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CB Home Safety and Security Review of Safe Guard America Alarms
Safe Guard America Alarms

Safe Guard America Alarms review: Worst alarm company ever 44

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Author of the review
12:00 am EDT
Featured review
This review was chosen algorithmically as the most valued customer feedback.

We have had a contract with Safe Guard for only a year now and have had 7 service calls for faulty wireless connections (which of course not their fault, we need to learn "to get over it and let them keep fixing it and we need to believe in their company" which was what I was told by one of the "Customer service" reps).

Seriously, I was told to get over it and when my Valentines Day was ruined the guy had the balls to tell me that if I was his wife, he would tell her to cancel the service, but since I wasn't, I should get over it. Don't believe it when they say wireless... it really means "magnets that will fail on a dime". Their excuses were, and I quote "it is the humidity in the air, it is the moisture in the air, it is environmental, and my ultimate favorite was, maybe it is your son. My son is 2 1/2 and cant even get to his window. And the alarm goes off when we AREN'T at home so lets blame the kid. DON'T SIGN A CONTRACT... If they give you free service for all of your problems, then you still have to pay up to 30 months of UNPAID months to get out of your contract. We only paid 3 months and they consider the other 10 months as unpaid.

Run, not walk, away from this company!

44 comments
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flyboyua
, US
Mar 02, 2017 1:15 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

SAFE GUARD AMERICA, SECURITY SYSTEMS, INC., SECURE ONE or whatever other name you are using, well YOU SUCK!
DO NOT SIGN UP WITH THIS COMPANY, IT'S A TOTAL RIP OFF.
I have been a customer for 4 yrs. and just recently found out that all a burglar has to do is cut the phone line and this company will have no idea what has happened. This happened by accident when a workman accidentally cut my line without knowing it, the line had been cut for 5 hours before discovering it (tried to use the phone). Once it was repaired I call Safe Guard America and told them I wanted to cancel my service and was told NO, I have a contract. Even after I explained why I wanted to cancel I still got the same response.
They have sent the Fire Dept. to my house at 0300 hours scaring the hell out of my family and their excuse is "OH, WE WERE DOING A TRAINING EXERCISE AND SOMEONE THOUGHT IT WAS THE REAL THING" (by the way, I don't have fire monitoring).
Customer Service people are extremely GHETTO, they remind me of SPRINT customer service. They answer nicely but once you start to complain they turn on the ghetto and everything is your fault why things aren't working.
DO NOT GO WITH THIS COMPANY OR ANY OF IT'S SUBSIDIARIES, THEY TRULY SUCK!

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GatorGirl2000
Saint Cloud, US
Mar 02, 2010 7:11 pm EST

Well I have only had Safeguard in my home now for two months... so far so good. The main reason why I went with this company was because of my father's recommendation. He has had them now for over three years and says he is satisfied. I also like the fact that they have a 45 second guaranteed response and a $500 deductible guarantee. Every month I test the system because if it goes over 45 seconds before they call I get 1 month of service free. They have yet to go over but at some point I hope they do because I wouldn't mind the free month. :) I had another alarm company prior to Safeguard America and sometimes it would take over 4 minutes for them to call. A lot can happen in 4 minutes.

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SecretSanta
orlando, US
Mar 02, 2010 7:15 pm EST

I have only been with this company now for 7 months. The salesman was very knowledgeable about his product and had a no pressure approach. It actually took a couple of weeks to decide which company I was going to choose but he answered all my questions with patience. The technicians name was Johnny and he was excellent and on time for the system installation. I really liked the fact that when he was done he took the time to show me all the features of the system. Alarm went off once by accident when I let my golden doodle out to the back yard, they called pretty quickly. All in all I am happy.

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JoHALL
bUHL, US
Nov 04, 2010 2:44 pm EDT

This company is appauling and its business practices are very poor. I hate I changed to them. My wall security unit stop working, they were to come out and repair, it has been four weeks and still it has not been repaired. I do not have security service and they will not come out to repair. What can I do? They continue to deduct monthly payments from my checking account. Never, never ever use these people.

