Important information
- Customer Complaint:The BBB of Western Pennsylvania processes complaints for all of Guardian Protection from throughout the United States since the company is headquartered in the Western Pennsylvania service area.
Complaints
This profile includes complaints for Guardian Protection's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 154 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 47 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.
Initial Complaint
Date:03/13/2023
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]**** ****** **** *****
Thank you both for the quick responses:
1. Guardian also has no record of any equipment received from our customer. SEE ATTACHED PHOTO OF MAILED PACKAGE.
In addition, Guardian was also able to locate and listen to the two phone calls we received from our customer regarding her move. The first call was on 12/27/2022 when our customer first notified Guardian of her move. A representative asked if she was interested in relocating her service. She indicated she wasn’t interested because her video doorbell didn’t work the way she expected and did not provide her new address/location to the representative. THIS IS CORRECT. ORIGINALLY WE DID NOT WANT GUARDIAN TO CONTINUE SERVICE BECAUSE THEIR EQUIPMENT IS NOT UP TO THE STANDARD OF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE RING DOORBELL. WITH THE RING DOORBELL YOU RECEIVE IMMEDIATE CONTACT WITH THE PERSON AT THE DOOR. WITH GUARDIAN'S EQUIPMENT YOU RECEIVE AN EMAIL THAT SOMEONE WAS AT THE DOOR. BY THE TIME YOU ACTIVATE THE EQUIPMENT, THE PERSON HAS LEFT.The representative advised we would release her from the agreement if the new owner activated services with Guardian. She advised the home had been sold to her son and he was not interested in having the system monitored. THIS IS CORRECT . HE INSTALLED BETTER EQUIPMENT
The representative then advised she could either pay the Early Termination Fee of $1,250.00 or continue to pay monthly until the term was satisfied. Our customer said she would think about it and call back. At no time did she mention any issue with her AAA sales representative or that she had to move her mother to an assisted living facility 300 miles away. FROM THE PHONE CONVERSATION WE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TRANSFER SERVICE IF WE EVER MOVED. WE DID NOT PLAN ON MOVING BUT CIRCUMSTANCES WITH MY MOTHER CHANGED THE SITUATION.
Our customer’s next call to Guardian was made on 01/04/2023. She advised she would like to pursue relocating her service after all and provided her new address. It was at this time Guardian was able to check for services in Kilgore, TX and determine we could not provide service there. As stated above, Guardian’s agreements, and those of our authorized dealers, have no language stating we will relocate service or transfer service to a new owner. The agreement was a commitment our customer made in exchange for an no charge installation and services at her property in Marble Falls, TX. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS A FAIR OR RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICE. BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST GUARDIAN AS REGISTERED HERE WITH THE BBB, IT IS APPARENT THIS POLICY IS FLAWED. I REGRET I DID NOT CHECK WITH THE BBB PRIOR TO ENTERING INTO AN ARRANGEMENT WITH GUARDIAN.Since Guardian is unable to relocate the service and our customer’s son does not want the service with Guardian, the remaining options for settlement of the agreement are to continuing paying monthly through the end of the term or pay the $1,250.00 Early Termination Fee. Guardian would like to note there are 43 unpaid months remaining on our customer’s agreement term, with a monthly fee of $61.20 (not including tax). Guardian’s expectation was to receive an additional $2,631.60 in monthly monitoring fees but will accept payment of the Early Termination Fee to settle the agreement. WE ARE WILL TO ACCEPT GUARDIAN SERVICE AT OUR NEW LOCATION BUT WE DO NOT FEEL ANYONE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR EQUIPMENT AND SERVICE THEY ARE NOT RECEIVING. IT IS NOT OUR FAULT THAT GUARDIAN DOES NOT FIND SOME WAY TO SERVICE THIS AREA.
***** **** ****
actual signed contract.
Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response Team
Business Response
Date: 03/14/2023
March 14,
2023
BBB of
Western Pennsylvania
520 E Main
St, Suite 100
Carnegie,
PA 15136
RE: ****** **** * ********* ** ********
**** *** *****
Thank you for forwarding this
customer complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”). Guardian appreciates the opportunity to respond.
Our customer has expressed
dissatisfaction related to continued billing for service at a property that she
has sold. She contends her sales
representative was misleading, believing she could relocate her service
anywhere. In addition, she states the
equipment (control panel, 5 door sensors, 1 glassbreak detector, 1 panic
button, 1 video doorbell, 2 thermostats and 1 door lock) was mailed back to
Guardian. Our customer has asked to be released from her agreement for services
at her previous home.
