Tuesday, August 25, 2009

ADT, The Alarm People, Are Crooks!


Hello . . . I'm back. And I'm all fired up again. Has anyone ever had a bad experience with ADT? If so, please respond. I'm trying to get a feel for how many potential plaintiffs there may be out there for a class-action lawsuit. These people are crooks! Which is ironic, considering that the whole thrust of their business is to keep the crooks out of our homes. Little did I know that I was being robbed the entire time that ADT was installing my system!

Long story kind of short, I'm renting a home that has an ADT alarm system already in place. All I needed to do was activate it. When the installer came over to do just that, he told me that the components of my system were "old and outdated," and not compatible with the current system being used all over the country. So he talked me into spending $800 to buy new window and door alarms, as well as a fancy-schmancy glass sensor that activates the alarm if someone breaks a window.

Eight hundred bucks!! Hook, line and sinker!

A week later, the owner of my rental home tells me that he JUST replaced the old ADT components with new ones last October because the installer told him the same thing, that his system was outdated. So I didn't need to buy news components, as the so-called "outdated" ones were less than a year old!

Either one or both of us was swindled. Probably both.

It took this guy 4 hours to install the system -- he wrapped it up around 9:00 p.m. on moving day. I had had the movers here all day, the cable TV, Internet and phone guys came in and out, too, and I was EXHAUSTED! This ADT crook throws about 10 pieces of paper in front of me -- my "contract" -- and asks me to sign. He never explained what I was signing, and I was too tired to ask. Stupidly, I trusted him.

As it turns out, I signed a 3-year contract, which I never would have done had it been explained to me because I am in this rental home for only one year. He knew this, too, because I recall having that discussion with him.

Does it make any kind of sense to you that someone who is leasing a home for only one year would agree to a 3-year contract with an alarm company???

I've been doing a little research, talking to some other folks who have ADT, and I am hearing similar stories. Everyone had a complaint of some sort about them, making me think that there may be grounds for a class-action lawsuit.

Feel free to chime in if you have an ADT story to share, too. We can't let these thieves get away with cheating us like this. Makes me wonder how long they've gotten away with their unscrupulous business practices and how much money they have stolen from everyone.




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30 comments:

Ivan said...

Welcome back Lynn!
It's completely unrelated, but you should read "Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You to Know About" by Kevin Mark Trudeau, he talks about how corrupt the FDA is, the book shifted my views on the pharmaceutical companies. It's a good read!

Felonius Monk said...

"Stupidly, I trusted him."

Why can't I shake the feeling that those four words describe your entire adult life?

Lynn said...

Felonius,

If you're trying to be witty and insightful, it just ain't working. Am I going to have to sick Jouda Mann on you, again? I would have thought you learned your lesson from the last drubbing Jouda gave you.

Lynn said...

And hello, Ivan! Glad to have YOU back! Thanks for the tip on that book. I'll look for it next time I'm at Barnes & Noble. Hope you are doing well, young man!

Jouda Mann said...

Ah, Felonius rears the pasty ball of dough that he calls his ugly head once again.
You really didn't think that you were going to come on here, and pick on my new favorite blogger without me saying something, did you?
Though, I notice that your attacks have become more the guerrilla type, hit and run. What more can we expect from a coward who measures a good night by how many times he got off to WoW porn on YouTube?
Really Felonius, is your life so sad and pathetic that you have to wait around until Lynn has ten minutes free six weeks from her last post, so that you can get one small barb in?
It is? How depressing.

Lynn!
How lovely to see your posts again after your long hiatus!
Really quick:
ALL security companies are scams. But they're very good at their job, and have had lots of practice scamming people, so don't be too hard on yourself. More on that later.
Yes, it IS a good thing she walked out of the room. It's exactly as you surmise, and it will give her pause when the situation arises.
And last, regarding your email address, are you still on the boat? I have an idea that I think you will like.

HeyJoe said...

I'm confused as to why you're putting $800 into a home that you're renting. Will you get that money back when you move out or will you take your ADT system with you?

We have an ADT alarm on our home and honestly don't recall getting screwed at any point...yet. Now you've got me concerned.

Lynn said...

Jouda and Joe,

I thought I'd respond to you both in one fell swoop of a post. First off. Joe, I spent the $800 on an alarm because, rental or not, I will be living here for a year and feeling safe and secure in my home at all times is important to me. Capiche?

Jouda, thanks for coming to my rescue with Feloney Baloney. I was laughing out loud over your comments! And I'm your favorite blogger? Me?? Really?? Do you have any ties with Rupert Murdoch?

To answer your quetsion, no, I do not have the boat anymore. The ex got it in the divorce. I got the e-mail address. My idea, not his. And what's this idea of yours?? You've piqued my interest . . .

