Complaints

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:05/18/2023

  Type:Product 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 received a faulty panel from Cove. The panel goes off in the middle of the night with a false fire alarm. We have called many times and they always have us reset the device and have sent us a new fire alarm. It is still going off. March 3 I called and they finally agreed to send ** a new panel, but was told it was backordered. We waited and nothing. My husband emailed customer service April 27. Same thing, panel is backordered. Here it is May 18 and still no panel. I called again today and was told the same old story. Panel is backordered. I asked if I was a new customer would I be backordered. I was then told that new customer panels come from a different warehouse. I asked to speak to a manager and was told no one was available. I then said cancel my service and was told I was going to be charged for the equipment. Yes, charged for equipment that has never worked. I want either a cancellation of service with no additional fees or a new panel shipped immediately. This is the absolute worst customer service I have ever received. Cove is a scam.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/25/2023

  We had a manager reach out the customer. We were able to determine that the customer needs a replacement panel. We agreed to keep the customer updated once the new panel is shipped. We compensated the customer for the time they've been waiting for their issue to be resolved. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/30/2023

   
  Complaint: 20075794
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  They have not shipped the panel. I have received a response but no panel

   

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/04/2023

  We requested the warehouse to assist ** with shipping the customer's order, but we are still waiting for them to provide the tracking number. We will keep them updated once the tracking number for their new panel is available.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/05/2023

   
  Complaint: 20075794
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I still do not have the replacement panel. This will not be satisfied until I receive a new panel or a refund and membership cancellation. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 06/08/2023

  Control panel was shipped and delivered on Wednesday 6/7/2023 at 9:01 am. Our support team will assist them further with the installation of this new panel. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 06/09/2023

   
  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.  However, it really is a shame that I had to go to such great lengths just to get a replacement panel.  But, I finally received it after waiting 3 months.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/11/2023

  Type:Customer Service 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 contacted Cove Smart several times in an attempt to cancel my account. I have been met with resistance every time. The call center must be outsourced because call center representatives speak very broken English. I have been told there is no way to cancel outside of the term. They offer no solutions or assistance to help cancel the account. I have paid for this service for almost three years at this point and have not used it at all. I am willing to send the control panel back, but do not wish to remain a customer.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/16/2023

  We had a manager reach out but we couldn't find the customer. We sent a detailed email explaining the reason why their account has not been canceled. We provided options to proceed with the cancellation of the account or to work together to ensure that the system is working. We will wait for the customer's response on their desired resolution. 
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/10/2023

  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 purchased and installed a covesmart system in my home in approx. April of 2021. From time of installation there is a documented history to this account regarding billing issues as well continuous issues with defective equipment. The equipment has not worked sufficiently or was on line to protect my home for a significant amount of time. Over the history of this account, equipment has been returned for defective issues, which caused false alarms. The false alarms resulted in numerous emergency responses to our home which eventually became an issue for ourselves and Town due to false alarm policies. However I paid the monthly service fees to include an equipment credit for future purchases and upgrades which were never added to my acct. Of note I documented the serial numbers of returned equipment to find that replacement equipment I later received was the same equipment. I can assume the equipment that was "replacement" was repaired and returned not replaced as issues continued. This was denied by cove. Specifically in Nov of 2022, Cove finely determined that there was an issue with the panel. I was advised by Cove that there were issues with the panel cellular service which could have led to the underlying and on going issues. I was advised that **** had switched to **** to which I was never informed and should have been and that they would send me an **** panel which would rectify the problem. Panel was returned in Nov.& I received replacement March of 2023 which was the returned ******* panel. Same issues were noted. **** was contacted and refused to send an **** panel. **** then demanded an over due balance owed for back fees from Novemeber to March when I had no panel or equipment and was off line. I later was forced to cancel my account however now own equipment that is known to be defective. Since equipment has a documented history of complaints and defects, and a long standing history on not being online, the equipment should be refunded.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/12/2023