For
background, our customer’s security system was sold and installed by AAA Home
Security, LLC (AAA) whereby all aspects of the sale and installation, including
the electronic paperwork, took place directly with AAA. AAA is a separate and distinct company from
Guardian, for which Guardian provided 24-hour monitoring and related services
for customers whose systems were sold and installed by AAA, and later purchased
our customer’s account from AAA. Guardian does not control any day-to-day
business activities or any internal policies or procedures of AAA, including
security evaluations, sales processes, installation practices or any other
aspects of AAA’s business.
Guardian
is a customer-centric company and strives to provide options for satisfying an
Agreement early when a customer moves or sells a property. However, service areas can change from time
to time and Guardian can’t guarantee that options to the Early Termination fee
will be available to all customers. It
is for this reason that there are no Agreement Terms regarding relocation of services
to a new property or transferring the service to a new owner. The Monitoring Agreement does state in
Section 8. SUSPENSION; TERMINATION; DEFAULT: “Your obligations under this
Agreement continue even if You sell or leave the Premises.”.
Upon receipt of this complaint,
Guardian performed a thorough review of our customer’s account history. Our records show our customer entered into a
60-month monitoring agreement in exchange for an installation of the above
listed equipment in her previous home at absolutely no cost to her. Her agreement did not include any special
conditions allowing for other means of settling the agreement for her services
in Marble Falls, TX. Guardian also has
no record of any equipment received from our customer.
In
addition, Guardian was also able to locate and listen to the two phone calls we
received from our customer regarding her move. The first call was on 12/27/2022 when our customer first notified
Guardian of her move. A
representative asked if she was
interested in relocating her service. She
indicated she wasn’t interested because her video doorbell didn’t work the way
she expected and did not provide her new address/location to the
representative. The representative
advised we would release her from the agreement if the new owner activated
services with Guardian. She advised the home had been sold to her son and he was
not interested in having the system monitored. The representative then advised she could either pay the Early
Termination Fee of $1,250.00 or continue to pay monthly until the term was
satisfied. Our customer said she would
think about it and call back. At no time
did she mention any issue with her AAA sales representative or that she had to
move her mother to an assisted living facility 300 miles away.
Our
customer’s next call to Guardian was made on 01/04/2023. She advised she would like to pursue
relocating her service after all and provided her new address. It was at this time Guardian was able to
check for services in Kilgore, TX and determine we could not provide service
there. As stated above, Guardian’s
agreements, and those of our authorized dealers, have no language stating we
will relocate service or transfer service to a new owner. The agreement was a commitment our customer
made in exchange for an no charge installation and services at her property in
Marble Falls, TX. Since Guardian is
unable to relocate the service and our customer’s son does not want the service
with Guardian, the remaining options for settlement of the agreement are to
continuing paying monthly through the end of the term or pay the $1,250.00
Early Termination Fee. Guardian would
like to note there are 43 unpaid months remaining on our customer’s agreement
term, with a monthly fee of $61.20 (not including tax). Guardian’s expectation was to receive an
additional $2,631.60 in monthly monitoring fees but will accept payment of the
Early Termination Fee to settle the agreement.
Thank you for informing
Guardian of this matter. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian
at (800) 776-8328.
Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response TeamBusiness Response
Date: 03/17/2023
March 17, 2023
*
**** ****** **** * ********* ** ********
Thank you for forwarding our customer’s additional concerns regarding this case. Guardian appreciates the opportunity to provide respond to our customer’s additional comments added to Guardian’s initial response.
FROM THE CONSUMER:
Guardian also has no record of any equipment received from our customer. SEE ATTACHED PHOTO OF MAILED PACKAGE.
We thank the complainant for a copy of the package and tracking slip. Our warehouse confirmed the package was delivered, though its contents is of no value to Guardian. Guardian would also like to note her agreements were reviewed and found her equipment was neither leased nor financed. Per Section 4 of the Sales and Installation Agreement, “Upon payment of the Fees, You will own the System, except for the control/transmitting device which contains Our proprietary data and which We will always own.” This clause references any fees on the Sales and Installation Agreement which are $0.00. The complainant owned the system, except for the control/transmitting device (which is inside the control panel) upon the installation. The system was installed in exchange for the separate Monitoring Agreement with an initial term of 60 months.
In addition, Guardian was also able to locate and listen to the two phone calls we received from our customer regarding her move. The first call was on 12/27/2022 when our customer first notified Guardian of her move. A representative asked if she was interested in relocating her service. She indicated she wasn’t interested because her video doorbell didn’t work the way she expected and did not provide her new address/location to the representative. THIS IS CORRECT. ORIGINALLY WE DID NOT WANT GUARDIAN TO CONTINUE SERVICE BECAUSE THEIR EQUIPMENT IS NOT UP TO THE STANDARD OF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE RING DOORBELL. WITH THE RING DOORBELL YOU RECEIVE IMMEDIATE CONTACT WITH THE PERSON AT THE DOOR. WITH GUARDIAN'S EQUIPMENT YOU RECEIVE AN EMAIL THAT SOMEONE WAS AT THE DOOR. BY THE TIME YOU ACTIVATE THE EQUIPMENT, THE PERSON HAS LEFT.
