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:12/22/2022

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Cove is advertising the use of routines through their mobile app to setup notifications for text messages of sensors. These routines are considered automation rules to notify users of conditions that exist on their system. You can also setup tasks through these routines. I've had the system for 6 months or so and had inconsistent text notifications of these routines with the latest results having no functionality. After troubleshooting with several customer service agents with no resolve, I was finally able to speak to a supervisor. He advised me that these services are still being developed and may not function correctly until the new app is developed. I informed him that this was false advertising as no notice of the routines being temporarily unavailable was posted anywhere or any information to the customers on the development of this. Customers are paying for services that aren't being rendered. The customer agents that were troubleshooting the notifications not working correctly weren't even aware that they weren't functioning due to development and aren't able to provide correct information to the customers because they have no direct contact with the development team/ technical team. The supervisor stated he would credit my account for 2 free months but didn't have a date in sight for the completion of the project as he also didn't have direct contact with development team. This is a clear case of false advertising and a complete disaster in internal communications between the support teams at Cove. On top of that, my online portal was still linked to a previous owner and had personal account information that I shouldn't have had access to. For a home security company, they are not very secure or transparent about services.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/28/2022

  While still in beta/development, all advertisement on our sales site is currently being modified and removed to not promote a function until development is completed. The functionality will still be there as is, but as he was previously advised, focus efforts will be geared towards the development of the new app with more expanded and reliable routines. As for the portal linking to an existing owner, There will be an ongoing discussion about how to address Portal account creation for switchover accounts. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/09/2023

   
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I opened a complaint # ******** and it was closed during the holidays before I even had a chance to respond to the business. I would like to request that the complaint be opened back up as the response from the business failed to address all the issues in the complaint. 

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

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/13/2023

  We had a manager reached out.  We were able to address customer's concerns and clarify information. We let him know that all advertisement on our sales site is currently being modified and removed to not promote a function until development is completed.  The functionality will still be showing in the app, but as he was previously advised, focus efforts will be geared towards the development of the new app with more expanded and reliable routines. We will keep our communication ongoing.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/19/2022

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We switched from vivant to cove smart in August of 2022. It seemed simple enough and I bought my equipment. Since we had the equipment, it has not functioned correctly. Constant issues with sensors and alarms going off. In Oct the fire alarm went off when we were not home. I had to rush home from my other home and let the fire department in to check. They test and checked and there were no issues. The alarm then went off a few more times to where I just had to remove them from the panel. I called on 12/19/2022 and asked if they could send someone out to check and see if everything is correct. I was told no. I was told this is a DIY company, I responded to the the agent. When I signed up for service there was an option for installation. He said it is to late for that. I asked to speak with a manager and he told me there wasn't any. The agent name was "****" no last name and no id either. All I want is for my system to properly work or cancel the account. I have babies in the house and I really want to have the alarm working correctly.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/20/2022

  We had a manager reach out. We were able to address the customer's concerns and clarify information. We explained that as a DIY system it is required to be at the residency to troubleshoot the system. We offered to replace any defective part of the equipment, but the customer decided to cancel the account and return the equipment back to us. We will issue a refund for what he paid for the equipment once *************** to our warehouse. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/13/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Cove is a terrible security system company! My system has been unconnected from thier monitoring system for a few days. I have called three time trying to re-establish connection and was told to put my system outside where it could get a better signal. Then I was told to wait 24 hours and call them back. I demanded a new system and was told that it was not possible. I also believe I was sent an old system. I had bought my system in 2020 and the device says it has not been updated since 2017. I would like a refund of the entire system or a completly new system sent to me. I would not recommend this service or system to anyone!!!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/19/2022

  We had a manager reach out to customer. We were able to address customer's concerns and clarify information. We created an order that includes a new Panel. We credited account to compensate customer for the time she will wait for the replacement.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/10/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Multiple false alarms & LYING about how many times emergency services were dispatched - saying they dont have a record of it when I contacted them for resolution.My first and very major issue is false alarms. I have had 4 false alarms from my fire alarm in the last 6 months (my system is only almost 1.5 years old). 2 of these false alarms the fire department was dispatched (first time my father in law was babysitting and didnt know the code to cancel and the second time was the middle of the night and we couldnt cancel in time- everyone was spooked). There was never smoke or CO2 that triggered it, the second time was in the middle of the night and my wife, son and I had to stand outside and wait for them to test for CO2. I was frustrated after these incidents but the fire department explained that its a fluke that can happen now and then so I decided to let it go and not bother contacting about it. Instead I removed and readded the sensor and thought that resolved the issue.Nope. Months later another false alarm, I was able to cancel it in time but it was right when I put my son to nap and he woke up so I got distracted and forgot to contact Cove.Then it happened again a few nights ago right as my son fell asleep. He took hours to get back to bed and I was irate and contacted them. This was the 3rd time this system has disrupted his sleep and our lives. And its not quiet- its extremely loud and scary to a young child and dog.Anyway I have been scared to even set the thing (been having problems with outdoor camera batteries too) so I logged into my account for the first time in a year to find the way to contact them and I see an account balance when Ive had it on autopay. My card expired and they didnt contact me (I have no billing emails from them nothing) so Im even more frustrated.When I reached out they refused to help- sent me down a rabbit hole instead of replacing the sensor- the whole 9. Do NOT trust these people to make you feel safe.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/15/2022

