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Report: #268376

Complaint Review: APX | Ripoff Report Verified - Provo Utah

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  • Reported By: Las Vegas Nevada
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  • APX | Ripoff Report Verified 5132 N. 300 W Provo, Utah United States of America

APX Alarm REVIEW: APX Alarm commitment to total customer satisfaction. APX Alarm's past and current approach to business is about protecting families and providing the best customer experience from the beginning to the end of the customer's time with the company. Provo Utah


*UPDATE: APX Alarm pledges their commitment to Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy, Business Remediation and Customer Satisfaction Program. A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business. APX Alarm recognized by Ripoff Report Verified as a safe business service.

*General Comment: Mormons aren't bad!

*UPDATE Employee: APX is a great company to work for and to work with

*Consumer Comment: Parrot Training - Rules to Follow To Prepare Your Parrot For Talking - Find Out With Parrot Training

*Consumer Comment: Most Popular Parrot Breeds

*Consumer Comment: Feeding a Parrot

*REBUTTAL Owner of company: J D Power & Associates

*Consumer Comment: you effing retards

*Consumer Comment: Ummm... I'm not sure

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Shocked and apolled

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Ethics are relative--Not part of the Mormon church

* : Wrong.

*Consumer Comment: pushy

*Consumer Comment: Doing business with Mormons

*Consumer Comment: APX is a crooked company, but not affiliated with LDS church

*UPDATE Employee: Don't be upset because of user error.

*UPDATE Employee: Try to be positive, brother.

*UPDATE Employee: Try to be positive, brother.

*UPDATE Employee: Try to be positive, brother.

*UPDATE Employee: Try to be positive, brother.

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: If APX is a barrel of apples, it's mostly bad.

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: contracts and explainations

*UPDATE Employee: Misunderstanding

*UPDATE Employee: All companies, large or small, have their bad apples...

*Consumer Comment: An Ugly thing to read

*Author of original report: Update 8/23/07

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Ripoff Report Verified REVIEW: EDitors UPDATE: Positive rating and recognition has been given to APX Alarm for its commitment to excellence in customer service. Ripoff Reports discussions with the company have uncovered an ongoing commitment to total customer satisfaction. You can expect to have any questions or concerns that you have with them to be answered and resolved in a timely manner. They have shown us their customer service process, and it reflects a desire to serve customers, as well as fix problems. The company's management specifically told us about how their job is to simplify lives and help people to live intelligently. The management really wants every person who buys a system to feel valued. The concern for each customer's experience starts at the top, and is reflected in the action of every employee they hire. The company also works to monitor their sales and customer support calls to see how they can be improved. They use these calls as examples for employees in training. Currently, Vivint is working to make changes to their contracts to make things easier for their customers as they have found that many of their complaints stem from feeling misled or customers paid fees they did not feel they authorized. Statements from company executives "We are committed to making homes safe for families. With advanced early detection systems, many home fires are preventable and can be stopped in the beginning stages, saving lives. We have a plan for every family and every budget, and whether you choose our most basic or expanded services, you can be sure of our top quality technology and expert customer support. STATED IMPROVEMENTS FROM THE COMPANY. We have simplified our customer service process to decrease the amount of time that a customer has to wait before speaking with a representative. Our customer service will look at your contract, listen to recorded phone calls, and make sure to get to the bottom of your issue to resolve things THE RIGHT WAY. We want customer's to have a positive experience, and we understand that sometimes customer's fall on hard times. We're willing to work with all of our customers. Their experience and safety are our primary concerns. Read more about why consumers should feel confident when doing business with a member of Rip-off Report's Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program. Yes, its a long name for a program that does a lot for both consumers and businesses alike. Read about Ripoff Report Corporate Advocacy Business Remediation & Customer Satisfaction Program,.. A program that benefits the consumer, assures them of complete satisfaction and confidence when doing business with a member business. this program works. As a matter of policy, when a business becomes a member of the Corporate Advocacy Programthey agree to allow Ripoff Report to contact every client who filed a complaint so they can make things right with them. In order to confirm that the complaints were resolved, Ripoff Report is copied on all responses so we can insure that the member business did right by their customer.. NOW TO THE ORIGINAL REPORT THAT WAS FILED -----------------------------------


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APX ALARM, APX Alarm Security Solutions, Apex SHELL COMPANY & SCAM ARTISTS - MORMON LED ! RIPOFF Provo Utah

My story reads pretty much the same as most of the APX Alarm stories that I have read on this site. First of all, they recruit these clean-cut young Mormon BYU (Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah) Students because as the young man informed me "We are clean-cut, dressed very conservatively, and know how to talk with adults as we are trained from the time we start in LDS Churches and onto becoming Missionaries how to communicate with adults and especially Seniors, being very respectful but persistent. We have the best of Company Presentation Program training and we don't take NO for an answer" smiling all the while. They seem to always come by later in the evening hours (this is because the Better Business Bureaus, State Consumer Protection, Chamber of Commerce, etc. offices are usually near to closing) and they always play on the sympathy of "they are BYU Students trying to earn some money for school during the summer". They must have your Soc. Sec. # in order to see if you have a good credit rating to know that you will pay your billings. The salesman/contact person told me he only had 5 homes in our "newly crime accented area" to give away free and he had already gotten 4 placed and just needed one more. He told me that "the company has a contract with Metro Police and they report to them". This is a lie, as the Metro Police DO NOT GO OUT ON ALARM CALLS as this would tie up so many Police Officers, too bad I found out too late on this. He also said that the equipment was valued at about $4000. and was free to the 5 homes if they signed a service contract of $39. per mo. and the price would not go up in the first 60 months. We did not have the system installed as his sales pitch lasted 2 hours and it was now around 7:30 pm, but he needed to at least have the main box put on a wall for me to qualify and that is when he contacted the "installer - another young clean-cut MORMON BYU Student" who took another 2 hours installing the main box and then gave me his cell number to call (they provide them with cell phones when they are selling and installing) when we got back from an out-of-town grandson's graduation. We got back about 4 days later and called him to tell him he had to wait another 2 days to do the install of sensors, etc. Of course we experienced the "usual false alarms" getting used to the system and we had trouble with our phones but could not understand what was happening. We knew we had problems, but what exactly we did not know, only that for the first time since our phones were installed 19 years ago, we suddenly did not have the use of them when the alarm would sound. IT LOCKED UP OUR PHONES. We are both seniors and have health problems and concerns and the last thing we need is non-use of our phones. The alarm went off at 8:20 am on this particular morning and my husband had opened the door without disarming it, he then tried for 5 attemps to use our phone and call or disarm the alarm to no avail. He finally gave up and did not say anything to me about it until around 10:55 am our closest friend came over to our home and rang our bell to investigate as they were notified just 12 minutes before that a burglary alarm had sounded and they were the 2nd. notify name. They were told that we did not answer our phones and at least 3 calls were made to our home by the APX Alarm to check up on the alarm, they then tried calling our daughter for 3 attempts and were unsuccessful with contacting her, they then called a "Priority One Security Service" company that does their home contact and that company said that the home was secure and that they saw no broken windows in front or in back of the home, so they then contacted our friends.