There can be lag time for video upload to a device as the upload is dependent on a customer’s internet package as well as the strength of the connection of the device the video is being sent to. In addition, there were other means of notification of someone at the door other than email. The complainant removed the system, so Guardian is unable to verify the settings the complainant had set or whether she had ever changed devices and missed the opportunity to update her notifications. Furthermore, Guardian received one phone call pertaining to a video doorbell lag-time on 04/04/2022. Guardian did not receive any other communications indicating there was a persistent issue with the video doorbell and no indication or service calls suggesting there had ever been an issue with any other part of the system.
The representative advised we would release her from the agreement if the new owner activated services with Guardian. She advised the home had been sold to her son and he was not interested in having the system monitored. THIS IS CORRECT . HE INSTALLED BETTER EQUIPMENT
If the buyer had subscribed with Guardian for the continued monitoring of the security system, with or without the video doorbell, our customer would have been released from her agreement.
The representative then advised she could either pay the Early Termination Fee of $1,250.00 or continue to pay monthly until the term was satisfied. Our customer said she would think about it and call back. At no time did she mention any issue with her AAA sales representative or that she had to move her mother to an assisted living facility 300 miles away. FROM THE PHONE CONVERSATION WE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TRANSFER SERVICE IF WE EVER MOVED. WE DID NOT PLAN ON MOVING BUT CIRCUMSTANCES WITH MY MOTHER CHANGED THE SITUATION.
Guardian cannot attest to what the complainant’s AAA Homes Security representative told her. Guardian purchased the remainder of the Monitoring Agreement from AAA Home Security approximately a year after the system was installed.
Our customer’s next call to Guardian was made on 01/04/2023. She advised she would like to pursue relocating her service after all and provided her new address. It was at this time Guardian was able to check for services in Kilgore, TX and determine we could not provide service there. As stated above, Guardian’s agreements, and those of our authorized dealers, have no language stating we will relocate service or transfer service to a new owner. The agreement was a commitment our customer made in exchange for an no charge installation and services at her property in Marble Falls, TX. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS A FAIR OR RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICE. BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST GUARDIAN AS REGISTERED HERE WITH THE BBB, IT IS APPARENT THIS POLICY IS FLAWED. I REGRET I DID NOT CHECK WITH THE BBB PRIOR TO ENTERING INTO AN ARRANGEMENT WITH GUARDIAN.
Guardian is proud of its A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and the fact we have received only 235 complaints over a 3-year period as opposed to Ring’s 911 complaints over the past 3 years. Guardian believes the Early Termination of $1,250.00 which is just 47.5% of the value of the 43 unpaid months remaining on the term, is quite fair.
Since Guardian is unable to relocate the service and our customer’s son does not want the service with Guardian, the remaining options for settlement of the agreement are to continuing paying monthly through the end of the term or pay the $1,250.00 Early Termination Fee. Guardian would like to note there are 43 unpaid months remaining on our customer’s agreement term, with a monthly fee of $61.20 (not including tax). Guardian’s expectation was to receive an additional $2,631.60 in monthly monitoring fees but will accept payment of the Early Termination Fee to settle the agreement. WE ARE WILL TO ACCEPT GUARDIAN SERVICE AT OUR NEW LOCATION BUT WE DO NOT FEEL ANYONE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR EQUIPMENT AND SERVICE THEY ARE NOT RECEIVING. IT IS NOT OUR FAULT THAT GUARDIAN DOES NOT FIND SOME WAY TO SERVICE THIS AREA.
Guardian is not at fault the complainant moved and is abiding by the terms of the monitoring agreement which does not include any language about relocating service or transferring service to a new owner. Again, these are alternatives to paying the ETF that Guardian offers when possible. The complainant was quite clear she did not wish to relocate service when she first called about moving on 12/27/2022. And while she indicates she’d now accept service at her new home, if Guardian was able to relocate her service, she would have had to pay for the second installation being performed within the initial term of her Monitoring Agreement.
Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response Team
*** ***** ******Customer Answer
Date: 03/22/2023
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I reject the explanation guardian. I do not find it acceptable for a company to continue to charge for services not rendered when customers sign on believing they will be able to transfer their contract to a new location.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
****** ****Initial Complaint
Date:03/09/2023
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
We had been loyal customers of Guardian protection for almost 20 years and overall satisfied with service. However, our system stopped working a year ago. We were told by Guardian that it was a windows, that we needed a replacement battery, a problem with our phone line and then of course that we should upgrade. Over several trips our home sat unprotected while we paid for service that we did not receive. When we attempted to cancel, we received an email that we needed to call, when we called, we were told that we weren’t clear in what we wanted and they understood “we would call back” (though we had previously emailed that we wanted to cancel which they acknowledged) and then we were told we could not cancel via phone and must do it in writing and yet never sent paperwork. Guardian is charging us for a year of service where their product did not work, where we have been unable to arm our home. And for months where we have repeatedly tried to cancel via email and via phone.Business Response
Date: 03/16/2023
March 16,
2023
BBB of
Western Pennsylvania
***** ********* ****
520 E Main
St, Suite 100
Carnegie,
PA 15136
RE: **** ******* ********* ** ********
**** *** *****
Thank you for forwarding this
customer complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”). Guardian appreciates the opportunity to review
and resolve our customer’s issue.
