Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Guardian Protection's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see Find Local Branches.

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  Guardian Protection

  174 Thorn Hill Rd Warrendale, PA 15086-7528

  
• 

  Guardian Protection

  2557 Route 130 Ste 2 Cranbury, NJ 08512

• 

  Guardian Protection

  8014 Flannery Ct Manassas, VA 20109

• 

  Guardian Protection

  509 Hepburn St Williamsport, PA 17701

• 

  Guardian Protection

  400 Delaware Ave Ste 101 Millsboro, DE 19966

The 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:01/12/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  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.

  We purchased a home from DR Horton in 2019 and at that time, they were partnered with Guardian Protection for their Smart Home Features. After we moved into our home, a Guardian Tech came to our house to set up the "Smart Hub" and use of the Alarm.com app to control all our our Smart Devices. Of course they gave us their sales pitch for additional security services they offer which we declined. At that time, there was no mention that we would be starting a 3 year trial period for use of the Alarm.com app to control the Smart ZWave devices that we now OWNED and at the termination of that 3 year trial, we would no longer have access to these ZWAVE devices to function as they are designed because they would be locked by the Guardian HUB. I wasn't given any sort of notice that our "courtesy trial period" was due to expire to go over options etc. I only figured out that we were no longer in our trial when we couldn't access the alarm.com app to control our ZWAVE smart devices any more. At that 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.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/13/2023

  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,
  ******* ***** 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/18/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/13/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  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.

  To the best of my recollection, a representative from Guardian Protection came to.my and offered to replace my existing home security protection with Alder security. The representative assured me that Alder would be notified that Guardian was now providing a security system in my home. This wax not done and for some time, as a result, negligence resulted in my paying for 2 security systems.This only to my attention within the last month when an Alder technician came to my home and informed the equipment he was there to update belonged to another company! I was continuing to pay Guardian but had been informed by the technician that my account with Alder was paid in full!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/16/2022

  December 16. 2021
  
  
  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 states he was told at the time of sale that Alder Security would be
  notified that Guardian was now providing a system and monitoring services in
  his home and that he was still making payments to Alder Security.
  
  A
  review of our customers account revealed his security system was sold and
  installed by AMP Security (AMP) whereby all aspects of the sale and
  installation, including the electronic paperwork, took place directly with AMP.  AMP 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 AMP, and later purchased
  our customer’s account from AMP. Guardian did not control any day-to-day
  business activities or internal policies or procedures of Ranger, including
  security evaluations, sales processes, installation practices or any other
  aspects of AMP’s business.
  
  Guardian
  was sorry to learn there was a miscommunication between AMP’s sales representative
  and our customer.  Due to the liability
  in this industry, most monitoring companies will only cancel and account when
  the request is made by the verified owner of the account. 
  
  A Guardian
  representative tried reaching our customer by phone but was unsuccessful. She
  left a detailed voice message regarding his Guardian account.  If he hasn’t already done so, our customer
  needs to contact Alder Security and personally request the cancelation of his
  account with them.  Guardian would also
  like to note we found a past due bill for an upgrade performed some time ago and
  have credited the amount bringing our customer’s balance to $0.00.
  
  Thank you for informing Guardian
  of our customer’s correspondences.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  Agency Complaint Response
  Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/13/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  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.

  This company is so very deceptive. I signed up through AAA and had equipment installed. Every couple of weeks the doorbell camera would stop working and I would have to fight to get it replaced. Each tech would blame the other for terrible workmanship and the last tech advised I needed to have an electrician come out. I paid money out of pocket to do so and the electrician did what the tech advised, which still did not solve the problem. After the 4th replacement AAA refused to assist me as they had sold the contract to Guardian. Guardian finally sent a tech out and said it needed to be replaced, and I would have to pay for it. I have gone back and forth for two years between both companies, spent hours on the phone, talked to some very helpful reps, and some very awful reps. I still don’t have a working doorbell camera and to cancel my contract they want $1500! So it’s either pay tons of money for faulty equipment that they install, or pay tons of money to get out of a contract. Someone tried to get into my house in October and I can’t even offer the police a picture as my camera doesn’t work, mind you I pay for services and equipment rental every month. Thankfully I have a large dog that scared the intruder away. I’m so stressed out and disgusted with this company, I just want out! I can’t even think about this system without getting angry and having my blood pressure sky rocket. Home security is supposed to be easy and leave you with peace of mind, not THIS!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/22/2022

  December 22, 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 expressed
  dissatisfaction with the performance of her. She stated it stopped working
  every couple of weeks, she had multiple service calls and had an electrician
  out as suggested, but it did not solve the problem. Our customer states her
  sales company, AAA, refused to service it after replacing it four times.  She states she still doesn’t have a working
  doorbell and is unhappy with the payment needed to cancel her account/agreement.
  
