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Report: #238269

Complaint Review: APX Alarm, Apex Alarm - Provo Utah

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  • Reported By: Sioux Falls South Dakota
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  • APX Alarm, Apex Alarm 5132 North 300 West Provo, Utah United States of America

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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.
APX Alarm is Rip-off Report Verified
Ripoff Report Verified .. part of 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..


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

-----------------------------------

APX Alarm, Apex Alarm misrepresented free subscriber move, co-erced me into early payoff of contract, lied about refund, horrendous customer service and tech support Ripoff Provo Utah

My husband and I, when we lived in Denver, Colorado, had a security system installed and entered into an Alarm Monitoring Agreement with Apex Alarm on May 21st, 2005. We were sold this package by two guys canvassing the neighborhood who also installed the system and seemed to have a lot of trouble doing so. We were given a fancy brochure extolling the virtues of Apex Alarm and containing a certificate for a free subscriber move provided we had a satisfactory account history and a system that was active for at least 12 months before the move.

While we lived in Denver, the equipment malfunctioned multiple times, causing false alarms, one of which we were financially liable for. The alarm would at times shriek for no apparent reason, and tech support could not come up with any solution except to disconnect and then charge me to have someone come out. The person they sent would also be mystified, but I persisted until the system was supposedly working properly again.

I never missed or was late with a monthly payment. I paid for all service calls no matter how unreasonable I thought they were. I put up the best I could with the inept customer service and tech support people.

We had every intention of fulfilling our three year initial term. We however experienced unforeseen major financial challenges. I had to go on permanent disability in late summer 2005.

In the spring of 2006, my husband was faced with a layoff. No longer able to afford our mortgage, we had to put our home up for sale. The house was sold December 5, 2006.

We were informed by the buyers that they did not want to continue the monitoring service and would not be using the security system. My husband was unable to find a new job in Denver but was hired by a company in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. When I first contacted Apex Alarm in November 2006 to inform them of my impending move to South Dakota, I was assured by an unknown representative of Apex Alarm that we would be able to continue the monitoring contract agreement by having a new security system installed in our new home.

However, when I called Apex a few weeks later to arrange for that installation, I was informed by a representative named Josephine that Apex Alarm does not serve Sioux Falls. I asked Josephine if I could then cancel the contract as they would no longer be able to provide service to us. She said no, that we would have to immediately pay off the remainder of the contract in the amount of $773.82.

I asked Josephine if there were any other remedy. She told me I could write a letter to the company to see if they would allow me to cancel due to a move for unexpected financial reasons, but she added that she didn't think it would do me any good. I then wrote a letter, dated November 15, 2006, to Apex Alarm requesting a cancellation of our Monitoring Agreement as we would no longer be able to use their services, and our move was solely due to a financial crisis and not due to any ill intent our our part.

A few days later, I received a call when I was not home from Alec in the account resolution department. I returned the call, but he was unavailable, and I talked to someone else in that department who informed me that despite the letter I had sent, I was still required to pay the balance on the contract in full and was rather forcefully encouraged to pay it off immediately using a credit card. I asked if there was anything else I could do as I thought this was unfair.

I was told there was no other remedy. Fearing repercussions to my credit rating if I were uncooperative, I therefore paid the balance of $730.83 using a MasterCard. I made it clear to the representative my extreme displeasure with their company.

After we moved to South Dakota, I contacted the BBB to see if we could negotiate a refund of the $730. I received a very pleasant letter from Michael Melzer, the same Michael Melzer who has provided rebuttals on various complaints about Apex or APX on this site. The letter stated that my contract had been cancelled, that I would get my refund, and that I had no further obligation to APX Alarm.

But then, I received another letter from the company dated two days later that contrary to their previous response, they would NOT be refunding the $730 as stated before. Instead, they would either mail us an alarm system which we would be required to install ourselves, or they would assign our account to another company. The letter was signed by Michael Melzer and included a phone number.

I called him the day I received the letter, and he informed me that the company would not allow cancellation of a contract due to a move, even if it was a move to an area they don't service and even if the move was due to unforeseen circumstances. Essentially, the company intends to keep the money no matter what the outcome. Mr. Melzer said he would look into whether the amount I had already paid can be applied to either the self-install or another company, but he never called back.

I got a follow up letter from the BBB last month containing a letter from Mr. Melzer that claimed he was waiting for ME to call HIM, so I called him, got voicemail, left a message asking him to contact me, but he has not. It is apparent to me that this company is all about money and cares nothing for reputation, customer service or ethics. I'm pretty sure I was promised "options" that would obligate me to more money I don't have and that their offer was made to shut me up and to placate the BBB.