  We had a manager reached out to customer but we could not find them. We sent an email to follow up, and we will wait until they reply back. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:05/01/2023

  Type:Customer Service 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 did not set up services; I would like to uninstall the system without being charger and I do not wish to be billed or set up an account. No one by phone was available

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/04/2023

  We have been attempting to reach out to the customer through the contact information provided via phone and email, but we have not received any response. Unfortunately, we could not locate an account with their contact information. However, we found an account linked to their address, under a different name, that was canceled on December 12th, 2022. To assist them further, we requested them that they verify the first 6 and last 4 digits of the card used for the charges. We are committed to helping them resolve this issue and making things right.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/05/2023

   
  Complaint: 20002865
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  The message left on my voicemail was not audible. My cell number is: **************. Please speak clearly and provide direct line on message.

  I did not receive an email. My email address is ******************* Please re-send email.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/12/2023

  We contacted the customer via email, and he responded that he was not billed by **, but there is a system in their house. He requested to remove his name from our database. We have investigated, and their name is not in our database. We explained to the customer that our system is *** and we offer monitoring services without contracts. The account we found with their address was canceled on December 12, 2022, hence no monitoring services are being provided. There is already a note in the account saying that it should not be reactivated. We advised the customer that if a previous renter/owner left the equipment at their house, they can just remove the *** system and save it. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/15/2023

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/29/2023

  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.

  I have been with Cove Smart since 2020. When I signed up I opted into the program that had me pay $34.99 per month in lieu of paying for the equipment upfront. In October of 2022, I received a text from Cove stating that they had an issue with processing my payment. I used the link provided and updated my payment information. In January of 2023 I checked my account and saw via my payment history tab, that the balances for 2022 -January 2023 were paid. I then received a text from Cove in March and April of 2023 stating that they have been having an issue processing my payment. When I clicked the link it showed that I owed $300+ starting from August of 2022. The credit card that I provided in October of 2022 is still active to this day with available funds. I reached out to ****'s customer service team on 4/29/23 and was told that the information I saw in my Cove account was invalid and that I owe the $314.91. I provided the representative ******* with a screenshot of the information I saw (as there was no way for me to download the account history). ***** informed me that essentially, the information I had was immaterial and that I owed the $314.91. I requested to cancel my service and set-up a payment agreement for the early return/cancellation equipment fee ($134.50+ tax). ***** then told me that I could not cancel my service unless I settled the balance and if I were to cancel I would need to pay the past due balance and the equipment fee ($449.41 + tax). She said that I could make a partial payment then they could set-up a payment plan. How is it legal for a company to deny a request for service cancellation? How is it legal for a company to keep an account open for 9+ months to allow fees to accumulate?

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/04/2023

  We had a manager reach out but we couldn't find the customer. We sent a detailed email explaining the reason why their account has not been canceled.

  Customer is currently active and has been using the system. When customer purchased the equipment on 3/30/2021, they elected Coves Pay Later of Never Purchase Option for your Equipment and agreed to the following terms and conditions. As set forth in Section 8 of the Terms of Sale, the following conditions apply to their order:
  You purchased Equipment totaling $****** but selected the option to pay $0 for your Equipment by keeping Cove monitoring service active for 36 months. If your service is canceled or terminated before 36 months, you agree to pay $****** which is the remaining cost of your Equipment. ($****** + Tax).
  When a customer decides that they don't want to buy their equipment upfront, we agree to give up to $415 in equipment (retail value); What do we ask in return?
  Pay an additional $10 a month for the convenience of not paying for the equipment upfront (fee, this won't go towards equipment balance)
  Keep our monitoring service for 36 months

  Since, you the customer haven't completed the 36 months, in order to cancel their services, they will need to pay the equipment balance of $ ****** and the monitoring due balance of $314.91. 

  See the terms and conditions section 8. Pay Later or Never Purchase Options for Product(s):
  *********************************************

  As an exception, we will forgive the equipment balance and 3 months of monitoring fees, the only thing they will need to pay is $209.94 for the remaining 6 months of monitoring so we can cancel their services.