  For background, our
  customer’s security system was sold and installed by AAA Home Security (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. 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 purchased our customer’s account from AAA
  approximately a year after the system installation, later causing some
  confusion as to which company should service her doorbell during the transition
  of account ownership.
  
  Guardian is sorry to hear our
  customer has had a poor experience with her video doorbell.  Guardian performed several reviews of her
  account and service history before and after speaking with her about her BBB
  complaint and video doorbell issues. 
  
  Our customer’s security
  system, including the video doorbell, was installed by AAA on May 7, 2021. The
  Video Doorbell is currently out of warranty and no longer covered by her repair
  plan.  Guardian’s records show following: 
  
  ** 05/29/2021 Our customer with a video doorbell issue. A representative successfully assisted with bringing her video doorbell online after possibly being kicked of line when our customer was setting up their Amazon Alexa service.
  
  ** 7/11/2021Our customer called and reported her video doorbell was making a strange sound. A Guardian representative helped her reboot the device and it began working normally.
  
  **  2/24/2022Our customer called due to an issue with her video doorbell. It appeared the video doorbell was not receiving power. Our customer declined a service call because she did not wish to pay the service co-pay in place at the time. Our customer wanted to discuss the terms of her agreement and possibly terminating it early. Guardian forwarded a request to AAA to contact the customer as AAA still had ownership of her account. AAA reported back to Guardian that they confirmed the terms of the agreement. AAA also scheduled one of their technicians to service the video doorbell on 3/5/2022.AAA reports the technician took the doorbell down then reattached it and it began working properly.
  
  **  6/23/2022Our customer called because her video doorbell was not working again and she believed it was not getting power. A Guardian representative offered service at billable rates since the video doorbell was out of warranty. He also advised if the issue is a power issue, she needed to contact an electrician to check the wiring and circuit (the video doorbell replaces the customer’s standard doorbell button and uses the existing doorbell wiring).He told the customer AAA may be willing to assist her since they had been out there in March, but they may transfer her back to Guardian as Guardian now had ownership of her account.
  
  ** Guardian
  learned recently that AAA had sent a technician on site on 6/29/2022, at no
  charge, and he found the voltage of our customer’s doorbell wire fluctuating
  wildly.  The technician advised our
  customer she needed an electrician to check her wiring.  The customer insisted the issue was with the
  video doorbell so AAA replaced the video doorbell again but informed her it
  would not fix the problem.  
  
  **  10/26/2022 Our customer called for technical support for her video doorbell. The representative found the video doorbell was stuck in a reboot mode. Our customer refused to troubleshoot or pay for a technician to service the video doorbell. She advised she would call AAA for assistance.
  
  It is Guardian’s opinion that
  our customer has had an issue with her doorbell wiring from the beginning and
  it may have worsened with time.  Voltage
  fluctuations, high and low, could easily cause the issues our customer
  experienced, and most likely damaged the video doorbells.  Our customer reported she did finally have an
  electrician out to check and repair the wiring, but it’s possible the video
  doorbell was already damaged. The video doorbell had a 90-day limited warranty
  which has expired.  The limited warranty
  would not have covered repairs or replacement resulting from voltage drops and
  spikes from our customer’s electrical wiring.
  
  Guardian nonetheless has offered
  to provide our customer with a 50% discount to install a new video doorbell,
  hardwired or wireless, or to cancel the video doorbell service and reduce her
  monthly fee by $5.00 for the duration of her current monitoring term.  Our customer has indicated she is not
  satisfied with either of these offers. Guardian will extend these offers for 30
  days from the date of this correspondence should the customer reconsider.
  
