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Business Profile

Security Systems

Guardian Protection

Headquarters

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

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Guardian Protection has 18 locations, listed below.

*This company may be headquartered in or have additional locations in another country. Please click on the country abbreviation in the search box below to change to a different country location.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 155 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 49 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    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.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/16/2025

      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.
      In November, my alarm did not go off, but police came to my house for an alarm event ($70charge for them to come for a false alarm). I called guardian to get to the bottom of it, they would have to send a tech out. The tech spent a good while at the house and his notes to his company say customer system is very old. I explain to him he need to call to get an upgrade quote. Customer requested for me to remove partition 2 from programming. For this I was charged $375 in labor/time. They ***laced a key pad and a battery, that I was charged a reasonable amount for. We requested the partition be taken off and no longer protected (as it had been for the last 10 years with them) because the tech could not fix it and instead wanted to sell us more equipment. So for a battery, a key pad, and to disconnect 1/2 of my buildings and still be charged the full Monthly fee, they add on almost $400 in labor charges. When I called to cancel *********** the customer service *** who was still trying to sell me new equipment said it should last, hes seen them over 20 years. Essentially, they will rip you off at every opportunity, even if youve been giving them money for a decade. Theres no world in which the small ***airs should have equaled $375 in labor. If he couldnt fix it, tell his company that and move on. Not continue to rack up the bill for a job Not complete.

      Business Response

      Date: 01/24/2025

      January 24, 2025



      BBB of ********************
      ************************
      ********,*******;  15106

      RE:        ******** ****** Complaint ID ********

      Dear Better Business Bureau: 

      Thank you for advising Guardian Protection Services, **** (Guardian) of the above referenced complaint.  Guardian values the opportunity to review our customers account and respond.

      Our customer states she contacted ******************** because a police officer had come to her home for an alarm, which resulted in a  $70.00 charge, but her system had never gone off.  She said she scheduled service and has noted she is very dissatisfied with the technicians work and the charges for the small repair that was done. 

      Guardian reviewed our customers account upon receipt of this complaint.  Our customer called ******************** on November ****** because the alarm had been going off all night, she had been receiving calls from Guardian, and the police had been out the night before.  A ************** representative reviewed the system history and advised we did need to send a technician out to try and resolve the issues with the motion detectors in her shed

      The representative quoted a $75.00 co-pay if the system issues were a result of normal wear and tear, and our billable rates if the repair was not due to normal wear and tear.  Our customer scheduled a service call.   The representative offered to assist the customer in temporarily powering down her system, but the call ended before the representative could provide the instructions and the customer did not call back.

      What our customer referred to as a small repair ended up not being the case.  Upon arrival, Guardians technician found that someone had pulled the control panel off of the wall.  The control panel is the computer that runs the system.  It is housed in a metal box and has device wires, a power wire, and wireless devices connected to it.  Our technician had to remount the control panel and repair the connections and replace a keypad prior to troubleshooting the motion detectors in the shed to see if they could be repaired.

      The service call was charged at Guardians billable service rates, rather than the $75.00 co-pay, due to the physical damage to the system.  The service charges of $445.00 plus tax will not be adjusted.

      Regarding the police being contacted the evening of November 1, 2024 , someone at the premises   triggered the police panic on a keypad.  Guardian called the customer at the primary number for the panic alarm, but the call went to voice mail, so the authorities were notified.

      Thank you for bringing this matter to Guardians attention.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at **************.
      Sincerely,

      Agency Complaint Response Team

      Customer Answer

      Date: 01/25/2025

      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,

      ******** ******
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:01/02/2025

      Type:Billing 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.
      fall / winter 2024 fraudulent billing twice i discussed a service call and was told the service and parts were at no charge... now they are billing me $293

      Business Response

      Date: 01/15/2025

      January 15, 2025



      BBB of ********************
      ************************
      ********,*******;  15106

      RE:        **** ******** Complaint ID ********

      Dear Better Business Bureau: 

      Thank you for advising Guardian Protection Services*****. (Guardian) of the above referenced complaint.  Guardian values the opportunity to review our customers account and respond.

      Our customer reported he experienced fraudulent billing in the fall or winter of 2024.  He said he discussed the service call twice and was told there would be no charge for parts.  He received an invoice for $293.00 for the service call.

      Guardian reviewed our customers account and billing of the service call.  Our customers agreement term and service plan ended, but Guardians system was not fully updated when he called and made his request.  Representatives quoted the $75.00 Trip Fee per the terms of his system repair plan.  Guardians system was update by the date of the service appointment and the bill generated for time and material rates.

      Guardians review showed that Guardian credited the entire service of $293.28, rather than $218.28, the same day our customer submitted this complaint.  A representative reached out to our customer,and he was able to confirm he located the credit.  He also advised the technician did not replace all of the devices because he did not have enough of them in his service vans inventory.  The Guardian representative offered to schedule the return trip and bill just the $75.00 Trip Fee that should have been paid for the first service call.  Our customer was not pleased with that offer.  The representative discussed this account with a director, who authorized a return service visit at no charge to finish replacing the four devices the technician did not have in inventory. 