  We had a manager reach out to address the customer's concerns. The calls went to voicemail so we sent an email to continue following up. We are still waiting for the customer's response. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/05/2022

  Type:Delivery 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 has been the absolute worst security company i have had the displeasure of dealing with. I have been with them for almost 3 years now with no issues until it was time to replace their malfunctioning security panel. I placed my initial call on November 11th. **** assured me they would place an order for an replacement and have the panel expedited. I called again on November 18th and to my surprise the panel was still not order nor was there any tracking information. I spoke with a ************************* **************** Manager who assured me the panel will be ordered and I would have it by November *****rd. Panel still was not ordered.As of today 12/5/2022 I placed another call to Cove for an update and was told once again they have not ordered my panel nor do they have tracking. Do not do business with this company. No point in buying a security system when you can't even secure your home or family during the holidays.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 12/09/2022

  We had a manager take care of this case. We were able to address customer's concerns and clarify information. We were able to ship a panel. This has been delivered and installed. We credited the account to compensate the customer.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/12/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  Product doesn't work, This is a Brand New system I was trying to install. I tried to call for help and was told they couldn't help, I ask to speak to a supervisor with no avail. The site says I have an account however cannot access it or get any assistance to be able to access it. now I'm I have a $500 brand new security system that doesn't work,

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/16/2022

  We had a supervisor and a manager reach out. The customer didn't answer our calls. We sent an email to follow up with the customer and he requested to cancel services and issue a refund. We sent the return label and let the customer know that once the equipment is in transit to our warehouse to let us know so we can issue a full refund to his credit card on file. We are still waiting for his response.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/22/2022

   
  Complaint: 18396570
  
  I am rejecting this response because: They kept calling my phone over the midnight hour while i was sleeping. Calling me at 1am in the morning is absolutely ridiculous. i did finally receive a shipping return label and i sent back the equipment however no refund to date has been issued. Its apparent they are doing everything they can to avoid this. I sent back the equipment i want my money back.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/23/2022

  All of our outbound calls are provided during business hours. We were able to verify our call history and the last time we tried to call the customer was on November 15, 2022, at 03:32:50 PM MST. There was no call found provided during midnight hours. 
  A manager sent an email the same day with the return label. The account was canceled on 11/15/2022.
  As part of our Coves Product Return and Services Cancellation Refund Policy, section 13 (https://www.covesmart.com/legal/), we will provide a full refund upon arrival and inspection of the equipment. The equipment was delivered by ***** to our Warehouse on 11/22/2022 at 1:51 pm.
  Upon inspection, the refund was issued to the customer's credit card on file on 11/23/2022. The transactions could take 2 to 4 business days to reflect in the account. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/08/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  This company calls me literally 25 to 30 times per day. They leave no message, just calls. I purchased their security equipment over a year ago with no intention if purchasing their monitoring service. Just want them to stop calling me. Thanks

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/11/2022

  We had a manager reach out via email to the customer. We have been able to successfully cancel customer's account, and he will no longer receive a monthly bill. This cancellation went into effect on 11/10/2022.  The customer was added to the not contact list. 
  Monitoring services were provided from 9/27/2021 until 11/10/2022. If the customer decides to reactivate monitoring services, he will need to pay any due balance.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/14/2022

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/07/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I purchased Cove on 01/08 for ******. Although the system is less than a year old, it has started giving me random false alarms which are very stressful to me and disruptive to my life. For example, I had the police come to my house after the first false alarm on 10/30/22 because I went for a walk without arming my system and without bringing my phone. On 11/3/22, as I was just leaving my neighborhood (I was in my car) a false alarm went off. I was able to cancel it, but I still had to return home to turn off the extremely loud false alarm sound for the sake of my dog who was home alone. I called Cove on 11/3 and then again on 11/6 to inquire about my options given that I no longer feel comfortable using Cove. The resolution we arrived at was to cancel my monthly fee, which I appreciated, but not to make any effort to make up for the fact that I had purchased what I now believe to be a faulty system. The person I spoke to was really not able to give any alternatives to just cancelling and living with the lost money, which troubles me.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/11/2022

