill for this service. Then they told me that i would have to pay over $2000 to replace all the cameras. I told them that the cameras were incorrectly placed by the 1st technician sent to my house in June 2021. Why should i pay for replacing them, when the problem arose with the technician. They can't explain the service fee of $479 and they can't show me where it says on the contract that i am responsible for damages incurred by the technician. They have taken money out of my account for 3 years with non working equipment and still want to charge me an exorbitant amount of money for doing their job. This is fraud. How can they keep charging me for services when their equipment is not working.

  

  Business response

  08/06/2024

  August 6, 2024
  
  
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main St, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA  15106
  
  RE:        ******* ***** * ********* ********
  Dear Better Business Bureau: 
  
  Thank you for advising Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”) of the above-referenced matter.  Guardian values the opportunity to address our customer’s concerns. 
  
  Our customer states she signed up for Guardian in June 2021 and we put her into a 5-year contract unbeknownst to her.  She also states she tested her cameras in February or March 2024 and found they were not working.  A technician was sent on March 16th to resolve the issue and the technician found the cameras were not getting power because the  installer had placed them in the wrong place.  The tech advised her to get an outlet in the attic.  Our customer had an outlet installed in her attic.  The technician was sent back and found the  cameras would not power up and needed to be replaced.  She said she received a bill of $479.00 for the second service call and was not told she would incur a bill for the service.  She was also quoted over $2000 to replace all of her cameras.  Our customer doesn’t feel she should have to pay for replacing the cameras when the problem arose from the installation.  Our customer states we also cannot explain the service fee of $479.00.
  
  For background, our customer’s security system was sold and installed by a representative working for AAA Home Security, LLC (“AAA”), an authorized dealer of Guardian, whereby all aspects of the sale and installation took place directly with the representative of AAA.  AAA is a separate and distinct company from Guardian, for which Guardian provides 24-hour monitoring and related services.  Guardian does not control any day-to-day business activities or internal policies and procedures of AAA, including security evaluations, negotiations, sales processes, installation practices or any other aspect of AAA’s business and employees.
  
  Guardian’s records indicate *** ***** initially engaged AAA’s services on June 14, 2021, as memorialized on the attached Sale and Installation and Monitoring agreements.  *** ***** Acknowledged the initial term by placing her initials next to the statement “The initial term of this Agreement is 60 months.” in Section E) of the Monitoring Agreement.  The terms of our customer’s Limited Lifetime System Repair, including what is not covered, is detailed on the first page of our customer’s Sales and Installation agreement under Section C).
  
  Our customer first contacted Guardian about a camera issue on March 4, 2024, approximately 31.5 months after the installation.  Guardian first sent a technician on site to troubleshoot our customer’s video equipment on March 16, 2024.  The technician found a definite issue with the outlet the cameras were plugged into.  He was unable to power the cameras properly and advised our customer the outlet for the cameras needed replaced, and it would be better if it new outlet was located in the attic.  Guardian’s technician was on site for nearly an hour on March 16th, but Guardian did not bill the customer for the trip and labor spent troubleshooting the cameras.
  A Guardian technician was next on site on April 9, 2024 after our customer replaced the electrical outlet and had it relocated to the attic.  Guardian’s technician spent nearly two hours trying to get the cameras working properly but was again unsuccessful.  It is possible the failing electrical outlet the cameras were first plugged into caused damage to the cameras.  The possibility of damage from electrical fluctuations and surges, or lightning damage, cannot be determined until such time as power is restored to the device(s).  Our customer was charged billable rates for this service call, totaling $479.00.  The charges included a trip fee, 1.75 hours of labor, as well as parts charges for a power supply board and battery that were installed in an effort to get the cameras that were installed by AAA working again.
  
  A Guardian representative called our customer and left a voice message to discuss this matter, but her call was never returned.  Our customer’s cameras are well out of their original installation warranty and are not covered by her Limited Lifetime System Repair plan.  She has the option to replace the cameras, or have Guardian turn off the camera services and reduce her monthly fee by $10.00.
  