If I agree to a self-install, every time there's a malfunction, I will likely be accused of not installing it properly and have to pay for a service call, like I was when I replaced a battery last year while on the phone with tech support and the alarm still wouldn't work right. If I agree to go with another company's service, I'll be obligated to another three years, which the $730 I already paid surely won't cover. What part of "I'm disabled and broke" does this company not understand??

I do not feel I am being unreasonable in requesting a refund for service that APX admits it can't provide. I had a similar situation with my cell phone provider: they talked me into a two year contract, assuring me I'd have service in South Dakota only to tell me AFTER I moved that they don't cover the state. But they let me out of the contract when they discovered their mistake because they are a quality company, a stark contrast to APX.

Moral of the story: do not EVER sign a three year contract with APX/Apex UNLESS you can absolutely GUARANTEE the following: 1) You or your spouse will not become disabled 2) You or your spouse will not lose your job 3) You will not move

There is no such thing as a free lunch, and there is no such a thing as a refund from APX Alarms.

Karen Sioux Falls, South Dakota
U.S.A.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 03/05/2007 05:15 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/apx-alarm-apex-alarm/provo-utah-84604/apx-alarm-review-customers-feel-safe-confident-and-secure-when-doing-business-with-apx-238269. 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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#9 Consumer Comment

Breeding worms as a business

AUTHOR: Veni - (United States of America)

POSTED: Monday, September 13, 2010
If you are like most people this may be the first time you have ever heard about breeding worms. Yet it is a thriving business that keeps many people busy all year long. There are breeders around the country, possibly even around the corner from you, working to have the best batch of worms available on the market. At this point you most likely have a few questions like who breeds worms, why they are bred and who purchases them. Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions and more.

Many breeders start out with a handful of worms from their own garden or a friend's and start a compost in their backyard. Even city dwellers can compost out on their balconies or rooftops with the help of a few worms. Composting is great for so many reasons. It eliminates food waste in an earth-friendly manner rather than clogging up landfills while producing vitamin-rich soil that can be used for farming or gardening. But who is actually responsible for this process? Why, earthworms of course. They are nature's own garbage disposals and recyclers, all in a tiny yet powerful body that can process food quickly and efficiently. The soil becomes aerated by their wriggling movement throughout and is fertilized from their excrement.

Admittedly breeding worms is not a difficult vocation yet it can easily reap monetary rewards. Although it wouldn't be recommended as a full-time job it is great for retirees or people who want to supplement their primary income. In the past few years demand for worms has increased at a rate greater than there are worm breeders available to supply it. As people become more invested in the organic movement farmers both big and small have a need for these worms to supplement their soil. What they don't have is the time to breed the worms themselves.

There is also a demand for worms from fishermen. Sold at places like local tackle shops and grocery stores worms are a popular item around large lakes and rivers where the fish can't always be caught with lures. Having a fat juicy wriggler dandling off the edge of a fishing pole is just what some fishermen want to land their big catch of the day with.

The most popular worms to breed are red wigglers or Tiger worms which can be found in nearly any nursery and are easy to breed. In fact breeding worms might be just about the easiest part of your day! All that is required is to feed them your excess food (minus meat and bones which putrefy quickly, a product the worms are not fond of eating) and water them regularly to keep the soil moist. Whether you live on two hundred acres of farmland or have a small balcony in the heart of New York City it is possible to start up your own enterprise breeding worms.

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#8 Consumer Comment

Worm breeding is a better choice

AUTHOR: Turk - (USA)

POSTED: Monday, September 13, 2010
No matter what you may believe, worms can do actually do wonder's in your garden. They strive to aerate the ground and soil and their excretion or "castings" are a fantastic form of garden fertilizer. Although it must be stressed that the common garden worm is not actually suitable for this. You will find numerous people use a red worms or tiger worms in order to make a worm farm. You can of course purchase a ready-made worm farm, but why would you want to spend all that money when you can easily build one yourself.

How to make a worm farm - It should consist of an three or four crates stacked on top of one another. You can choose to make these crates out of wood or plastic or any other type of waterproof material you wish. You would stack the upper crates with household waste such as food that you would normally throw out, or even cat or dog droppings. You can add lawn clippings or even your own hair. Worms will pretty much eat anything you put in front of them. Just think about all the things that you usually throw out at home and you can easily recycle these as worm feed.

Your worms will then work their way up from the lowest crate through the upper levels in order to feed on your waste produce. The beauty in this actually comes from a worm's droppings or castings. The liquid from the worm castings will work it's way down and eventually find its way to the lower crate where you can drain off this wonderful organic ingredient. You should always make sure that the upper crates have perforations to allow the worms to wriggle through each one in turn.

Once you have set up and learned how to make a worm farm, maintenance is very, very easy. You will literally need to add further food scraps and waste materials once every few weeks in order to provide food and nutrition for your worms. The castings that they produce are known as one of mother nature's greatest ever garden fertilisers. Additionally it must be said there is money and a possible decent secondary income to be made from worm farming or composting.