Jouda Mann said...

OK Lynn, do me a favor and write to me at ogre_in_arlington@yahoo.com. I seem to have misplaced your email address. Then I'll send you an email back, and we can get this Idea off the ground.
'kay, bye

Felonius Monk said...

Lynn,you silly bitch,Jouda Mann is stalking you,you fucking twit,but,seeing as how you might be the stupidest cunt on the West Coast,you just don't get it.

Have fun with the invertible rape.

And Jouda,I'm sorry,you pile of perverted shit,I don't play WoW,and I don't stalk housewives on the Internet(though it;s probably her kids that you're after,now that I think about it).

And Lynn,you are an idiot.You didn't read the fucking contract,you just signed papers because some guy scared you with a line of bullshit.

Jouda Mann said...

Felonius, what interests me most is that you used to be just a somewhat annoying, and today you have apparently gone a little off the deep end into something a little more aggressive.
What happened Felonius? Did your sister not give you a blowjob today? Did your nice uncle come back to town and show you your naughty place again? Did he take you down to Uncle Touchy's Naked Puzzle Basement? I know it's awkward when he makes you feel so good, and you know you'll burn in hell for the feelings that you have for him, but if you just learn to accept yourself, you can move to Ohio, where you can marry an older man that reminds you of him.

Lynn said...

Felonius,

I really can't top anything Jouda has said to you. Except to say, quite simply, that you are a complete ASS! Do you have an actual blog of your own where we can leave comments that are as equally thought-provoking as the ones you leave on my blog? Seems only fair.

myrna said...

Sometimes I think these people who service...you name it; Comcast,ATT,security systems, plumbing whatever are just clueless. I just moved too and had the full round of service people in my house. I don't think many of them are smart enough to be unethical - they're just not professional, don't give a hoot and would rather be anywhere else than at work. Yours does sound suspiciously unethical though. good luck

Lynn said...

Myrna,

Welcome! Nice to see a new face on my blog. Yeah, I think you're right in many respects. The technicians are just looking for a paycheck. It's the management behind the service people whose ethics I question. A little update: After a little bitching on the phone with the right person, ADT resturned to my home and made good on a few things. I think they realized I had a sound argument and probably just wanted to shut me up. So they threw in a few free items. I'm still stuck to my
3-year contract -- THAT was non-negotiable! -- but now I understand that I can take the whole system with me when I leave.

800amalarm said...

The only way is that all alarm companies in southern Californiashould be aware of the latest technologies.

Anonymous said...

http://hubpages.com/hub/ADT-Crooks

Anonymous said...

Happened to me,the guy said sign right here so I can get paid for coming out today.I had been with them for 7 years,moved to a rental,until I could find another home to buy.I assumed they were just moving my service,like electricity,water,gas etc. I was only going to be in the rental for 6 months to a year they said I signed a 3 year contract and would not back down,Robbed Me !! JIm Atkins 859-548-5955 jim@fastidl.com

Anonymous said...

I am terribly sorry you and so many others have had such a bad experience with ADT. I am an ADT installer and I know how we do things here in East Tennessee. Never do we have you sign after the install, and it is gone over and the customer fully understands. We have actually removed things sold by the salesman due to it not being needed or, in your case, if it was good equipment, we use it whenever possible. We try to save the customer money, and help them feel secure at the same time. Yes, our contracts are 3 years, but I have seen that waived in some circumstances, but you can get relocation credit for when you do find another home. Again, I hate you had such a bad experience. My suggestion would be to go to ADT corporate website, get in contact with some of the higherups, and give them some serious feedback on what happened. That is definitely not standard ADT practices.

Jim Atkins said...

I had ADT in my house for 8 years,I sold the house and moved into a rental while a new house was being built in another state,I was only going to be in the rental 6-7 months,I had,electric,water,phone,gas and cable transfered to new address.I called ADT told them to transfer service in the rental,they said OK,They came to my new place,hooked up a box,friendly then said sign here so I can get paid for coming out.I signed,6 months later when I was to move they said Oh no you signed a 2 year agreement,I said,I signed a teo year agreement over 7 years ago,no you signed it 6 months ago.They made me pay even though Wouldn't be in the house the last 18 months. Would not work with me,they are crooks,I'd never use them again if thieves broke in every day. ADT are thieves and crooks !!

Jen said...