  Thank you for bringing this matter to Guardian’s attention.  Should have any questions, please contact Guardian at 1-800-776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Agency Complaint Response Team

  Customer response

  08/07/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****

• Initial Complaint

  07/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The alarm system faulted and my house was burglarized. Repeated attempts to get someone to address the issue have been ignored. Their customer support people keep passing me to other people and then they promise to investigate and contact me but have NEVER responded. I lost thousands of dollars of antique coins.

  

  Business response

  07/29/2024

  July 29, 2024
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main Street, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA 15106
  
          ***  ******* ****** * ********* ** ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  Thank you for forwarding our customer’s complaint.  Guardian Protection (“Guardian”) values the opportunity to provide response.
  
  Our customer states their security system faulted and their home was burglarized, and that repeated attempts to have Guardian address the issues have been ignored.
  
  Guardian regretted to learn our customer experienced a burglary, allegedly on May 21, 2024, while they were out of town.  When our customer contacted Guardian on June 3, 2024, the date they found evidence of a burglary, his account was immediately reviewed.
  
  A Guardian Customer Care representative confirmed a tamper signal was received from a door sensor.  Please note that a tamper signal is not an alarm.  It is an indication the sensor cover became ajar or was removed, or the tamper switch itself was damaged or worn out over time.
  
  Three things happened when the signal was received, 1)  Guardian placed an automated call to the only phone number we have on file for our customer.  This call would have provided our customer with the ability to connect with our Monitoring Center if needed, 2) an email was sent to our customer to the same email address he provided in his BBB complaint, and 3) a push notification was sent to his iPhone. 
  
  Our customer spoke with a supervisor in Guardian’s Monitoring Center on June 5, 2024.  The supervisor confirmed Guardian received a tamper signal, not an alarm, and that an automated call was placed to the customer, and an email and push notification were sent.  This supervisor advised he would have our technical team review his account to try and determine why the sensor sent a tamper signal instead of an alarm and call our customer back.
  
  Unfortunately, the Monitoring Center supervisor did not call our customer back after his account was reviewed and we apologize for this lack up follow-up.  The review by Guardian’s in-house technical team found a tamper signal had been received from this device almost monthly since December 2023.  Our customer was notified of the previous tamper signals as well but did not contact Guardian to discuss them or request a service call.
  
  Guardian has offered the customer a service call, at no charge, to service the sensor that sent in the tamper signal, as well as another device the customer is aware is not functioning properly.  Our customer is considering the offer.
  
  Guardian urges its customers to test their entire system at least monthly, and to contact Guardian promptly to troubleshoot an issue and/or request service when an indication of a malfunction is received.
  
  Thank you for providing Guardian with the additional opportunity to respond.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at 1-800-776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Agency Complaint Response Team

  Customer response

  07/29/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]

  They claim that they responded after one call to customer service and that is not true. I made at least 4 calls and each time they claimed that someone would get back to me and they never did.  As, for them leaving me a message - I have every call and every message from the last two months and they did not respond.  This indicates that they are not doing what they claim and this situation is systemic and not just one person forgetting to contact me.   
  I knew from looking at the other complaints that they would blame the age of my system and suggest purchasing a new system.  That is exactly what they did when they called.  They basically said they could not explain why the door faulted instead of sending an alarm but offered to check it now - free.   It’s like closing the gate after the cow escaped.  
  I have had their security service for over 12 years and was lead to believe they were protecting my house but in reality they only provide deterrents to burglary and cannot technically explain why it faulted instead of alarming.   As, they told me on the call “we feel bad for your loss and hope your insurance company covers everything you had stolen”.   I have lost all trust for Guardian and it’s security services.  I will update my insurance policy to cover individual items because that is a better use of my money and buy a Ring doorbell and camera.  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ******

*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. ↩