Our customer expressed
dissatisfaction with continued billing when she had notified Guardian of her
intent to cancel via an email to our website and by phone.
Guardian does request customer’s
to call to discuss cancelation got security purposes and to discuss all
pertinent details related to the cancelation request. As our customer noted, she did make the call as
instructed on November 30, 2022. Guardian was able to review the call and found the representative tended
to speak over our customer and was not actively listening as well as she should
have been.
Guardian agreed to process the
cancelation as it should have been processed on November 30, 2022. Our customer has agreed to make a payment equal
to one month of service due to the requirement for 30 days’ notice. Guardian has stopped the billing and credited
all amounts due except the amount due for one month of service.
Our
customer has indicated this resolution is satisfactory. Guardian would like to apologize for her
experience when calling to cancel and thank her for her years of patronage. Thank
you for bringing this matter to Guardian’s attention. Should you have any
questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response TeamInitial Complaint
Date:02/20/2023
Type:Status:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Regards,
***** *** ****** ***** on 2/9/2023 and was told that the bill would stand. I was told that the technician didn't leave an invoice because he didn't have to as it was Guardian who would bill us. I asked about an estimate prior to completing the work. They said that they don't provide estimates and the home office just bills consumers. We would have declined a repair for $339.91 if we were told we would have had to pay that much for a defective doorbell camera. We asked why didn't they do this the first time they completed work for the same repair on a home less than two years old at the time. Guardian said they can bill at their discretion without any prior notice or estimate. There is a major issue with this logic. We should have been told prior to completing repairs if there was even a possibility of future charges and an estimate provided. Instead we were told that due to the circumstances that there would be no charge.Business Response
Date: 02/24/2023
February 24, 2023
BBB of Western Pennsylvania
***** ********* ****
520 E Main St, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106
*** ***** *** ****** ***** * ********* ** ********
**** *** *****
Thank you for advising Guardian
Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”) of the above referenced complaint.
Guardian values every opportunity to research and resolve our customers’
issues.
Our customer has disputed the
service charges assessed for the replacement of their video doorbell and
expressed dissatisfaction with their recent interactions with Guardian
personnel regarding the service charges.
Guardian performed a detailed
review of our customer’s account and all activities pertaining to the service
call performed on 07/21/02022. Guardian
was able to confirm communication, policy, and procedure issues occurred with our
subcontractor. A Guardian representative
reached out to our customer to advise the service charge for the replacement of
the video doorbell, as well as late fees that have accrued for the past due
service charge, would be credited in full. The credit was applied on February 23, 2023
and our customer’s account balance is now $0.00.
Guardian sincerely apologizes
for our customer’s experience when disputing the service charge. Guardian representatives were quoting the service
policies of our customer’s agreement due to the lack of documentation verifying
the technician had advised there would be no charge.
We are grateful for our
customer’s patience, patronage, and valuable feedback which will help us
improve future customer experiences.
Thank you for advising Guardian
of this matter and providing an opportunity for Guardian to research the matter
further and resolve the issue. Should
you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response
TeamInitial Complaint
Date:02/18/2023
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
**** ******* I reject their stated response on the grounds that it’s totally irresponsible of them to not have a service partner in our area?? Makes no sense. They sent a tech to install it in our home but once we needed follow up service all of a sudden there’s no techs?? Again. Makes no sense. That’s not how u treat ur customers. So they can stick by their statements all they want. I do not accept their reasoning. We should have been told this from day 1. Extremely unprofessional we will disconnect service once we find another provider. And I only got one message from them. They did not leave several messages as stated. I was here all day. I do not appreciate being treated like that at all. They are wrong. We pay for The service and this is how we get treated??? I should have been called this morning when they got the call from the tech saying he wasn’t coming in instead they make me wait till 210pm all day for absolutely nothing. There’s no excuse. I’m done with them. Never again. Absolutely ridiculousBusiness Response
Date: 02/27/2023
February 27, 2023
BBB of Western Pennsylvania
***** ********* ****
520 E Main St, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106
RE: **** ****** * ********* ** ********
Dear *** *****
Thank you for forwarding the
above referenced complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”). Guardian is a customer-centric organization
and values the opportunity to address any concern.