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hymerjess
Newfield, US
Jun 23, 2010 10:37 am EDT

i have been receive calls from this company for approximate 5 months. I have repeatly say i am not interested in particiapating in their survey. Please take me off your list. They continue to call...I have asked to speak to a manager when they call they refuse to connect me and tell me if i want them to stop calling then i have to complete their survey. I do not wish to and that is my right. How can i get them to stop calling me. It is getting to the point of harrassment because they argue and get rude with me. All I want is fot them to stop calling.

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yoyoyoyo111
Panama City, US
Apr 21, 2013 4:10 am EDT

DO NOT GO WITH THIS COMPANY!
I agree with all of your complaints about this company. They are not customer friendly or helpful at all. My issue is that I signed up with them and I had no problem with the service or the equipment until I got laid off from my job. I called them and told them that I was laid off and will not be able to pay the service fee. I asked them for assistance b/c I knew I signed a contract. I really did not want to cancel but to ask them to maybe freeze my account until I get a new job or get employed again. What they told me was like I did not know that I had a contract and said " well you signed a contract for 5 years". I know what I signed. I wanted them to hold the contract or freeze it or put it in suspension but they keep telling you are under a contact and they are unable to cancel it. I told them that I am unemployed and wont be able to pay them until i get a job. They told be that I have to write a letter saying that I want to cancel or freeze the account an mail it to them that they can't do it over the phone. Well, I wrote a letter and faxed it and called them to freeze it or cancel it if they can not help me with the contract by holding until I get a job to finish the contract out then. Well, They still keep taking money out of my account when I notify them with mail, fax, and by phone so I had to block them from with withdrawal from my account. They also keep charging me even thought the account should be canceled or restricted. They charged me over $900.00 that include a late fees and finance charge. What is with them. How do they expect a person who do not have a job to pay them and I was nice enough to notify them with my situation to keep charging me. I got so angry that they will not stop charging me the fees that I told them that I don't want them in the future and that they will not be able to get the money that they have been charging me for all these time when it should of been canceled. They told me that it will go to collection, and I told the that is fine b/c how am I suppose to pay them when I can't even barely pay my mortgage. My home is more important then they are. That bill will come before they will especially when They didn't seem to care whether if they wanted for me to say with them or not. They only seem to care about getting the money that was charge wrongfully all those time when I gave them proper notification. I'm still unemployed for over year and half but once I do get work, I definitely will not go back to them. I've been telling my friends not to go with them! My Direct TV company worked with me when I called them with my issue and they told me about freezing my account and my contract so that I won't get any fees b/c they know that I'm going to stay with them once I get work. IF they only worked with me, I would of kept them later on but with this kind of service, NO WAY IN HELL!

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flyboyua
, US
Mar 02, 2017 1:26 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

This company could care less about their customers, all they do is give lip service and do not provide any Security for your home.
I learned after 4 years with them that if your phone line is cut they won't know and that's all a burglar has to do is cut your phone line and they can enter your house and rob you and NO ONE AT THEIR COMPANY WILL KNOW.
They gave me the same crap when I called to cancel service after discovering that I really wasn't being covered or protected and they told me "YOU HAVE A CONTRACT"
I really despise this company!

