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Here’s my ADT horror story. I sincerely hope potential customers will read this and decide NOT to buy an ADT alarm system. I was lied to, cheated, and even had money illegally debited from my account by ADT". I tried to be brief, but the story is just so incredible:• October 2007 – I began inquiring about purchasing an ADT alarm system/. I called ADT (the toll-free number listed on their website) and scheduled a time for a sales representative to come to my home?. The sales rep visited my home a week or two later/. I explained that one primary concern was that I would be moving within a year or two.. He recommended that I purchase a wireless system with cellular back-up!. He stated that such a system would be moved by ADT at no cost if and when I moved and my contract would just transfer over to my new residence!.
• November 2007 – I called ADT to purchase the system that the sales rep had described when he came to my house,. A technician came out and installed the system. The system worked well and I had no initial trouble with it.
• July 16, 2008 – Sure enough, I found out I was moving so I called ADT to have my alarm system moved to my new home. I was told by Diane, a rep at ADT, that my contract was not transferable and that if I moved and canceled it, I would be charged a hefty cancellation fee. I explained what I had been told at the time I bought the system and she escalated my call. Diane called back later that day and said that they tried to research my call and no information could be found. Recommended I submit a written complaint to the corporate office in Boca Raton, FL.
• July 2008 – Called corporate headquarters and spoke with Robert Williams who said he would research the matter. He called me back on July 22nd and said that if I wanted the equipment moved, I would have to pay labor costs. However, my contract could not be canceled and I would also have to pay a cancellation fee and then re-sign a NEW three-year contract. He stated that it was “highly unusual” to move equipment to a new location. Call was then escalated to “Lester,” the DC-area regional sales manager. He basically confirmed that nothing could be done and that if I moved the equipment I would have to pay a penalty for canceling the original contract. Lester told me that Robert Williams at corporate would have to authorize any changes with my contract and waiving any fees for labor. A few days later I hear back from Robert who says that it’s actually their billing/retention department that could waive these fees but they will not release me from the contract. He agreed to look into this and get back to me.
• August 2008 – I finally hear back from Robert and his “bottom line” was that the equipment cannot be moved. He stated that it was not possible to move the equipment and the only thing they could offer me is a “deal” on a new system. However, I would have to sign a new contract and either pay to get out of the old one or continue it for the next 2 years. I declined the offer and resolved to just run out the 2-year contract while renting out my home.
• October 2008 – I get a call from ADT that my alarm system was not working (I was no longer living in the home). I scheduled a service call for November 10th.
• November 10th, 2008 – Technician comes out. He states that an entire component in the system needs to be replaced and will have to order the necessary parts. He states that he will order the parts and then call to schedule another time to fix the system once the parts have arrived.
• November 14th, 2008 – I get a call from the technician on my cell phone at 8:00 PM at night stating that he is at my house and there to fix the system. I explain to him that he never set up an appointment with me and cannot just show up and expect me to be there. He tells me to call ADT and schedule a time to have the system fixed.
• Late November 2008 – I schedule an appointment and the technician never shows up. We schedule another appointment for early December 2008.
• December 2008 – ADT technician never shows up. Another appointment scheduled for January 20th, 2009.
• January 20th, 2009 – the appointment is scheduled and no one ever shows up. After waiting around for several hours, we call ADT and they tell us that they had to cancel the appointment because they didn’t have the necessary parts to fix the system. Another appointment is scheduled for January 23rd, 2009.
• January 23rd, 2009 – A technician shows up at 10:00 PM, several hours after the time-window we were given. He starts to work on the system, but then says he cannot complete the job because he doesn’t have all the necessary parts.
• January 24th, 2009 – We make several calls to ADT to try and get the situation resolved. ADT rep tells me that I will get a call back once the parts have arrived. I ask if I am being charged my monthly monitoring fee and they assure me that I will not be charged until the issue is resolved.
• February 2009 – No word from ADT, but they keep charging me for my monthly monitoring fee. I make 3 calls but never receive a concrete response about whether the parts have in fact arrived.
• March 5th, 2009 – I speak with “Alex” in technical support (customer service #GMV). He states that the parts have arrived and he will work on scheduling an appointment. I also call ADT’s corporate offices on this day and speak with Tim (#63538). He states that he will work to ensure my issues are resolved. He assures me that I will be credited back for all the monthly monitoring fees I had been paying when not receiving service.
• March 6th, 2009 – Tim tells me that they cannot determine what my refund amount will be. He agrees to call Ted Peterkin, the local manager, and have him be present at the time my alarm is repaired, which we schedule for Tuesday March 10th.
• March 9th, 2009 – Tim calls and confirms my appointment with the technician on March 10th. I ask for the Ted Peterkin’s number, but Tim states that if I have any trouble I should call him instead.