  We express our desire to help the customer to get this resolve. 

  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/07/2023

   
  Complaint: 19999242
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Thank you for your email. My apologies,I work during the week so, I am not always able to accept non work related phone calls. 
  
  
  I would like to clarify that I am not disputing the terms and conditions. I am disputing Coves billing practices. 
  
  
  I know what was expected of me and until April of this year as I was led to believe that I was fulfilling my obligation. 
  
  
  In January 2023 per the information provided by Cove (via my account/payment history info), my account was in good standing. I did not receive any notification until April of 2023 advising me that my account was 9+ months behind. 
  
  
  The card that I provided is still active and in use to this day. Are customers expected to chase Cove down and beg them to take money?
  
  
  I have never known a company to keep an account open for 9+ months w/o payment then tell the customer that they need to pay $300. 
  
  
  So, based on my experience, Coves billing practices are predatory. 
  
  
  You mentioned monitoring services but I hardly if ever arm my system. Can you please clarify is Cove still monitoring even when the system is unarmed? 
  
  
  I am rejecting your offer as there are some items that are still unclear: 
  
  
  1. If the plan is to cancel, why would I need to pay for 6 months of monitoring? 
  
  
  2. There is no mention of how how the payment need to be made. Given the history, providing a credit card does not seem to be an option.
  
  
  If you could please provide some clarity regarding my questions, I would greatly appreciate it. 

  Sincerely,
  
  Charity Orbih

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/12/2023

  We responded to customer's questions via email. We mentioned that even when there were 9 missing payments, we are still providing monitoring services. The user decides if they want to arm or disarm the system, but that doesn't change the fact that the account is still active with our Central Station. From August 2022 to April 2023, we tried to charge their credit card on file, but we were unable to process the payment since it was declined by their bank. In order to assist our customers, our billing department sends emails and provides outbound calls to customers that have a due balance from the first month a customer misses a payment. There was an error on our end that didn't send this specific account directly to our billing department, so we were unable to notify them on time.  For that reason, we offered that instead of paying the 9 months of missing payment, we are decreasing the rate to 6 months only, which is $209.94. We sent a second proposal to decrease the amount to $150 and we'll cover the rest. We provided insights If they decide to keep their services active. We will wait to hear back from them.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/18/2023

   
  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Charity Orbih

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/26/2023

  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 had Cove Security for a couple of years now. I have had issues with Cove from the beginning with the alarm system and their rude customer service reps. ** some point every piece of equipment failed to operate correctly, We replaced the security cameras at least twice. We also had issues with the Alarm panel saying system failure even though the internet was connected and the panel was properly plugged into an electrical source. We called the Company about all of the above issues and were instructed to complete a useless hard reset.The company eventually did give us one month of credit after the 4th breach of service issue. We called again about the Doorbell camera not working properly. We also had an issue with the smoke alarm going off and the security company never called us to see if there was an emergency or dispatched the fire ***** at all on more the one occasion. We also had an issue with the alarm panel disarming completely and or sometimes alarming in the stay mode when it was armed at the panel and by the key Fob remote. We recently had to wait 3 weeks for the new key Fob remotes to be sent to us after they malfunctioned, and even the new ones are malfunctioning too. The key fob remote will not disarm the system when pressed to disarm on a daily basis which results in us having a daily discussion with cove agents. The ring doorbell and other camera still isn't working properly and we had one of our motion sensors become defective and asked for a replacement. The rep said it would arrive in 3 -5 days and it has been 2 & 1/2 weeks, we called 3 days ago and found out that, they did not even place the order because they were back logged on equipment, however they failed to communicate this with us by phone or email. We have stopped payment on all billing until they replace all equipment that is not working properly, they continue to bill us and give us complete attitude when we ask for credit on the bill until equipment is working properly

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/28/2023

  One of our managers contacted the customer and resolved their concerns by replacing the faulty sensors and compensating their account. One of their orders was already delivered, and the second order should be shipped soon. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/20/2023

  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.