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Tweety214
Baltimore, US
Feb 21, 2013 1:33 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I agree, stay away from this company. If they do come knocking, the best thing to do is shut the door, pull down the shades, turn off the lights and hide under the bed. However, if you do decide to talk to them, don't let them rush you and by all means, don't let them install the same day. Read the contract or get some help reading it if you're not sure. I guarantee that you won't sign it as is. I signed it with plans to read it before the three days were up. In that time, I had some health problems and just didn't get to it. When I did, I was shocked and upset. I cried for days over what I'd signed. Not reading it in a timely manner is my fault and I'm paying dearly for it.
I am locked into a 5 year contract in which they can raise the monthly charge whenever they like. The only way out is for me to pay 90% of the 5 year contract. Who can afford that these days.But if I had it, I would do it just to get away from this company. I made a quick decision that is costing me dearly. Please don't do this.
The equipment sucks and consumer service is horrible. If you have a problem, you might as well settle in for the long wait because it's not going to be fixed right away. I've had two equipment problems within 90 days of signing the contract and each time, I was told the scheduler would get back to me or the scheduler was not available. I never did talk to a scheduler. It took about a month to fix the first problem and that was after making call after call after call. I even wrote a letter to headquarters and it was never addressed. When I asked for a supervisor, I was routed to his voice-mail. I left a message and am still waiting for a response...it's been 4 months. I am so disappointed. I wrote a second letter detailing my issues and asking that the contract be dissolved for the bad service. Well, I'm sure we all know how that will turn out... I'm still waiting for the decision.
My previous security system company would have never taken my needs so lightly. I left them because this company promised so much more for my safety..NOT!. My home security is a number one priority to keeping my family safe. I no longer trust this company to take care of my security and I'm stuck paying for a service that stinks. I've reported them to the BBB and to my States Attorney. I'm now taking steps to alert you all as well. I am a consumer and I do not work for another security company. I just don't want to see another individual stuck like I am. I signed my contract in 2012, so I still have a ways to go. I'll be kicking, scratching and screaming along the way. There should be laws that provide protection for situations such as this. Contracts should not have to be honored for bad service and equipment.

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McKnney
, US
Nov 16, 2012 7:57 pm EST

Mark,

I hope your children, or other love ones, are paid in full for you and your companies actions and behavior towards customers.

Safe Gaurd is horrible at what they say they do, home security, but all too good at stealing your money. Once you give them your SS# you've given them unimaginable leverage to bill you as long as they see fit and/or report you to the credit bureaus.

Safe Gaurd Manager, if you truly believe your company to be reputable then why all the gimmicks.

Folks, this is not a blog of their competitors. I imagine all companies in this industry behave exactly the same. Safe Gaurd is definitely one to avoid...warn your friends and tell new home builders to stop promoting this trash.

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RSRiding
Chesapeake, US
Aug 03, 2011 12:44 am EDT

I have had this company for just over a year, and until now had minimal problems. When the sales representative came to my house the first time I told him that my husband was out to sea and I would need a couple of days to get a hold of him and take it over, he told me that was fine. He came back two days later and kept pushing m to get the system. I told the representative that my husband was in the military and there was a chance that we would have to move, and I asked him if it came up that we had to move could we cancel the system without being charged any fees? He told methat that was not a problem, just give them a call and you should have no problems. So I did get the system and I did not have to pay the install fees, but I did give him a blank voided check. After the first month they still had not taken out the premium so I waited till the second month, nothing. I tried to call the representative to ask who I needed to call to find out about this, his phone was cut off so I called just about every number in the booklet that I was given. Finally I got a hold of someone! They told me that the had somehow skipped over my payment plan, and therefore I was not getting service. She correced that and gave me a credit, and I had not had a problem since. My husband recently got deployed and I was plannng on going back where we are from to be with family so I tried to call and cancel our service. They told me I would still have to pay out the contract, eventhough the rep said we wouldn't! I asked why would they tell me that I could cancel if there was no way we could? She said "Oh well if you are moving overseas you can cancel, but if not you still have to pay out the contract." What in the world? If I had known this I would never have signed the contract! Beware of the tricky ways of this company. I did not realize that the contract will renew automatically, so thanks I will definately watch out for that.

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DissappointedInOrlando
Orlando, US
Jul 27, 2011 6:52 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

VERY DISSAPOINTED! If you believe I have a legal case please advise.
My parents moved to Florida after their retirement and were immediately approached by a Safeguard America salesperson. This person put so much fear into my parents they were easy target to get fast commision. My parents were fooled into signing a 36 MONTH CONTRACT. The fine print also says that the CONTRACT will AUTOMATICALLY EXTEND for another 36 MONTHS if written notification of cancellation is not submitted 60 days prior to end of contract. They send my parents a contract to be signed over the mail with a promise their monthly payments will go from $40.42 to $32.04 per month. My parents felt they had no choice and signed the second contract in order to save a few dollars.
Unfortunately, living life and being out-of-state took most of my days and I lacked the time to keep up with the details of my parents everyday dealings. By the time we wanted to cancel it was 30 days before end of contract. Is this legal? Why will a company tie up customers for 3 years, in my parents case 6 years? This company seems not to be very stable. Both contracts have different addresses. 1st 773 South Kirkman Suite 120 ORlando, Fl 32811 and the 2nd 6220 South Orange Blossom Trail Suite 170 Orlando, FL 32809. My parenst dealt with a Ms. Padilla who according to recent calls to this company, she no longer works there. So frustrated and feeling alone. I hate to be taken advantage of but even more when my elderly parents are. I hope this doesn't happen to anyone else.