• March 10th, 2009 – ADT service person arrives at 5:00 PM. Issue is fixed within 45 minutes. I’m told that the problem was a defective SIM card. Ted Peterkin never shows up. I leave a message for Mr. Peterkin. He calls me back around 6:30 PM and states that ADT can only offer me a credit of one months’ service for my trouble. I tell him that this is not acceptable and that I want to be refunded for every month that I have been without service. He finally agrees to file the paperwork for 6 months’ worth of refund ($264 total).
• March 11th, 2009 – I get a call from Ted Peterkin. He states that I will be refunded $269.44 and that the refund will be issued to my checking account within 7 days.
• March 20th, 2009 – I did not receive any refund.
• March 23, 2009 – Still no refund. I leave a voicemail for Ted Peterkin. I call Tim but find out that he no longer works for ADT. I speak with Corinthian (#17391) who agrees to look into the matter. He calls me back later that day and says that refunds usually take “about 30 days.”
• March 24th, 2009 – I get a call from Bonnie Guppy who is the head of the corporate resolution team (904-565-8164). She states that the paperwork for my refund was never submitted and that she will look into the matter and call me back. Corinthian calls later in the day and states that he talked with Ted Peterkin but Ted never followed up with a response. At 3:00 PM, I called Bonnie and left a voicemail. At 6:39 PM I speak with Bonnie who states that the only way to get a refund issued would be to start the process all over again. She stated that it would take about 2-3 weeks. She agrees to send me an email confirming the amount of money I was to be credited. She apologized and confirmed that Ted Peterkin “dropped the ball” and didn’t do what he should have to get my refund issued.
• March 27th, 2009 – I am on vacation and go online via my Blackberry to check my checking account. I see that my account has a DEBIT from ADT in the amount of $269.44. I call Bonnie and explain to her what happened and she agrees to look into it. I call my bank and they confirm that the money had, in fact, been deducted from my account. I file a fraud charge and send a bank representative my email from Bonnie showing that I should have been credited those funds. Bonnie calls me back and apologizes profusely, stating that there was a “mix up.” She states that she would get it corrected. However, my bank tells me that the money had been debited and that I basically didn’t have access to those funds until the issue was resolved. The issue is finally resolved several days later.
• October 2009 – I get an online survey in an email from ADT. I fill it out, recounting my experiences with the company. I note that I would never in a million years use ADT ever again and that I active dissuade people from using ADT.
• October 29th, 2009 – I get a call from Kelly Goddard at the Springfield office to follow up on my survey results. He tries to offer me a “deal” and states that Lester at his office never received my complaint. He states that the alarm systems can in fact be moved and that should have been done to begin with. He asks if I want to move my system and continue my service. I decline. I told him that the only thing I would be doing was canceling my ADT service as soon as my contract expires.
Any one of these things alone I could have overlooked as a simple mistake. However, in totality, they just seem to indicate that ADT has no qualms about using shady sales tactics and the company has a poor approach to general customer service. I will never again use ADT and I highly discourage anyone else from using this service. While the service itself has some value, I do not think that the service is worth it when you consider the time spent dealing with such horrible customer service.
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 Comments (25) |
| 1. Written by DO NOT USE ADT!!! on March 23, 2012 from minneapolis, minnesota, US When we called ADT for assistance, we got the runaround because my sales person never picked up her phone and her mailbox was full. We called customer service, sales department, and sales manager. No one cared to return our call and it's been a week. After the contract is signed for, you are basically on your own. Don't make the same mistake we did. |
| 2. Written by How to get ADT Help on March 19, 2012 from bellevue, washington, US ADT is not perfect but if you speak to the right person they will solve your problem rather quickly. For rebates Deals Specials and or billing and technical problem I use this number normally a supervisor will help you 1888-720-5982 mon thru friday 8am to 11pm saturday 9am to 10am sunday 10am to 6pm @ eastern time hope this helps you all. I use this number for additional credit and tech issues. |
| 3. Written by Chris on February 22, 2012 from denver, colorado, US ADT is a joke. No Kidding, I have actually tried 4 (yes 4) times to get ADT to come to my business and give me a quote on an alarm upgrade and new video system. I have called their 800 number to schedule a visit...noone has ever got back to me. I went to their website and filled out the form to have someone calle, noone ever has. I even spoke to a tecnician and told him what I needed, he stated that he would have a sales rep call me back right away. Noone ever has....LOL. If their service is this bad BEFORE the sale, I can only imagine how bad it would be AFTER the sale.. |