The complainant stated that
after an appreciable delay he finally had a service call scheduled only to have
the appointment canceled after he had taken a day off from work. He said he was finished with Guardian but his
desired settlement is to have the job finished.
Guardian sincerely apologizes
to the agreement signer, and the complainant, for their experience. Guardian experienced servicing issues in our
customer’s area and no longer has a reliable partner to perform the level of
service our customers deserve. It is for
this reason that Guardian has released them from their agreement without
penalty and without the need to return any equipment.
Guardian was not able to
reach the complainant at the number provided on the complaint, but did leave
messages at the number on file welcoming him to call to discuss this matter
further. Guardian has been in
communication with the agreement signer, who is aware we have released her from
the agreement and will cancel their monitoring services without penalty once
they find a new provider.
Thank you for informing Guardian of this matter and
providing us the opportunity to address it. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response
TeamInitial Complaint
Date:02/09/2023
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
As stated before this is the company scheme as shown in many of the other complaints. I'm not the only one that feel this company take advantage of new home owners and others that utilize their services. This company knows exactly what they are doing an need to be investigated.This is unacceptable. I will do further research on this matter and see what else can be done. This is not fair that they can continue to bill someone for services they are not using.
I'm asking that this company no longer contact me regarding billing matters via phone, email, nor letter.
Regards,
at I would have to pay past due balance from July 2022 for services I was not using because it's part of the contract. They want me to pay 291.00 for past due months in addition to cancelation fees. I would never ever do business with them again. Instead of them taking the 750.00 from a loyal customer that paid their bill on time for 3 yrs and canceling the contract their representative argued with me. So unprofessional. This is a money hungry company and don't care about their customers.
*** *****
I explain, I will pay cancelation fee but not 300.00 extra for services im not using. I spoke with Alan supervisor 02/09/2023 who stated in August a rep informed me that I would have to continue to pay monthly until I come up with the 750.00 cancelation fee. I explained that I don't recall any rep explaining this to me. And why would I pay for a service I'm not using. As I explained to Alan if I was a company and one of my reps were refusing to accept 750.00 to end a contract I would be livid. So sad!Business Response
Date: 02/10/2023
February
10, 2023
BBB of
Western Pennsylvania
520 E Main
St, Suite 100
Carnegie,
PA 15136
RE: *** ***** * ********* ** ********
Thank
you for advising Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”) of the above-referenced
complaint. Guardian appreciates the opportunity to address our customer’s
concerns, and to clarify this matter. Our customer has requested a supervisor to contact her. This response will service as that contact as
well.
Our customer has expressed
dissatisfaction with the process of completing the electronic agreements for installation
and monitoring services, and for Guardian’s request she pay the current account
balance in addition to the $750.00 Early Termination Fee.
A through review of our
customer’s account was performed upon receipt of this complaint. Our customer received a touchscreen control
panel and home automation devices as from her builder as part of her purchase. Our customer then met with or spoke with a Guardian
representative on August 9 about purchasing security devices and monitoring
services. Per the attached agreements, Guardian agreed to install a FireFighter
device in order to monitoring the smoke detectors installed by the builder’s
electrician, 1 motion sensor and 3 door/window contacts, reprogram the existing
IQ touchscreen control panel at no charge and install 1 outdoor camera for
$350.00 in consideration of the 60-month monitoring commitment she
entered. A review of the Packet Final
Audit Report (recorded in Greenwich Mean Time) confirms the agreements were
emailed to our customer on August 9, 2019, reviewed by her on August 9, 2019 and not signed by her until August 12,
2019. Our customer did not sign the
agreements in the presence of a Guardian employee and she had ample time to
review all terms. And while the Adobe
Sign software will preload initials and signatures after the customer enters
them the first time, the customer must manually click on “Apply” for each set
of initials and signatures to be entered. For the record, our technician met with our customer and performed the
installation on August 15, 2019. Our
customer did sign an addendum (attached) with the technician on August 15, 2019
to change her equipment order. An indoor
camera and additional door/window sensor were added to the sale and the outdoor
camera was removed. Per the addendum,
this transaction did not include a term change or monthly fee change.
Guardian
is a customer-centric company and strives to provide options for satisfying an
Agreement early when a customer moves or sells a property. We offer to relocate service if possible or
release a customer from their agreement if the new resident of the home subscribes
to monitoring services with Guardian. If neither of these options are
available, our customers can either pay the $750.00 Early Termination Fee and
any balance currently due or continue to pay the monthly fees through the end
of her agreement term. This was explained, as well as the fact that
Guardian does not offer an installment plan for the Early Termination Fee, to
our customer on her initial call to Guardian on June 1, 2022 and subsequent
calls.