  Thank you for informing Guardian of this matter.  Should you have any questions, please contact
  Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  Agency Complaint Response
  Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/29/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  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 a contract with Guardian Protection. It is for 5 years and I have 23 months left. My job is moving me to another state, AZ. I called Guardian and they said they do not provide service in AZ. So I will have to have the new owners of the house take over, or pay an early termination fee of 1200 and some dollars. This is mind blowing. I am not given an option to continue service because of their lack of service ability, and yet they still expect me to pay the contract in full. This is one of the worst businesses I have ever had to deal with.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/08/2022

  December 8, 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 stated he is
  in a five (5) year contract with Guardian, his job is moving him to another
  state where Guardian does not provide service and is unhappy with the Early
  Termination Fee noted in his agreement.  Our customer would like to pay just $100.00 to settle his account should
  the buyers of his current home not sign up for monitoring services with Guardian.
  
  For background, our
  customer’s security system was sold and installed by Core Smart Protection, LLC
  (Core Smart) whereby all aspects of the sale and installation, including the
  electronic paperwork, took place directly with Core Smart.  Our customer received a professional
  installation of a security system with video doorbell, smart door lock and
  smart lights at absolutely no cost to him in exchange for his monitoring
  commitment.  The value of the
  installation was approximate $2000.00.
  
  After a year of service with
  the customer, Guardian purchased our customer’s account from Core Smart for a
  considerable sum of money.  The purchase
  price was based on the 60-month monitoring term and monthly fee of $49.99 that
  are a part of his agreement.  Guardian’s
  investment in his account has not yet been recouped.
  
  Guardian is a
  customer-centric organization that has put several options in place to assist
  our customers who move.  Guardian offers
  to relocate services to a new residence when possible, or to waive the balance
  of a customer’s agreement term if the new owner subscribes to monitoring
  services with Guardian.  These
  alternatives to payment of their Early Termination Fee, or paying off the value
  of the remaining months, are not referenced or guaranteed in any agreement. 
  
  A Guardian representative has
  spoken with  our customer.  Based on the nature of our customer’s
  employment and relocation, Guardian has offered to accept a payment of $600.00
  to settle the twenty-two (22) unpaid months remaining on his monitoring
  term. 
  
  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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/14/2022

  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.

  Guardian does NOT provide service in my area in Arizona. I supplied a photo of my new gas bill here in Arizona. I was told when I purchased the system that when I moved, it would move with me. Guardian can not supply service here and is in breach of contract. I will not pay for service they can not provide. 

  Guardian claims to be all about the customer, but I do not see that in any case. Nor will others who see this scenario. I have agreed to pay a reasonable fee of 100 dollars. This is Guardians fault, not mine. I should not have to pay anything. 
  
  
  
  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  **** *****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/16/2022

  December 16, 2022
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  ***** ********* ****
  520 E Main St, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA   15106
  
  ***      **** ***** * ********* ** ********
  
  **** *** ***** 
  
  Thank you for forwarding our
  customer’s additional comments regarding the above referenced complaint to Guardian
  Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”).  Guardian appreciates the opportunity to respond
  to our customer’s statements in his most recent correspondence.
  
  Our customer states he moved
  to Arizona and Guardian does not provide service in Arizona.  He further states he was advised at the time
  of sale that when he moved, it would move with him. Our customer believes
  Guardian is in breach of contract. His response states he will not pay for
  service Guardian cannot provide and offered to settle his account for $100.00.
  
  Our customer signed
  agreements for the installation and monitoring of a security system in his
  Indiana home.  When doing so, our
  customer made a commitment to monitoring at that home in exchange for a
  discounted installation.  The agreements
  (attached) were reviewed in detail.  Neither
  the agreement language nor the special conditions contain any reference to relocating
  service.  Neither Core Smart nor Guardian
  guarantee the availability of the options to relocate service or be released
  from their agreement if a buyer of their monitored home subscribes with
  Guardian, therefore there is no breach of contract.
  