There was at least a 2 1/2 hour gap from the time that the alarm went off and our friends arrived at our door and it took them just 12 minutes to come over. The above statements from the person that spoke to our friends is a total lie. 1. We were home all morning and never got any phone calls because the system had locked up our phones. 2. Our daughter's number that they claim to have called, which is her cell phone, was never called as she was at her home having a "garage sale" and had her cell phone on her person, it never rang from this company, even though she got other calls on it during this 2 1/2 hr. interval. 3. No Security Patrol came to our home as they never came to our front door and could not have entered our backyard as we keep a LOCK on our side gate and it would have been impossible to hop the gate and see the rear windows. Also no Ring the Bell from whoever claimed to go to the home. 4. What timeline seems prudent for Security purposes? Not a 2 1/2 hr. span before the final "notifiy person" is contacted? 5. And what about not contacting the Metro Police Dept. at this point? We could have been the victims of a "home invasion" and not been able to do anything? What kind of security service is this? NONE!!!

It took another 3 hours of phone calls and talking with at least 3 companies, 8- 10 individuals to finally establish by the APX Alarm Technician Dept. that INDEED THE SYSTEM WAS LOCKING-UP OUR PHONE SYSTEM and could we please let them come and fix it by delaying the relay to them so that the alarm would take about 45 seconds before it would relay - they needed to "doctor up our phones". I told them NO! I wrote a letter to them telling them that they did not provide the "contracted service" (we had called at least 4 previous times to complain about something being wrong with the phones and the system) and certainly not in a timely fashion. Their MORMON BRAIN-WASHED PERSONNEL DO NOT LISTEN TO THEIR CLIENTS, NOR ARE THEY GOING TO COOPERATE! This is a SHELL TYPE COMPANY that sub-contracts out for Monitoring services with local companies and lie about Police Monitoring. They are SIMPLY IN BUSINESS TO GET CONTRACTS SIGNED and DO NOT HAVE LOCAL PERSONNEL FOR SERVICE MONITORING & HOUSE SECURITY CONTACT. This is a SCAM on Citizens. I was told by the Attorney General's Office, Consumer Protection Dept. that they have revised their "Contracts filed with the State" 5 times to assure that every aspect of Nevada Law (as I am sure of every State) is gotten around with "Iron Clad Clauses" that are printed on 8 1/2 x 14" pink paper with Grey Ink - I WEAR TRI-FOCALS FOR GOODNESS SAKE!! WHAT A NIGHTMARE! But I have reported them to the Nevada and Utah Better Business Bureaus, the Chamber of Commerce, the Attorney General's Office and I think I will have to go to the news media and TV Stations next if they continue. They said that they will simply file a LIEN AGAINST MY HOME! AND WILL COLLECT FOR THE ENTIRE AMOUNT UP FRONT IF THEY TAKE THE SYSTEM OUT! I never suspected I was here to KEEP THEM IN BUSINESS, DESPITE NOT BEING GIVEN THE SERVICE THEY SO PROUDLY LIED ABOUT! I want to know if anyone else is contemplating a CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT and how to start or get in on one. On the web site: SecurityInfoWatch.com there is a great article, along with lots of others if you Google "APX ALARM SECURITY". There was even a site that I think is for a Lawsuit by "General Security, Inc. vs.

APX Alarm Security Solutions, Inc. et al". Any help will be appreciated. I will not let this go on. I ALSO CONTACTED MY CREDIT CARD COMPANY and told them the entire story and put in a "Dispute Claim" that is being investigated. I will drop the CARD if they pay that Company, even though I have had it for at least 15 years.

Thanks for listening - LET'S GET IM OUT OF BUSINESS!

Sdp Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 08/17/2007 07:53 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/apx-ripoff-report-verified/provo-utah-84604/apx-alarm-review-apx-alarm-commitment-to-total-customer-satisfaction-apx-alarms-past-a-268376. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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24Consumer
1Employee/Owner

#25 General Comment

Mormons aren't bad!

AUTHOR: R U SERIOUS? - (United States of America)

POSTED: Sunday, January 16, 2011

It is too bad that you have to write such negative comments about APX and the Mormon people. I am sure that the college guy salesmantold youEXACTLY what school he was attending, that heWAS a mormon and that the only reason he got the job is because he is persistant because he grew up in a church. Ya RIGHT! Did you catch the ward he attends too? What about what mission he served?

You shouldn't stereotype or judge, but I am sure you already know this.

If you couldn't read, why in the world did you sign?! Do I need to tell you how silly that is? You should know better!

I know amazing people who are "Mormons" and if you don't agree with their beliefs so be it. But stop the bashing already.

This isn't really about the APX alarm system is it. Guess it is time that we are accountable for ourselves. So you signed and didn't want to continue, what happened to being honest and responsible for our actions. Does this not pertain to you too?

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#24 UPDATE Employee

APX is a great company to work for and to work with

AUTHOR: Tyler - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, October 13, 2010

I work at APX corporate offices and I couldn't be more happy with how I am treated as an employee.  Plus, as an employee, you can leave anytime you want if your not happy with it.  I know that am always payed exactly on time for exactly the amount I worked for.  I have done sales both during the summer knocking on doors and over the phone at headquarters.  While I was knocking doors, I did work with some guys who I thought were shady, but the majority of the guys were honest and tried to help people to the best of their ability.  While working at headquarters doing sales over the phone, I can say that all of the people I work with are always honest and really try to help people.  If anyone is lying, they are caught and are fired immediately.  We record phone calls for this reason to ensure that these kind of people are quickly released. 

What most people don't seem to realize is that "summer employees", as in the techs and sales reps, are basically private contractors.  That means that you will get shady people because they most likely lied to get hired and they continue lying to people just to get paid.  If APX could some how monitor sales rep knocking on doors like they can in the call centers, then I am sure they would quickly fire any shady sales reps.  I know first hand that they train us to be honest, straightforward and trustyworthy.  Yes sometimes we are very persistant when you say no, but that is because from the moment people are born they are trained to say no even if it is something they need or may benefit from.  But APX does not in any way promote, support or teach sales reps to lie to get people to buy.

APX is currently the fastest growing company in America and is already the 6th largest home security company in the nation after only 11 years.  If APX was truly dishonest and just a scam, they would not have made it this far.  Plus JD power & associates has given APX an award for exellance in customer service and tech support for the past 2 years in a row.  APX is the only alarm company to have ever done that and you do not get that award for scamming people.

APX is an honest company with great leadership and they truly are all about protecting families.  If you have worked with a shady sales rep I am very sorry.  APX does the best it can to get rid of these reps. If you know the sales rep's name, please go to the company website at apxalarm.com, look up the rep and report him.  APX will do its very best to help you.

And by the way, APX is not affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka the mormon church or LDS). 

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#23 Consumer Comment

Parrot Training - Rules to Follow To Prepare Your Parrot For Talking - Find Out With Parrot Training

AUTHOR: phirgerbs - (United States of America)

POSTED: Friday, September 24, 2010


Parrot Training rules are simple. Although they are not mandatory, you will get a much better result if you clip your parrot's wings. The cage needs to have a large door to allow the bird to be removed in an easy fashion. Make sure parrot taming is done during quiet times with sufficient lighting.

Always Speak to your parrot in a calm soothing voice and move slowly. If your parrot tries to flies away, pick him up with cupped hands and put him back in front of you, or on your shoulder. Be very gentle and take your times.

Initially the first training session should only have 1 person present, 2 will make the parrot nervous and distract him. The best results will be with the person who has the most time to devote to the training. Some parrots will take longer than others, that is normal.

Do not be impatient, or inconsistent other wise your parrot will never get the proper training it needs.

Training requires words AND action.You will find out that most parrots have the ability to communicate in words, however most parrots prefer to show their affection in a more physical fashion. They love to be kissed and touched.

