naferguson1
Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Michigan (Vendor) California (My Residency NOW)
In February of '06, I signed up for home alarm service through Guardian Alarm. (It was at the request of my attorney while going through a divorce.)
Guardian came to my home the first week of February. I had contacted Ameritech to verify I had 2 phone lines accessible - albeit the 2nd line wasn't 'active' yet, but would be in 5 business days. Before Guardian came to install the alarm, I advised them this line would not be active yet - and they assured me it was no problem. Granted, they couldn't 'test' the line before they left, but someone could be sent back out if there were problems after the 2nd line was activated. Blah, blah, blah. You know how this goes. They say anything to get your business, and then it's a whole new ballgame.
Let me try to make this brief:
- Technician comes to my home. Tells me my house isn't set up with 2 phone lines, so he can't install the alarm. He tells me he can't hook it up to my main line either, because I have DSL and it would interefere with monitoring.
- I call Ameritech and they send someone to my home - AT MY EXPENSE. The IT guy shows me where the box outside is leading into the home. He points out there's been snow on the ground for DAYS, and seeing as there were no other footprints around the box, how did the Guardian techinician check the box to verify if there was a second line? He assured me any moron would have realized the house was equipped with 2 lines.
- I'm ticked, so I avoid Guardian for a few days. They call me repeatedly to reschedule. I finally agree to a date, and they tell me I need a check for $99, they wanted me to repay for an installation visit! I told them they were crazy, and after arguing with a 12 year old customer service representative, I was "granted the permission" to speak with a Supervisor. After another 20 minutes of arguing, she finally agreed the technician may have been "sloppy" in his assessment, or "eager to make his next appointment". (And I quote.)
- Guardian calls and tells me the technician is running 2 hours late. I have an appointment - I can't wait. I reschedule AGAIN.
- Before the 3rd appointment can be met, I have to go to CA on business. I call Guardian and delay the install.
- By the time I return to MI, it is decided I'm moving to CA for business. I had 2 weeks to pack up my entire home and move cross-country. I didn't have time to deal with Guardian anymore.
- Guardian calls, I advise them I'm moving. I'm given the speech about having a contract with them, and I agree to pay the $29/month for the next year until my contract is up. In fact, to be easy - I give them my credit card info and authorize auto-debit so there's no 'mix-up's' while I'm relocating.
- First month of authorizing ACH, I'm over-billed $224. It takes them 2 weeks to refund my money. Better yet, due to "equitable division of assets" during my divorce, my accounts were frozen. We were only given enough to pay the bills we submitted. So this bill payment account had 3 bounced checks. Yippee. I spent 30 days writing vendors trying to explain my way out of that one!
- So I put in writing I wanted the ACH debit cancelled, and at the same time put in writing I wanted my contracted CANCELLED at the conclusion of 1 year.
- I got my invoices, I paid them.
- February rolls around, my contract should be terminated. I didn't catch the fact that I actually OVERPAID a month. Then 3 months later I get a call saying I owe them $200 or so. I ask them for what - they tell me I haven't paid a bill in 4 months. No kidding?! I terminated the service! A woman tells me a "Supervisor will have to call me back to address", but of course the call never came.
So I think I'm done with Guardian, until here it is almost a year later... I get a lovely letter in the mail from an attorney saying I owe them over $2,000. Doing the math - that would be like 20 years of service! I've been fighting with their legal council for a month now, and naturally they're threatening to report me to the credit bureau. I actually own a finance company, so my credit HAS to be impeccable. So naturally I'm starting to panic now.
I have copies of the letter I sent requesting service be terminated. Naturally the bank can show proof of payments. On their end they're claiming it's a he said/she said issue.
What recourse do I have? These people have been calling me as early as 6am and as late as 9:30pm hounding me. They know I live in CA, they know what time zone I'm in. Isn't this considered a voilation of the Fair Collection Act as well?
Any help or insight offered would be greatly appreciated! I'm one of the good guys - I made it easy to collect. This has become beyond ridiculous!
