NOT Alarmforce anymore.We have had Alarm Force for 10 years and now we are going away from it due to their one-man service. "Free"is good until you have a problem. their system shorted the phone line ( relay locked open probably) and cooked the high speed modem ($79.95 plus tax) but the fellow refused to admit any problem, and insulted my friend the phone line fellow. then he said we should have been running a full test of the system every month. then he suggested over the phone a "hard reset" of the system. I wanted another unit; he didn't want to do that and said again that "you can never be too sure with the phone system"I'm going local with the ADT all in one price, and they have a line check they do every month for problems. AND no extra charges for battery service.AlarmForce, the main unit, which they own, has to have the battery replaced $100 plus sooner or later, 3 or 4 years max.If we were broken into would they say the system was not at fault because we didn't test it every month?There are problems getting calls back within 2 days, and I heard it cost one older lady $200 to have him come and check and replace her batteries throughout the house.Certainly something similar I know of happened to my folks, $100 plus to check the batteries.I'm not happy with service, a one man show.Me? I'm an Electro-mechanical research gadget builder and know a little bit about this over the last 30 years, so to hear it passed off on the phone company again when I was there with the meter in my hand- well that's just crap.- Unknown
4 comments:
Anonymous said...
This guy is a moron. I do not have an alarm service yet and was doing some research to see if there were any issues/complaints about the company. I want to add, that I worked for a security company for 14 years as a service technician. The way an alarm system works is a sensor connected to the main control panel triggers an alarm event when armed. This in turn, activates the dialer inside the control panel. The dialer does a couple of things then. 1 - The dailer relay which is a dry contact NO VOLTAGE what so ever, changes position/toggles to check for dial tone. When the control panel senses the dial tone, it then dials - hence the name - a preprogrammed number, just like a redial on your phone. The monitoring center is then called, again just like your phone at your house. Data is normally exchanged between the Control Panel and the Monitoring Center and then the Control Panel hangs up. The more likely cause is that the phone line probably took a surge that back fed the Control Panel, fused the relay shut and continued to the next device, the modem. This guy probably doesn't realize this but the alarm probably took the brunt of the surge and slowed it down. He is lucky that all his phones in the house were not damaged. You see in order for the alarm to have priority over other phones in your house, it is usually the first in line if installed properly. In 14 years, I have seen my share of cooked phone lines and equipment. NEVER was it the cause of the alarm system. IT IS A LOW VOLTAGE SYSTEM! It operates in most cases at 12 volts DC and pulls realitively no noticeable current unless the siren is sounding during an alarm. The a/c transformer is usually 12-18VAC. The same as a cordless phone. Come on you Thomas Edison want to be - Don't talk about things you don't understand.
June 28, 2007 5:40 AM
Anonymous said...
ADT Isn't the Greatest Solution either. They are just as bad when it comes to scamming the consumer... They just do it on a larger scale.As far as Dialer tests go, they are useless unless they are done daily. With how overleaded the receiver lines at ADT are, they generally ignore 1 fail to test, sometimes even 2. In this scenario, you will not find out about a buggered panel for up to 3 months. Yes, some panels will indicate a failure to communicate trouble, however ADT disables that on most of their panels because they do not want extra service calls.In addition, ADT has a 30 to 45 second Abort Delay STANDARD. What this means is if a crackhead breaks into your home, they have the initial 30 seconds to do whatever. Once the alarm starts to ring, they have up to an additional 40 seconds to find your panel and destroy it. This is not difficult as most ADT Systems are wireless and the whole alarm is on the keypad, or the panel is right next to the siren.... Not hard to find that with the siren ringing and the panel doing squat for 40 seconds. That is over 1 minute of useless alarm people. Think about it.
May 19, 2008 7:07 PM
Anonymous said...