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#7 Consumer Comment

I have my own reasons

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

POSTED: Tuesday, August 17, 2010

How does a worm farm benefit society? The farm provides great, rich soil for gardens and plants. Worms are used in feeding other creatures. It is a excellent way to recycle one third of the household garbage. It is a project the the children can enjoy with their parents.

A worm farm is a great activity to bring the family together. The kids can learn to recycle with their parents. Most kids will love getting their hands filthy and mom and dad will enjoy the help recycling. In addition, for school projects that the kids need, a worm farm is a great item which they can take to school and show.

A worm farm is going to generate an incredibly rich soil that will benefit lawns, garden and flower beds. Worm composting is almost a wonder-drug for growing plants. Gardens and plants flourish with this worm compost (vermicast) from the farm. With garden and areas growing better, the economy receives a boost by simply selling more machines and other products to take care of the land on the farm. Another significant factor with a worm farm is the fact that you are receiving a natural soil free from chemicals. This eliminates the need to use products on the market that are treated with chemicals.

Developing a farm is a way to outstanding way to recycle food waste and other non-food waste. Vegetables, fruits and starchy food leftovers like oatmeal, bread and pasta are very good to feed the worms. Hair cuttings, leaves, paper items, cotton rags and soaked cardboard are materials which can certainly be fed to worms. Roughly one-third of household waste material may simply be used and recycled by the farm. This is one of the best benefits of the worm farm.

A lot of animals count on worms for food. This activity will help poultry farmers feed their chickens, catfish farms feed their fish and bird and other animals survive. Anglers will use worms for fishing which in turn places food on their meal table.

The farm delivers many benefits to the environment, the family and the animals that it helps. This project also brings individuals together to share ideas and procedures on effective worm farming. Groups are formed to tell their stories and experiences with worm farms. Citizens in other countries are familiar with worms and eat them as normal food. It's actually really intriguing when you begin to look beyond and discover how much worms and a worm farm really assists the environment and other things.

I am an old-time farmer at heart. I enjoy getting up at the crack of dawn, having my first cup (or cups) of coffee and then getting outside on my tractor. I love being outdoors and putting my hands into the soil. Worm farming is just one more thing that I take pleasure in.

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#6 Consumer Comment

I have an easy solution...

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

POSTED: Thursday, July 15, 2010
What is the earthworm reproduction system? How do you tell whether an earthworm is male or female? You can't really tell because you know why, an earthworm is both male and female. It has both the male and female reproduction organs in its body. It means that it produces both sperms and eggs from its body.

So, do they need to mate? Absolutely! An earthworm still need another earthworm to mate and breed. It cannot self fertilise. But at any one time, only one reproduction organ is functional. During mating process, they are both males and sperm exchange will occur where the sperms from each earthworm will pass to another during mating process to fertilise the eggs.

Then, the female reproductive function is where it carries the eggs ready to be fertilised. Its clitellum will expand and discharge some sort of nutritive fluid band. Using its muscle movement, the fluid band is drag towards the female organ opening where the eggs are placed. The eggs are then moved towards a storage place where the sperms from the other earthworms are stored.

The sperm together with the eggs in the band will continue to move towards head of the earthworms where it will finally detached itself from the earthworm body. Once off the body, the band will developed into cocoon which is a lemon shape object where the sperms will finally fertilised the mature eggs.

One cocoon may contained up to 5 or more eggs where it will hatch into babies earthworms which normally of white colour.

Ideal conditions to encourage rapid breeding would include: 
1) Ample food such as fresh manure or food with nitrogen rich green organic matter. 
2) Ideal weather condition where temperature is below 21C, not too hot or too dry and not too cold. The earthworm needs moist and cool condition to stay active. Breeding will occur frequently during the spring where the weather condition is more conducive, possibly every 2 weeks.

Even though the ideal conditions as described above would encourage rapid breeding, in a confined and restricted space or area such as the worm bin, the worms do have a preferred capacity. This means when a certain level of worms population is reached, they will stop breeding to maintain the number, so you will not have an over populated earthworms in a worm bin.

When this occurs, you may need to transfer the worms to another bigger bin to cater for the extra breeding population with fresh set of food and bedding.
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#5 UPDATE Employee

I am sorry to hear that

AUTHOR: BigJoe - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, July 14, 2010

I am glad to hear your situation was resolved. In the current economy many face similar situations and few have happy endings such as yours.  But I must rebuttal in defense of my company in light of all of the slanderous accusations and judgements.  Let me start by saying if this story surprised you... "Welcome to the Modern World."  This is the way business is done nowadays. In every business.


