ComplaintsforAlert1 Medical Alert Systems

• Initial Complaint

  05/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Alert1 has taken money out of my account unauthorized. I asked them a month ago to cancel the automatic deduction and they assured me I had been removed and would not happen again. today, they deducted $50 from my account unauthorized. They claim that despite being released and my card taken off the file, they told me they could charge it because the due date is near. I have not authorized this charge.

  

  Business response

  05/23/2023

  Hello,

  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We are sorry to hear of your less than stellar experience with Alert1. An Account Resolution Specialist from Alert1 will make contact with the member to resolve this matter as we see a credit card is on file as a payment option. If the member prefers this payment option be removed, we can certainly do so and the member would receive invoices approximately 30 days in advance of the due date. All services with Alert1 are recurring until the account is terminated by the member. 

• Initial Complaint

  03/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Alert One has been trying to collect money for no services rendered or product received. Product was cancelled via phone call and same day unopened package was taken to an authorized ****** ship center with 'return to sender' on it well within 30 days. They market that you will not be charged until device was activated...well it has never been activated since the product was returned.Alert1 account is ******** 1/9/23 letter from *********** agreeing with my assessment and credited my account for $88.85. 3/9/23 letter states I owe them $48.95 3/13/23 letter stating 'failure to return the equipment will result in lost equipment fee up to $1000.00.' BBB gives this company a rating of 1.13 in customer reviews. They are trying to collect $ for no services rendered and are harassing me

  

  Business response

  03/22/2023

  Thank you for sharing your concerns. We are sorry to hear of any less than stellar experience with our company. We wish to provide some clarity regarding the start and end of the services with Alert1.

  Due to the nature of the services provided by Alert1, all devices are programmed and activated prior to shipment from our office; an activation fee was charged at the time of the initial order placed on 01/09/2023. 
  This order was completed online and selected a month-to-month service plan where all monthly prepaid services are nonrefundable as explained in our Terms and Conditions. In order to complete the online order submission, the terms and conditions must be read and accepted. 
  Cancellation of services take place when all leased items are returned to Alert1 located in Williamsport, PA. As of the end of our business day on 03/21/2023 we still have not received the return package for cancellation. We encourage you to contact ***** to verify the tracking on your package and you may provide tracking confirmation to Alert1 if you would like. 
  Alert1 has been attempting to make contact via phone and email in order to resolve the disputed charge and unpaid balance(s) on the account. All future billing will stop once the termination takes place. Please contact our Member Support team at your earliest convenience to resolve this matter. Our office is open from 9am - 5:30pm EST at ************ option 2 for Member Support. 

  Kind Regards,

  Alert1

  Customer response

  04/03/2023

  I am at a distinct disadvantage since my daughter-in-law ordered this equipment on 1/9/23.  I am not in receipt of their Terms and Condition nor the bill supporting their charge of $88.85. In fact, it is not even clear exactly what product was ordered.  Review of the internet shows On the Go Medical Alert with GPS is $38.95 with free shipping and no equipment fees.  The In-Home Classic Medical Alert is $28.95 per month, also with free shipping and no equipment fees.
  
  My husband has ********** so she was being thoughtful. However, I did not think this was a good purchase since I am home all the time to take care of my husband, ****. Hence my call to Alert1 on 2/6/23 that I was returning their product since we do not need. An English accented woman answered and said I needed to open the package first (??). Immediately, I asked for her supervisor since this did not make senseand I told her so.  She then said, ok. 
  
  2/6/23 call to ********** to dispute $88.85 from Alert1.
  
  I then then directly went to **** and ************ located at ********************************Redondo Beach, CA  *****. I refused the package so wrote return to sender on unopened package. The owner, *************************, was there and opined that is all I needed. They are an authorized *** ** dealer.
  
  Attached you will find 2/7/23 letter from *********** in which they credited my account for $88.85. Then I had to call *********** again on 3/17/23 since Alert1 charged me $48.95. (also attached)
  
  I called ********** today, 3/27/23, to find out if Alert1 ever provided a response to them for non-payment. ********, at 2:20pm, she said no, not for either one. She said they probably do not have proper documentation to justify the payments so just by-passed them and went directly to me.
  
  Today I went back to the **** and ************ to see if they could get me the tracking # of the package. Advised that they don't keep track of packages returned that way so suggested I get the tracking number from Company and then they could see if they can track it.  
  
  Also attached is 3/20/23 letter from ********** of ******* regarding my complaint for Alert1.
  
  Request:
  
  Could you get tracking # , billing and Terms and Conditions from Alert1? 
  
