Re: Paying customer wakes up to CF alarm every morning

[brettjbyers@xxxxxxxxx]

Unfortionately.... I am back.  First a quick recap since there are over
85 responses then I will update you on the status.

Recap: My Brinks alarm was installed in 2002. I paid a fair price for
it (including numerous motion, heat, fire, panic/pendant, remotes,
door, latchkey, and glass break sensors) and have paid my $35/month
monitoring fee every month since installed. About a year ago I switched
to Vonage. Deep breaths those passionate about VOIP-  my wife is from
London and our phone bills were $100-$200 a month so paying $25 for
vonage was verrry apealing so please cut me some slack.  So I put my
vonage and cable modem on a backup power supply and accepted the risk
that an legitimate alarm even would happen (first of all, very
unlikely) AND this would occur at the same time I had an internet
hiccup on very reliable pinned up connection.  Yes it could happen, its
risk versus reward. Who would have thought I would be where I am today,
but before I get to that... I chose to accept the risk, so let me move
on.  The VOIP connector was installed and everything "appeard" fine.
Skip forward.... Earlier this year I starting getting either CP or CH
errors (cant remember which came first). Every night my alarm would
start beeping that it could not communicate.  Many service calls, no
surprise vonage to blame but the Techs said they could sort it out so I
kept paying my monthly fee and let the have a go. Many service
appointments later, no dice.  Skip forward another 4 months to
September 05 when I received a letter about configuration settings for
vonage users.  Again, all this time I am happily paying my monthly fee
since I chose to move to vonage. I call brinks and they didnt have any
"new" info, they were just reminding of the vonage policy we all have
read. But they want to send someone out, so they do.

Update: I speak with the local manager and tell him if the system can
not be monitored that is fine I will keep paying monthly but STOP the
BEEPING!  It starts every 24 hours and drives us nuts!  They come out
and install a new board but can't get the system talking over vonage
(no biggie) but say the beeping will stop and CP and CH are gone from
my display.  Yipee!  Next morning.... CP beeping is back.  Spoke with
local manager, says what they did should have done the trick but the
tech is coming back again to make sure the CP error will stop. Next
day.... ITS BACK!  I did not read about the #99 trick until now but I
am not sure I want to have them come out again. I have worked with the
local manager and the tech has been out twice in two days... with the
sole mission of stopping the CP error even if they can not get it to
monitor.  Even though I a to blame for switching to vonage (reminder: I
am moving in a few months and will have an alarm analogue line in the
new house which is why fixing the root cause or installing a line here
is not something I want to do) for my $35 a month today and over the
past three years all I want is for the CP beeping to stop.  I feel like
I am in an episode of lost with the Dharma experiment.  I better get to
sleep, the beeping will be back on schedule in the morning.