Re: Brinks & Broadview Takeovers

[Jim <alarminex@xxxxxxx>]

On Oct 3, 6:56=EF=BF=BDpm, "Robert L Bass" <Sa...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
>
> I understand your concerns and the value to the dealer of longer term
> contracts. =EF=BF=BDThinking about it, I guess what bothers me most is no=
t so much the
> initial term as the use of long (i.e., more than 30-day) advance notice
> clauses. =EF=BF=BDWe all know that most consumers don't think about notif=
ying a
> service provider that they intend to cancel until they receive their mont=
hly
> bill. =EF=BF=BDBy requiring 60 or 90 days' notice of intent to cancel, al=
arm companies
> can easily thwart the consumer's intent to go elsewhere. =EF=BF=BDGood al=
arm companies
> will let an unhappy client leave. =EF=BF=BDThe worst ones will try every =
trick in the
> book to force him to keep paying. =EF=BF=BDThis was one of the many issue=
s that
> brought the AG up against ABC in CT years ago.
>
> The reality is, if your service is good and your price is reasonable, ver=
y few
> clients will walk at the end of the contract. =EF=BF=BDThey'll gladly ren=
ew when
> notified it's time to do so. =EF=BF=BDBut if you (that's a generic "you")=
 treat them
> like crap and you overcharge for services, they will want to leave. =EF=
=BF=BDSo who
> does the long notification period really protect? =EF=BF=BDOnly the worst=
 members of
> the trade -- the guys you and I would like to see go out of business.
>
> --
>
> Regards,
> Robert L Bass
>
In New York, we are required to notify clients at least 30 days prior
to the expiration of their agreement via certified mail. There is no
automatic renewal.

This is fair, in my opinion.

There are some states that don't require any notification and some
that require the client to remember that his contract is coming due,
five years later and has to notifiy the alarm company. Not so fair.