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Chrisma71701
Camden, US
Jul 20, 2011 1:34 pm EDT
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I totally agree with the above complaint, Michael Duran just tricked me into purchasing a security system from safeguard america by making false promises of goods he didn't deliver . He promised me that I would receive all this equipment and that my whole house would be totally secured, all the windows, all the doors and the inside would be protected using motion detectors and smoke detectors . He promised me a wireless key remote and medical pendant . But when the tech. showed up to installs it Mr. Duran all of a sudden had to leave . The tech. had almost finished installing the equipment, I noticed he hadn't put up any smoke detectors, hadn't given me my remote or the medical pendant for my son . I also noticed he only put in one motion detector, and none of my windows are protected . When I asked the tech about it, he said I don't have anything to do with that, I'm just doing what I was told . He went on to explain to me that I really didn't need window sensors because the motion detector would pick up anyone that gets inside the house . I asked him what about the other side of the house, he said don't worry about it, most burglars go straight for the living room anyway, looking for electronics . He went on to say, but if you have a problem with this, call mike . So I did . I had to make numerous attempts before he finally answered my call, when he did I went back over everything he had promised me, he got a bad attitude quick, trying to tell me how expensive the equipment was, I told him I didn't care, I know what he promised me, I also reminded him that I told him I was a single mother of 4, and couldn't afford this, he told me he was going to make it were I could afford it, because I really couldn't afford not to have it . So he told me to let him speak to Richard the tech. I didn't hear what he told him, but he gave me the medical pendant and the wireless remote and I asked what about the rest, he said I can't give you anything else cause I'm not paying for this . To make a long story short, I had to talk to one of their satisfaction survey person, she asked me was I pleased with the services I received, I told her NO, I don't appreciate being lied to just to get a sale, then explained to her what had happened . She told me to call him and tell him to bring the rest of what he promised, but I can't seem to get in touch with him now ...He still has the same phone number . I live in Camden, Arkansas

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Debbie29
, US
Feb 14, 2011 5:31 pm EST

BEWARE if you do not cancel your contract with their company atleast 60 days before the end of your contract they will automatically roll you over for another 12 months!

I have been with this company for 6 years and had major issues with their wireless smoke detectors and their crappy technicians who dont know what they are doing! Took them about 2 months of coming to my house about 5 times to figure out what was wrong with the alarm. They changed out the whole system and there was still a problem then they finally figured out it was the wireless smoke detectors. If I wasnt so pissed I would laugh at how stupid they are.

I was told by one of their reps that I was no longer under a contract but he's also stupid because I came to find out that they rolled me over for another 12 months since I didnt cancel my acct 60 days before the end of the contract and I spent 45 minutes talking to a manager who said he cannot do anything that I am bound to the contract. He said he was sorry that I was "misinformed" but there is nothing he can do. I can either pay up until the end of the 12 months or he can sign me up for another 36 months and give me a better price. I have 9 months left on the roll over 12 months and I offered to pay for the next 3 months if he lets me out so that I can give my proper 60 days notice (well 90) but he said he cannot do that. He refused work with me even though I have been a good customer for 6 years. Given the option of me walking away happy with him letting me go 6 months ahead of time or unhappy with making me stick it out with his company for another 9 months he chose for me to stick it out with his company for another 9 months.

This company is heartless and has the worst customer service. They dont even care if their customers are happy, they only care about their pockets!

You cannot cancel with this company unless you pay out for the duration of your contract, there is no cancellation penalty. You either stay with them or pay them to the end of your contract.