I have worked for an security alarm compeny for a little over 5 year 3.5 as tech 1.5+ as an inspector. Alarmforce should be called Alarmfarce. The sytem they use is antiquated by design. What i mean is the technoligy is at least 20 years old. Also most of their customers use the phone to arm/disarm system (can you say redail!!!!!) also they do NOT have phone line siezure which means that if the phone is off hook it can NOT call out or if the Bulglar calls in it can NOT call out. Placement of the panel is another story. The kichen counter or behind a couch is good enough?? Next most devices are 2-way taped on?? Also for the first 30 to 90 seconds the "operator" you hear is a recording until a live operator can get to your alarm. Next and most important Joel advertises his 2-way as a good way to confirm alarms only thing is if the bulglar is queit the it goes the same way as any other alarm unverified. Next if it is a robbery in progress and the operator comes on after you press your panic button i really hope you are wearing a bullet proof jacket>>>>
June 20, 2008 12:37 PM
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I have recently finished with a 3 yr contract and returned all equipment. I have my termination letter and UPS proof of delivery. Alarm Force claims that I did not return everything. I wish I took a photo of the box to prove I did. Now I have a bill for missing equipment for $291.36 and sent me to collections. This is stealing and harrassment. I have filed a complaint with BBB, Market Place and other blogs. Please do not get Alarm Force get a real security company. Also, customer service reps are rude and this usually comes from top down management. I had to buy the battries and change the battires my self, the problem is, when their battry runs low, we have to change the battries in each and every device, so it was costing me about $68 every 3 months. Their $25 per month is all bull shit, as we have to spend so much money to maintain their system. After researching this company I wish I never gave them my business and hard earned money.
ReplyDeleteAlarm Force Service is blocked when the phone is off the hook and their so called 2-way voice box is just pluged in to an outlet in kitchen. — so any smart burglar would know how to disable the system and the process to do his work in peace without interruption by the “security” system. There are several REAL security systems that cost no more — and actually provide security. I have done my re-search now and would be going with MHB Security for my new ADT System. I would own the system with MHB Security, so I will not be required to return any thing plus they will also change the battries for free during my 3 eyars contracts.
I have never heard of such incompetence. My mom was signed up for the personal alarm pendant. From the first moment things were screwed up. I live in another city and had an appointment to meet the installer at my mom's place to set things up. My mom is deaf and 94 years old. The installer showed up an hour early, set things up, fried the phone line and blamed it on the retirement home's line and left. When I got there at the alotted time, my mom didn't even have her phone working. We paid for the phone line to be repaired and made another appointment. Same thing again. He showed up early, hooked things up, explained things to my mom, unplugged her TV (she couldn't bend down to plug it in behind the bureau afterwards)and left. Well, since my mom is deaf, you can imagine how much of an explanation she got..... When I got there, my mom was in tears.
ReplyDeleteMy mom broke her hip a few weeks later. She pushed the pendant button and Alarmforce called her telephone. Of course, she was lying on the ground a few metres away from the table that the phone was on. Someone from the retirement home found her a couple of hours later and called the ambulance. We had a very difficult time afterwards making sure that they understood that they should not be calling my mom's phone to make sure it wasn't a false alarm and then when no one answers, not bother doing anything else.
Now mom is in a nursing home. I tried to cancel the contract. Their system is set up so that they advise two months notice. The notice must be in sriting - I understand that. Once they recieve the notice in writing, they wait for a phone call from you to ask if they have received the notice. Once you have called, they then send out a UPS prepaid package for you to return the equipment. That can take up to a month they informed me. Since they only close accounts on the 15th of the month, I am pretty sure that they probaby wait til the 16th to mail that envelope out. Once the package is received, the account is closed.
I suggested that they just give me the address and I would return the equipment via UPS myself. Better yet, just drop the equipment off at the installer's place. Seems simple enough. They gave me the address in Toronto and that is what I am going to do.
Funny thing is in all of that, they billed my mom but in all her papers, I have found no invoice from them so I don't think they have ever received any payments from anyone.
The guy on their TV ads probably started the company with good intentions but I would bet he has no idea of the incompetence of the people he has hired. Perhaps now that I have their address, I can write him a letter. :) - In case anyone wants the address -Alarm Force, 675 Gary Ray Drive, Toronto, M9L 1R2. Have fun.