To date,
Guardian has not recovered the expenses related to the sale, installation and
monitoring term of the agreements dated August 9, 2019. And because our customer did not pay the
Early Termination Fee, her account was not fully terminated and continued to
bill. While she may not have been receiving monitoring services, Guardian
continued to have overhead expenses related to her account. Our customer’s last payment was made on July
29, 2022. There are approximately 24
unpaid months remaining on her monitoring term, with a monthly fee of $51.99, totaling
monies due of $1,247.76 through the end of the term in August 2024. Because our customer did not make any payment
after July 29th a balance of $291.45 has accrued. Settlement of the account now would require a
payment of $1,041.45.
Thank you for informing
Guardian of this matter. We appreciate the opportunity to provide additional
information and clarification to our customer. Should you have any questions, please contact
Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response TeamInitial Complaint
Date:02/08/2023
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.I did not pay only $200. IF that is actually what you have on record then perhaps there's another issue going on with your sales rep. Further, how could you possibly charge $1,600 at one address and only charge $200 at another address a number of years later. Makes zero sense. However, it's not functioning and very curious that you would offer to replace a broken display with an obsolete display, still at a cost. Unacceptable. In reading a multitude of reviews about Guardian Protection as of late, this seems to be the norm. Also, I was told I would be getting a call from a manager not a liaison. They just don't follow through on anything.
but that's not the point. As I explained to them, to simplify it, I pay for netflix monthly and I expect Netflix to work. I have a faulty screen that sets an alarm to call the police OR you make me pay for a screen that works even though I've already paid thousands for it. Their answer is "correct, sorry". This is fraud and bait and switch. I should have a machine that works. Now I have a faulty machine that has to remain unplugged, with a huge plug laying on the ground while I try to list my house and say "sorry, if you remove that there will be a big hole in the wall behind that screen where Guardian installed it because Guardian sells damaged goods". They need to install a working screen at no cost to me.
Regards,
********* *******Business Response
Date: 02/15/2023
February 15, 2023
Better Business Bureau
520 E Main Street, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106
*** ********* ******* * ** ********
**** *** *****
Thank
you for advising Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”) of the above
referenced matter. Guardian appreciates the opportunity to address our
customer’s concerns.
Our customer states she paid thousands of dollars for a security system
installation in December 2014, as well as monthly fees. Her touchscreen control
panel stopped working properly and she is dissatisfied with Guardian’s offers
to repair or replace the panel under our
billable rates or upgrade the panel at a discounted cost in exchange for a new
monitoring commitment. Our customer
states Guardian sold her “damaged goods” and feels Guardian should replace the
touchscreen control panel at no charge.
Guardian reviewed our customer’s account upon receipt of this complaint.
Guardian found that while our customer paid around $1600 for system
installation at a previous property, our customer received a relocation
promotion and Guardian performed an installation at the current property for
just $200.00. With regard to our
customer stating Guardian sold her damaged goods, we would like to note the
control panel has worked from December 23, 2014 until February 7, 2023 without
issue.
Our customer’s system came with a limited warranty that does not cover repairs
or replacements of consumable items. Our
customer’s control panel is a consumable item and is no longer manufactured; it
is much like a cell phone that can no longer be purchased or traded in for a
new model. That being said, Guardian was
able to locate a replacement for her security system’s obsolete control panel
that should enable the system to function again. Guardian would like to note this replacement
panel is also obsolete but functioning.
Guardian has contacted our customer and offered to replace her control
panel for a flat fee of $150.00 + tax due to her many years of patronage and
history with Guardian. She fully owns
the equipment Guardian installed in her home. If she chooses not to pay to have the panel replaced and prefers to continue
with the termination of her account, she is free to leave the system as is or
remove it and dispose of it. Our
customer is considering her options.
Thank you for the opportunity to perform a further review and provide
our customer with another option. Should you have any questions, please contact
Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.
Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response
TeamBusiness Response
Date: 02/16/2023
February 16, 2023
Better Business Bureau
***** ********* ****
520 E Main Street, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106
*** ********* ******* * ** ********
**** *** *****
Thank
you for advising Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”) of our customer’s
additional comments regarding her complaint and Guardian’s response.
Our
customer does not believe she only paid $200.00 for the installation of a new
system in her new home when she moved. We’ve
attached are copies of the sales/equipment information for the installations
and 2014. It appears our customer
required less equipment in her new home and received more discounts than with
the sale and installation at her previous home.
Our
customer’s control panel is a consumable item that is no longer covered by the
Limited Warranty or Repair Agreement. Guardian has given her several options to obtain a working system: to
install new Qolsys IQ control panel and connect all the existing devices for
$249.00 with a new monitoring commitment; pay time and material service charges for the installation of a new
Qolsys IQ4 control panel and connecting the existing devices; or pay $150.00
for the installation of a working SimonXTi5 control panel and connecting of the
existing devices.