  We had a supervisor reach out to customer. We were able to address customer's concerns and clarify information. We issued a refund for the amount of $58.05 (3 months of monitoring) to the credit card on file.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/14/2022

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/07/2022

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  We purchased a Cove system in April 2022 for our new business in New Hampshire. The initial set-up was fairly simple and we were generally satisfied. That was until we started having issues and started to have to deal with Cove's inferior customer support. The representatives are friendly, but unfortunately, they are clearly just reading from a script and don't actually know how to troubleshoot problems and there is no option to escalate to a higher level of support. We first started having problems with false alarms. Our smoke/fire alarm has gone off several times while we had guests in our restaurant, which was very unpleasant for them. Our main problem currently is that our panel has not connected reliably for a couple of months and your support just has us doing the same steps that don't work over and over again. We originally had an ATT panel and we were sent a Verizon panel, bit that one isn't working either, even though the connection tests seems to indicate that the signal strength is very good (99). I have spent countless hours on the phone and in chat trying to resolve these issues without result. I would like these issue to be resolved ASAP or I would like a full refund of what we have paid to Cove for services that we did not receive.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/11/2022

  We had one of our managers take care of this case. We were able to assist the customer and provide guidance on how to troubleshoot the system. We compensated the customer with 2 months of free monitoring. We agreed to continue following up with him if any issue persists.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/06/2022

  Type:Product Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  I filed a complaint and Cove security said the resolved it and my complaint was closed because they gave me a $85 refund. The refund never happened so, it was not resolved. I did not respond because they said it may take 10. - 14 days. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and assumed they would be true to there word. But, why should that change now. It also seems the BBB is influenced by Coves lies and settles complaints.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/11/2022

  A refund for $80.97 was issued to the customer's credit card on file on October 17, 2022. The bank settled the transaction on 10/17/2022 at 9:12:34 PM. 
  We sent an email to customer to prove the refund was processed. 
  The customer kept stating we didn't process the refund. We asked for the customer's bank statement, as requested by our billing department, so we can investigate further, but the customer refused to send it.  
  We have sent the customer all the information we have to prove the refund was issued: We attached the refund invoice and the transaction summary, which includes the reference number, so the customer's bank and **** can trace the transaction. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/14/2022

   
  Complaint: 18367033
  
  I am rejecting this response because: My bank does not show any credit to my account from cove.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/16/2022

  We explained to the customer that with the information we provided, the refund invoice and the transaction summary, the bank was going to be able to trace the transaction. The customer confirmed that he received the deposit on 11/16/2022. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/18/2022

   
  Complaint: 18367033
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  ******* bank reviewed my account and the was to a credit or deposit set-up as Cove stated. Yet they wanted my bank statement, which is highly inappropriate these days with fraud  not to mention what I spend my money on is my business. If there was an issue they should have taken it up with the bank not me. It is ironic though that after I filed a second complaint stating I wasnt paid that mysteriously a credit comes to my account a month later that they stated. I stand by my words and would not do business with them nor recommend anybody else. Too many discrepancies from their word to what is actually delivered
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 11/23/2022

  For this complaint, the customer's main concern was about receiving his refund. Upon receiving the complaint, we did an investigation with our ********************** They confirmed that a refund for $80.97 was issued to the customer's credit card on file on October 17, 2022. The bank settled the transaction on 10/17/2022 at 9:12:34 PM. 
  Asking for the bank statement was part of the internal procedure from our ********************* to make sure the transaction was still not reflecting, and customers are free to not provide that document.
  We sent an email to the customer with all official documentation (refund invoice and the transaction summary) between us and **** to prove the refund was processed. Once the money is out of our account, the customer's bank is the one responsible to reflect the transaction. This requires the customer to call their bank for further investigation. As we mentioned before, with the Reference number the bank was going to be able to trace the transaction. The customer confirmed that he received the deposit on 11/16/2022. 
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 11/28/2022

   
  Complaint: 18367033
  
  I am rejecting this response because:They are lying the deposit never happened on 10/17! It happened on 11/16 after I raised a little h*** and stood my ground. That is no way to do business. Blame the consumer? Really? My bank verified the money was never deposited and the request for my bank statement does not sit well with me. That is an invasion of my privacy. What I spend my money on is nobodys business.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *********************