Hi lynn, those folks are crooks! I had them install a system at my rental and they told me it wouldn't be a problem to move it when I move. They gave me a rate of 45.99/mo, on top of about 350.00 worth of equipment. Then when I was about to move, thy told me I had to pay for a tech to come out an remove it --- but they were only going I remove it, and not patch up the big holes they left on the wall. They said it was 150.00. Screw that! I ripped it off myself and brought it over to the new place. The agent tried to sell me a new system even though I only had it for about 5 months. I said I took the one with me. The agent said I should have left that at the apartment. I said "why? I paid for it! It's mine. And besides, my apartment would charge me for leaving this stuff there. She was stymied. The tech came and he was nice. I have no issues with him. When my invoice came, thy still charged me for a new system even though I didn't purchase one. It took a lot of arguing and evidence for them to take it off. Then I found out that to move, I needed to renew for another 3 years so I would be penalized for breaking the other contract. The contract I signed said my rate was still 45.99 but they kept taking 60.17/mo out of my card. I called them out on ot and finally asked for a sheet of paper saying my rate was 45.99. I am faxing it to my bank and putting them on alert, so ADT cannot take more than the agreed amount off my account. After my contract is done, I am going to get security protection against THEM.

The Candy Lady said...

It seems that if you google the works "tricked by ADT" you could spend weeks going thru the results. The stories are all about these contracts and promised pricing on equipment. In my case I was having a new system installed at a new address to fulfill my 3 year contract. I was never told that a new contract would be started and more importantly, when I signed the new contract it was in a clipboard and I was told I was signing off on my installation. I should have read better but they also shouldn't be allowed to lie. I am going to see about having a law passed so that if you are signing into a contract for any length of time, you should have to initial all the terms.

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Anonymous said...

Back Again to remind people that ADT representatives are lying crooked thieves.Get your alarm system anywhere except from these liars !! Sincerely,Jim Atkins

Anonymous said...

Back Again to remind people that ADT representatives are lying crooked thieves.Get your alarm system anywhere except from these liars !! Sincerely,Jim Atkins

Anonymous said...

Totally agree, these crooks ( ADT Tyco )are doing the same in the United Kingdom, using scare tackics to rip off Old People. Conning people into never ending Rental and monitoring agreements that there sales people say you can cancel after 18 months. However then you find it is impossible to do so. The peace of mind is Joke. Crooks all the way to the Top and How is Tycos Big Dennis the Tax avader doing in Jail.

Anonymous said...

Yes Dennis Kozlowski thats the guy, once a hero and leader of Tyco until he got court out.

Recieved $81 Million in unauthorised Bonuses

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Kozlowski

Many more Bad Apples I'm sure!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

ADT is full of it. I could get into a HUGE story on how much they ripped me off. But I won't. Simply because it makes me angry. I will try to keep it short and simple. I had some liars sell me a system. The whole purpose was because we travel a lot and I have animals. And I wanted to make sure if something happened and we were not home my animals would be protected also.(in case of a fire) For when the pet sitter was not here either. Well, they came out and installed a brand new system. As the install tech was working he cuts a HUGE piece out of my wall (had no clue that was gonna happen) and tells me oh no you have to pay extra for tons of other pieces. (Just so my whole home is protected. Really? The sales people told me everything I needed was included in the set price. BS!!! I only have 4 windows and 2 doors protected. That leaves 4 windows unprotected. Who pays to protect half their home?? Well, I guess I do. :/ Fire and carbon-monoxide protection is another $200+ to have installed. I HATE this company. The treat their customers like crap and over charge big time!!! Oh yes, and to cancel service I have to pay twenty some dollars a month compared to thirty something to keep it. (even though I NEVER even called to actually activate the system) I did the 7 day test run and hated it and they still refused to cancel our contract. They are awful to work with.

Unknown said...

ADT is not finished with me yet. They want a few thousand dollars and then they will charge me their regular fees--none of which are for services that I need or want. I discontinued their services a few months after they sold me a contract, but they do not allow for customers to discontinue service. Once a client always a client. I sold my house and during the selling process they reached a relative who thought she was doing me a favor by answering the telephone. Oh, yes, she said, she would be happy to let them collect the account. Now ADT is screaming that they will turn me over to collections, which could be scary for a 78-year-old woman with no income to count on and a collection agency that will probably take every cent and wreck my credit to keep me out of every rental unit in the country.
ADT should be subject to a class action lawsuit that will put them out of business. They are robbing people with little or no ability to pay back what ADT says they owe and in most cases do not. Cancelling a contract is unheard of to ADT. My risk of robbery or other Their joy is my destruction.

Unknown said...

My comment was cut short. I just want to say I'm as close to broke as a person can get, living on social security and that's it! ADT doesn't care. If they can squeeze any money out of me, all the better for them! They don't care if I starve to death. Which is a very real possibility soon.

Pht alarms said...

Τα συστήματα ασφαλείας της εταιρείας ADT είναι από τα κορυφαία παγκόσμιος και αξιόπιστα.
Είμαστε Επαγγελματίες εγκαταστάτες συναγερμών και ασχολούμαστε με τους συναγερμούς για σπίτια τα τελευταία 20χρονια