Vivint Best Buy Vivint Best Buy bait and switch on monitoring service Nationwide

Our home was burglarized on Thanksgiving eve day. We went to Best Buy to look at home security systems on Black Friday. While looking at their selection we were steered to the Vivint demonstration area and shown the Vivint/Best Buy system. We were told the system would cost $1100 for the equipment and the monitoring would be $19.95 a month, with free install and free financing with a new Best Buy credit card. Also, this was the first sale for the rep at Best Buy/Vivint, she informed us after we were done, and her mentor on the floor claimed he had been up for 24 hrs straight during Black Friday and was fading in and out of the conversations.

A week later the system was installed and the tech went over the system including what would happen if the alarm was tripped and how we would have to give the "passcode" to stop them from sending the police. Tests were done with the monitoring service and all looked great. 2 weeks later the thermostat stopped working. They tried to walk me through the fix but they ended up sending a tech out who was able to fix it. 3 months later we went on a long vacation and the main panel failed and went dark. I called to get service and they refused unless I paid them $199 for the tech visit. I explained the system was almost new and they said that since I didn't have the premium monitoring package that I would have to pay for the service call.

After many phone calls and many different explanations, like "you need to have the $49 a month package for service, you are self monitoring, you really have 120 days for full service so we should send a tech out", they finally agreed to put me on the schedule when I returned from vacation. There was no sense of urgency at all from Vivint, spent 1/2 hr on hold once just waiting for possible times the tech could come out...hung up. All in all about 6 calls to Vivint, with only a take it or leave it attitude.

They spent a week finding out from the salesperson if they had promised monitoring of our home. After the week the salesperson apparently said they didn't promise that. It was clear as day to my wife and I during the sales pitch. In fact the contract says $19.95 per month service, nothing about self monitoring, or monitoring. We didn't even know there were choices. So while we thought Vivint was watching our home, in fact we were watching our own home for $19.95 a month. Who would pay someone so that you could do all the work? Worst part is they never informed us we were the only monitoring service, we truly thought they were handling it.

I called another security company and they could not use the equipment I bought 4 months ago and Vivint refused to take it back.  I then called Best Buy customer service and they agreed to take the equipment back.  I was sent a UPS notice that a label would be sent, after a week I called again and they issued another one, but no label ever came.  I eventually sent it all to Best Buy on my own.  I contracted with Xfinity for a security system and monitoring for 2 years based on the fact Best Buy agreed to take the Vivint equipment back.  Note: Vivint equipment only works with Vivint service contracts, so without Vivint service these electronics were usless.

Now I get the equipment I was told could be returned, returned to me.  No credits, just a note saying they couldn't take it back now.  I signed a contract with the understanding I would be reimbursed for this worthless equipment.

Why does Best Buy allow this type of bait and switch to go on under their roof?  I simply wanted an alarm for my home and trusted Best Buy to have a good product.