Re: question about burglar alarm dispute (San Francisco Bay Area)

["Doug" <not@xxxxxxxx>]

--

<hotister@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:9961b5cb-f039-4536-8bc6-150cdb0f2f14@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Hi dear all:
>
> We recently got involved with a dispute with a burglar alarm company
> (in San Francisco Bay Area), and I hope this is the right place to
> post this question.
>
> On our AT&T phone bill last month we noticed that we have a long list
> of "automated" long distance phone calls dialing to a area code (408)
> phone number. These phone calls happened on daily basis and always
> start from 1:43pm and would continue to dial until 2:39pm (for about
> one hour, and call every one minute). At first we didn't think of it's
> a problem from our burglar alarm company, so we called AT&T and they
> put these calls on dispute for us. The next month, we noticed the same
> thing again, so we called AT&T again and they told us that it seems
> the phone number is a fax/computer type of phone number, they also
> asked whether we have some kind of alarm system, so we started to talk
> to our alarm company. The alarm company did some investigation, then
> got back to us saying that these phone calls were made by the alarm
> system for automated testing, as all these calls were never actually
> went through, so the modem kept on trying to make those automated
> testing calls. However, they did mention that they have another 4-5
> customers who also had this problem before and the problem seems to be
> related to really old modem (on the residence side, not the modems on
> their company side), so they suggested that we should upgrade the
> modem in our house (the current one was provided and installed by
> them), and they also switched the 408 long distance number to a 1-800
> number. They continue to say that we should dispute these phone calls
> with AT&T and they are NOT willing to pay for these phone bills
> (currently there are about $390 due to
>
> Some questions:
>
> 1. From the technical side, who should be really responsible for these
> phone calls? I know that we shouldn't, but we also don't know from the
> technical side whether AT&T or the alarm company should be responsible
> for this $390. Could someone please give us some "technical details"
> about how this type of automated dialing system works (for burglar
> alarm systems)? If, according to the alarm company, that these
> automated dialing (from our home modem) never went through, why would
> AT&T has a record on their computer and still charge us?
>
> 2. Is there any regulate agency for burglar alarm companies? If this
> is the alarm company's fault and they should be responsible for the
> $390 bill, other than the BBB (better business bureau), is there any
> other places that we could file a complain against this alarm company?
>


The alarm is calling the central station receiver, which answers the call
hence the charges from AT&T but the message (timer test) is either not
transmitted correctly or not received correctly so the alarm hangs up and
redials the receiver in an attempt to transmit its message. In most cases
the alarm will only try about 8 times before giving up.

Why isn't the message being received correctly ?,who knows, it could be the
alarm company changed the receiver format, it could be that the alarm system
is faulty, devices could have been added at your home that would affect the
transmission of alarm signals or any number of other reasons.

If part of the monitoring contract calls for a daily timer test and the
signal isn't received then the alarm company should notify you that the
signal wasn't received. It may be however that the signal was eventually
accepted.

Its unlikely to be AT&Ts responsibility, which leaves you or the alarm
company.
Prior to the multiple calls was there a single daily call to this number?
Have you made any changes made to your phone equipment or added DSL to this
line?
Who owns the alarm system?


Doug