Re: My alarm company has billed me before doing anything

[Sock Puppet <none@xxxxxxxxx>]

dcalarms inspired greatness with:

>I contracted with a local alarm company in December.  The day after
>the contract was signed, I called the salesman and asked to have two
>sensors removed from the contract.

So you did sign a contract.


> We agreed that I would go to the
>same local electronic supply house (where I have shopped for years)
>and buy some additional sensors and then do the pre-wiring myself.
>The salesman agreed and we reduced the contract charges by about $300
>and agreed that they would install a DSC Kit, the QP6-3-433, and that
>I would go ahead and pull the electrical and phone connections to the
>point where the box and panel were to be installed.

Okay, so you are pre-wiring the house yourself.  Did the salesman ask
you to sign a waiver exempting the company from bad/incorrect wiring?
Was there a clause in there that stated any repair cost of wiring
would be on you?



>I subsequently realized I didn't have time to do the work right away
>and called and spoke with one of the company's owners and asked him to
>wait until I had time to do the pre-wire and purchasing of the extra
>sensors and boards I want to ad.  He agreed with no hesitation and
>even offered to buy anything I wanted and bill me at his cost.

How sweet of him.


>Since that conversation a month ago, I visited the electronics house
>and picked up pointers on a different kit that would be better for
>what I want.  I also obtained the price for thie kit that is on my
>contract.
>
>To this date, the alarm company has done nothing more than have a
>salesman spend a coouple of hours selling me the system and writing a
>contract.  They admit they have not bought any items for my job and
>they have not done anything except talk with me.
>
>Friday, I received an invoice, marked 90 Days Past Due, for the full,
>original contract cost, plus a full charge for a quarter's monitoring
>-- of a system that has never been installed.  Despite the 80 Days
>Past Due, they've never invoiced me before.

Okay, they are billing you for services that have not yet been
performed.  What it sounds like to me is the salesman ... in a rush to
get his compensation turned in the contract prematurely.  He should
not have done this, he should wait until all systems are "go".  I
don't see the alarm company services to date as billable, mainly
because no work has been done, and no account is online.


>As alarm systems professionals, what would you do if you were in my
>place?
>
>Options:
>
>Call the owner again and ask him to explain the invoice.  If he is at
>the least uncooperative, advise him that I want to cancel the contract
>because of the poor customer service and ask for all of my $300
>deposit back -- except for a $50 deduction to pay the salesman's
>commission.

Ask for the whole thing back, if you don't want to do business with
them.  The salesman made a greedy choice, most likely he lied to his
sales manager too.  He is the one in error as I see it, he gets NO pay
- and you demand to deal with the owner from this point on.



>Refer matter to state alarm company licensing bureau and ask them to
>investigate the matter.

Hold off on that unless the alarm company refuses to delete the
current charges.



>In addition to referring it to the state authorities, contact the
>local BBB and register a complaint about the company's business
>practices.


Hold off on that unless the alarm company refuses to delete the
current charges.

>Make no contact with the company or the state and file a small claims
>court action to get my entire $300 back and then cancel the order.

Hold off on that unless the alarm company refuses to delete the
current charges.


>I suspect that somewhere, in this group, there are dealers and
>salesman who have been on the other side of this situation -- and
>maybe a consumer or two that has been in my situatin.  I'd like to
>read ideas from both sides of the equation.
>