When your parrot gets to trust you a lot more, he will sit comfortably on your hand, shoulder or lap and will enjoy being played with. Always start with the head, then move down eventually touching and scratching under his wings. All though I will say, do leave the body touching to last when the trust has built up a little bit more.

This "bonding" will help make the parrot training much easier and a lot faster.

Parrots, and young parrot especially have a natural ability to imitate voices and sounds and this enhanced talking and singing. The more time you spend talking to your parrot the quicker he will learn to talk.

Make a point during feeding times to repeat his name, but do it very clearly. Young parrots have a short span of concentration so make parrot training lessons only a few minutes. Try to Give him an easy name to pronounce  something that is short and basic.

The methods for parrots training is the same used for teaching children. They learn by listening and by looking at their parents faces

When your parrot steps out of him cage and onto your hand without hesitation the trust has begun. WELL done.

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#22 Consumer Comment

Most Popular Parrot Breeds

AUTHOR: Rabi Cityr - (United States of America)

POSTED: Friday, September 24, 2010

As with most animals, the different parrot types have certain characteristics but overall, the most popular parrot species in the larger types that are used for pet parrots are chosen because of their talking abilities.

Parrots make wonderful house pets and if you want a pet that will entertain then a parrot is the answer. They have so many hilarious characteristics and if they are not happy with something they will soon let you know! Parrots are very vocal when it comes to their own needs and comfort. Get several hungry parrots feeding from a food bowl and you will soon know what I mean!

The four most popular larger pet parrot species.

1. African Grey - with lovely shades of grey in its feathers this is a parrot that grows to about 14 inches. This parrot also has either maroon or bright red tail feathers and a touch of the same color at the bend of the wing.

2. Amazon parrot - these parrots come in several colors and are a very loyal parrot. Very popular among them in the parrot owner's world is the yellow headed Amazon parrot

3. Cockatoos - these are a magnificent looking bird, a bird with an attitude! But what fun they are. They are very interactive with their owners, but if upset they can be really destructive.

4. Macaws - what a stunning looking species and those colors! They are just so bright and beautiful. When studying the macaws you are in aw of how something can be created with so much beauty and detail.

These parrots all have excellent talking abilities (though some won't talk unfortunately) and will quite readily learn tricks to entertain. They are active parrots and need to have toys around them so that they can occupy themselves when no-one is around.

It is no mystery that the budgerigar owner would contend that it is one of the most popular species, and in the smaller parrots it probably is, the the four mentioned above are the four top overall contenders.

One feature of the parrot as a pet is that they do groom themselves quite well. They will preen their feathers every day, keeping them shiny, clean and laying flat. All they require from the owner in the way of grooming is a water spray every day or two and the odd trim of the nails. Not much time involved there, is there?

But, that's the upside. The downside is that they will require more time spent on their living apartment. Most do like their cages, but they are not that house proud. Parrots will chew things up and throw them around with quiet (well, sometimes) abandon and expect the owner to clean up their mess. Didn't I say they had attitude!

Have you ever seen a parrot eat from a seed tray? Once their favorite seeds have been husked they will sweep their broad beak through the tray and scatter seeds far and wide in the hope of finding more of their favorite morsel down below. The mess they can make in just a few minutes will make you shake your head.

A very good way to see more about the different types of parrots is to visit a parrot forum where parrot owners discuss the various parrot types and this will give you an insight as to what parrot you may like, and let me tell you, some of the stories are hilarious. Parrots most definitely take their place in the hierarchy of the family unit.

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#21 Consumer Comment

Feeding a Parrot

AUTHOR: Veni - (United States of America)

POSTED: Friday, September 24, 2010
Keeping a parrot is a pleasure. You will not only have an intelligent companion but an entertaining one too. Parrots are one of the most intelligent animals in the world known for their ability to mimic words, produce common sounds and remember things shown to them. Parrots have many varieties that has each owns unique traits. Some of them have plain colors but those that have bright and mixed hues are often the ones that are kept as pets.

Parrots are not that easy to take care of if you are not armed with the basic knowledge of keeping them. Basically, you need to provide your parrot with the three essential necessities of life and that is food, shelter and grooming. Shelter refers to the cage that will serve as his home. Grooming on the other hand pertains to the aim of the owner to maintain the attractive appearance of their parrots. Then comes the most difficult part in keeping a parrot and that is, feeding him the right way.

As we know, health depends on the food that is eaten. This is a rule of thumb even for use humans. Parrots on the other hand are omnivores like us. Meaning, they both eat vegetables and meat. Being grown in the wild, they can sometimes eat pretty much whatever they can. But being owners of our beloved pets, we need to be critical in what to serve to them.

The diet of a parrot consists of a well-balanced food made up of vegetables, fruits, grains and cooked meats. Actually, you can share your dinner with your parrot. The things that you need to take note and keep in your mind however is that they should be served well cooked and in proportion to their bodies. Baby parrots naturally need softer foods and those that are easily digested. A parrot's diet should be filled with protein giving minerals so that it can help him maintain the strength of his muscles as well as the repair of the feathers, organs and tissues that re damaged. Never rely on a seed mixture alone that you can buy in pet stores. Although it will be time consuming, try to mix the fruits and vegetables that you have in your possession.

If you have observed that there are lef-overs in his cage, you need to reduce the amount of food that you will serve the parrot the next time. Although feeing the parrot with cooked meats are recommended, they should be well minced and the fruits need to be served raw. This enables the preservation of the nutrients in the fruits. Above all, do not forget that your parrot needs ample supply of water not only to prevent him from choking but because water plays a big role in keeping them clean.

Aside from the composition of the food that your parrot needs, you also need to keep his cage and feeding tools clean and in order regularly to keep your parrot away from diseases and illness away.

Chuck and Kathy Kastor built the Parrot Training Center to give people the knowledge they need in order for them to enjoy happy, healthy and well-trained parrots.
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#20 REBUTTAL Owner of company

J D Power & Associates

AUTHOR: BigJoe - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Alright american consumers. We live in the USA with amazing liberties delegated to us.  We have the right to free speech, of which this senior citizen took advantage.  As an employee of APX Alarm.  I personally defend them as a company that provides a superior service.  Yes it often costs more monthly than other companies, but also provides a better service and better equipment with less up-front costs.  (you know that kinda makes me realize why people spend more and get a classy durable honda accord instead of a hyundai)  Anyways, no company has a perfect track record unless they have 5 or less customers. But the point i am getting to is who do you trust more, a senior citizen who just might be a little senile and grumpy (i am not generalizing on all senior citizens, i don't wish to be in the same biggot boat with the guy that wrote this complaint, i know many senior citizens who are sharp as a tack and full of sunshine). My point is that we could all just trust this guy or trust the nationally known and trusted firm JD Power and Associates that has certified two straight years that APX has excellent  customer service, or we could trust this angry guy.  As a second year summer employee with APX Alarm, I make it a point to visit APX customers in each area i visit and believe it or not most love the service and product.  The angry ones always scream louder.


PS. I am Mormon, or rather am a member of the LDS Church, and am an intelligent, not brainwashed good person.

