Re: avoiding being "locked out"

["R.H.Campbell" <rh.campbell@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Damn ! You're starting to sound like me. I thought I was the only one on the
NG pissed off when lockout is practiced unethically !! This all too clearly
illustrates one additional way alarmco's abuse this feature. This also
illustrates so well why the law should intervene in situations like this
where companies willingly do what they clearly know is wrong. And it's total
chickensit frankly to think that the cost of a board would ever really
discourage takeovers. It doesn't stop dealers, only consumers. Clearly
Counterforce in the US is not the quality company that Counterforce is up
here (assuming they are both the same company)

Consumers should have it written into their contract that the dealer will
either not lock the board or agree to unlock it at their cost at the point
where the panel belongs to the client free and clear of any financial
obligations. And better they not lock it at all, since so many alarmco's go
belly up, leaving the client high and dry !!

Now you can understand why frustrated people will often say..."there outta
be a law...." Perhaps there should be in these cases !!


RHC

<thesatguy1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:p9LQe.1026$oJ2.392@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> At several points I have contacted all the buyers of alarm system
> contracts and they all want to lockout the panels of the accounts they buy
> mainly because they think you won't change companies at some point if
> you're panel has to be replaced.
>
> Clearly if the customer owns their panel (any many do not ever own their
> panel) they should be able to do whatever they darn well please with it.
> However, a lot of companies simply go along with the programs they have
> hooked themselves up with and violate the law.  I remember Counterforce in
> Houston telling me I would have to replace every panel that they could not
> download and lockout or they wouldn't buy the contracts.  It boggles the
> mind.
>
> All you can do is ask.  You should also verify they didn't lie to you.
>
> <powercat@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:1124629286.071477.270930@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Greetings I know a commercial alarm system installer who moonlights on
>> residential set-ups.  Basically I do the unpleasant part (running the
>> wiring) and he does the programming and is paid appropriately for that
>> task.  What he does not do is sell alarm monitoring to avoid a conflict
>> with his "real" employer.
>>
>> This all sounds very fair to me.  He does say "pick an alarm monitoring
>> company that won't "lock out" your panel and prevent you from switching
>> later".
>>
>> In short how do you know if a company is engaged in that practice
>> (obviously I can ask).  This sounds very shady to me especially if I
>> own the equipment.
>>
>> Thanks for any comments.
>>
>>
>
>