Platinum Protection Customer Review: Billing, Customer Service Issues

I will preface this review by letting others know that I have had the Simon System from Platinum for one year. That said, in periods of economic downturn, value, quality, and service to clients are what sets great companies apart from the also-rans.   And today, the best I would rate Platinum Protection is in the also-ran category.

Here are my reasons:

1) After six months of service, I found out that neither my wife nor I had been provided the correct "training" on alarming the system and consequently we had been without service for that period. We have motion alarms only, no contact alarms--but were instructed by the technician to activate at the wall panel using the "doors and windows" key. We learned of the not-working condition when, after my wife set the alarm prior to running errands, I did not set the alarm off upon entering the house and walking around in it for twenty minutes. I did happen to glance at the panel in a walk through of the kitchen and that's when I noticed the "doors and windows" display on the panel--but no alarm and no check-up call during that time. Thereafter, I called Platinum and scheduled a Monitronics technician for an on-site visit. Two days later, a Monitronics technician did come and check out the unit and we were told that the unit required a reprogram/reset for activation. I again called Platinum to register dissatisfaction with the product and see if there might be some compensation for the condition. Platinum's rebut--well our records show that you received the training, therefore it's your problem. But, if we had been trained "properly," why the reprogram! Given that my wife and I have had alarm systems at our workplaces for more than 25 years, I think it's highly unlikely that we both missed the "salient points" of Platinum's training, as this system works no different than the others we've used. I would also note the tone of the customer representative handling my call was confrontational, at best. And by the way, we were charged a service fee for the Monitronics technician to make that call.

At least now I know the system works because while on a recent out-of-state trip, my mother set off the alarm and Platinum did make a check-up call to me, confirmed my ID, and let me know that they would disregard. Unfortunately, I received that same call two more times during the next five minutes, all while I was still trying to work through getting the alarm turned off and resetting it, with my mother.

2) In the last month we closed out one checking account, reopened another, and paid our Platinum account with a credit card during the transition. (The old account had automatic disbursement to Platinum on a given date each month.) Although we initiated the notification to Platinum and made the payment (verification of payment was recognized on our on-line credit card statement within a day, and the Platinum customer service representative acknowledged the verification when we paid with the credit card over the phone), we continue to receive calls from Platinum's service department about an unpaid balance; now into the second week after payment.

Basic business courses teach that quality service breeds brand loyalty and a long-term customer commitment, and this ultimately provides the impetus for the customer to sell a company's product to others. In light of my problems and upon reading other customer reviews on this website (training and communication are common customer complaint themes), a company that appears to have about a 50% satisfaction rating from written customer reviews is definitely a business that I would stay away from in the future.