PPS. Police do respond to alarm calls, I know because as a technician I have installed several takeover systems and in doing so have set off every once in a while an existing alarm system and the police did come.  In a few select cities, police will not respond to non-confirmed alarm calls, which means they will not come unless a break-in is confirmed, This is why APX is great, the two-way voice feature allows APX to hear a break-in as it is happening and call it in as confirmed to the police.
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#19 Consumer Comment

you effing retards

AUTHOR: ttt - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 31, 2010

 Man you all are just a bunch of little bastards???? Talking about other people religions....What gives anybody the right to do that? And complaining about a company that some retarded old man or woman ws dumb enough to not read the contrat....durrrr everbody does that..... But people that dont end up complaining. Why does Mc Donalds get people fat? complain about that. If you are dumb enough to but blame on your own decision and the Blame the Mormons...then you should not be granted the luxory internet you dumb a*s. So get off your high horse and stat being accountable for your own actions.

I have APX and they are the truest to their word. Best company out there. And Mormon or not, they are sales people and will always be pushy because that is their living. So if you are a complainer just shut the door on them and go about your buisness. The world needs less of people complaining about the dumbest things!!!!!!

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#18 Consumer Comment

Ummm... I'm not sure

AUTHOR: Mitailbu - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, March 15, 2010

If you are planning on keeping birds as a pet, you need a bird cage. A large structure is necessary for large birds so that they have enough room to fly and walk around. However, you cannot just choose any bird cage that you come across. Look for quality, a large space and functional features when shopping for a cage. The dometop and the playtop cages are similar in some ways, but the former allows your bird to see above the cage. The playtop bird cage, on the other hand, has a space outside of the cage where your pet bird can get some exercise.

Types of cages

When shopping for a cage, it is important that you know what types there are. The most common types of bird structures are dome top bird cages, breeding bird cages, flight bird cages, playtop bird cages, and travel structures. If you are looking for a large cage, a dome top or a flight bird cage may do the trick for you.

Before buying a large cage

There are a number of factors to consider when buying a large bird cage. The material that the cage is made of, the size, ease in cleaning the cage, functional features, whether it contains add-ons that stimulate your bird's attention, are just some of the things you must consider when buying a cage.

Consider the material that the cage is made of and avoid cages that contain toxic levels of lead in the paint. Most powder-coated cages usually have zinc and lead, but manufacturers usually make sure that lead and zinc levels do not reach toxic levels. Also consider the size of the bird. The bigger the cage, the better because this gives the bird larger room to roam around.

Also choose a large cage that is easy to clean. Regular cleaning of your cage can help it last for up to ten years or more. You know that a cage is easy to clean when you can easily take it apart in a matter of minutes and put it back the same way. Also make sure that you get a cage that has drainage holes that lead directly to the tray. Avoid cages with side panels where water tends to collect. The moisture can rot the panel and the bars and severely reduce the lifespan of your cage.

For stimulation, choose a structure that has slots for removable toys. Birds need stimulation and changes in scenery. Go for a structure with a removable playtop to give the bird a change in scenery and to expose him to sunlight when the playtop is removed.

Functional features are also very important. These include stainless steel bowls in removable external trays and bird-proof locks. The bowls which you can push and pull from the outside are very useful especially if your furry friend is a biter. You also need bird-proof locks to make sure that your bird cannot open the cage himself. Quality is the main thing you should look for in a bird structure. Go for cages made by reputable companies, since these usually sell cages made of the finest materials and come with their own user's manuals, lifetime warranties, and reliable customer support.

If you are new to the quail hatching eggs process then there are several new things that you will learn. One of the first things that you need to consider is the incubator that is used to hatch the eggs. Avoid using one that needs a fan or any external form of ventilation. Instead you must use an incubator that has natural ventilating holes in order to circulate the air within the incubator. In the absence of the mother this area acts as a haven for the eggs to rest and hatch. It should be safe to allow the babies to hatch.

When you get involved in the quail egg hatching process there are several ways you will learn to understand the fertility of the egg. An egg should ideally hatch within 3 days however if this is not the case then you will need to check the egg for fertility. You can place a candle in front of the egg to check its fertility. Another way to check the fertility is by checking the thickness of the shell. Fertile eggs will have extremely thick and strong shells.

When you place the eggs in the incubator make sure that the smaller sides of the eggs are placed downwards. You can turn the eggs 2 to 3 times a day in order for them to get equal incubation on all sides. They generate their own energy and the amount of energy that they generate increases during the hatching process. Ensure that the incubation unit is turned up to 99degrees Fahrenheit and there should be 65% humidity.

From the time the eggs are laid they could take 22 to 25 days to hatch. The Bobwhite Quail eggs hatch in 23 days.

When the eggs hatch the baby quails must be cleaned and dried off before they are sent back into the incubation area. As the babies grow older they must be kept in an area where the heat can be controlled with a thermostat. You can use a simple bulb to control the temperature in the area that the quails are kept in.

You can buy baby quails from online websites that advertise for quail hatching eggs. However before you set out to buy from any of these sites you need to research the different species of quail. This will help you to choose the right species for you. There are 10 species of quails and they all originate from Australia.

Feeding the quails is not a difficult task. They thrive on insects, parrot food, soft food mixes and even vegetables and grass. They also need fresh water regularly. Offer the bird a bowl of clean water 2 to 3 times a day. In the wild they move in search for clean resources. They devour fresh fruits however some of them thrive only on bird pre-mix food. Food in the form of supplements and pellets are the recent trend but not many birds are very fond of this type of food.

The top priority of the pet owner should be ensuring that your pet is healthy. This is no different having a cat, dog or bird. We want to make sure the birds that are part of our families are healthy not only for themselves but also for the members of your family. Birds do have the ability to spread certain illnesses to humans so maintaining a healthy pet is not only good for the bird but good for the family.

Birds in general are clean animals. However, a bird that is confined to a cage does not have the luxury of a rain shower, dust baths and a seemingly limitless bathroom. There are many steps that you can follow to be sure that your bird is clean and healthy. To begin with, choose a good location to put the bird cage. The bird cage should not be in direct sunlight but should be a location where the changing of day and night can be seen. Place the bird cage in an area that does not get too warm or too cold and is definitely not drafty. Your birds comfort level is essential to its physical as well as mental health.

Keeping the cage clean is a must. Your bird cage should have a liner that allows you to easily clean the bottom of the cage. Liners also help avoid rust and other damage that can occur to your cage due to excessive contact with acidic moisture, like urine. A liner can catch all the debris that falls to the bottom and is easily removed for regular cleaning.

Cleaning the cage regularly is extremely important. Pet birds are going to make a mess. They tend to throw and scatter food, water and whatever else they can get their beaks on. Cleaning on a regular basis will prevent the buildup of odor causing waste. A clean cage means less smell along with a more enjoyable experience for the family.

If you discover you have a very messy bird, your cage may require an additional layer of protection like a cage net or hanging something beneath the cage to trap anything that falls.

Regardless of the actions you take to keep the bird cage clean, some things are going to make it to the floor from time to time. For this reason, the cage should be located in a spot where the floor is easily cleaned. Tile, concrete or hard wood floors are preferable. Carpet would not be a good alternative for this area.

One of the keys, and it's a major one to keeping your bird healthy and happy, is keeping a clean cage. This is done by emptying the bottom of the cage regularly and cleaning anything that may happen to get outside the cage. Not only your bird but your family will remain safe, happy and healthy as well.

For millions of proud bird and parrot owners in the United States, the relationship that they have with their avian friends are just as fulfilling if not more fulfilling than that of the relationship between a dog and its owner. Parrots, for one thing, are highly intelligent and bond deeply with their owners. Parrots can even become possessive of their owners and attack family members or friends that are very close to the owner. Parrots lovers also point out that parrots have the ability to mimic speech and thus offer a level of personal connection that dogs or cats are not capable of giving. But for all the amazing things that can come out of having a bird as a pet, one of the major downsides is dealing with illness and disorders in these pets. The anatomy of a bird is completely different from that of dogs and cats and few vets are properly prepared or equipped to treat parrots or other pet birds.