      Guardian would like to apologize for the service billing issue and delay in getting the resolving it.  We thank our customer for his many years of patronage and hope he will accept the offer to complete the unfinished service repair at no charge.

      Thank you for bringing this matter to Guardians attention.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at **************.

      Sincerely,

      Agency Complaint Response Team

      Customer Answer

      Date: 01/15/2025

      [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:12/30/2024

      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.
      system still not working multiple techs have been to the home unable to fix, tech sat stated I was given old equipment and shouldn't have been and that happens all the time, Beeping continues all day and night still not fixed, beeping started again before the tech could even leave he didn't know why the system is beeping and unable to fix it, he put a sensor on the front window to see if that would stop the beeping it didn't, then charged $9 dollars even after saying he has extra ones in the truck unethical practice, panel still has a blank screen no techs have been able to fix that, front door keyless entry hasnt been working properly we were locked out the front door, guardian did not provide the keys as they should have. I reached out to the lock company was provided a new tumbler and keys, tech said I shouldnt have had to do that guardian install person should have had the keys and given them to us, tech stated he will get a new keyless entry and install it and to send the replacement back. today I was told the agreement ran out so now I have to replace all equipment at my own expense which is not fair to me, especially when the tech stated guardian gives out old equipment, I keep having repeat service calls and equipment still doesnt work properly, I'm paying for a system that doesn't work, and NO tech has been able to fix to date. and when I call im met with rude customer service **** and no return calls from managers as requested, this is a horrible experience that remains unresolved and no one from guardian is resolving. the systems beeps all night and day, its beyond stressful hearing it, cant sleep due to the beeps seem as if doors are opening when they arent. this has been going on for weeks,

      Business Response

      Date: 01/09/2025

      January 9, 2025



      BBB of ********************
      ************************
      ********,*******;  15106

      RE:        **** **** Complaint ID ********

      Dear Better Business Bureau: 

      Thank you for advising Guardian Protection Services*****. (Guardian) of the above referenced complaint.  Guardian values the opportunity to review our customers account and respond.

      Our customer has shared that she has had multiple technicians on site to resolve a system issue without success.  Further,she stated a technician told her that she was given old equipment, he could not figure out why her system continued to beep, her keypad screen was blank, and her front door keyless entry has not been, and is still not, working.  One of the technicians also replaced a window sensor then charged her $9.00 even after saying he has extra ones on the truck.She said she requested a call from a manager but has not received one.  She has requested the repair/replacement of the non-functioning equipment.

      Guardian has reviewed this customers account and reached out to our customer to discuss our findings.  Our customer does have older equipment; however, it was the latest model when it was installed on May 26, 2020.  Guardian also found that when the first of her two service calls was scheduled, one of her sensors was not reporting a malfunction at the time the appointment was set, so the technician was not asked to service it.  With regard to the blank touchscreen keypad, the customers current secondary keypad relies on her home Wi-Fi to stay connected to the main touchscreen panel.  This is proving to be problematic in her environment.  There is now a newer model touchscreen panel and secondary touchscreen that does not rely on a customers Wi-Fi to connect.

      During the account review,  ******************** found that an internal system update canceled our customers service plan which led to inaccurate service quotes of time and material costs for all service calls.  Guardian has added the service plan back on our customers account and it will remain in effect through the end of her current agreement term. In addition, Guardian added her dead bolt to the repair plan,even though it was well out warranty and originally not part of her repair plan.

      With the correction of the repair plan, the upgrade/replacement of our customers control panel and secondary touchscreen keypad are covered, as well as the replacement of her dead bolt.  Guardian has scheduled one more service call, at no charge, to perform this work and look at one more window sensor that appears to be going in and out of a trouble condition, and the most likely culprit of the continued keypad beeping.   Our customer indicated this resolution was satisfactory.

      One last item we are trying to help our customer resolve is her inability to receive calls from Guardian.  The managers trying to return her call and the representative working with her on this complaint were not able to reach her. The calls were immediately sent to our customers voice mail, but she never sees she has a missed call from Guardian, nor does she receive the voice messages. We were able to connect with her to resolve her issues by sending  emails asking her to call us each time we had new information to share.  Our customer will be working with her phone provider to resolve this issue.

      Thank you for bringing this matter to Guardians attention.  The collaboration with our customer, though difficult at times due to her phone issue,  helped us uncover that issue as well as the issue in Guardians system.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at **************.

      Sincerely,

      Agency Complaint Response Team

      Customer Answer

      Date: 01/12/2025

      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.]

