Re: Computer virus???

[Nick Lawrence <nlaw@xxxxxxx>]

Hi Crash...

Actually, they do care, and so should you...  and it is just this
problem, of consumers (and competitors) getting screwed by rogue alarm
companies, that cannot be remedied by you having to "replace the system".

If you replace the customer-owned panel for free, you are screwed out of
time and equipment. If the consumer has to pay to replace his
functioning (but locked out) panel, they are screwed.

Here is what happened to Bay Alarm Company. It's worth noting that Bay
Alarm Company, TTBOMK, now, after the lawsuit was settled, does not
engage in this type of activity.

"Class Action Lawsuit:
A purported Class Action lawsuit was filed, in March 1998, in Alameda
County CA Superior Court, against Bay Alarm Company of Walnut Creek CA.
The lawsuit generally alleged that Bay Alarm Company used
"local-programming lockout", a feature of several brands of alarms, to
deny certain of its residential subscribers access to the security alarm
systems they purchased from Bay Alarm Company.

"Local-programming lockout", sometimes referred to as a "computer
virus", is a programming option available to dealer-installers found in
several brands of security alarm systems (including Ademco, FBI, First
Alert, Honeywell, Napco, and others) and which can be used to prevent
subscribers from accessing the "programming mode" of their security
alarm system, and thereby from selecting a competitive vendor for repair
or monitoring services.

One of the actual "locked out" security alarm system panels, made by
FBI, has been examined by AlarmNews.

In answering the complaint, Bay Alarm Company, now named Balco Holdings
Inc, denied any wrongdoing. Bay Alarm Company's attorneys stated, in
2005, that "the lawsuit was not a consumer class action, but rather a
purported class action" and "the lawsuit was settled in mid-1999 without
Bay Alarm admitting any wrongdoing and without a class being certified"."


Crash Gordon wrote:
> Much less of a hassle to just replace the system. The AG wouldn't give a
> crap and it would take months to go nowhere.