These
are Guardian’s final offers. At this time Guardian is proceeding with the
cancelation our customer requested and discussed with a Customer Loyalty
Representative on February 7, 2023.
Should you have any further questions,
please contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.
Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response
TeamCustomer Answer
Date: 02/17/2023
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 1******** and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
1. The business stated I only paid $200 yet that was for "additional" equipment - perhaps the display screen, unsure but read further up on that bill of the charges. I could not understand how my total bill would only be $200 for every window and door sensor, including the overhead garage door and the display unit and my prior residence, with the same was substantially higher in price some years earlier. Now I believe you might only be referring to one piece of equipment.2. You said you didn't have the display panel that I had yet I could purchase one for $240 plus a 2 year contract which is impossible given my move date. Or have a repair man repair something that, clearly stated, can't be repaired, at $125 per 30 minutes and then miraculously you found a unit like mine, which is obsolete for the price of $150 plus tax.
3. In looking in your reviews both all over the internet, this is your standard response to faulty systems. Now I understand why people opt for other companies and wish I had researched you further prior to purchasing at my first address and for that matter the second.
4. When your sales guy makes these big money sales, it might be wise for him to tell people, this only has a XXX year life span and will need to be replaced at a price of at least a few hundred and a locked in two year contract.
5. I was told a manager would call and when I received a call, again, it was from a liaison, not a manager and I still haven't spoken to any Sr. Executive in this company.
In my view this company, and as their internet reputation shows, does not take responsibility for substandard, no customer service in regards to matters such as these and
they aren't in the wrong, unless you pay them more money and then they might admit to fault. In following many threads on the internet on many different sites, this is what this company does until the current, now prior customer throws their hands up in the air. I can only hope enough people see and just switch to ring, or any other security service for that matter. I'm done.
Regards,
********* *******Initial Complaint
Date:01/23/2023
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
***** *******Business Response
Date: 01/24/2023
January 24,
2023
BBB of
Western Pennsylvania
***** ********* ****520 E Main
Street, Suite 100
Carnegie,
PA 15106
RE: ***** ******* * ********* ** ********
**** *** *****
Guardian
Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”) is in receipt of our customer’s
complaint and values the opportunity to provide a response.
Our complainant
has requested cancelation because she is not using her security system and
states she may lose her job. She believes she has had the service for 2.5 years
and feels the Early Termination Fee is equal to the value of the remaining term
and unfair. Our customer requests
Guardian to reduce the Early Termination Fee.
Upon
receipt of this complaint, Guardian preformed a thorough review of the
customer’s account history, From the installation date, October 2, 2020, to the
present.
For
background, our customer’s security system was sold and installed by Midwest
Smart Home Pros (Midwest) (Ranger) whereby all aspects of the sale and
installation, including the electronic paperwork, took place directly with Midwest. Midwest is a separate and distinct company
from Guardian, for which Guardian provided 24-hour monitoring and related
services for customers whose systems were sold and installed by Midwest, and
later purchased our customer’s account from Midwest. Guardian does not control
any day-to-day business activities or any internal policies or procedures of Midwest,
including security evaluations, sales processes, installation practices or any
other aspects of Midwest’s business.
Guardian
is sad to hear our customer has had a trying time these last twelve months, as
have many individuals and businesses who are still trying to recover from the
effects of the pandemic. Our research found our customer received an extensive
installation at no charge in exchange for the 60-month monitoring committee when
she initialed acceptance of the Monthly Fee and the Term and Automatic Renewal
clause and signed the Monitoring Agreement. The records show the Customer received
a new 2GIG Control Panel, 3 new door sensors, 7 new window sensors, 1 new glass
break detector and 3 new keyfobs. She also has video doorbell and light connected
to her system.
To date,
the discounts provided at the time of sale and installation have not been fully
recovered. While our customer’s system was installed October 2, 2020, our
customer has only made payments for approximately 24 months of service. Of the payments made to date, only a portion
of our customer’s monthly fees are earmarked for recovery of the discounts. A portion of the monthly fee covers the cost
of the dedicated cellular phone line their system has to communicate with
Guardian’s Monitoring center, a portion is paid to Alarm.com which powers the
Guardian app, and a portion covers expenses related to providing customer
service and 24/7 monitoring of their security system. The value of the unpaid 36-months remaining
on our customer’s term is $2,231.64. Per
our customer’s agreement, the Early Termination Fee is $1,250.00, significantly
less than the value the remaining months of her term. Guardian, respectfully,
is unable to reduce the Early Termination Fee.
We wish
our customer the best moving forward and encourage her to utilize the system
daily. Thank you for informing Guardian of this matter and the opportunity for
further account review and response to the complaint. Should you have any
questions, please contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.