      Guardian is the only 800 number that doesnt come thru, there is no issues with my phone, also guardian is now trying to have me pay a service call even though multiple techs have been to my home and could not fix the problem, I was also mislead about the warranty, I feel guardian has been less than truthful, I also do not feel that I should pay a service call 

      Regards,

      **** ****

      Business Response

      Date: 01/17/2025

      January 17, 2025



      BBB of ********************
      ************************
      ********,*******;  15106

      RE:        **** **** Complaint ID ********

      Dear Better Business Bureau: 

      Thank you for advising Guardian Protection Services*****. (Guardian) of our customers additional correspondence.

      Our customer states she feels she was misled about her warranty and that Guardian has been less than truthful.  She does not feel that she should have to pay for a service call.  She also states there is no issue with her phone with regard to receiving calls from Guardian.

      Guardians records indicate our customer contacted ******************** on May 20, ********************************************************************************** her home. These negotiations were formalized through the agreements she signed, and defined the cost of the installation, the services to be provided, monthly rates,system repair and other terms and obligations.  The agreements were emailed to our customer for her review and execution on May 20, 2024 at 1:12 PM.  Our customer signed the agreements on May 21, 2024 at 9:50 AM.  Our customer had ample time to review all the agreement terms and contact Guardian with any concerns prior to signing them.  In addition, she had until midnight of May 24, ************************************************* obligation.

      Our customers repair plan is defined on the agreements mentioned above and states,You will pay a trip fee for each repair call.  Guardian has already provided our customer with two service calls in December 2024 at no charge due to a billing and scheduling issue. 

      Our customers ongoing issue with a secondary remote touchscreen is an issue of connectivity.  It is dependent on a strong, uninterrupted signal to our customers wi-fi system.  The performance of our customers internet and wi-fi system is out of Guardians control.

      Guardian is offering to replace the customers primary touchscreen panel and remote touchscreen with two new touchscreen units that do not rely on the customers home wi-fi to be connected.  Guardian will charge a trip fee of $75.00 to perform this service work.

      Regarding the customers ability to receive our calls, further investigation shows she receives calls from Guardians ***************** about system signals and alarms.  The ***************** currently dials out from **************.  Calls from 1-800-GUARDIAN ***************) appear to have been going directly to our customers voice mail since the beginning of the year, if not longer.  This number is the number Guardians ****************************** Field Operations teams, and more dial out on.  Guardian will be emailing our customer a log of the outbound calls ******************** representatives have made, hoping the customer will investigate the matter more on her end.
      Thank you for bringing this matter to Guardians attention.  The collaboration with our customer, though difficult at times due to her phone issue,  helped us uncover that issue as well as the issue in Guardians system.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at **************.

      Sincerely,

      Agency Complaint Response Team

      Customer Answer

      Date: 01/17/2025

      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.]

      may 2024 has nothing to do with the current continued issues, again I was lied to stating I didnt have warranty then after this claim was filed suddenly it became a system error, and the warranty was found and  now avail. again I do not feel I should be paying a service call given Two techs were recently in the home and unable to fix the issue, the last tech stated guardian provides out dated old equipment to customers and thats what I have in the home. I am paying for a services that clearly isn't working. and for the phone I have had ******* and apple check the phone no issues, Guardian is the only one having issues calling, also guardian is not blocked and never was that wouldn't make any sense to block the protection service, and I actually have the number as a contact, Guardian should check there system to see what the issues is, maybe its the same issue that caused the warranty to disappear and then reappear, at this point I feel guardian is not listening to the customer and being untruthful, I keep stating the same thing I would like the system to work, which it is not, I was even locked out the front door due to the system malfunctions. if it was a regular service call then I wouldn't have a problem paying the fee, but this has been going on for weeks and techs could not fix, this is a total guardian issue. Guardian should be taking responsibility for the service fee, the rep ****** V that emails seems to be more concerned with proving her point rather than assisting a paying costumer, I have asked to speak with a manager due to how rude very flippant and unprofessional  ****** V was when  speaking with me. she also would not allow me to speak with a manager, stating she can handle this, and its still not taken care of, this is very overwhelming and exhausting. all I want is to have a working system. 

      Regards,

      **** ****

      Business Response

      Date: 02/03/2025

      January 17, 2025



      BBB of ********************
      ************************
      ********,*******;  15106

      RE:        **** **** Complaint ID ********

      Dear Better Business Bureau: 

      Thank you for advising Guardian Protection Services*****. (Guardian) of our customers additional correspondence.

      Guardians Director of Customer Loyalty reached out to our customer to discuss her added comments.  The director ended up agreeing to waive the $75.00 trip fee for the service call scheduled for February 8, 2025.  ************** call trip fees and charges will not be waived.

      Further,the customer notified the director that she is now receiving calls from both of Guardians toll-free numbers.

      Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at **************.

      Sincerely,

      Agency Complaint Response Team

      Customer Answer

      Date: 02/06/2025

      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.