| 4. Written by Sara Lawrence on February 21, 2012 from corvallis, oregon, US ADT Representative: With this correspondence it is my sincere desire to communicate with someone who will actually pay attention to , absorb, understand, comprehend what I'm writing. Since previous letters from me produced responses from ADT representatives indicating a clear lack of comprehension, or understanding. ADT invests a substantial amount of money in television advertising and with each advertisement "a money-back guarantee" is promised to customers should anyone not be satisfied with the service. I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH ADT, OR THE SERVICE THAT WAS TO BE PROVIDED !!! I WANT MY MONEY BACK !!!! I was coerced into allowing ADT to install their system in my home. I was told that the security system was FREE as long as I kept myself available to the local police and fire departments. Okay, no problem. However, being "available" and having to pay almost $50.00 per month are two different concepts completely! When told to "sign right here" I was NOT agreeing to pay anything! As I have explained in previous communications with ADT, my former live-in partner was insistent that I accept ADTs offer regarding installation of their system in my home ("... for my protection when he was away from the house."). Little did I know that this former live-in partner was hoping (and planning) to attempt to use the ADT system ... by tapping into it ... to spy on me and work the system against me and to his benefit. Whether his plan was feasible, or not, is irrelevant. His desire was enough for him to use every means available to convince me to agree to the installation. ADT asked that a back-up contact phone number be provided ... the back-up phone number this former live-in provided just happened to be that of his daughter! He also provided his email address (not mine) as an additional information connection with ADT. On 4 January 2011 I evicted this con-man/parasite/freeloader and at the same time I completely dismantled (uninstalled) ADT. That system is enclosed in this box. I find it interesting, as well as revealing to be shown the lack of security for which this system is guilty. ADT has obviously remained unaware of any change to the ADT "wall of protection" since the entire security system has not been functioning since 4 January 2011. Enclosed in this box, with the uninstalled system, is a publication originating from ADT's parent company, Tyco. The publication is in reference to the advantages of living and working ethically and with integrity. ADT's continuing insistence that this obscene situation be resolved by my having to pay for something so wrong is the perfect example of unethical practices as well as completely lacking integrity. Please be notified that the endless telephone harassments from ADT are illegal. I am NOT a valued customer! I'm an angry non-customer who has nothing nice to say about ADT. |
| 5. Written by Mike S on February 17, 2012 from herndon, virginia, US Wow, I wish I had read all of this before I contacted ADT. My company ordered almost $8000 in security equipment from them, paid for it back in december and now, February 17th they we still have no equipment and they won't return emails or phone calls. Having read all these complaints it sounds like it's time to get the corporate attorneys involved as we are likely to never see the equipment OR our money again. |
| 6. Written by no longer adt customer on January 13, 2012 from york, pennsylvania, US ADT IS HORRID HORRID HORRID!!!!!! Just called them to cancel and the customer service (or lack thereof) rep Essence was as rude and condescending an individual as I have ever encountered. They should be put out of business for their poor service and even poorer equipment. |
| 7. Written by Needs Help on January 4, 2012 from mobile, alabama, US I also am having issues with ADT, but need adresses of corporate office and contact people there to send a letter to. Help me please!!! |
| 8. Written by Shelley Hawke on November 28, 2011 from los angeles, california, US Undeniably the worst, crooked company I have dealt with...BEWARE! |
| 9. Written by Mike on September 13, 2011 from st. petersburg, florida, US I had a new home built in Tampa Bay back in 2006. On moving day an ADT rep comes walking up to my home promising A,B,C & Everything else under the sun. That was all well and good until my home was actually broken into in early 2011. In the process of the break-in the alarm system was damaged. After I cleaned everything up I started the repair process, I called the window company and explained what happened and they say "We're so sorry that happened to you Mr. McKenny...we'll have someone out by the end of the day". I called the builder (there were some bricks knocked off of the home to break the window) and they say "We're so sorry that happened to you Mr. McKenny...we'll have someone out first thing in the morning" I call ADT because my alarm is now freaking out and going off at random times and they say "Well we can get there in 2-3 business days" This happened on a friday so that meant Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. They displayed ZERO empathy and were like monotone robots. I told them that was not acceptable and I've been a loyal customer and they have to do better than that. So I was told they can send someone sooner for a nearly $200 emergency fee!! WTH!!! Are you kidding me?!? ADT's solution to my now random alarm events "Just turn off the alarm"..... Sooooo...I call back 1st thing Monday and I'm told that tech will be there Wednesday at best. Wednesday rolls on by and no tech. I get a voicemail right at the end of the day before they stop servicing from the tech saying he was late getting from another job and couldn't make it.... Now he shows up Thursday, does some work and has the nerve then to still leave me a bill and goes on his way..... not 60 minutes later the alarm starts freaking out again for no reason....he didn't even fix the problem!! I call ADT......a g a i n......to tell them to send him back and guess what?!? {drum roll} I get the same 2-3 business day or $200 emergency fee response from the robots. So I tell them to cancel my service as I am no longer doing business with them...this was in April....But they still bill me in April, May, June, July & August even with me calling every month telling them to cancel. So now in September I call again (slightly heated) and get to a person that has a brain who says they will clear my account of all charges, cancel the account and I will not be billed again. OMG!! GREAT!!! But that was short lived.... I checked my account this morning and they billed me not once for september but 2x!!! ***!!! Back into the fight with them....I will NEVER recommend them to anyone and more so I will warn everyone I know to stay away!! |
| 10. Written by Jason on August 31, 2011 from -, -, US Customer service is non existant at ADT. Have had the system for 6 months and many repairs already- last parts were ordered on Aug 2- still waiting for parts. No one can give a straight answer, no one returns calls. Use any other company or beware. |
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