  This is very stressful for me to rebut these charges; I believe they will continue this until, exhausted, I pay something to get out of this fiasco. If these were legitimate concerns, they would have called ********** to get their money. I do not feel comfortable dealing with them directly, so I appreciate very much for your assistance.
  
  *******************************

  

  Business response

  04/03/2023

  Hello,

  We appreciate the additional information you've provided regarding the reasons behind the start of service, the steps taken to return the package, and the request of Alert1 moving forward. We apologize for any inconveniences you've encounter throughout this process. Alert1 would like to waive all remaining balances on the account and terminate the account as of today, 04/03/2023. 

  Customer response

  04/10/2023

  [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.

  Both parties agree that no money is owed.
  
  Regards,
  
  ********* ******

• Initial Complaint

  10/31/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We contracted with Alert1 5+ years ago and have been paying yearly charge in advance. Her account tied to ************. My mom now has round the clock aids, so no need of the added expenses from Alert1. I just called on 10/31/22 to cancel service and was told since we were just charged 491.40 on 10/18/22 for the year through 10/17/23, there is no refund since we pay for the year! I was told to send back equipment before 10-17-23. I have not paid the expense on my moms ******** card yet. Buyer Beware!

  

  Business response

  11/02/2022

  We apologize for any confusion regarding your refund request. Being as though services do not terminate until the leased item(s) are returned to Alert1, we are unable to offer a prorated monetary value until those items are received. The return by date for next year is to ensure that another service renewal does not bill to the account. 

  We encourage you to return your items at your earliest convenience and once received, a prorated refund can then be discussed. 

  Kind Regards,

  Alert1

• Initial Complaint

  10/21/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Several weeks ago, my mother fell and broke her hip. She had been lying in the floor all day because despite having pushed the Alert 1 button on her necklace hundreds of times it failed to work. When my brother found her she was in serious life-threatening condition. I called Alert 1 to let them know it didnt work and that we would no longer be using their service. She is still in the hospital, not only from her original injury, but from the cascading effects of lying on the floor for that extended period. I am the one that pays for the service and have paid them several thousand dollars over the last seven years. They tried to authorize another quarterly payment on my credit card that had expired. I told them I refused to pay anything further and that I would send the equipment back ASAP. I have had multiple harassing collection phone calls on average 1 time per week since. My sister was finally able to go send it back. I then received a call saying that they got the equipment but that I still needed to pay the whole quarter. This rep said they dont prorate. I said that is not what I was told and that I refused to pay the whole quarter because there was still several weeks left on the period. I told the rep I would be filing this complaint and that I thought we should let the BBB mediate what is fair. Frankly I think they should be issuing a refund to me. My mother almost died because the service we have paid for (never once late because I used automatic payments) failed to protect her. At least for the quarter she tried to use the equipment. At this point it isnt about the money it is a matter of principal. Their customers should know that there is a risk the equipment may not work. They havent even had the integrity to find out why it failed. Their reply is sorry for the inconvenience. It isnt just an inconvenience when someone almo

  

  Business response

  10/26/2022

  We are very sorry to hear of your less than stellar experience. After reviewing the account, we would like to reassure you that there have been several recorded conversations with Alert1 regarding this matter and it was further investigated to confirm that the subscriber's phone was off of the hook when the incident occurred. The subscriber's service was a landline required service and therefore it will not work when the landline is not functioning. After the incident and with the landline functional again, the system did complete a successful test which confirms that the monitoring connections for help were still provided by Alert1. The error was due to the disconnected landline. 

  In regards to the billing, the quarterly renewal was due on 9/26/22 and the cancellation took place on 10/19/22. With automatic renewal set, the billing department does make contact immediately following failed payments which is why you have continued to receive phone calls regarding the billing. Alert1 cannot offer a prorated amount for service while the equipment is still leased out of the office because the services do not terminate until the equipment is returned. Now that the equipment has been received, Alert1 is able to offer to settle the account for 1 month of service totaling $51.95.

  Customer response

  10/28/2022

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********.  I dispute some of their comments because I don’t believe they tested that the phone was actually off the hook.  It could have been we do not know for sure.  But I can assure that if they had notified me of this potential risk I would have made sure she had a backup system.  I am going to pay the prorated charge just because I don’t want to deal with any negative credit reporting, but be advised I will tell every human I know what a horrible experience we had and buyer beware. We  I’ve read other complaints filed on the BBB and from all of your responses you can tell they are far more worried about your bottom line than the safety of your customers.  Their corporate culture must be deplorable.  
  
  also if the last agent that called me had agreed to the prorated amount I would have paid her that day and we would have been done with this issue.  Since they have all the recordings they should go back and listen to that conversation!
  

