Re: Avoid Brinks Home Security

[tourman <robercampbell@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Mar 29, 12:13 am, Anonymous <cri...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> Please do yourself a favor and avoid Brinks.  Brinks has been making plenty of money from suckers like me who didn't read the fine print "evergreen clause" in the contract, stating that it auto renews every year unless you remember to cancel it in writing at least 60 days before the renewal date.  So, I'm stuck for another 10 months with their subpar service.  What a ripoff.
>
> I just recently realized that our alarm hasn't actually been working properly. It looks like it's working, but we recently discovered it's not.  Do you think Brinks ever bothered to call us with a "Is everything OK? We noticed you haven't set your alarm in 6 months?"  No, they just continue to send the bill. When a new city ordinance required homes with alarms to get a permit, did Brink notify me? Yes, 1 month AFTER the ordinance was in effect, and 3 weeks AFTER I got fined by the city for a false alarm.
>
> Bad timing, yes, but that, along with very poor phone support add up to a company I will never recommend, and I hope others spread the word.

Sir, your unfortunate experience with this company actually points to
other industry wide problems that bear mentioning. After 15 years in
this industry, and having watched how companies large and small
conduct themselves, I've come up with a few "truisms" that bear
mentioning:

1- Those companies that advertise the most usually give the end user
the least overall.
2- Most end users do far too little research before buying security
services.
3- Many consumers seem to believe the hype that alarm systems are
indeed "free" and honestly believe that they are getting something for
nothing, not realizing they are simply paying for their system in the
overpriced monitoring rates.
4- Many consumers don't read the fine print in their contract choosing
instead to trust the party presenting it for signature. Corporate
greed being what it is, this is tantamount to believing the salesman
when he insists on your paying full price at your auto dealership !
5- Industry wide self serving practices of having to sign a long term
contract for monitoring services results in most clients not realizing
there are other options that don't lock them in so tightly.
6- Most end users don't realize that many simple, cost effective
"physical security precautions" are an important part of their overall
security platform, instead relying too heavily on electronic services
(see point 2)
7- Many companies are far too willing to put the responsibility that
the alarm is working properly onto the end user (In this gentleman's
example, you have to wonder why his company didn't program in a simple
auto test signal)
8- In this industry, it is very much "buyer beware" (as you have
unfortunately found...)
9 - There are plenty more...add your own....

Overall, this often appears to be a pretty scummy industry, made much
worse by opportunistic companies whose primary goal is not your
security but gaining your business at any cost. Ethics always seem to
take a back seat to profit !!

Frankly, I've become pretty disillusioned with our industry over the
years and I'll be glad to soon leave it behind......

R.H.Campbell
Home Security Metal Products
www.homemetal.com