Read all their fine print before you sign anything or better yet STAY AWAY!

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otgownlb
, US
Jan 10, 2011 2:15 pm EST

This company is a bnch of crap. I will write on every board I can find so I can deter as much business from them as possible. I hae had them for 6 years. Every time our alarm goes off, they call the house phone that the security line runs through, they say they call and can't get through so the cops, FD etc still come. I have called them and filled out their form 8, count it EIGHT times to ge the primary phone correct, still no. Customer service SUCKS. We just rented out our house and the new tenant doesn't want the alarm activated, I called and explained our situation and this company WILL NOT STOP OR END THE CONTRACT unless the house sold then we have to send in closing paperwork. It's an alarm system for Gods sakes. SO in order to keep you as a customer they bend you over and lock you in to a 3 year auto renewal contract then you have to give 60 notice when the contract renews. WTF !
Then the [censor] from customer service had the balls to mail me a copy of the contract highlighted to "stick it in my face" that I couldn't cancel. [censor] you and your piece of [censor] company and your [censor] employees!

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Maria Madigan
Ocala, US
Dec 02, 2010 11:13 am EST

I too have had nothing but trouble with my system since it was install in June 2010. Even when the system is not armed, there are supervisory signals that manage to go off, aggrevating my emergency contacts at all hours of the night/day. The installer has been out numberous times and there never seems to be a "fix" to anything. About a month ago, he was out again, notified the company he was going to test the system. Whomever he was speaking to, didn't do what they were suppose to do and a silant burglar break-in alarm went off. Next, and thank goodness the repairman was still at my house, the police showed up. When we explained it was a mistake, I thought that was the end of it. Low and behold, in my mail yesterday, I get a bill from the City in the amount of $75.00 for a false alarm call. Besides all this, SafeGuard has the worst customer service department. I've tried to get in touch with a representative with a new problem. Haven't gotten a return phone call in my 3 attempts in 2 days. I want this entire system removed from my house and my money returned. I've had enough! I don't dare set my alarm while I'm gone as I never know when or if it will go off and which one of my emergency contacts will be called. On one of these occasions, the monitoring people called my office at 4:00AM to notify me that they had received a signal. Of course at 4:00AM, I was home asleep in bed. It must have been a silent alarm because it didn't sound in my house. Don't trust the system and can't get satisfaction from the company.

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Safeguard America
Orlando, US
Sep 29, 2010 7:04 am EDT

I have tried to contact you numerous times at the numbers provided to no avail. Do you have a cell phone? Please provide valid reachable numbers. I left you my direct number so that you can contact me. Thank you for your prompt response.

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Lancopa
Lancaster, US
Sep 28, 2010 5:28 pm EDT

Please note that after reading the promise to waive the contract of any disatisfied customer by Safeguard on this site, I have requested they do so and have receied no reply back. I have also left my contact information two times after reading promises of how the Manager would fix our problem, yet no call has ever come. Don't believe anything you hear from this copmpany, they take no responsibility for theeir actions and promises.

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Lancopa
Lancaster, US
Sep 21, 2010 5:45 pm EDT

I left you my ddress and phone number but have not been contacted around our issue. Your people called the police after being told not to by myself and other members of our family ( both calls placed by your people resulted in being told not to call the police). Your person promised tot not call the police ( we had two system issues previously that resulted in false alarms to the police so we now get fined for every incorrect call your people make) directly to me and then 10 minutes later police were at our door due to your person calling anyway. I am certainly not a competitor but a customer that was treated very rudely by your customer service people when I called to compalin about your person acting incorrectly. I was told by your people that I am stuck with your service for 2 more years and they would do nothing to correct this issue.