  Guardian’s offer to settle
  the account for $600.00 is unchanged and generous considering the Early
  Termination Fee is $1,250.00 and the value of the unpaid months on his monitoring
  term is $1099.78.
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to address our customer’s additional
  comments. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian directly at
  (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  Agency Complaint Response Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/28/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  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 September of 2001, we notified Guardian Protection we were moving to a new address. We were let out of our control since the people who moved into our house signed up with Guardian for monitoring services. Guardian suggested that we keep making money payments and the sum of those payments would be used towards equipment costs for the new security system in the new house. So far, I think we paid approximately $650. We made the tough decision to no longer use Guardian as their pricing increased dramatically over what we were used to. They are telling me that I can't receive the $650 refund that I kept on my account. They never told me that I wouldn't be allowed to receive the money back. This is absurd. I am not in a contract. I would like to receive the refund of all the monies I paid.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2022

  December 5, 2022
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  ***** ********* ****
  520 E Main St, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA   15106
  
  RE:      ****** **** * ********* ** ********
  
  **** *** ***** 
  
  Thank you for forwarding the
  above referenced complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”). Guardian
  values the opportunity to address any concern.    
  
  Our customer has expressed the
  desire to be released from his current monitoring agreement that is still
  billing for his former home.  He stated
  he was released from the agreement when the new owners moved into the home and
  signed up with Guardian.  Our customer is
  asking to be refunded for payments made for the continued billing of the
  agreement because he is not in an agreement.
  
  Guardian is a
  customer-centric organization that offers a number of programs to assist our
  customers with early termination in the event they move.  Guardian offers to relocate services to a new
  premises when possible, to release a customer from their agreement if a buyer
  subscribes and activates service in their name, and in the worst-case scenario make
  payment of an Early Termination Fee. 
  
  Upon reviewing the property
  address of our customer’s former home, we found no new services in effect. We
  checked all databases and found no record of anyone inquiring about, or signing
  up for, service at the property after our customer sold the home.  Had the new owner subscribed and activated service
  at the property, and Guardian continued to bill our customer due to an error, Guardian
  absolutely would correct the billing error and refund the thirteen (13) payments
  (less the sales tax collected) he made.
  
  Guardian did provide our
  customer with some quotes for relocating his service, and also offered to apply
  his 13 payments in question to the new installation, but he has declined.  This leaves our customer with the option to continue
  payments monthly until the remaining twenty-six (26) months of his agreement  term are paid, or to pay his $750.00 Early
  Termination Fee. Guardian has generously agreed to treating the 13 payments he
  made as installments to the $750.00 Early Termination Fee.  To date our customer has paid $577.72 in monitoring
  fees after he sold the property.  Guardian
  has offered to accept one final payment (installment) in the amount of $172.28
  to pay off the Early Termination Fee and fully settle his account.  Our customer is currently considering this
  offer.
  
  Thank you for advising Guardian
  of this matter and the opportunity to provide additional assistance to our
  customer.  Should you have any questions,
  please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  Agency Complaint Response
  Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/18/2022

  Type:Order Issues
  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.

  If I could give a negative review I would. Extremally deceptive and misleading.
  The technician has an ipad with all the signatures preloaded & won't give you time to read it. We were told it was a yearly contract yet in tiny print on the contract (that they finally gave me), it says 60m.
  I told them I wouldn't live here that long & its why I wanted a shorter contract. With it being a higher monthly cost, I assumed wrong that was due to the shorter contract, that we discussed.
  I was told by customer service that I had 72 hours after signing up to review the contract but I wasn't emailed it for over a week, past the 72 hour mark. A 5y contract is not what was advertised, discussed, or agreed upon. My name was preloaded onto so many sections that had I been properly informed on, would never had done. The technician "explained" every section I was signing...but what he said is not what was signed. It's $750 to cancel the service, that I never agreed to, plus a $35 phone fee.
  I've now been locked out of my account & now it says my mother's maiden name is wrong. I know her name, plus I know it worked yesterday to log in. I can't even log in to pay my bill or cancel it.
  The alarm system itself is extremally dissatisfactory. $55/m for 2 tiny door sensors & a glass break sensor, no window sensors, no cameras, no lights, no doorbell, nothing. Their competitor costs less than half what Guardian does and comes all of those & more!
  Guardians sensor is dysfunctional too. I don't even have 1 second to open my door and input the passcode before the alarm goes off and they call me. We now have to partially open the door quickly enter the passcode before the extremally loud alarm goes off, & still that doesn't work always.
  Customer service number is confusing to use & never has the option you need & are extremally unfriendly + mocking you.
  I am so angry at Guardian I am considering hiring an attorney to get my money back + out of this contract.
  DO NOT USE GAURDIAN PROTECTION!!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/28/2022

  November 28, 2022
  
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  ***** ********* ****
  520 E Main St, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA  15106
  
  RE:      ****** ******* * ********* ** ********
  
  Dea* *** ***** 
  
  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 review her account and work with her to resolve
  her issues.    
  