Pet birds are also much more fragile than other animals and any treatment for birds must be comparatively benign in order to not kill the bird in treatment. Much of their fragility comes with the fact that they have feathers instead of fur and thus there are large amounts of exposed skin underneath the feathers of birds. Birds, therefore, have a number of diseases and disorders that just revolve around issues with their feathers and skin.

Types of Feather Disorders

Almost every type of bird will pick at their feathers to a certain extend, but when the picking gets out of hand and they start to lose a great deal of feathers, they may be suffering from one of the following disorders or diseases in birds:

Feather cysts-these are commonly found on the wings of birds and can result in infection. Most treatment requires surgical removal of the cysts from the bird.

Behavioral feather picking-if a bird obsessively picks at its feathers and it starts to lose a large amount of them it may be a result of recent trauma or emotional upset.

Polyfollicles-this is when multiple feathers grow from one follicle. This can cause inflammation and infection. It is thought to be caused from a virus.

It has been awhile now since we introduced our birdbibs to Charlie our Quaker Parrot, who is about 9 months old.

He still gets excited when he sees one of us put a bib on. He runs back and forth, shakes his head up and down and tries to stretch out to us as we are getting nearer to him, making a lot of noise of course. Sometimes he is even hanging upside down on his perch and still carrying on. It's a wonder he doesn't fall off. He reminds me of a child when their parents have just arrived home and the child runs to greet them. He is sooo cute, a really great pet bird.

We have Charlie on our shoulders quite a lot now as he is not making our clothes messy. I wish I had come up with this idea sooner. It's one of the best bird accessories we have.

He is hardly ever sitting on his parrot perches or bird stands that we have scattered around the house any more.

Not only does the birdbib stop pooh from getting on your clothes it is also a good bird feeder. When Charlie eats he leaves a mess everywhere, so the bibs catch that as well. He loves to have a nibble of what we are eating.

It was only today that I was going outside and went to get Charlie, the top I had on was strapless and I thought I'm just going to put him outside on his bird gym, as we call it, so I won't put a birdbib on. Well he wouldn't get on at all as he doesn't like bare skin, I then put the bib on and he hopped straight onto my shoulder.

He loves to get outside wander around and listen to all the wild birds. He mimics their whistles.

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#17 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Shocked and apolled

AUTHOR: eeeeek - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, November 26, 2009

First off sir, your attack on the Mormon religion is both uncalled for and inappropriate. Phrases like "Their  MORMON BRAIN-WASHED PERSONNEL" show great ignorance on your part. If a company only hired members of one religion they would be in violation of federal law. Just because a company is based out of Utah does not make all employees Mormon nor does it make them all BYU students.

Second, APX does not contract out their local technicians or their customer suport or tech support call centers. All of those are done in house. You are misinformed and spreading false information about something you obviously know little about.

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#16

Wrong.

AUTHOR: Random Someone - (USA)

POSTED: Friday, August 14, 2009

I'm a current APX employee, an install technician by title. I'm also not a student at BYU, and have never been a member of the LDS "Mormon" church.


I'm not going to beat a dead horse by restating the necessity of your phone lines going dead during an alarm, or the fact that they didn't come back on sooner was the actual problem. As for the Metro Police, the company doesn't have, or need, a contract with the local police force to get them to dispatch. It's their responsibility and sole duty to respond to any emergency situation regardless of how they're informed. The alarm system will call the central station when there's a breach while it's armed, and the central station will utilize the 2-way when possible to determine whether to contact the local police to respond. But they will send them unless specifically told not to, and are provided with the account password for authorization.


Why yours didn't respond faster, I cannot tell you; could be that it was malfunctioning in some manner, though the fact that the phones went dead and the contacts were called suggests that that wasn't the case. Your own story gives more details: they tried you three times, and got no answer, then they tried your daughter and for some reason got no answer. Maybe they have the wrong number on file, or she doesn't answer out of state calls. The monitoring stations are always out of state, for every tate, for security reasons. Usually, that's where they dispatch;, though the regulations are different for every state, standard procedure is usually to call the customer's numbers, the customer's first contact, then dispatch, and continue calling contacts to inform them of the dispatch. How it took 2.5 hours to get ahold of your neighbors, again I cannot say, not without knowing all the details.


 I've been with APX many years, and have had to make a few (few as in not often) decisions on an ethical basis and not a company-interest basis. I feel bad for customers who are led one way and arrive at a different location than they're expecting, but I don't feel obligated to lead them back. I've read the contract, it's not at an elementary school level, but anyone with a diploma ought to find the important notes, the cancellation fees, the contract duration, and most importantly, the notice of cancellation/right of recision form, attached to the very contract they sign. Anyone signing any piece of paper with their SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER, DATE OF BIRTH, HOME ADDRESS, and BILLING INFORMATION of any kind should always always always always read the fine print, always always always ask questions and always ALWAYS be absolutely sure they understand. It's fine to admit you don't understand. It's fine to ask to hold on to the unsigned contract and have it spelled out to you by an arbitrary third party, or refuse altogether. It's not fine to use the excuse "But he pressured me into it". Muggers pressure old ladies out of their pocketbooks. They shouldn't do that, and it's bad, and I don't approve, and I wish the company would come down harder on the ones that get caught. But it doesn't absolve the "victim" either. Do your homework people, and stop handing out checks and credit cards without knowing what you're paying for and how much they're charging.


Lastly, for the current, former, and soon to be former employees battling here, I'd like to point out again: I'm not a mormon. I'm not a religious man of any flavor. And my ethics are unusually high for my sort, it's my proudest trait. And, I make a rather decent paycheck, definitely in the higher levels of the limits of a technicians pay. I, and a few of my co-workers, are living proof that you don't have to be a sleeze, or mormon, to make your summer profitable.

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#15 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Ethics are relative--Not part of the Mormon church

AUTHOR: Generaleyes - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, July 23, 2009

First off, I too am offended by the derogatory comments toward the Mormon church. This company exploits Mormons because they do know how to talk to people door to door. That being said, I would like to address many of the points made above.

I worked for APX as a salesman for part of a summer and the main thing I learned was that ETHICS ARE RELATIVE when it comes to sales. For example, in sales training before the summer began, we were taught to tell the customers that we were only installing a few systems for free in a neighborhood as part of a marketing campaign. In fact, that was the reason we used to knock on the "no solicitors" doors (because, of course, we were "marketing"). This was a lie in two forms: We were door to door salesmen and if all 30 homes living in a block wanted the "free" systems, we would have sold systems to them all. I know many salesmen that would not consider either one of those points lies. When an alarm system salesman claims to be honest, it is just part of his manipulation technique.

These salesmen are taught to manipulate potential customers. From trying to get inside the door (because customers are much more likely to buy if the salesman is inside), to playing buddy to the customer by waiving the sign up fee or throwing in a free key fob (which they are allowed to give a certain number accessories- let's say 5, then only offer 4 and say that they will make it a great deal with the fifth free accessory so that the customer really loves them even though it was already part of the deal). These salesmen become masters of manipulation. You can read about it above where the salesman refers to "The Secret" to try to dispute a person's negative experience with the company. "The Secret" is a great idea but has two flaws in the argument: First, it is directed primarily towards making money, not the secret of happiness, and therefore is a friend of salesmen. Second, it says nothing about forcing oneself to be happy when being screwed over by another. What that author is suggesting by mentioning "The Secret" is that people who get screwed over should be happy about it, otherwise it is their own fault for getting screwed over because they were being negative and drawing negative influences.

