Monitronics Deceptive contracts-poor service Dallas Texas

We were burglarized twice last year, so we asked our neighbors who they used for an alarm service. Two of our neighbors used Monitronics, so we called. The service tech arrived and we greeted him. He immediately asked to use our restroom. Whatever he did in there stunk up the house. After releaving himself he asked to borrow my ladder as he had not brought one. Two hours later we were given instructions and the codes, which he wrote on the alarm panel with a Sharpie pen. Two hours after he left the system quit working. Three days of phone tag insued and countless hours at the panel with him directing us by phone as he is driving.

Two weeks later we still have no working alarm. Multiple calls to Monitronics yielded no action. At one point I was put on hold for thirty-six minutes. I hung up and called back. When I asked why the long hold I was told that Jose's shift was over and that he had left.

As I pressed for some resolution to my problem I was connected with a service tech. This young man was pleasant and tried, but he admitted that he had only been a tech with the company for two months. I filed a service ticket (five steps) and hung up. To date no one has arrived to fix the problems.

So I called today and found out that Monitronics has no field techs. They are strictly a monitoring service. They partner with local companies to execute in the field for them. The contract you sign is with the partner companies. After one year Monitronics buys the contracts from the local provider. That is how the provider makes money, and that's why after the initial set-up you will never see a tech at your house again.

This is akin to the health club membership. Whether you use it or not you still pay. Monitronics acts as the clearing house for referrals to local dealers. They have no responsibility to the consumer, its all up to the local dealer. The dealers motivation is to encumber as many people as possible in a contract and then sell it to Monitronics after one year. The cool part of this scam is that neither the dealer or Monitronics have any responsibilty for each others execution of the service. My system doesn't work but Monitronics says they are receiving a great signal.

I called the Dallas Texas BBB. Monitronics has one complaint filed againest them every three days for the last three years. They are a relatively new company founded in 1994.

As I write this American Detection calls to schedule an appointment for repair. A different tech is coming. I asked how long he had been with American Detection, "five months" he replied, well we will see how this goes. His boss, Hussein, advised me that he will not cancel my contract and will send me to collection if I don't pay. Hussein says "we are getting a good signal from you", it must be true.

I need to get in a business where I can sell a product that doesn't have to work but "gets a good signal" and I can charge big bucks.

Robert
Salinas, California
U.S.A.