      Once the system is fixed then I can move forward, another ************** call is currently scheduled for sat Feb 8th, hopefully the tech shows up unlike the last scheduled appointment the tech no show no call and I waited All Day and the issue remains, Constant beeping, alerts going off, not even sure the system truly is connected to the service center in case of an emergency, but the direct debit is paid every month, also the inconvenience and uncertainty of the system has been happening for Months and dealing with Guardian **** and being spoken to in a condescending way  like its my fault the system isn't working its very disheartening,  I would very much like  the service I'm paying for to work  and feel secure knowing Guardian is protecting as im paying for 

      as for the $75.00 it should have been waived why would I keep paying for service call when the issues were Never fixed and one tech didn't bother to show up 

      second *** that is rude unprofessional and condescending, not taking any accountability for Staff not fixing the issues and Not showing up, her only focus was $75 instead of why the system is not working and tech never showed, that part was not important to her 

      phone ringing its a miracle after I said its on Guardian end not mine, 

      Regards,

      **** ****

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/09/2024

      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.
      I moved to ***** in March of 2023. I signed for a service for a security system. I did not know it had a commitment of 5 years. I am a human trafficking survivor (HT). I had bought the system for safety. The system malfunctioned and I was getting frequent calls telling me that the system was malfunctioning. I called up customer service, asked them to fix the problem. They told me I had to go buy batteries to replace for the sensor. I asked them to turn off the system, that I am in the process of moving to ********. I am moving from ***** to ******** for safety purposes, because as mentioned before I am an HT survivor. ******* (The customer service agent) - ***************************** told me they do not have service in ********. Then preceded to tell me that they will turn off my service, and I would owe them $1398.05. I asked why the **** said the payment was late since they had just taken Novembers payment out. She told me the ****ing was incorrect, but never sent me the next ****, just told me that I would owe her 41 months of payment $1291.50 to terminate my contract. She told me or advised me to try and sell the service to the next home owner, since I am moving to ********. If need be, I can provide you with my therapist name and number, my real estate agent in ***** and my real estate agent in ********. Who can confirm that I am selling my house in ***** to get out of a dangerous situation, I would like to be released from my contract, and the early termination fee waived. It is causing an undo financial hardship at this time. As I said I am moving for safety reasons.Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 12/10/2024


      Here is a bill from today requesting payment for December 2024 to Guardian.

      See Attachment

       


      Thank you,
      ****** *****

      Business Response

      Date: 12/18/2024


      December 17, 2024



      BBB of ********************
      ************************
      ********, *******; 15106

      RE:        ****** ***** Complaint ID ********

      Dear Better Business Bureau: 

      Thank you for advising Guardian Protection Services, Inc.(Guardian) of the above referenced complaint. Guardian values the opportunity to address our customers concerns. 

      Our customer states she signed up for a security system and service when she moved to *****, in March of 2023, as she had safety concerns.  She said she was unaware she had a 5-year commitment.  She also advised she had a malfunction and was told to go buy batteries.  She more recently asked to cancel the service because she was moving to ******** for safety reasons and is upset *******, a representative of AAA quoted a termination fee of $1,291.50.  Our customer has asked to be released from the agreement without penalty.

      For background, the complainants security system was sold and installed by a representative working for ********************** (AAA)whereby all aspects of the sale and installation, including the electronic paperwork, took place directly with a representative of AAA.  AAA is a separate and distinct company from Guardian, for which Guardian provides 24-hour monitoring and related services for customers whose systems were sold and installed by ***, until such time that Guardian purchases the account from AAA. Guardians records include a 60-month monitoring agreement our customer signed hours after it was emailed to her. One of the items initialed by our customer was the statement, The initial term of this agreement is 60 months (Initial Term).

      Guardian was surprised by this complaint and the customers alleged concerns for safety and security. Our review of her account found she had called Guardian to request cancelation of her account just six months after the installation because she did not use the system.  Our customer next requested cancelation on November 8, 2024 because she planned to move to *********  Our customer did not express safety or security concerns when requesting cancelation on either of these occasions, and she was referred to her AAA, her sale and installation company,to discuss early termination.   With regard to the sensor issue, our customer only called ******************** two months ago to try to resolve the issue.  A representative helped her trouble shoot it remotely, suggested she install new batteries, and advised she needed to call us back if new batteries did not resolve the issue so we could ship a new sensor or schedule service under her repair plan. 

      A Guardian representative reached out to our customer to discuss the account review and her agreements.  Our customer agreed to try and provide additional documentation regarding her situation as the complaint and Guardians records did not correspond.  The representative and our customer agreed to continue the conversation and review in the new year.

      Thank you for bringing this matter to Guardians attention.  Guardian assures the Better Business Bureau and our customer that the review process of the account and supplementary documentation will continue after the start of the new year.

      Sincerely,

      Agency Complaint Response Team

      Customer Answer

      Date: 12/20/2024


      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********. I am working with Guardian to be released from the contract. The response of requested documentation and phone were done before Christmas. I was told that Guardian upper managers will review a letter from my therapist on the issue. 