  Our customer expressed
  dissatisfaction with the sale and performance of his security system.  Our customer believed they were told they had
  a yearly contract and were upset to learn it had a 60-month term, and the
  monthly fee was high.  He was unhappy and
  felt he didn’t have time to review the agreement at the time of installation
  when he signed it. Our customer also noted the system hasn’t been working
  properly since the time of installation and they were recently locked out of
  their account.
  
  Guardian is sorry to hear of
  our customer’s experience.  An account
  review was performed upon receipt of his complaint.  Our records found our customer had been sold
  his system and services by Guardian’s authorized dealer, AAA Home Security,
  whereby all aspects of the sale and initial of the paperwork took place
  directly with AAA Home Security.  AAA Home
  Security is a separate and distinct company from Guardian, for which Guardian
  provides installation, 24-hour monitoring and related services for customers
  whose systems were sold by them. Guardian does not control any day-to-day business
  activities or any internal policies or procedures of AAA Home Security,
  including security evaluations, sales processes, or any other aspects of AAA
  Home Security’s business.
  
  Guardian’s records show the Agreements
  were emailed to our customer on May 3, 2022 and the email was  viewed by our customer that same day, as documented
  on the attached “Packet History”, but not initialed and signed.  On May 13, 2022, Guardian’s technician
  arrived on site to install the system but found our customer had never
  completed the e-signing process of the agreements that had been emailed to
  him.  Guardian’s technician would not have
  been able to perform the installation with unsigned paperwork.  If the customer wished to keep the
  installation and activation appointment that date, Guardian’s technician would
  have opened the documents on his tablet to facilitate the execution of the
  agreements.  He would not have discussed
  agreement terms negotiated by AAA Home Security and our customer. 
  
  Our customer ended up having
  ten (10) days to review the terms of the agreement and only had to complete the
  sale/signing transaction if he wished to have the system installed with services
  commencing on May 13, 2022.  One of the
  agreement terms provided a significant discount if our customer enrolled in
  Guardian’s autopay service.
  
  A Guardian representative
  reached out to our customer upon completion of the account to apologize for
  their experience, review Guardian’s research findings, and work with our
  customer to resolve their system issue.  Our customer is currently trying a new arming routine in an effort to
  avoid the system overriding their arming instructions.  If this does not resolve the issue, Guardian
  will send a service technician on site at no charge to our customer.  The representative is also assisting our
  customer with re-registering with Guardian’s Customer Support webpage.
  
  Thank you for informing Guardian of this matter and for
  the opportunity to review the account and resolve our customer’s issues.  Should you have any questions, please contact
  Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  Agency Complaint Response
  Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/11/2022

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  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.

  Six months ago I disconnected my service with guardian because their system kept getting hacked I had adt disconnect it and install their system. The same day I had guardian say I had to stay with them that I had a contract. I should have had no contract they didn’t install any of their system. I used all the existing alarm I had, and all they had to do was monitor. I had a brinks system that I had purchased from brinks. Now they are trying to charge me for all the past months. I have been arguing with them about it for six months and they are damaging my credit. I work hard for my money and am barely surviving I’m not going to let them take advantage of me. I can not afford for them to take advantage of me. I’m on Medicaid Medicare and food stamps and am just trying to survive.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/11/2022

  November 11, 2022
  
  
  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’ issue(s).
  
  Our customer stated he
  disconnected his Guardian system, because it was being hacked, and had ADT
  install a new system.  He was upset to
  learn he had a 60-month agreement and Guardian would not release him from it
  even though Guardian had not installed any new equipment at the time of
  installation.
  
  A review of our customer’s
  account confirm he had concerns about his security and called for assistance
  changing arming codes and passwords a number of times.  Guardian would like to state the interactive
  service our customer used has never been hacked. This does not rule out the
  potential of his security information being compromised at a local level.
  
