Protect America, Inappropriate Harassing Calls, Poor Business Practices, Buyer Beware Round Rock Texas

First Contact 3/12/07: "Jacob Cantu" A pushy Sales Representative named Jacob Cantu called my home and talked me into getting their GE Simon 3 Wireless Security System for my apartment. The representative emailed me a link and rushed me through filling out and signing an electronic contract. While taking the time to read it, he stated for me to just click accept and read it later, if I wanted to receive the security system for free. Going against my better judgment, I did as he asked. Jacob the proceeded to call me, I kid you not, 13 times to make sure that I completed everything, because he had not yet received confirmation on his end that I had done so. I explained to him that I had completed the process while I was on the phone with him the first time and that I didn't know what the problem was. After the 13th call from Jacob, I received no further calls that day.

Second Contact 3/13/07: "Wow, A Bill That Fast" The day after doing the transaction with the Sales Representative, I received a bill on my credit card for $109.90, for the monitoring service that wasn't even supposed to be started until I moved to the new place 6 weeks later.

Third Contact 3/14/07: Now two days after my initial contact I began getting calls from rude Service Representatives, first asking me if I was someone else, because they didn't even have the correct account in front of them. When they finally got the correct account in front of them, they told me that their records indicated that I need to activate the system or I would be charged some $200 fee for not activating it. I explained to them that it has only been two days since I spoke to Mr. Cantu, that I hadn't received the system in the mail yet, and lastly that the agreement wasn't to even start for another 6 weeks (4/20/07) per our conversation. Because I wasn't even living there yet. The representative promptly barked back, " Well, how am I supposed to know that you weren't going to turn it on for over a month?" I tried to calmly explain of the above again and ask him to look at the documentation on my account. I heard some typing in the background and some unintelligible mumbling from the representative, the a swift, "Thank you for choosing Protect America" and the call was disconnected.

Fourth Contact 3/15/07: I received a call again of this same nature above, not four hours after I spoke to the person in the third contact. This time they called me at work. I was starting to get frustrated. I explained the situation to this person the same as I did to the representative in the third contact. They asked if they could put me on hold for a moment, while they looked at my account. They left me on hold for more than 5 minutes and never returned to speak with me. The call was ended and I went back to doing my job.

Fifth Contact 3/16/07: Bright and early in the morning the day after the third and fourth contact, my phone was ringing again and guess who? You guessed it, Protect America. Just seeing their name in the Caller ID, my blood began to boil. Therefore, I didn't answer the phone. No message was left.

Sixth Contact 3/17/07: The afternoon of this fifth contact, I got 2 packages in the mail from: K. Lassiter, Protect America, Inc. 5100 N IH 25 Ste B Round Rock TX 78681-2407 with confirmation numbers: 420945979101 038555749896560005 & 420945979121038555749064136173. Before the Postal Carrier left, I told him that I was refusing the shipment and he took them to return to sender, unopened. I promptly went inside and called Protect America. After waiting for a long time for someone to answer the call, I spoke with a woman and told her that I wanted the cancel everything before it started. She put me on hold or a while an a male got on the phone.

He only identified himself as the supervisor. I explained the situation and the background. I had him look at my account to see that my agreement was not set to even start for over a month, that I refused delivery of their equipment which was ont he way back to them, and that I wanted to cancel everything before it started. He stated to me that he cancelled the account and that I would receive not further charges from them. He further stated that he would waive the $90 restocking fee that they usually charge when the equipment is refused or returned. I lastly asked him to refund the $109.90 that was charged to my credit card on second contact. He stated he did not have the authority to do so.

He stated that I needed to email the Operations Manager, Steven Grimm at: Steven@protectamerica.com and that he would complete my request and was the only person in the company that had the authority to refund the charges. I asked the supervisor if he would email Mr. Grimm as well and outline our phone conversation, so that he would have some background in-hand when he received my email. The supervisor stated that Mr. Grimm doesn't read the employee's emails, but does respond to consumers. I explained to the supervisor that emailing Mr. Grimm and advising him of the situation was the appropriate thing to do. After being somewhat resistant to it, he agreed. The call was ended and I emailed Mr. Grimm. The email went as follows:

"Dear Steven,

I was contacted by one of your sales representatives last week who talked me into getting an alarm system from your company. I explained at the time that we were in the process of relocating and that the system would not be installed until the end over a month from now. The sales representative said that it was no problem, that he would future date my agreement to begin on the agreed date of 04-21-07 when the system was to be installed in the new home.

Beginning the day after the representative sold us the system we began receiving inappropriate phone calls from your company. We had people calling me at work asking me if I was ready to set up my alarm and that I needed to act now in order to avoid a cancellation fee. This happened several times, the representatives that called were rude and inappropriate. Each time I received a call I had to explain that things were not to start until 04-21-07 and we hadn't even received the system yet. The last person that I spoke to stated, "Well, how am I supposed to know that you weren't going to turn it on for over a month?" If the representatives that work for your company can't get straight when the alarm and contract is supposed to begin, how could I possibly trust the company to protect my home in the event of an emergency. I can't.

Each and every contact that I have had with your company has left a very bad taste in my mouth. I still sit here scratching my head as to why that representative would speak to me in such a way as indicated above. Today, to my surprise, the alarm system came in the mail. It wasn't even supposed to come until closer to the date of 04-21-07 when our contract was supposed to begin. Based on the experiences I have had to this point, I promptly refused the packages and the mailman is returning them to you as a refused delivery. So it is making it's way back to you as we speak. I called today after returning the package and asked the supervisor to cancel the account, even before it was supposed to begin.

In my contact with the supervisor, he stated to me that I was within the return period not to be obligated to the monitoring agreement. He stated that because if the circumstance he was waiving the restocking fee that would normally be charged for the equipment being refused and returned. As a final direction from him, I was asked to email you. I was told that I needed to contact you, as you are the only person who has the authority to refund the First & Last Deposit and the License Fee ($69.90 + $40.00) that I was charged. He stated that he could see clearly where the agreement wasn't to be started and the alarm wasn't to be turned on until 04-21-07, but that I needed to ask you directly to do this for me via email, since you aren't in the office on the weekend.

I would like to thank you for taking the time to address my concern and my cancellation/refund request. If you would please, contact me anytime by email or by phone at the information below. Please let me know your thoughts on the matter, what can be done to address my concerns, as well as the status of my refund request. Again, thank you very much in advance for your help in this matter and I will look forward to hearing from you soon."

Now I wait for word back from Mr. Grimm that this situation will be taken care of. After reading many of the other complaints on this site about the company I am doubtful, their horror stories ring in my head, but I am going to hope for the best. More updates to come as the situation further unfolds.

Luke B.
San Francisco, California
U.S.A.