      It is not fully resolved, as of yet. And was told not to let it ruin my holidays.

      Hopefully, Guardian and I will come to a resolution. 

       Regards, 


      ****** *****

      Customer Answer

      Date: 12/23/2024

      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 am working with Guardian to be released from the contract. The response of requested documentation and phone were done before Christmas. I was told that Guardian upper managers will review a letter from my therapist on the issue. 

      It is not fully resolved, as of yet. And was told not to let it ruin my holidays.

      Hopefully, Guardian and I will come to a resolution. 

       
      Regards,

      ****** *****

      Business Response

      Date: 01/09/2025

      January 9, 2025



      BBB of ********************
      ************************
      ********, *******; 15106

      RE:        ****** ***** Complaint ID ********

      Dear Better Business Bureau: 

      Thank you for forwarding our customers additional correspondence from December 223, 2024.

      As our customer noted, ******************** did receive the supporting documentation offered by our customer and forwarded it to our management team for review. 

      Guardian is happy to report a resolution was reached that was agreeable to both parties. 

      Sincerely,

      Agency Complaint Response Team

       

      Customer Answer

      Date: 01/10/2025

      [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:12/02/2024

      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.
      Unethical business. Service promised could not be meet and has not been meet after multiple attempts over years. Cameras do not send communication for hours/days/weeks at times. Packages have been stolen from my door without any communication from system. Food deliveries are not being picked up by system and sit until they are cold or forgotten often. Price is higher per month then comparable services annual charge that actually work. After advising the issues and requesting to be relieved on a contract (that I do NOT recall signing) - that information has been requested but not received. I was told I needed to remain with the none working service for $80 per month or pay approximately $1,000 to terminate. This is simply a scam to force consumers to remain on a service that CAN NOT perform as advertised or get this business an unwarranted payout.

      Business Response

      Date: 12/04/2024

      December 4, 2024


      BBB of ********************
      ************************
      ********,*******; 15106

      RE:        ******* *****     Complaint ID ********

      Dear Better Business Bureau: 

      Thank you for forwarding our customers complaint to ************************. **********************.  Guardian is a customer-centric organization and values the opportunity to address any concern.    

      Our customer has expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of his security cameras,noting he has had issues since the time of installation.  He had requested cancelation of his account and ********************, but Guardian had quoted an early termination fee of approximately $1,000.00.  Our customer wishes to be released from his agreement without penalty.

      For background, our customers account came to ******************** by way of an Authorized Dealer known as ********************** (AAA). AAA is a separate and distinct company, for which Guardian provides 24-hour monitoring services for customers whose systems were sold 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, or any other aspects of AAAs business.

      Guardian was sorry to learn our customer has had ongoing issues with his video devices.  While ******************** does have records indicating we have helped him reconnect his video devices when he has changed internet providers, we have no records indicating our customer was experiencing any delays with his video notifications. It is possible his communications regarding lag times and delays were with his installation company, AAA.

      Guardian found our customer was under contract when his original agreement for a no charge installation was extended for further discounts on a system upgrade and equipment additions.  However, Guardian was able to negotiate the early termination of the customers current agreement term to an amount our customer found satisfactory. Our customer paid the negotiated early termination fee, and his account is in the process of being terminated without further penalty or obligation.

      Thank you for informing Guardian of this matter and providing an opportunity to have the issue reviewed and resolved.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian directly at **************.

      Sincerely,
      Agency Complaint Response Team
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/08/2024

      Type:Billing 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.
      We were asked to do a 6 month free trial. When the trial was over they wouldn't come pick up the equipment. Now they say we owe *******.

      Business Response

      Date: 11/11/2024

      November 11, 2024



      BBB of ********************
      ************************
      ********,*******; 15106

      RE:        ****** ******** - Complaint ID ********

      Dear Better Business Bureau: 

      Thank you for advising Guardian Protection Services*****. (Guardian) of the above referenced Complaint.  Guardian values the opportunity to address the customers questions and concerns.

      ******************** conducted a thorough review of the above matter and have determined that the customers account came to ******************** by way of an Authorized Dealer known as *************************** *************** ****************** is a separate and distinct company from Guardian, for which Guardian provides 24-hour monitoring and related services for customers whose systems were sold and installed by ******************* Guardian does not control any day-to-day business activities or any internal policies or procedures of ************* including security evaluations, sales processes, promotions, installation practices or any other aspects of ************* business.

      This customer advised ******************** on July 8, 2024 that she wished to cancel her account.  A ******************** representative advised her she needed to contact ************ to discuss her request.  Our records show all services and billing by Guardian ceased effective August 30, 2024.

      Further,Guardian does not own the complainants account/agreement and has not been in communication with the customer since July 8, 2024.  ****************** regarding a 6-month trial,equipment, agreement, and account settlement must be addressed directly with *******************

      Our customer may contact ************ directly at:  ******************************************, telephone: **************.