To be fair, the author of that response was probably manipulated into selling as well. That's what makes APX so wonderful! It doesn't just manipulate customers, but its own employees! That is why a person cannot get into an ethical discussion with a current APX employee. What everyone else would call a lie, the employee would call selling techniques. If you want to know how "ethical" this company is, talk to one of the ex-employees who couldn't stand lying to people day after day.

Also, to be fair to APX, I do have a friend who installed for APX for a couple summers. He hated how APX would take advantage of the elderly and less fortunate people. Regularly, he would show up to install at a house that did not need it (as it was barely a house at all) and could not afford it. His conscious would get the best of him and he would begin to try to convince the person that they did not need the system. Not once was he successful in talking the customer out of getting the system. APX does take advantage of these people, but still these people need to learn what they are getting themselves into and make better decisions for themselves.

By the way, I have yet to hear a single person claim that they survived a break-in by getting one of these security systems. It must be that amazing deterring "shield" that APX puts out in the front yard (which is also part of their "marketing" strategy).

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#14 Consumer Comment

pushy

AUTHOR: Richard - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, June 20, 2009

Im glad I read your report Because they salepersons have been here twice today offering me a completely free alarm system. I told them to check back with me on it. I didn't realize however they were going to keep checking back on the same day.? I dont like pushy salepeople. If I'm not interested right now, then theyve got to realize that IM NOT INTERESTED RIGHT NOW, and I may have other priorities to think about.

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#13 Consumer Comment

Doing business with Mormons

AUTHOR: Bill - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, June 19, 2009

I've lived in Salt Lake City, Utah (the home of the Mormons) for all but one of my 68 years. I've been self employed for the past 45 years and I've known from experiences early on NOT to do business with any Mormons. I don't make a habit of asking potential customers what their religion is (like MANY, MANY Mormons do), so even in recent years I've been reminded the hard way that they are typically lying scumbag con artists. I, therefore, can relate to your experiences with this APX Company (though I've never heard of that company prior to reading your complaint). Since their church tells them that they will no go to heaven unless they pay their FULL 10% tithing, I've come to the conclusion that they are typiocally scam artists to make up for that 10% PLUS to try to get MORE to pay their church (actually a cult). I can't stress too strongly for you and everybody else to stay away from them!

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#12 Consumer Comment

APX is a crooked company, but not affiliated with LDS church

AUTHOR: Byron - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, June 11, 2009

I attended BYU, and I can say that everything I know about APX is bad. They prey on Mormon college students, promising that they're making the world a safer place while making good money during the summer. Once the students are locked in they realize that they must engage in dishonest sales practices in order to survive in the business--a number just leave and cut their losses.

I have two brothers who worked in the local office answering phones, and APX had horrible compliance issues with payroll and accounting. Sometimes they would go a month without a paycheck and get the runaround when they asked for it.

I should mention that businesses like this have no affiliation with the LDS church. Mormons who engage in dishonest business practices are subject to church discipline, which may include excommunication. Yes, there are a few bad eggs out here, but the church definitely doesn't like what they're doing.

Firstline, a competitor, went out of business a few years ago and left all their salesmen in the lurch. I wonder when that will happen to APX...

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#11 UPDATE Employee

Don't be upset because of user error.

AUTHOR: Nomorestupidcustomers - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, July 07, 2008

Sir, your phone line is supposed to be taken over by the alarm in the event of an alarm. It's called line seizure and it's a good thing. I work in Tech support and personally hate talking to people such as yourself that have false impressions as to how the system operates that invariably try to debate with me about how the system works. Check out line seizure-it's the industry standard unless you have a cell unit.
Also, in the event of an alarm, our monitoring station will come over through the panel on what is called "two-way". This is a way to prevent false alarms in the homes of the incompetent. Additionally, if two-way communication is not made, you will receive a phone call asking if everything is okay. If there is no response, then YES! The police will be dispatched. That is what an alarm system does. It sends the police out in cases of emergency.
In addition, your disparaging comments about this being a "Mormon" are ridiculous. The way you speak of Mormons, if religion was a part of your initial conversation, you probably wouldn't have let them in.
Bottom line, the system did its job. Do not be upset that you can't figure out your system, don't categorize the company because its from Utah. Would you like it if I say you are incompetent because you are old? If you don't like to be categorized, don't categorize others.
To be honest, I don't really care, I'm quitting soon. This is my opportunity to say how respond to the abuse I put up with everyday

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#10 UPDATE Employee

Try to be positive, brother.

AUTHOR: David - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, May 09, 2008

To the ex-technicion above: It looks like you were perhaps around bad management and some bad sales reps. That's not how things were done in my office. Have you ever seen The Secret? It seems like all your comments are negative, dark, and gloomy. It seems like all you see in life, as in this company is the dark, negative, and gloomy. Let me guess--you are just as negative about most things in life.

It would come as no surprise, seeing your attitude in the previous entry.

I am sure you have some valid points, but our guys were honest and ethical (if they weren't they were either reprimanded--or we let dishonest guys go), I got paid just fine, my customers understood properly the function of the system and the price, the agreement, etc. It was a great experience for me--one that taught me hard work, dedication, focus, and the power of the mind. I HAD to be positive to be successful, and I am grateful for the opportunity to become so much mentally stronger. It was great.

I am proud to be a salesman. I sell in an honest and sincere way--because I do care about these people I'm selling to, and I do know that what I am selling them is benefiting them. I have made many lifelong friends from people I've met doing this job, and I am also grateful for that. Apx Alarm is the best company I have ever worked for--I've worked for five different sales companies. They are the most professional, the most honest, the most ethical, and the most effective company I have ever sold for in my life.

I am grateful for my opportunity to be associated with something so positive and successful.

And yes, the payscale was great--but I had to work my butt off in a professional, ethical way to achieve what I acheived. Anyone who has the confidence and drive to be successful can do the same.

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#9 UPDATE Employee

Try to be positive, brother.

AUTHOR: David - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, May 09, 2008

To the ex-technicion above: It looks like you were perhaps around bad management and some bad sales reps. That's not how things were done in my office. Have you ever seen The Secret? It seems like all your comments are negative, dark, and gloomy. It seems like all you see in life, as in this company is the dark, negative, and gloomy. Let me guess--you are just as negative about most things in life.

It would come as no surprise, seeing your attitude in the previous entry.

I am sure you have some valid points, but our guys were honest and ethical (if they weren't they were either reprimanded--or we let dishonest guys go), I got paid just fine, my customers understood properly the function of the system and the price, the agreement, etc. It was a great experience for me--one that taught me hard work, dedication, focus, and the power of the mind. I HAD to be positive to be successful, and I am grateful for the opportunity to become so much mentally stronger. It was great.

I am proud to be a salesman. I sell in an honest and sincere way--because I do care about these people I'm selling to, and I do know that what I am selling them is benefiting them. I have made many lifelong friends from people I've met doing this job, and I am also grateful for that. Apx Alarm is the best company I have ever worked for--I've worked for five different sales companies. They are the most professional, the most honest, the most ethical, and the most effective company I have ever sold for in my life.