Sincerely,
Agency
Complaint Response TeamInitial Complaint
Date:01/18/2023
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
In December 2021, my wife and I were in the process of purchasing a home with ****** ***** ***** ** ********* *** As part of the process they connected us with their vendor Guardian Protection to add security features to our home. We spoke with a representative on 1/17/2022 about services and placed an order. In April 2022, I lost my job thus making us ineligible for a home loan at which point we notified ****** ***** that we would not be continuing with the home purchase. Not only did ****** ***** refuse do give us our earnest payment of $3000 back, I also recently received an invoice from Guardian for $1147.45 for installation services for a home we never purchased or move into. We were never called to verify the installation date, nor did we sign anything authorizing the work to be done. I am not being threatened that if I do not pay this invoice that it will be reported to the credit agencies and my credit being affected. I do not have possession of any of the equipment installed at this house nor did I authorize the installation to be completed. They obviously have my name, email, and phone number so someone should have called to confirm with me and ****** ***** should have notified them that we were no longer purchasing the home do to us no longer being qualified for the loan.Business Response
Date: 01/23/2023
January 23, 2023
BBB of Western Pennsylvania
520 E Main St, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106
RE: ***** ***** * ********* ** *******0
Thank you for forwarding our
customer’s complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”). Guardian is a customer-centric organization
and values the opportunity to resolve his issue quickly.
The complainant advised they
were in the process of purchasing a home, with Guardian features, when the
purchase of the home was canceled. He
later received a bill from Guardian in the amount of $1,147.45 for installation
services in the home they never purchased or moved into.
Guardian started a review of the
complainant’s account immediately after he called Guardian on January 17th to discuss the statement he received for $1,147.45. Guardian found there was an issue with
processing the termination of his account in July which resulted in the billing
error. Guardian began the process of
reversing the charges on January 18, 2023.
Guardian would like to assure
the complainant that the charges have been reversed and the account has a
balance of $0.00, there will be no future collection activity, and there has
been no reporting of any kind to any credit agencies.
Guardian apologies for the
error and the stresses it caused. We
wish the complainant the best moving forward. Thank you for bringing this matter to Guardian’s attention to ensure it
was resolved and provide us with an opportunity to confirm in writing that it
has been resolved. Should you have any
questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response
TeamInitial Complaint
Date:01/12/2023
Type:Status:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
They assured me that a supervisor would call me back today 1/13/2023 to complete the resolution.
I just spoke with the supervisor named Ken, who was able to re-activate the account for 6 minutes and get the issue resolved.
Thank you for your assistance in getting this resolved. It's unfortunate it took coming to the BBB to get a resolution.Sincerely,
hat point, I called Guardian to find out what was going on and after spending over 2.5 hours on different occasions, they refuse to send a technician out at no charge to me to disconnect our zwave devices that are our personal property. The only way that they will help is to charge me 120.00 for the 1st half hour and an additional charge for every 15 minutes thereafter to simply give me access back to the devices that they locked unbeknownst to us when they set up our equipment at the beginning of our "trial". Had I know that we would not be able to gain access to the devices we own after this "courtesy trial period" I would have never agreed to allow them to connect them to their useless hub. I have contacted our Builder to discuss my options with them as well. They are no longer partnered with Guardian, probably because of the terrible customer service Guardian provides.
******* *****Initial Complaint
Date:12/18/2022
Type:Status:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
I have to move and have an on going contract. I have to move at 69 because of my health and they told me that I couldn't take the service because they no longer support this area. I have to pay a cancellation fee
even though I wanted to
carry the service to my apartment complex where I am moving. This is crazy because the charge is around $800.00. ******* * ******** ** **** *** ********** ** ******** ****** ** ***** ************Business Response
Date: 12/19/2022
December 19, 2022
BBB of Western Pennsylvania
520 E Main St, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106
RE: ******* * ******** ** * ********* ** ********
**** *** *****
Thank you for forwarding our
customer’s complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”). Guardian is a customer-centric organization
and values the opportunity to address any concern.
Our customer has states he
has to move for health reasons and is upset Guardian isn’t able to relocate his
service in his current area. He is upset
with the Early Termination Fee, which is $750.00.
Our customer received an installation
of a security system with a smoke detector, a video doorbell, and an outdoor
camera at no charge in exchange for his 60-month monitoring commitment at his
current home. While Guardian has put
several options in place to try to assist our customers who move, Guardian cannot
Guarantee these options are always available. Like many other businesses, service areas may change from time to time
and stores/branches may close. It is for
this reason there are no Agreement Terms regarding the relocation of services
to a new property or transferring the service to a new owner.
Guardian recoups the cost of
free and discounted installations items over the course of a customer’s
monitoring agreement. At this juncture,
Guardian has not yet recovered its investment and is unable to waive the $750.00
Early Termination Fee. We urge our customer
to keep this settlement fee in mind when accepting offers on his property
Thank you for informing Guardian of the additional
concerns. Should you have any questions,
please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response
Team
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