Thank you!
Nicole F.
In February of '06, I signed up for home alarm service through Guardian Alarm. (It was at the request of my attorney while going through a divorce.)
Guardian came to my home the first week of February. I had contacted Ameritech to verify I had 2 phone lines accessible - albeit the 2nd line wasn't 'active' yet, but would be in 5 business days. Before Guardian came to install the alarm, I advised them this line would not be active yet - and they assured me it was no problem. Granted, they couldn't 'test' the line before they left, but someone could be sent back out if there were problems after the 2nd line was activated. Blah, blah, blah. You know how this goes. They say anything to get your business, and then it's a whole new ballgame.
Let me try to make this brief:
- Technician comes to my home. Tells me my house isn't set up with 2 phone lines, so he can't install the alarm. He tells me he can't hook it up to my main line either, because I have DSL and it would interefere with monitoring.
- I call Ameritech and they send someone to my home - AT MY EXPENSE. The IT guy shows me where the box outside is leading into the home. He points out there's been snow on the ground for DAYS, and seeing as there were no other footprints around the box, how did the Guardian techinician check the box to verify if there was a second line? He assured me any moron would have realized the house was equipped with 2 lines.
- I'm ticked, so I avoid Guardian for a few days. They call me repeatedly to reschedule. I finally agree to a date, and they tell me I need a check for $99, they wanted me to repay for an installation visit! I told them they were crazy, and after arguing with a 12 year old customer service representative, I was "granted the permission" to speak with a Supervisor. After another 20 minutes of arguing, she finally agreed the technician may have been "sloppy" in his assessment, or "eager to make his next appointment". (And I quote.)
- Guardian calls and tells me the technician is running 2 hours late. I have an appointment - I can't wait. I reschedule AGAIN.
- Before the 3rd appointment can be met, I have to go to CA on business. I call Guardian and delay the install.
- By the time I return to MI, it is decided I'm moving to CA for business. I had 2 weeks to pack up my entire home and move cross-country. I didn't have time to deal with Guardian anymore.
- Guardian calls, I advise them I'm moving. I'm given the speech about having a contract with them, and I agree to pay the $29/month for the next year until my contract is up. In fact, to be easy - I give them my credit card info and authorize auto-debit so there's no 'mix-up's' while I'm relocating.
- First month of authorizing ACH, I'm over-billed $224. It takes them 2 weeks to refund my money. Better yet, due to "equitable division of assets" during my divorce, my accounts were frozen. We were only given enough to pay the bills we submitted. So this bill payment account had 3 bounced checks. Yippee. I spent 30 days writing vendors trying to explain my way out of that one!
- So I put in writing I wanted the ACH debit cancelled, and at the same time put in writing I wanted my contracted CANCELLED at the conclusion of 1 year.
- I got my invoices, I paid them.
- February rolls around, my contract should be terminated. I didn't catch the fact that I actually OVERPAID a month. Then 3 months later I get a call saying I owe them $200 or so. I ask them for what - they tell me I haven't paid a bill in 4 months. No kidding?! I terminated the service! A woman tells me a "Supervisor will have to call me back to address", but of course the call never came.
So I think I'm done with Guardian, until here it is almost a year later... I get a lovely letter in the mail from an attorney saying I owe them over $2,000. Doing the math - that would be like 20 years of service! I've been fighting with their legal council for a month now, and naturally they're threatening to report me to the credit bureau. I actually own a finance company, so my credit HAS to be impeccable. So naturally I'm starting to panic now.
I have copies of the letter I sent requesting service be terminated. Naturally the bank can show proof of payments. On their end they're claiming it's a he said/she said issue.
What recourse do I have? These people have been calling me as early as 6am and as late as 9:30pm hounding me. They know I live in CA, they know what time zone I'm in. Isn't this considered a voilation of the Fair Collection Act as well?
Any help or insight offered would be greatly appreciated! I'm one of the good guys - I made it easy to collect. This has become beyond ridiculous!
Thank you!
Nicole F.