  also if the last agent that called me had agreed to the prorated amount I would have paid her that day and we would have been done with this issue.  Since they have all the recordings they should go back and listen to that conversation!
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  10/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Especially worried about his balance after my grandmother died, I sent my grandfather the Alert1 device on April 6. He told me just after receiving it that it would not work for him. I wrote that week to explain this to Alert1 on April 18 (attached). They never responded. Finally, on August 1, months into being charged (repeatedly!!) for this device that has never once been used, in addition to my initial expense buying the thing, I spoke with a person who gave me a way to return it and said I could send her the past correspondence. When I did (attached), on August 1, just after hanging up, it bounced back (attached), even though I'd been told to get in touch with this email. Regardless, we returned the device, explaining that it had never ever been used, that we'd tried since the first week to return it. But still, I was not only NOT refunded for the purchase or for the months it was not used and no one would tell us where to return it, but I was charged ONE MORE TIME for being this far into a new billing cycle, which has now been turned over to ********** ******** for collections, all for a device that was never used! I have reported them to my bank, who've refunded me for the third month's payment (I couldn't report the ones that had passed), now am reporting to you and to **************, and if this does not resolve this without affecting my credit, I'll take my skills as a full-time writer, and reach out to the press. This is absurd.

  

  Business response

  10/13/2022

  We apologize for any confusion however it appears that after receiving correspondence from ****** earlier this week, Alert1 already agreed to waive all open balance(s) on the account as well as cease all collection attempts from ********** ***********. This was resolved by Alert1 on 10/10/2022. 

• Initial Complaint

  09/24/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased this service for my mom and used it for a couple of years. I no longer have need for the service and when I received the notification that my next payment date was approaching I called and asked them to cancel my service. I thought everything was settled and I wouldn’t be charged, until I saw the charge come through my bank. I asked them to cancel the charge and they did. 6 months later I received a similar notification that my payment date was approaching. I called and explained the situation and again asked to cancel my service. They asked me to pay in the ballpark of $500 to cancel and I refused. Ever since, I have gotten multiple calls a week from them demanding payment. It’s borderline harassment and now they’re threatening to send me to collections because I refused to pay their cancellation fee when I tried to cancel with them twice. It’s extortion.

  

  Business response

  09/28/2022

  Thank you for bringing this to our attention. After review of the account, we see that the original cancellation request was made to Alert1 on 11/19/2021 in which ****** informed Alert1 at that time that the leased equipment had been lost. As per the Alert1 Service Terms & Conditions, if the equipment cannot be returned to cancel the services, an equipment fee must be paid to close the account. For the leased items, the total came to $559.95.

  On 1/10/2022 Alert1 made contact with the member regarding the fact that services have not been terminated as no payment had been made. Alert1 offered to settle the equipment fee for the amount of $299.00 as well as offered this balance to be split across 6 months which was denied at that time. 

  Alert1 is happy to honor the same settlement offer now to close the account for the amount of $299.00 and will agree to a 6-month payment arrangement if necessary. Please contact our Member Support team by calling option 2. 

  Kind Regards,

  Alert1

• Initial Complaint

  09/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In 2020 I paid for a 1 year of service from ALERT1. They gave me 1 month of free service when I paid. Each month I placed a call as directed via the Alert button verifying equip was working. If I did not call them in a timely manner, Alert1 called me to verify the equip worked and my husband was ok. He has PD. Thats why I paid for the service. I did so in November early in the AM. It took the rep 5 or more minutes to answer. When the call was answered she sounded like a child woken up. The next day I called Alert1. I advised that the time wait for my call to be answered was unacceptable, and I was disconnecting the phone and cancelling the service. I ask for an RA to return the equipment. She refused to give me an RA,. She informed me that my service would not be disconnected that day because the service was paid thru the next month or so. I replied "that was fine.". I received a letter last month informing me I owed $200 for service. I received a msg on my phone to return their call, which I did. I was informed that service had been provided for me all this time. I never received an invoice/bill from Alert1 making me aware of this for almost a year now. I informed the rep I would not be paying for a service not used nor informed about. Today I answered a call from Alert1. She thanked me for returning the equipment and told me I now owed $199.00 and that needed taking care of. Once again I told her I would not be paying that. Phone records from both Alert1 and my landline exist which can prove I never called them and they never called me to verify his safety or equipment working. Those records can be legally requested by either one of us. They have called me enough times I consider it harrsement. Today when they called; before I hung up I requested they not call me again. Just an fyi. Those calls and msgs are on my landline to verify my statement. My husband has been in and out of the ER and doctor ofcs many time lately.