      Thank you for providing Guardian with the opportunity to clarify this matter. 

      Sincerely,
      Agency Complaint Response Team
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/05/2024

      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.
      About three years ago I purchased an alarm service with the above alarm company and the salesman initially mislead me in purchasing a five year contract which lead to a rocky start and then I was misinformed that my service contract was not what I was initially sold instead I had to pay for the service calls plus $75.00 plus fee for cost of gas and maintaining guardian fleet vehicles. Since Ive had this terrible and faulty camera service outages without warning and the tech support associates are very mean spirited and unrealiable to the point that over time Ive become emotionally, mentally and frustrated with the low level type equipment issues/trouble Ive been incurring and Im dealing with my rear camera has not been working for now the eleventh day and this is NOT what I pay for each month. At this point I just want to cancel my service with guardian so I can move on and find a more reliable alarm company that can meet the Doughtys expectations and needs to again keep up safe and provide world class service. Lastly, I requested a call from a supervisor/manager on last night and to this point, it still has not happened- why???Very unhappy loyal customers.

      Business Response

      Date: 11/13/2024

      November 13, 2024


      BBB of ********************
      ************************
      ********, *******; 15106

      RE:        **** ******* Complaint ID ********

      Dear Better Business Bureau: 

      Thank you for forwarding the above referenced complaint to Guardian Protection Services****** (Guardian).  Guardian values the opportunity to review our customers account and resolve his issues.

      Our customer expressed several dissatisfactory items with regard to his customer history with ********************. The current issue regards the connectivity of his cameras, mainly his rear yard outdoor camera.  Our customer is unhappy he has been without use of the camera for nearly two weeks as well as the service charges quoted when efforts to troubleshoot the camera problems with a technician over the phone did not solve the problems.

      Guardian would first like to apologize to our customer for the issues he has been experiencing.  Video device connectivity is less reliable that monitored security devices because of their dependence on active internet service,  good wi-fi connections to a customers internet router, as well as the customers internet speeds.  And troubleshooting camera issues can be quite challenging.

      According to our customers agreements and Limited Lifetime System Repair plan, video devices have a ****** warranty.  After the 90-day warranty expired, service calls for video devices are billed under time and material charges.  That being said, within the last several weeks, Guardian made a major change to their Limited Lifetime System Repair plan.  Guardian is now including repairs to video devices and home automation devices that are found to be defective within the initial term of their monitoring agreement.  While there are still exclusions, a review of the camera problem our customer is having indicates the repair is now covered and Guardian will bill the copay/trip fee but no parts or labor.

      A Guardian representative was able to connect with our customer and review the recent service plan update, which occurred sometime after his last call to Guardian about the rear camera issue.  Our customer was pleased to hear of the change and that his cameras would have repair coverage for seventeen more months should they be found defective.

      Our customer accepted a service call for which he will only be billed the copay/trip fee.  Guardian also applied a credit to his account balance to make up for the loss of use of the rear yard camera and his frustrations troubleshooting.  Our customer indicated this resolution was satisfactory.
      Thank you for providing Guardian with an opportunity to further research and resolve this matter.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at **************.

      Sincerely,
      Agency Complaint Response Team
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/02/2024

      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.
      A ***resentative of this company came to my newly acquired home and marketed their product to me. I asked like I would any other business if there was a penalty fee or contract that would make it impossible to stop the services at anytime to which he answered a resounding no. About a year in, I started having issues with the system and called to get help. They had me doing manual labor, poking and prodding the camera/alarm and to no avail. Spent a couple hours with several **** and eventually asked what other options are available. They said they could send someone to my address and would charge me 150 dollars and some other fee after every 30 minutes or so.They also said Id pay to have the instrument ***laced. I was shocked and didnt understand why. I decided their service was not up to par and that Id like to have their services disconnected.. to which I was told Id have to pay them for the remaining 5+ years on the contract. I asked what 5 years and they said the contract I signed was for 6 years!! Ive never heard of such a predatory contract and referred back to the sales *** who told me no contracts or penalties to which they told me isnt true and that I need to pay for the remaining years or be stuck with the product despite their terrible service and conditions while I pay 60+ dollars every month.they also told me even if I move, I need to get the new tenants to take on the services for the remaining years or Id automatically owe them if the new tenants refuse to take on the service and cost. I need help to make sure I can disconnect this service and find a better provider. I do not belive they should be able to provide below par service and hold customers hostage to a SIX YEARS contract while having **** verbally tell customers there arent fees or penalties to disconnect service for ANY reason. Can you please help me as I would never have agreed to such a deal for SIX YEARS.. they had me sign this deal under false advertisement. Please help me.

      Business Response

      Date: 11/11/2024

      November 11, 2024


      BBB of ********************
      ************************
      ********,*******;  15106

      RE:        Whitneyhope Oguejiofor Complaint 3184347

      Dear Better Business Bureau: 

      Thank you for advising Guardian Protection Services*****. (Guardian) of the above referenced complaint.  Guardian values the opportunity to review our customers account and respond.