I am grateful for my opportunity to be associated with something so positive and successful.

And yes, the payscale was great--but I had to work my butt off in a professional, ethical way to achieve what I acheived. Anyone who has the confidence and drive to be successful can do the same.

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#8 UPDATE Employee

Try to be positive, brother.

AUTHOR: David - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, May 09, 2008

To the ex-technicion above: It looks like you were perhaps around bad management and some bad sales reps. That's not how things were done in my office. Have you ever seen The Secret? It seems like all your comments are negative, dark, and gloomy. It seems like all you see in life, as in this company is the dark, negative, and gloomy. Let me guess--you are just as negative about most things in life.

It would come as no surprise, seeing your attitude in the previous entry.

I am sure you have some valid points, but our guys were honest and ethical (if they weren't they were either reprimanded--or we let dishonest guys go), I got paid just fine, my customers understood properly the function of the system and the price, the agreement, etc. It was a great experience for me--one that taught me hard work, dedication, focus, and the power of the mind. I HAD to be positive to be successful, and I am grateful for the opportunity to become so much mentally stronger. It was great.

I am proud to be a salesman. I sell in an honest and sincere way--because I do care about these people I'm selling to, and I do know that what I am selling them is benefiting them. I have made many lifelong friends from people I've met doing this job, and I am also grateful for that. Apx Alarm is the best company I have ever worked for--I've worked for five different sales companies. They are the most professional, the most honest, the most ethical, and the most effective company I have ever sold for in my life.

I am grateful for my opportunity to be associated with something so positive and successful.

And yes, the payscale was great--but I had to work my butt off in a professional, ethical way to achieve what I acheived. Anyone who has the confidence and drive to be successful can do the same.

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#7 UPDATE Employee

Try to be positive, brother.

AUTHOR: David - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, May 09, 2008

To the ex-technicion above: It looks like you were perhaps around bad management and some bad sales reps. That's not how things were done in my office. Have you ever seen The Secret? It seems like all your comments are negative, dark, and gloomy. It seems like all you see in life, as in this company is the dark, negative, and gloomy. Let me guess--you are just as negative about most things in life.

It would come as no surprise, seeing your attitude in the previous entry.

I am sure you have some valid points, but our guys were honest and ethical (if they weren't they were either reprimanded--or we let dishonest guys go), I got paid just fine, my customers understood properly the function of the system and the price, the agreement, etc. It was a great experience for me--one that taught me hard work, dedication, focus, and the power of the mind. I HAD to be positive to be successful, and I am grateful for the opportunity to become so much mentally stronger. It was great.

I am proud to be a salesman. I sell in an honest and sincere way--because I do care about these people I'm selling to, and I do know that what I am selling them is benefiting them. I have made many lifelong friends from people I've met doing this job, and I am also grateful for that. Apx Alarm is the best company I have ever worked for--I've worked for five different sales companies. They are the most professional, the most honest, the most ethical, and the most effective company I have ever sold for in my life.

I am grateful for my opportunity to be associated with something so positive and successful.

And yes, the payscale was great--but I had to work my butt off in a professional, ethical way to achieve what I acheived. Anyone who has the confidence and drive to be successful can do the same.

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#6 UPDATE EX-employee responds

If APX is a barrel of apples, it's mostly bad.

AUTHOR: Justin - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, February 25, 2008

I worked with APX alarm this past summer (2007) as a technician in Florida and it was an eye opening experience. I agree that there are bad apples in the company...but I would also go so far as to say that there are NOT ENOUGH good apples to fix it. It seems that the people that stick with APX are either corrupt and do not mind ripping people off, or they are successful salesmen and technicians who manage to defy APX's complex earning structure and are somehow able to earn money doing honest things (there are some, but in my experience they are few and far between).

Now, let me further explain my point by saying that (like most people employed by APX) I am a mormon. Thus, I am equally offended by the derogatory reference to my culture and religion. Mormons are, by and large, good clean-cut people. But there are bad apples in every barrel as they say (when I worked as a missionary in Chile from 2002-2004, there were a few missionaries in my area that did not follow the rules, did not have strong testimonies of what they were doing, and should have been sent home...so the LDS church has bad apples too). Thus I understand the frustration one feels at being decieved by a company who exploits that image for their own profit.

Now getting back to APX...they have a set of rules they are supposedly supposed to follow so that they're honest in their sales pitches. Well, during one summer I saw salesmen repeatedly break those rules and I saw managers encourage them to do it. I was offended and disillusioned. It's true that the technicians are by and large good people though. They want to do a good job and are more attracted to an honest work ethic than a flashy pay scale. But some of these techs are undertrained (they normally get sent home or they end up doing a lot of service calls and learn how to do a better job) and some are still more interested in money (and will rush through their job and not explain or install things properly). APX encourages people to sell and install a lot...often at the expense of quality. They don't come right out and say it, but the earmarks are all there.

Quantity over quality. Quantity over quality. Sure, someone might disagree with me (and maybe they were in a more ethical office) but from what I experienced and saw first hand, I would never suggest for someone to get an alarm system from this company. In fact, I would advise against it. They are lots of honest people that are trying to do a good job...but I think they eventually realize the company is shifty and move elsewhere like I did. Those that don't...well, I'd say they are fooling themselves or are liars.

I've installed systems where I felt good after leaving the place (lots of them)--where I felt the customer was happy with the product and service and I felt like I had done a good job installing it for them. But there were times (also lots of them) when I left with a sour feeling in my stomach...where I felt like the rep had lied to the customer and I was forced to choose between helping the customer and screwing over the sales rep or screwing over the customer and saving the sales rep his sale. It's tough, because a tech that is honest is not often loved by the sales guys and they eventually get the short end of the stick.

I've tried my best to do what I thought was right, given the circumstance, but I suffered financially because of it and APX has screwed me over several times since then (like charging me $700 for unreturned work tools...which I turned in) and giving me an incorrect w2 that says they did not take out my federal income taxes (which they did, and now I owe the IRS for their incompetence). This structure of this company is simply built to screw people over. And the only reason it hasn't gone under is because every summer it convinces good people that they can earn a lot of money in one short summer...and then they are forced to join the scheme or get screwed over by it.

So, from a guy who installed APX's systems...don't buy them and work for them. You might manage to beat the system, but doesn't just get its money from screwing over its customers. It also makes it by screwing over its employees.

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#5 UPDATE EX-employee responds

contracts and explainations

AUTHOR: Kevin - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, February 09, 2008

I am an ex-employee of the company. I was a technician for 2 years with this company and have now switched to a different company that is very similar. The contract was supposed to be explained to you in detail about the 3 day cancellation. If it was not it is completely on the sales rep individual that came to your door. This has nothing to do with the credibility of APX ALARM because I know first hand that they teach their sales reps not to lie. Also it is the exact same type of agreement as a cell phone contract. Could you just up and cancel your cell phone because u lost service once, or the rep that sold you the phone didn't explain all of the phones capabilities to you in detail? As a technician I know first hand what its like to install these systems and being paid on commission, time is money. Taking 30 min to explain a simple system to somebody that also comes with a users guide on how to operate it costs that technician money.

Phones Locking Up: This means that your system was installed properly. I don't know if your familiar with phone lines enough to know that there can only be one call out at a time. Therefore if your on the phone or using dial up internet, and your alarm goes off, the keypad will not be able to dial out. It is completely necessary for proper alarm operation. If you want to let them know that it was a false alarm, do it over the panel. That is why it is equipped with 2 way voice.