  

  Business response

  09/16/2022

  ******,

  We apologize for any confusion regarding the Alert1 account. We can reassure you that the account has been terminated as of 9/8/22 when your cancellation package was delivered to our office. It was not closed in good standing as a renewal of service occurred on 7/18/22 and was left unpaid. As per our Service Terms and Conditions, monitoring services are provided by Alert1 until the equipment is returned to our location in Williamsport, PA. 
  We are happy to prorate the final balance and ask that you pay July and August service fees. This final balance being $39.90. To resolve this balance you may pay online via your My Account, call our customer service  at ************ option 2, or you may mail a check to:

  Alert1
  Attn: Member Care
  1000 Commerce Park Dr.
  Suite 300
  Williamsport, PA 17701

  Kind Regards,

  Alert1

  Customer response

  09/28/2022

  
  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

  09/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We got the Alert 1 service for our mother (********************** billing address was ********************************** Pittsburgh, PA *****), in Pittsburgh back in 2018, she was 94 years old then and lived alone. We moved her into an assisted living facility in August of 2022 at age 98, and we didn't need the Alert 1 system there. As per Alert 1 instructions, we return the system complete via *** on July 28, 2022, and they/Alert 1 received it. Alert 1 billed her each April for the year ahead, so based on our return in July she has a credit due for 8 months that was pre-paid, and Alert 1 owes her. We called them this past week and their response was "we do not issue any refunds". Their website, and I quote under, "No Long-Term Contracts" states, "pro rated refunds are available anytime".... REALLY, they/Alert 1 says no. Totally unacceptable and Alert 1 needs to live up to their statements and make a payment to our mother.

  

  Business response

  09/16/2022

  *****, 

  We apologize for any confusion regarding the requested refund. Upon review of the account it appears that you are not an authorized party on the account for **** and that is why the refund was denied while speaking with you. Alert1 does in fact offer prorated refunds. We encourage an authorized party to contact our billing department at ************ option 2 for Member Support. 

  Kind Regards,

  Alert1

  Customer response

  09/26/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  My mother called your 800 number with my sister at her side on or around 9-8-22. You rejected her request for the prorated refund, now it's interesting that is now your reply, after I contacted the BBB. 

  I will have my 98-year-old mother, who is in the hospital with a broken hip CALL YOU, this is truly non-sense.

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

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My mother was enrolled in Alert 1's medical alarm service. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and no longer lived alone thus did not need the service. We received a bill for $571.40 for the following year of service so I contacted Alert 1 to notify them of our cancelation. I was given an address to which the equipment must be returned and was told that we would owe a prorated amount for the time that had elapsed before the equipment was received. The equipment was returned to that address and received 6/10/2022 as has been confirmed by the company representative. The following week we received a bill for the entire year at a price of $571.40. We figured that there was a timing issue and ignored this bill. My mother received a call requesting the full amount. I called Alert 1 again and spoke to a representative. They acknowledged receiving the equipment and told me they would send a bill for the prorated amount. Two weeks later my mother received another call demanding payment of the full amount. I called Alert 1 again and was assured that a bill for the correct amount, $47.62 was being sent as we spoke and that the account would be closed upon receipt of that amount. That bill was received and paid on July 23, 2022. August 3, 2022, a collections notification was sent to my mother demanding the difference of $523.78 and threatening negative reporting to the credit agencies. This has upset my mother who is confused by the whole matter. She has never had credit issues and is now fixated on this being a problem for her. I need assistance in getting Alert 1 to correct their records and call off the collection agency. I was working with Alert 1 and had contacted them three times thinking the matter had been resolved but it appears that my effort has been in vain. The name on the account is  ***************************. Her customer number is ********. The name of the collection agency is Greenfield Collections. I can be reached at ************** or my cell at **************

  

  Business response

  08/11/2022

  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We would like to reassure you that the account does reflect the prorated balance of $47.62 was paid on 7/28/22 and the remaining balance was sent to our Accounting Department to be waived from the account. Our invoice statements are auto-generated and we apologize that you've continued to receive them. There is no further balance due and we have notified Greenfield Collections that this account was resolved by Alert1. 

  Customer response

  08/12/2022

  [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

  07/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I'm being billed for an account that I did not open. I explained that the account belongs to a family member, *************************, who is now deceased; however, they continue sending me bills as well as threatening to send the account to a Collections agency.  This is not my account.

  

  Business response

  08/11/2022

  Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. We have further investigated the account and show that the financial responsible party has been listed under ***************************** throughout the entirety of the membership with Alert1. There was even record of *************** calling into Alert1 in regards to the billing on the account. It was not until the time the service was requested to be terminated and the account was not in good standing that *************** informed us that she was never to be listed on the account. We would appreciate if *************** would provide supporting documentation that the payment method on file was in ******'s name rather than her own. 

*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. ↩