      Our customer stated she first learned she had a contract with a termination clause when she contacted Guardian for technical assistance with her video doorbell approximately a year after her original installation.   She is also very unhappy with the billable service rates that were quoted if Guardian sent a technician to her site to try and resolve the issue.  Our customer said she was told she could stop the  service at any time without a penalty fee.  Our customer wishes to cancel without penalty due because Guardian is not providing adequate service and maintenance.

      For background, the complainants security system was sold and installed by a representative working for ********************** (AAA) whereby all aspects of the sale and installation, including the electronic paperwork, took place directly a representative of AAA.  AAA is a separate and distinct company from Guardian, for which Guardian provides 24-hour monitoring and related services for customers whose systems were sold and installed by AAA, until such time that Guardians purchase of the account is finalized.  Guardian does not control any day-to-day business activities or any internal policies or procedures of AAA,including security evaluations, sales processes, promotions, installation practices or any other aspects of AAAs business and employees.

      Guardian reviewed this customers account and paperwork upon receipt of this complaint.  Guardian found our customer received an installation of a security system with a video doorbell and two home automation devices at no charge and had electronically signed a Monitoring Agreement with an initial term of 60 months (5 years).  The Monitoring Agreement (attached) did not have any special conditions noting the customer could cancel the agreement without penalty.  The Monitoring Agreement includes the statement The initial term of this Agreement is 60 months (Initial Term) in Section E, which our customer initialed, as well terms for Early Termination / Cancelation in Section 18. The Sales and Installation agreement includes the terms of our customers Limited Lifetime System Repair coverage in Section 6.   Lastly, she was also provided with a Notice that she could cancel the transaction without penalty within three business days.

      Our customer first contacted ******************** about issues with her video doorbell on September 18, 2024.  This was thirteen months after the installation and ten months after the 90-day warranty expired, and she was therefore quoted billable rates for an on-site service call.  In addition, our customers video doorbell went offline because she made a change to her internet router, not as a result of a manufacturer or installation issue or normal daily use, and a service call would have been billable even if the 90-day warranty had not yet expired.
      Guardians ************** representatives tried helping our customer reconnect the cameras over the phone so she could avoid being charged time and material rates for a service call.  While it took some time and effort by both the Guardian representatives and our customer, in the end the video doorbell did connect to our customers new router. 

      However,there is still an issue with video doorbell that may be a hardware issue resulting from normal daily use.  Our customer can hear a visitor at her door, but the visitor cannot hear our customer.  If our customer has given the ******************** app the permission to use her phones microphone, then the issue would be a hardware issue rather than a settings issue. 

      Guardian made a change to its service plan between the time our customer last called about her video doorbell issue and the submission of her complaint to the Better Business Bureau.  Guardian is now servicing video devices under a copay, rather than time and material charges, for covered issues through the end of the initial term of their original monitoring agreement. 

      Guardian will now send a technician on site for our customers current video doorbell issue under our current $75.00 plus tax. Guardian also agreed to make an adjustment to our customers initial monitoring term.  Our customer inquired about some other changes to her system and is currently considering the options presented to her. 

      Thank you for bringing this matter to Guardians attention.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at **************.

      Sincerely,

      Agency Complaint Response Team
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/01/2024

      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 summer on or around 8/1/2024, I had some work done by the company to improve the service. The work contract was signed with the knowledge that some parts of the contract would need to be updated once pricing was confirmed for some elements. Noted by the tradesman who came to do the instsall was that his boss would have to finalize pricing - this is why payment would be done at a later ******* issue here is that no one contacted me about pricing and I was just told that this is the price (a few months later). Confirmation of the pricing number was on Nov 1, 2024. They also told me I was late with the payment and that if I didn't want the work done I shouldn't have signed. Issue here is that this is a terrible customer experience and makes me not want to work with them.Further, I am an annual customer. I pay once a year! If they wanted their payment earlier, I have autopay on. Further, all information on their site says that my next payment is xxxx.1. They are charging me late payments. I want that recompensed as I don't believe I was late with a payment.2. I want a formal apology from them for this experience and to promise that they will not do this again to another customer.

      Business Response

      Date: 11/11/2024

      November 11, 2024



      BBB of ********************
      ************************
      ********, *******;15106

      RE:        ***** **** Complaint 2501174

      Dear Better Business Bureau: 

      Thank you for advising Guardian Protection Services*****. (Guardian) of the above referenced complaint.  Guardian values the opportunity to address our customers concerns. 

      Our customer states he had service work done by Guardian to improve his service (system.) He stated the work contract was signed with the knowledge that some parts of the contract would need to be updated once the technicians boss confirmed pricing for certain elements of the work.  He advised he was never contacted with finalized pricing and also has auto-pay, therefore his payments for the work should not be considered late.  Our customer has requested a formal apology and a promise that Guardian does not do this to another customer.