When you get an apartment, you get a lease.  When you get cable, you sign a service agreement, the same with all services, including cell phone service, lawn care service, pest control service, and yes, even your home security service.  These companies invest heavily into you, the customer in the beginning, such as paying for the equipment and the labor that goes into getting it to you, to be able to turn a profit eventually at the end of your service agreement.  That is how money is made in the modern world.

In this case I am pleased that you received your refund because they could not provide you with the service after your relocation, but to the many others who just complain because they honestly thought a business was going to give them something free and not try to make a profit, get over it or move to a third world country.  This is not just Apx alarm, it is every other alarm company, and all companies that provide a service to you, they all do business the same way because they are trying to turn a profit.
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#4 Consumer Comment

I agree...

AUTHOR: phirgerbs - (United States of America)

POSTED: Tuesday, July 13, 2010
If you are like a number of people this may be the first time you have ever heard about breeding worms. Yet it is a booming industry that keeps many people very busy all year long. There are breeders around the U.S., possibly even across town from you, working hard to have the best bunch of worms available on the market. At this point you almost certainly have a few questions like who breeds worms, why they are bred and who purchases them. Keep reading to discover the answers to these questions and more.

Many breeders set out with a fistful of worms from their own garden or a friend's and start a compost in their backyard. Even city dwellers can compost out on their balconies or rooftops with the help of a a small number of worms. Composting is fantastic for so many reasons. It gets rid of food waste in an earth-friendly way rather than clogging up landfills while yielding vitamin-rich soil that can be utilised for farming or gardening. But who is indeed accountable for this process? Why, earthworms of course. They are nature's own garbage disposals and recyclers, all in a tiny yet mighty body that can process food promptly and efficiently. The soil is aerated by their wriggling action throughout and is fertilized from their excrement.

Admittedly breeding worms is not a hard line of work, yet it can quickly garner financial rewards. Although it wouldn't be recommended as a full-time job it is great for retirees or people who want to subsidize their main income. In the past few years necessity for worms has accelerated at a rate greater than there are worm breeders readily available to furnish it. As people become more invested in the organic movement farmers both big and modest have a desire for these worms to supplement their soil. What they don't have is the occasion to breed the worms themselves.

There is also a demand for worms from fishermen. Sold at places like community tackle shops and grocery stores worms are a popular item around large lakes and rivers where the fish can't always be captured with lures. Having a fat, juicy wriggler hanging off the edge of a fishing pole is just what some fishermen want to land their big catch of the day with.

The most well-known worms to breed are Red Wigglers or Tiger Worms which can be found in almost any nursery and are quick to breed. In fact, breeding worms might be just about the least difficult part of your day! All that is essential is to feed them your surplusleft-over food (minus meat and bones which putrefy quickly, a product the worms are not fond of eating) and water them regularly to keep the soil moist. Whether you live on one hundred acres of countryside or have a small balcony in the heart of Chicago, it is viable to start up your own venture breeding worms.
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#3 Consumer Comment

10 months fighting

AUTHOR: Aquateen21 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, January 22, 2009

I have been fighting with them for 10 months and have gotten no where. I am hopeful that It will come to an end soon after reading about your happy ending. If you have any tips for me I would love to hear them.

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#2 Author of original report

REFUND from APX Alarm/Apex Alarm

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

POSTED: Sunday, April 29, 2007

To my utter amazement, I received a refund check in the mail yesterday. I guess it can eventually pay to be the squeaky wheel. In this case, it took five months to resolve my dispute with APX/Apex.

I guess the lesson to be learned here is to not give up. And to speak up if you are wronged. If you let a company take advantage of you and say nothing, they will do the same thing to someone else.

Has APX/Apex restored my faith in them? No. I should not have had to endure five months of lies, unreturned phone calls and threats to my credit rating, and I am mainly just relieved the whole ordeal is over.

Would I ever get another security system? No. Not if it involves another three-year contract.

I would urge anyone considering APX/Apex to go over their contract with a fine tooth comb before signing anything; get a lawyer to look it over if you don't fully understand it. Be aware that their "free" subscriber move offer is limited to only certain parts of the country. And if there is any chance you might move, become disabled or lose your job during the next three years, you may want to avoid their services altogether.

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#1 Author of original report

Possible resolution re: APX Alarm, Apex Alarm

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

POSTED: Monday, April 23, 2007

After two months of no contact from APX Alarm, I received a notice today from the BBB that they did have a response. It was dated 4/19/2007.

The response was worded as follows: "We will refund the money to her. The check will be mailed in the next few days and should arrive to them in 7-10 business days. Thank you for assisting us in resolving this dispute."

Because APX Alarm has promised the BBB in the past that I would receive a refund and then changed their mind days later, I am skeptical about their sincerity. If they do actually follow through, I will update this report again.

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