APX Alarm | Customer Review: Client Not Happy With Technician

Where do I begin with my APX alarm from h***.

We have a GE alarm system that I wanted to upgrade to include cellular monitoring, voices alarms when doors or windows are opened (since we have 2 small toddlers), and fire alarms that were connected to the alarm system. I spoke with a sells rep, ***** *****, who told me I could get all of that and more for $99 (which included 5 fire alarms) and an extra keypad panel and then monthly monitoring for $44/month.

The next day a service person showed up. He was rude and smelled. The first thing he did was argue about what package I had bought and ended up calling ***** to confirm this. His comment to ***** in front of me was "I guess we will just be giving her the keyfobs then". Then he proceeded to survey my home to take a look at the GE system already in place. He said he didn't know if he could hook up my current glass breakage system to APX but may be able to install these huge boxes to replace my current glass breakage sensors. Next he called his company and found out there was a "transformer he needed to allow APX to use my current system. He left for about an hour and came back. He then had problem after problem trying to get the system to work. He informed us he was having problems getting the glass breakage sensors hooked into APX. He had my husband running around holding drills for him and banging on a plastic bucket with a hammer trying to get the sensors to pick up. After 7 long hours of this we told him we were thru and asked him to wrap it up and leave. He assured us he had everything hooked up except the glass breakage sensors and proceeded to demonstrate the alarm to us. In the middle of his demonstration the unit started to alarm that all of the windows and doors were open (which none were). We again told him to get out. He then spent 30 minutes putting together paperwork which which he asked me to sign and wanted a check for $44. I absolutely refused to do either. He then called his company to set up an appointment for another more experienced tech to come out. After arguing with the operator for 10 minutes or so about how much time the new tech would need my husband escorted him to the door and literally pushed him out. The operator later called back with an appointment for Wed for a more experienced tech to come out. It doesn't end there, though.

After he left, all of the alarms started to go off for open doors, etc. Finally at 9:30 pm (when I was trying to get my children down to sleep....by the way this all started at noon), a loud and obnoxious fire alarm went off stating there was a fire in the room I was sitting in which there wasn't. My husband then ripped the unit out of the wall and removed the battery. I then called my previous alarm system to ensure he had not messed that up so that at least we had an operating alarm in place which fortunately we did. I left a very harsh message with *****. He did not return my call the next day so I called him again. He apologized for the inconvenience and said they were willing to give me 3 free months of monitoring and a "30" day trial period (instead of their ususal 3 day trial) to keep my business. He also told me he thought the tech was just not competent and that he would probably be fired. The next day I emailed ***** and told him I wanted the tech on Wed. to please just remove everything and I was going with a different company. He quickly responded with an email stating I was basically not to contact him anymore and all further discussions had to be thru a 1-800 phone number.

I called that number and told the female who answered that I wanted the tech coming on Wed to uninstall everything and I was going with another company. She looked up the appointment and said "Mam, I am sorry but the tech coming on Wed is scheduled to finish installation, not to uninstall your system. If you want the system uninstalled you will need to fill out cancellation forms and send those to us so we can review your request". (At this point she didn't realize I had already looked up other peoples reviews on their company and realized the scam they were trying to pull on me to make it difficult for me to get out of a contract). The only problem with their plan is that I NEVER signed anything and never payed anything!! So I told her "Mam, I never signed anything and never payed anything, so if your tech does not come out wed. and uninstall your equipement then I will uninstall it for you and place it in a box on the curb". She said "wait a minute while I check to see what we need from you to cancel this account". She then got back on the line and confirmed that I never signed anything or payed for anything and said she would notify the tech to "uninstall it".

When the tech arrived on Wed he asked if there was naything they could do to keep our service. We told him "Abolutely Not". He then uninstalled everything and stated the prior tech would "probably" lose his job. My husband and I suspect that if he does lose his job that it will probably be because he failed to get us to sign anything and hence failed to get us into their contract trap and scam. To top it off I found out the fire alarms he installed were not even 'up to code" as all residential fire alarms must be connected to each other in the state of Iowa as these were not. If you are looking for a new alarm system stay away from APX. They should have NEVER allowed such an inexperienced tech to enter my home and the way I was treated afterwards from the company was appalling. I am a physician and mother of 2 and do not have the time or patience for such appalling and horrible service. We mistakenly trust that people know what they are doing when they enter our homes but that is not always the case. Buyer beware!!!! I decide to go with a local alarm expert that I worked with previously and am very happy.