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Brinks Home Security Complaint - Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware) - Home Security - Monitoring
Home Security - Monitoring - Complaint
ATLANTA, GEORGIA -- Stay away from this company as far as you can.
After using Brinks for +3 years,I just discovered that my contract terms were horrendous, emphasis on "getting you coming and going".
~ My initial contract period was 3 years. Since I didn't notify of cancellation +30 days prior to my anniversary date, I was locked in for another 12 MONTHS!
~ Brinks retains ownership of the equipment, requiring you at cancellation/termination to either pay some outrageous amount ($500 per customer rep, but not specified in my contract) or allow Brinks to come and physically remove most system components. So WHY PAY 50% more than competitors?
~ Brinks charges outrageous rates to repair your system (even though they continue to own the stupid thing). These are LABOR CHARGES (roughly $90/hour).
~ If you sell the property being monitored and the new owners do not sign up for Brinks service OR you simply terminate your service, you are required to pay Brinks for service for the remaining life of the contract (REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY DO ANYTHING AT ALL FOR YOU).
There is no other way to describe this but DECEPTIVE and DISHONEST. Other companies (we have Ackerman here in Atlanta) install the system and let you pay as you go - i.e. the system belongs to you and you can leave at any time (to switch to another monitoring service).
BRINKS = EVIL. Stay away from them. I recommend talking to regional/local companies who can provide the same type of equipment and service under FAR BETTER TERMS.
PROS:
~ Good installer
~ Decent monitoring service
~ Decent customer service
CONS:
~ DECEPTIVE SALES PRACTICES ("It's good that Brinks retains ownership of the equipment - no cost for parts" with no mention of what happens when you terminate service, emphasis on the $500 charge or visit to remove the system components leaving holes in your drywall), No mention of auto-renewal for 12-mo periods, et cetera
~ DECEPTIVE CONTRACTS - Read the fine print, they are liable for nothing and you (Sucker) are caught between a rock and a hard place. You also get nothing for paying 50% higher than competitors for monitoring (that costs them virtually nothing).
~ LIQUIDATED DAMAGES (Right to demand that you pay unearned revenue per stated life of your contract, right to force you to pay for the system or allow Brinks to remove it - BTW any repairs to cover drywall holes are your responsibility)
~ Our smoke detector has apparently never worked
After using Brinks for +3 years,I just discovered that my contract terms were horrendous, emphasis on "getting you coming and going".
~ My initial contract period was 3 years. Since I didn't notify of cancellation +30 days prior to my anniversary date, I was locked in for another 12 MONTHS!
~ Brinks retains ownership of the equipment, requiring you at cancellation/termination to either pay some outrageous amount ($500 per customer rep, but not specified in my contract) or allow Brinks to come and physically remove most system components. So WHY PAY 50% more than competitors?
~ Brinks charges outrageous rates to repair your system (even though they continue to own the stupid thing). These are LABOR CHARGES (roughly $90/hour).
~ If you sell the property being monitored and the new owners do not sign up for Brinks service OR you simply terminate your service, you are required to pay Brinks for service for the remaining life of the contract (REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY DO ANYTHING AT ALL FOR YOU).
There is no other way to describe this but DECEPTIVE and DISHONEST. Other companies (we have Ackerman here in Atlanta) install the system and let you pay as you go - i.e. the system belongs to you and you can leave at any time (to switch to another monitoring service).
BRINKS = EVIL. Stay away from them. I recommend talking to regional/local companies who can provide the same type of equipment and service under FAR BETTER TERMS.
PROS:
~ Good installer
~ Decent monitoring service
~ Decent customer service
CONS:
~ DECEPTIVE SALES PRACTICES ("It's good that Brinks retains ownership of the equipment - no cost for parts" with no mention of what happens when you terminate service, emphasis on the $500 charge or visit to remove the system components leaving holes in your drywall), No mention of auto-renewal for 12-mo periods, et cetera
~ DECEPTIVE CONTRACTS - Read the fine print, they are liable for nothing and you (Sucker) are caught between a rock and a hard place. You also get nothing for paying 50% higher than competitors for monitoring (that costs them virtually nothing).
~ LIQUIDATED DAMAGES (Right to demand that you pay unearned revenue per stated life of your contract, right to force you to pay for the system or allow Brinks to remove it - BTW any repairs to cover drywall holes are your responsibility)
~ Our smoke detector has apparently never worked
Comments:
Posted by Dumb on 2007-12-30:
Let the buyer beware just about covers it.
Posted by LadyScot on 2009-10-04:
Did you not read your contract?
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