  Guardian was also able to
  confirm we did not install any equipment and our only investment at the time of
  installation was for the labor to create a new account, reprogram the system and
  test all devices.  Our customer would
  have been eligible for a shorter agreement term than the one he signed and
  would have satisfied it as of the date he changed providers.
  
  A Guardian representative
  contacted our customer to advise we would cancel his account and credit the
  current account balance.  The credits
  have been placed on the account and a release letter was sent to our customer.
  
  Guardian is sorry our
  customer lost his peace of mind and urges him to keep his master level security
  information private. He should be able set up secondary codes and limited passwords
  with his new provider for other persons using his new security system. 
  
  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
  Team

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/09/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  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.

  We purchased a home security system that included a motion sensor doorbell cam for our front door, sensors on all non-second story access windows and doors and a motion sensor for inside our home to detect movement when the alarm is on. Every event was to be sent to my cell phone's Guardian Pro app.
  The system worked as marketed for little more than a few weeks and then the doorbell didn't work. It diidn't not sound or alert my phone app. Customer Service and Tech Support kept telling us we didn't have enough power to properly support the sytem's functionaltiy and we needed to have an electrition replace our transformer.
  To make a very long, expensive and frustrating story short, and after asking we the company multiple times to fix the problem, they finally sent a tech out on or about 7/2/22 named Jeff. He tested the system and looked at the installation and said "This was never going to work properly. It was installed incorrectly and your wiring doesnt support the device. It's totally f***** up." Yes, he used that word, also shocking. He said they work with another company Security Force for installs and he would go to corporate to find out who would fix the problem. Months later, no fix, we continue to be told this is OUR problem when they never should have installed it in the first place since we weren't a fit for their services. We have paid $1,205.61 is monthly charges. We have stopped access to our Wells Fargo account for automatic withdrawals and they still won't cancel the policy, and they want us to pay some $3k for early termination of a 3 year contract. They also said we now own the equipment so they wouldn't uninstall it or pick it up. This is one of the most unscrupulous companies I have ever encounter and my first BBB filed complaint in my life. Please help us and prevent more victims. If they had just fixed the problem everything would be fine, but they absolutely refuse to do so.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/15/2022

  November 15, 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 expressed
  dissatisfaction with the performance of their Video Doorbell, the results of an
  inspection by a Guardian technician, the lack of a repair and being quoted the
  necessity of paying an Early Termination Fee to cancel their account.
  
  For background, our
  customer’s security system was sold and installed by Security Force, Inc. (Security
  Force) whereby all aspects of the sale and installation, including the
  electronic paperwork, took place directly with Security Force.  Security Force 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 Security
  Force, and later purchased our customer’s account from Security Force. Guardian
  does not control any day-to-day business activities or any internal policies or
  procedures of Security Force, including security evaluations, sales processes,
  installation practices or any other aspects of Ranger’s business.
  
  Guardian was sorry to learn our
  customer has had a poor experience with his video doorbell.  Guardian did send one of its own technicians
  to the site on July 7, 2022, with the intent to have the video doorbell
  repaired or replaced.  Guardian’s technician
  found the wiring was not according to Guardian’s standards and practices.  The device was installed in such a way that a
  licensed electrician would need to make any changes to the doorbell
  wiring. 
  
  Unfortunately, Guardian’s
  technicians are not licensed electricians, and it is for this reason that
  Guardian has agreed to release them from the Security Force, Inc.’s Agreement
  for Monitoring and Installation of Security System dated March 8, 2021.
  
  Guardian has begun the
  process of terminating our customer’s account without further penalty or
  obligation.  The billing of the account
  has been stopped and the account balance has been credited to $0.00.
  
  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

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/15/2022

  [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,
  
  
  
  ****** ***************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/02/2022

  Type:Order Issues
  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.