Like I said I have no affiliation with this company anymore and am not doing this for their benefit. I just hate to see a good deal gone bad because of ignorance and lack of knowledge on the systems operations.
p.s. I am also offended by your "mormon" remarks. That has nothing to do with the company, or the rep that sold you the system.

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#4 UPDATE Employee

Misunderstanding

AUTHOR: David - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, December 16, 2007

I would have to agree with the last gentleman who posted a comment. You really should honor your end of the deal. Also, I would like to add to the comment of the last gentleman, an Apx Alarm technician. I worked as a salesman for Apx Alarm this past summer, in Vegas, and I was honest and upfront with people. I especially made sure that senior citizens understood completely the agreement and the way in which system worked. I agree that there are some salesmen who need to be more honest and straightforward with people, but almost all of our guys were pretty dang honest, and I'm proud of them.

The police in Clark County will respond to verified home intrusions (that's the reasons that the Apx two-way voice alarm systems are especially effective in an actual emergency, since the central alarm dispatch people can listen into the home right after the alarm goes off to verify criminal presence in the home). The security guards will typically respond to the unconfirmed break-ins in the county.

Apx Alarm is the largest independently owned alarm company in the nation, and it is growing rapidly. It is the best company that most people I sold out there had ever been involved with. I sold over 150 accounts in the Vegas market, and most customers were extremely pleased by the quality of installation and customer service of Apx Alarm. Please call the company again and work something out. They are determined to make you, as a customer happy. I guarantee it.

And yes, I am a proud Mormon, too (member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). I am a returned missionary for my church, and I would be happy to discuss the gospel of Jesus Christ with you--in an honest, straightforward way, the same way I sell. I urge you to check out the website www.mormon.org. Not all of the people involved with Apx are members of my church, either.

Good luck with everything. I hope that everything that needs to be resolved by the company is resolved and that you can be happy with everything as soon as possible. Take care.

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#3 UPDATE Employee

All companies, large or small, have their bad apples...

AUTHOR: Techietornado - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, October 14, 2007

I currently work for APX Alarm as a service technician. I began my employment in early April of this year after completing around 30 hours of training. On the job training consisted of being shown the ropes by my Lead Tech for over seven actual installs, after which time I was allowed to work on my own and to call if needed. I worked as a 'Summer tech' year 2007 completely on commission, and after the summer I was offered a full time service tech position with the company which pays by the hour. The 'summer tech' and the service tech departments are completely separate. One group operates like individual contractors, the other is more like your traditional 9-5.

What Im getting to here is that APX alarm has a very unique business model, and that because of this model, and because APX hasn't yet worked out all the kinks in the 'Summer' program IMHO, this leads to some of the summer sales Reps, and technicians to have some extremely shady business practices. Especially on the sales side of things. While I can't vouch for every tech, For the most part, every Tech I knew, installed to the best of their ability, and was completely up front and honest in all aspects on every install I witnessed. Most of the time the Tech's were willing to completely walk out on the sale, forfeiting their own time and money, if they believed that the salesman had not been up front with the customer, and/or the sales rep wouldn't fix any of the problems and concerns the customer had during the installation.

While I believe these shady sales practices are solely the responsibility of APX, and especially its sales department to rectify, I don't believe that they should be put out of business based on the actions of a few bad eggs that happen to be ruining their Reputation. APX will either fix the problems, or continue to garnish a bad rep, and eventually go under for it... based on market conditions, not legislation or stupid lawsuits. If you signed something, make dang sure you know what you signed, and don't try to sue your way out of your obligations. Then who's the one with poor integrity?

quote:
"This is a lie, as the Metro Police DO NOT GO OUT ON ALARM CALLS as this would tie up so many Police Officers"

As a technician, I can say that I have never heard of a local police department that absolutely refuses to respond to a house alarm. Not that this is impossible, but i've never heard of it in any of the communities I service. Besides this APX has something called two-way verification, and as any police dispatcher will tell you, this is a must have and absolutely cuts down on false alarms. its a verifiable fact that if the monitoring station of the alarm can actually 'listen in' as break-ins occur at a residence, and verify that police presence is needed, that that police dispatcher will be much more likely to dispatch a police officer over any other alarm company.

While mistakes happen, they happen with every alarm company, not just APX, and at the least APX is taking a direct approach to eliminating false alarms and unneeded police response rather than ignoring the problem as so many big name alarm companies have.

As a technician I can honestly tell you I do my best to make sure every customer understands the system, that the system works correctly without false alarms, and that any bad sales techniques that come my way are taken care of before the customer signs anything. I know that it's in my best interest, the companies best interest, to have no installation at all, than to have one bad installation create bad public relations. Eventually those contracts run out, eventually the customer can and will go somewhere else for service, eventually they get to choose whether they stay on or not.

In the end the company loses if they make bad sales. No sale is better than a bad sale, except for the shortsighted salesguys that is. But then again, if the company goes under, they can always go somewhere else.


That being said, understand I'm sympathetic. But I also don't believe you understood the technicalities of the whole situation. Its been alarm systems standard for years to get what we call 'Phone line seizure' on the system. This is optimal for security reasons so that in the event of an alarm, the phone lines can be 'seized' so that the alarm can call out. Otherwise a dial-up internet connection could cost someone their life in a home invasion, as the computer would never hang up, and the alarm system would never get to call out. The alarm can't call out in all situations if there isn't phone line seizure. But if done incorrectly, this can cause problems such as you experience where the alarm won't give phone back to the house after its' call is finished. This is usually pretty simple to fix as I come across it once in a while on service calls.

Also I want you to know that The Service Department at APX is extremely well motivated compared to the summer program, and we make it our business to provide the best service possible, as soon as possible. We have a 24 hour goal on all service calls, but during the summer as you can imagine this is really tough because of all the influx of new accounts. Again, this comes back to the APX business model, which definitely needs some tweaking I admit, but we are a maturing company, a growing company, and these are typical growing pains. Please don't judge the whole basket as they say, from a few bad apples..

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#2 Consumer Comment

An Ugly thing to read

AUTHOR: Buddy - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, August 27, 2007

A very ugly thing to read. If it sounds ok to you, just insert "Jew" or "Black" wherever this person writes "Mormon" and maybe it will be clearer that this person is being offensive (bless her heart). If this company ripped her off (which I doubt) then she should go after them. But come on "Sdp" drop the bigotry--it hurts your case and makes you look like a wacko (bless your heart).

---
Re-written to show she is prejudiced by substituting "Jew" for "Mormon":

"SCAM ARTISTS - JEW LED !"

"First of all, they recruit these clean-cut young Jews"

"when he contacted the "installer - another young clean-cut JEW"

"Their JEWISH BRAIN-WASHED PERSONNEL DO NOT LISTEN TO THEIR CLIENTS, NOR ARE THEY GOING TO COOPERATE!"

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#1 Author of original report

Update 8/23/07

AUTHOR: Sdp - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 23, 2007

If all the complaints currently on file at this RipOffReport site were to also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Protection Dept.@ http://www.usa.gov/ or directly to the Complaint
Form @ https://rn.ftc.gov/pls/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01
as I have done, the Department will consider an investigation of this Company and its' business policy and practices. Let's all get on this
and file complaints. Also it is wise to file a complaint with your State's Attorney General Office for Consumer Protection or Senior Protection, whatever is availabe along with complaints to the Better Business Bureau for the State of Utah, and the Chamber of Commerce for your State.

Sdp

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