  This is the second smoke/co detector to have a false signal without any cause.There are other fully functioning detectors I had previously which do not detect any problems.I was promised a replacement for the main unit which I was told is on back order that has not arrived yet.I am totally disappointed with your products and service.It is fortunate that I have been home for these false alarms since I would have been fined for these incidents that your company is responsible for.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/26/2023

  We reach out to the customer and we agreed to replace the defective sensors and send a new firmware version for his current panel. We will maintain our communication with the customer to make sure everything is up and running. We credited his account. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/27/2023

   
  Complaint: 19963345
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  Not all defective equipment was replaced.

  No response to my request for installation since I paid for the first one.

   

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/01/2023

  We made sure that the customer was provided with replacements for all three smoke sensors and three door/window sensors. 
  
  According to section 12 of our terms and conditions, it's important to note that even if the equipment is a replacement, certain conditions still apply: "you agree to self-install the System you purchase from Cove at your Premises and to follow the instructions provided by Cove in performing your installation of the System... If you wish to have your System professionally installed, you can hire, at your expense, a licensed installer of your choice to install your System for you." (*********************************************)
  
  For customers who choose not to install the system on their own, we suggest a third-party company named HelloTech. 
  
  We aim to make things easier for our customers and ensure their satisfaction. As part of this goal, we will make an exception and pay the fee for the installation of the new sensors. We have provided them with a code that they can use to arrange an appointment with the third-party company that we suggest for professional installation.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/16/2023

  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.

  Cove home Alarm security
  We have had cove security for several years.. My panel was replace becasue they change from att to Verizon cellular conection. From the beginning our panel had issues. It would randomly say it lost connection, a door opened (that never opened), lost connection to smoke detectors, etc. We used the support chat online several times and did several resets. The problem got worse to the alarm . We called cove and was told To reset it again. While on the phone with them it went off again! . At this point we requested a replacement panel which they did not want to provide they kept saying to reset it againI refused and eventually was told the panels are in back order with no ETA. I find this disturbing because I can go online and become a new customer and receive a panel immediately! But those of us paying for service have no panel or eta on when we will get one. Without a panel the security system is completely useless. So at this point they are collecting payment from people for no service all while recruiting new clients and providing them panels.
  Yes they have credit my month fee. This has more than 4 months and the panel is in backorder.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/21/2023

  We had a manager reach out. We called multiple times and sent an email, but the customer never responded. Due to supply chain issues, our warehouse has had delays to fulfill orders. Fortunately, we were able to ship a new panel to the customer. We credited the customer's account.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/24/2023

   
  
  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.
  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ******
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/02/2023

  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.

  My Cove security panel repeatedly had a communication failure, meaning no security monitoring, the only reason I have secuirty. When I called on January 10th, 2023 the technician attempted to troubleshoot however at that time a new panel was ordered. Every month that I called for an update, I was told it was on back order with no expectation of a delivery date. In the meantime, Cove continues to advertise and onboard new customers, who are receiving the new panels. Terrible business model and poor customer experience.Order #****** Date Ordered: 01/10/2023

  

  Business Response

  Date: 04/05/2023

  We had a manager reach out. We explained to the customer that due to supply chain issues, our warehouse has been having delays to fulfill orders. The customer decided to cancel the account. We issued a refund to the credit card on file for the month that they paid for services while they were waiting for the replacement. Customer confirmed that they received the refund. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/23/2023

  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.

  Cove alarm company will not stop billing me even though I have emailed several times, and called twice asking my service be canceled. I kept getting told I had to email someone else or call another department. I had to cancel my credit card because they refused to stop and are still trying to bill me by threatening to send me to collections. I have not had their equipment active in over a year and they refuse to cancel.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/24/2023

  The customer had a due balance. When an account has a due balance we are unable cancel services unless it's paid off. We verified the customer's account and determined that the customer has not been using the equipment. We removed the due balance and canceled services. We sent an email notifying the cancelation.