  On July 17, 2015 a AMP Security salesperson unexpectedly came to sell us an alarm system. I told the salesperson that I didn't have time for a sales pitch because we were leaving on a trip the next day. Over the next 2 hours he continued to hard sell me on a "better deal" than we already had with a competitor. In desperation to get him to leave, my wife and I signed a 5 year contract with AMP Security (now Guardian Security). In November of 2018, I called Guardian to cancel the service, due to our moving and we wouldn't need it. I was told that we could either move the equipment with us, at no charge, or pay a $750 early termination fee. We decided to move the alarm (although we really didn't need it), and fulfill the remaining contract balance of 1 year & 8 months. The alarm was installed along with additional equipment. Before the installer left, my wife asked if we needed to sign anything. The installer said "no that is not necessary". Neither my wife or I signed or received any paperwork. In December of 2021, I called Guardian Security to cancel the service, as we were moving, we had fulfilled the original 2015 contract and it was no longer needed. I was informed that the company would be changing us $750 for early termination of the contract. I was also informed that the contract date was renewed for another 5 years in 2018, when the alarm system was moved. I stated that we didn't sign or receive a new contract and was never told that the contract had renewed for an additional 5 years. I was told I signed a contract electronically, which at my age I don't even know how to do! I enlisted my daughter's help, who on February 5, 2022 called Guardian. She was told the same thing and that the only exception would be if we were moving into assisted living, which we cannot afford to do. On Feb.15,2022 we sent a letter and a copy of the bill to Guardian. We have since received threatening letters & our account has been sent to debt collectors. (See attachment)

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/16/2022

  November
  15, 2022
  
  
  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
  customer states they were surprised to learn they had a new 5-year contract
  that was signed in 2018 when the relocated service to a new home.  Our customer states they did not sign any
  electronic paperwork with the technician and were never told the new contract
  would be for a new 5-year term.  The
  customer has asked to be released from the original contract term and only pay
  for service through December 2021 when they notified Guardian they were moving
  again.
  
  As our
  customer stated, they had a security system installed in a home in Caledonia,
  MI on July 17, 2015 by AMP Security (AMP), an authorized dealer of Guardian
  Protection. AMP is a separate and distinct company from Guardian. Guardian does
  not control any day-to-day business activities or any internal policies or
  procedures of AMP, including security evaluations, sales processes,
  installation practices or any other aspects of AMP’s business. Our customer
  signed an Authorized Dealer Monitoring and Repair Agreement with a term of 60
  months, and in exchange for the monitoring commitment, out customer received a
  discounted installation of a security system from AMP.
  
  Our
  customer’s wife first contacted Guardian about moving from Caledonia, MI to Grand
  Rapid, MI on October 17, 2018, at which time there were approximately 21 months
  remaining on the term of the original agreement.  She was provided with two quotes for a new
  installation in Grand Rapids, one with no extension of their current monitoring
  term and one that provided discounts if they extended their 21-month term back
  to 60 months.  There were several calls
  to Guardian discussing the options.  Our
  customer made the decision to receive a discounted installation for $175.00 in exchange
  for signing a new 60-month monitoring term on November 2, 2018, during a call
  to Guardian with their son-in-law on speakerphone.   Please
  note that due to the nature of Guardian’s business (life safety and frequent
  interaction with law enforcement and other local authorities) Guardian records
  all customer telephone calls and interactions.  Guardian was able to access the call even though it was three years
  ago.  The quotes were discussed again and
  our customer’s son-in-law repeated the terms of the discounted installation
  including that it was a 5-year deal.   An electronic Addendum (attached) memorializing
  the terms of the installation in Grand Rapids was emailed to our customer at [email protected], the primary email address on his
  account for the duration of his patronage, and reviewed and signed during the
  phone call on November 18, 2022.
  
  Two
  discounted installations have been performed with a total monitoring commitment
  of 99 months by our customer.  It is over
  the course of monitoring commitments that Guardian recoups the discounts
  provided at the time of sale and installation.  To date, our customer has 18 unpaid months remaining on their current
  monitoring term and Guardian has not fully recouped its investment.  Guardian understands our customer is not in a
  position to relocate their system and service again, nor are they eligible for
  any other termination programs.  Guardian
  was able to make contact with our customer’s family and offered to accept a
  discounted settlement of $270.12.  The
  family is considering the offer.
  Thank you
  for informing Guardian of this matter and providing an opportunity to work with
  our customer to resolve the issue. Should you have any questions, please
  contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  Agency
  Complaint Response Team

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/30/2022

  [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:
  
  
  We have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and find that this resolution is satisfactory to us. 
  
  The agent at the business involved (Deb V) has also stated that she will work with the credit bureaus to reverse any damage that this case may have caused to our credit ratings. 

  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******* *** ***** *******