      First, ******************** would like to formally apologize for our customers experience. ********************* payment  representative should have reached out to their supervisory staff for assistance in resolving the pricing issues after learning about it from our customer.  The representative also should have explained that Guardian will not use the autopay service to take payments of service or installation work.  Guardian regrets our customer had to submit a complaint to the ********************** in order to have this matter researched and resolved.

      A member of Guardians Agency complaint Response Team reached out to our customer to learn more about the pricing issue experienced at the time of the service call. Upon review, Guardian provided our customer with a monitoring credit that was nearly the equivalent of a 25% discount on the equipment pricing.  Our customer indicated the credit offer satisfactory and the credit was applied to his account on November 6, 2024.

      Guardian would again like to apologize for our customers experience and thank him for his patience and identification of coaching opportunities within Guardians corporate office.  Guardian will do its utmost to avoid similar issues in the future.  Should have any questions,please contact Guardian at **************.

      Sincerely,

      Agency Complaint Response Team
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:10/30/2024

      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.
      See PARTIAL letter (due to limitation of this format) that I sent to the CEO who did NOT respond to me.Dear *** *********:I have been a customer of ******************** for over 20 years and have recommended you to others many times.I am writing this letter to document my ongoing problems with my new Guardian Protection security system. I purchased my new system in April of this year with installation on 4.11.24. We spent $874.00 to upgrade our system to a wireless system along with an increase in our monthly monitoring ****** July, the second keypad in the master bedroom continued to malfunction. I called and the gentleman that I spoke to was very understanding. I asked since the system was new, would Guardian come out and service the system without a charge. The gentlemen told me that Guardian would probably do so, but he needed to check with his supervisor. After being on hold for a while, he came back on the line and told me that I would have to pay for the new keypad and a service call. I felt that was inappropriate given that my system was brand new. I refused the service appointment and hung up.On July 26, I called Guardian back to cancel my agreement and was connected to ***** in Loyalty who agreed that my circumstances deserved better service. On July 30, a different technician showed up (who was very professional) and worked on my new system and I was not charged. This past weekend (September *****, 2024) ...we were awakened with text messages that continued all day Saturday through Sunday. We received multiple text messages that included: Kitchen glass break is offline, family room glass break is offline, bottom translator is offline, laundry room glass break is offline, master bedroom glass break is offline. Each of these messages were received multiple times all hours of the day and night. Meanwhile, the second keypad in the master bedroom STILL does not work.

      Business Response

      Date: 11/14/2024

      November 14, 2024


      BBB of ********************
      ************************
      ********, *******; 15106

      RE:        ******* ******* Complaint ID ********

      Dear Better Business Bureau: 

      Thank you for forwarding the above referenced complaint to Guardian Protection Services****** (Guardian).  Guardian values the opportunity to review our customers account and resolve his issues.

      Our customer expressed dissatisfaction with being quoted a service fee to resolve an issue with his security system that occurred shortly after it was upgraded.  Additionally, he was frustrated with a lack of response to his correspondence sent to ***** ********** Guardians president.  Our customer further noted he is continuing to have issues with his system.

      Guardian would first like to apologize to our long-time loyal customer for the issues he has been experiencing as well as the lack of a response to his correspondence.  Guardian either did not receive our customers correspondence, or it was misdirected when being forwarded.  Mr. ********** or an assistant  in his absence, would have responded promptly had the correspondence made it to his desk.  It is unfortunate as our customers issues could have been addressed, and hopefully resolved, more quickly.

      For background, our customers installation had a ****** warranty after which a trip fee would be billed for covered repairs through the end of his agreement term (parts and labor charges would not have applied.)  Our customer reported the secondary touchscreen issue six days after the 90-day warranty expired.  Guardian is sorry the supervisor on duty at the time did not make an exception to provide the necessary service call under warranty and are thankful the Loyalty representative did schedule a service call for July 30, 2024 at no charge.

      As our customer noted, he has had issues after the July ******* service call, and the number of issues had increased.  Guardian Loyalty Liaison reached out to our customer and offered another service call at no charge as well as credits to his account to prepay several months of monitoring to make up for our customers experience and inconveniences.

      Our customer accepted the service call and credits.  The credits have been applied to the account.  On November 11, 2024, a Guardian technician switched the locations of the touchscreen control panel and the secondary touchscreen in an effort to improve the wireless connections for the touchscreens and devices.  As of this writing, there have been no new trouble conditions with our customers systems and ******************** is hopeful the problems are fully corrected.  Our customer has ********************* Loyalty Liaisons contact information should the troubles recur. In addition, the liaison applied credits to our customers account to prepay several months of monitoring.

      Thank you for providing Guardian with an opportunity to further review and resolve our customers issues matter.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at **************.

      Sincerely,
      Agency Complaint Response Team

      Customer Answer

      Date: 11/14/2024


      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,

      ******* *******

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