Tag: Better Business Bureau
BBB teams with security industry to fight fraud
May 23, 2018Paul Ragusa
BATON ROUGE, La.—As one of the leading states for deceptive sales practices, Louisiana consumers will be targets of deceptive doorknockers this summer who con them into switching their alarm service. Common ploys include offering an “upgrade,” or saying their current alarm company is “out-of-business.”
To combat these elicit practices, the Better Business Bureau teamed up with the Louisiana State Fire Marshal, local victims, ADT and national industry associations...
Industry associations warn against deceptive sales practices
May 10, 2017Spencer Ives
SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The Better Business Bureau, the Electronic Security Association, The Monitoring Association, and ADT—as well as targets and victims of deceptive sales practices—gathered here on May 9 to discuss the harm these sales techniques do to customers as well as the industry.
“In 2016, over half a million consumers nationwide turned to BBB to look up information about home security companies, but they also came to us to complain,” Lynn Conner, interim president...
ADT warns of rise in deceptive sales practices
May 31, 2016Paul Ragusa
SALT LAKE CITY—With the summer door-knocking season upon us, the Better Business Bureau held a news conference here May 25 to address the fact that a handful of Utah home security companies are responsible for the majority of questionable sales practices occurring within the security industry.
Of the 600,000 consumers nationwide who turned to the BBB to find out about home security companies, “What they complain about, far too often, is that the sales person who knocked on their door...
Judge stays ADT's second lawsuit against Vision Security
April 30, 2014Tess Nacelewicz
OREM, Utah and BOCA RATON, Fla.—A federal judge has put a 45-day hold on a second lawsuit that ADT had brought against Utah-based Vision Security over alleged deceptive sales practices. During that time, the two companies must follow a recent settlement agreement ADT worked out with Vision after ADT previously sued that door-knocking company on very similar charges.Florida-based ADT declined to comment to Security Systems News, saying, “it would be inappropriate for us to comment on a...
ADT earns “A” rating from Better Business Bureau
March 7, 2014SSN Staff
BOCA RATON, Fla.—ADT announced today that it has been awarded an “A” rating by the Better Business Bureau. The security company had previously held a “B+” rating with the BBB.
According to the BBB, ADT's rating upgrade is based on improvement in customer feedback and the company's timely response to consumer concerns.
“We're honored that the BBB has rated ADT among the top companies in the industry,” said Shawn Lucht, ADT's senior vice president and chief...
Security system scam moves across the U.S.
May 28, 2013SSN Staff
ESSEX, Mass.—A scam that plagued Arizona earlier in 2013 has crept east, according to an article from the Gloucester Times, a newspaper based in Gloucester, Mass.
At least one resident in Essex, Mass., received an unsolicited “robocall” claiming the local police department was encouraging residents to buy home security systems, and recommending an Arizona company to do the installation work, the article noted.
Suspicious, the resident reported the call to police, who found that...
Better Business Bureau warns community about faulty alarm monitoring system
November 5, 2012SSN Staff
TRURO, Nova Scotia—Residents here were recently warned by the Better Business Bureau about a medical alarm monitoring business that is no longer in operation, according to multiple reports. The bureau has been flooded with calls regarding a company called JTF Alarms, based in Halifax. The company is no longer in business, and their medical alarm monitoring system is no longer working, reports said. The Better Business Bureau, which gave the company an “F” rating, has not been able...
Door knocking in Hawaii generates concerns
June 30, 2011Tess Nacelewicz
HONOLULU—After hearing complaints that summer-sales-model companies in Hawaii this summer are using deceptive sales practices, the Hawaii Burglar and Fire Alarm Association decided to warn homeowners itself.
Members recently talked to a local television station about reports they say they've had from customers and others about door-knocking companies using unethical sales techniques.
“We just decided that was the best way to get the word out to the public,” association vice president...
Platinum Protection 'breaking mold'
March 3, 2011Martha Entwistle
AMERICAN FORK, Utah—Platinum Protection, one of the major Utah-based summer-model companies, will recruit two-thirds of its sales reps from outside the Utah Valley, Platinum CEO Andrew Kindfuller told Security Systems News.
“We're breaking the mold,” Kindfuller said, referring to the fact that a majority of sales reps that work for summer-model companies are recruited from Brigham Young University and other Utah universities.
“We're really focused on being a national company,...
Pinnacle touts change in organizational culture
December 16, 2010Tess Nacelewicz
OREM, Utah—Pinnacle Security COO Steve Hafen said Pinnacle has designated 2011 as “the year of the customer.”
He said everyone in the summer-model company—even, say, an employee in the accounting department—will explore ways to increase customer satisfaction.
Hafen told Security Systems News this month that being more customer-focused is just one of the efforts that Pinnacle, which is based here, has been making to improve its image, which Hafen said has been “unfairly...