This is the first time in my 36 years on this earth that I have ever been so disgusted with a company that I have taken the time to figure out how to post a poor review and WARN people what they are dealing with. The system their technicians installed had issues from day 1. After multiple phone conversations with IT to troubleshoot issues (and many after hold times as much as 15-20 minutes long), as well as 3 service calls where I had to take time off work to meet with the service tech, it was finally determined that the system had "interference". I was point blank informed by the last technician that the system never should have been installed as it was, as the distance from the keypad and the main box was too far. Anyway...after hours...and I mean HOURS of discussing the issue with IT, then the customer NO SERVICE representatives and finally the manager, we concluded it best to have the system removed, and that they would then refund the money I had spent on the original equipment purchase ($200 +/-). The system was removed from my home, and 2 MONTHS LATER I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED MY REFUND!!!!! After about a month I called and spoke with the customer NO SERVICE representative and she stated that they had not yet received the equipment back...to which I replied...and this is my "fault" HOW - it is YOUR technician? Her defense: that "they have no control over how long it takes for equipment to ship through customs" (can we say BUY AMERICAN), and that until it was received, my refund couldn't be processed. What was then determined was that THEIR installer hadn't even sent the equipment back yet. I "suggested" that she call them and verify they had the equipment so that they could issue my refund, which she refused to do. Additionally...they did not cancel my automatic deduction, which she said she couldn't cancel until they received my equipment back...anyone else find this ABSURD and UNETHICAL??? After too much blood pressure elevation, I asked to talk with the manager and have spoken to him on MULTIPLE occasions. "Supposedly" the check for the equipment is in the mail (two months later)...BUT my check for "reimbursement" of my AFT deduction is "being processed and should be sent in the next 4-8 weeks". If you are looking for a complete lack of Customer Service, lack of common sense, poor business model, faulty installation and an absolute HEADACHE - you have found your company. If not...CONSUMER BEWARE.
ReplyDeleteAlarmForce is useless. Aside from all the bullshit with the system if the power is out - and the other night the system was beeping all night after and didn't let me sleep and when I called and asked to fix it from their side, as I know before they've reset it - the guy told me to shut it off till morning. WHY the hell do I have it then anyway ??? Another incident everyone was out and the alarm went off - they call our cell and ASK if we want them to check it out. I wonder if they couldn't reach the cell what would be done ? left a message for me to let them know later ??? When I said that yes, they have to go and check. Whoever was there checking only looked at the front door and since nothing was wrong - called in and Alarm Force called me again to let me know nothing was wrong. We have 2 other doors in the back of the house that you can't see from the front door. I mean what's the point ????? What burglar in the right mind would go off the front entrance on the busy street ??????
ReplyDeleteBatteries are all yours to buy and sensors burn through them like clockwork every 6 months... Not even 2 years for the com-box battery - so that's another 120$.
PLEASE think about all the costs when ordering an alarm service. 2 way talk is great but get yourself friends if all you want to do is talk- if you want security system go somewhere else. Alarm Force is useless.
not happy with alarm force. i had alarm force in my old home but had problems with the batteries in the unit. when we moved to our new home the installer came. wouldn;t give me a new battery with the new installation. wanted me to pay another huge amt. i thought as advertized on tv that maintenance is free i;d at least get a new battery. so in the new house the alarm service doesn;t work properly. i;m at the end of my contract now. on the contract it states april 16.2007 i cancelled july 19 2011 by letter. sent back the equipment ups july 28. now you;d think alarm force would not charge after july 19 but lo and behold they went ahead to reap yet another 28.oo from my account. i don;t even have the equipment to use the service. so today i put a stop payment. i;m filing a bbb report today. the customer branch was rude demanding that i do all sorts of things to cancell service like call my insurance company; write a letter why i;m cancelling; etc. well alarm force. here;s why your representatives are rude your ripping off the canadian consumer your advertisments on tv are misleading. the equipment is outdated for todays technology alarms go off no-one resonds over the system and get this our insurance company doesn;t recognize your alarm company. go figure, also i now have a repair bill of over 200.00 for huge hole the installer put in my wall to mount the motion sensor equip. he used 2and a half inch screws into my drywall in the hall. the previous guy stuck it up with tape. why screws this time. read your contracts people before yu sign. this company alarm force is a rip off. trust me you;d be better getting a dog. at least it would bark. oh by the way in my contract it states amt payable are strctly based upon the value of services offered. so what services have i recieved for this months payment aug 2. of 28.00 nothing. i wouldn;t get this company again to save my life.j ballinger
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