Re: UL Required to get License

["Bob Worthy" <securinc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Mike Sokoly" <secure15@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:I3ilf.3500$O05.3038@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Great info Bob. We can only hope that it'll catch on elsewhere.

Check your licensing laws. They are a private company that, up until now,
has not been regulated and UL has been taking advantage of it for ever. Even
the insurance industry is regulated, why aren't they? Every State that has a
licensing law should check to see if UL's actions fall under the licensing
law, as it does in Florida. Again, I am not against UL standards and testing
laboratory functions (product approval) but they need to be accountable to
someone, especially when their actions are causing a restraint of trade.
They need to be regulated so that they can't get away with doing only 3-10 %
of the required inspections (documented and admitted to by UL
representatives at an ECLB board meeting) and think this is all right for
life safety. This is next to criminal. The AHJ's assume that UL is taking
care of the required inspections. They are not! That means a system could
vertually go uninspected for 10 years and systems that are to far away from
a central station may never get inspected. They have been caught taking the
money and not doing what the AHJ's expected them to do. They have been
charging prices and raising rates, with no notice, at a percentage rate that
is unreasonable even though they haven't been supporting what they are
selling to the AHJ's, again because the haven't had to answer to anyone. Now
they do. When they screw up, now they will have to answer to someone and
their records of contractor violations cannot be held private to protect
their members. State law says that contractor violations must be reported to
the State, so that it is public record. That was one of the major concerns
of the AG's office. Bad contractor's violation records were being kept
private by UL. A state license search, by  a consumer, would never show
these violations, possibly leaving the public in harms way. All states need
to investigate this and get UL regulated if they are going to operate in
their state.


> About 4-5 months ago I recalled reading of large layoffs at UL hera on
> LI around 3,000 persons-

I heard about layoffs and closing of locations. I didn't hear about the
German deal.

 > BTW- you left out another important UL issue- Their beholding and
> collusion with the INSURANCE INDUSTRY!!!!!

I wonder if the insurance companies really know that only 3-10% of the
required systems are actually being inspected. They are not dumb enough to
accept a piece of paper (certificate) recieved by faxing in an application
and paying a fee in lieu of an actual onsite inspection to verify the
coverage. I seriously doubt they know that UL's inspection history is only
3-10% and now, while laying off and closing locations, they are taking on
more responsibility. Amazing!!

>
> Bob Worthy wrote:
> >
> > >bBoy are you out of it. You don't know about having to have a contract,
for
> > not only monitoring, but service as well, in place before the CO? You
cannot
> > do that by going direct to a cheapy monitoring center somewhere. Not
only
> > that, but in these effected areas the AHJ's have a list of only those
> > companies and central stations  that they except. This is a restraint of
> > trade and prevents a State licensed contractor from working within
his/her
> > own trade. Now you see why I am not a fan of UL and what they are
creating.
> > This movement has started in Florida but has been relayed to us out of
UL
> > Illinois office that this is just the tip to the iceberg. They not only
what
> > the fire industry but that they are most interested in the burg industry
on
> > a national basis. $$$$$$$$ signs for membership in their eyes. That also
has
> > started in Florida with an ordinance in Martin County to only install UL
> > systems in even residential. "GEE, where are we going to hang this big
ugly
> > ass UL bell on your multi million dollar home, sir?" You need not post
> > unless you know what you are talking about Robert. You've been in Brazil
to
> > long, the world is passing you by!
> >
> >