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Safeguard America
Orlando, US
Sep 20, 2010 9:59 am EDT

I am sorry you are having trouble and would like to extend my help to you. I have left you numerous messages to contact me regarding your issues but have not had a response to date. This leads me to believe that this is just another false complaint from a competitor. If not please contact me and I will help resolve whatever concerns you are having and you can document my service to you on this site. Please keep in mind the monitoring center only responds to signals sent from your alarm system to us. State law requires us to make two verification calls prior to contacting the police. We would have had to have made these calls prior to dispatching. Did you receive these calls and if so did you request the police to be dispatched? Is your call list up to date? Is your system malfunctioning and if so did you request service for your system? Do you have a warranty? Did we install the equipment or do we just monitor for you? You could have a malfunctioning system, if so it needs to be serviced. All electronics from time to time need to be serviced and maintained, an improperly maintained system could cause false alarms just like an improperly maintained car could cause an unsafe driving condition. Think about it like this... If your car's rear tail light blew out due to use and your car was out of warranty would you expect the dealer to fix it for free? No, of course you wouldn't. Now if you kept getting pulled over by the police and were issued a summons because of this broken tail light would you then ask the dealer to pay for the ticket? Of course you wouldn't, the same thing applies to your alarm. Alarm systems require maintenance like everything else. If you had purchased the equipment from us and it was under warranty we would do a yearly PMI visit free of charge. We have many different programs to fit all of our customers needs, if you didn't request an extended warranty then service would not be free just like if you purchased a TV from Best Buy and it broke 18 months later you wouldn't expect them to fix it would you?

In conclusion it is my sincere desire to resolve any issues you may be experiencing and look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,
Steven

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Lancopa
Lancaster, US
Sep 18, 2010 12:46 pm EDT

I agree completely with what the disgruntled customers are saying. We signed a contract with this company about 18 months ago and they have placed 3 unwaranted calls to our local police in that time. The police are now fining us due to Safeguard sending not needed calls to them. I called Safeguard and the customer service people just argue with you and try to blame you for their mess ups. Company takes no responsibility for the problems created by their employees. I am now paying for this system plaus additional costs due to their unbelievable personnel errors. Our extended family and neighbors use other security companies and they have experienced even a fraction fo the problems we do with this company. Of course even when they mess up they will not reimburse you for the additional costs (fines) we are being saddled with or let you out of your contract. Possibly the most arrogant and completely unaccountable comapny I have ever dealt with. Avoid at all costs.

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JulieABarch
, US
Jun 30, 2010 3:47 pm EDT

How come on silverline Security's web site it has a logo for safeguard america then?

Why does the contract and the sign in my front yard say "Safeguard America" and then the caller ID shows up Silver line security when they call me about the contract?

They showed up at my door telling my husband that they are with are existing security company and were just upgrading the systems. So he let them in.

When I get home they asked me to sign that they had done the install, I asked them again if they were with Pinnacle they said yes.

Since I signed the contract under false pretense is not legal or binding.

Now I have two automatic bills for security and I am pissed off!

I have been in contact with them and they say they will buy out the existing contract. If so, no biggie the price is the same.

I'm still afraid that they will even show up or call if the alarm goes off so, I'm going to go home and run a test.

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SecretSanta
orlando, US
Mar 06, 2010 5:34 pm EST

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THE ABOVE COMPLAINT SHOULD BE AGAINST SILVERLINE SECURITY AND NOT SAFEGUARD AMERICA. SILVERLINE SECURITY IS A UTAH BASED DOOR KNOCKING COMPANY AND HAS NO AFFILIATION WITH SAFEGUARD AMERICA. THE COMPLAINANT EVEN SAYS IN THE BEGINNING OF HER COMPLAINT THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE WAS FROM SILVERLINE SECURITY. THE NUMBER LISTED FOR THE REPRESENTATIVE IS FROM UTAH.

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NotSoSunnyInFlorida
Tallahassee, US
Mar 04, 2010 12:00 pm EST

My husband and I just bought a house and what do you know, a week of living there and a "Silverline Security" Rep comes knocking on my door offering to install the alarm system the same day FOR FREE if we'd agree to put the sign in the yard. As a member of the military, Criminal Justice/Pre-Law student looking for an alarm company I was interested in what he had to say. He said "I will install the alarm for FREE today, it only takes about an hour and you will be truly satisfied. We are the best company around! We have a wireless system that does not need a phone line and it's better than any other wired alarm system you may have heard of." I became skeptical b/c he was attempting to force this on us and kept trying to change the subject, asking questions about my son (4 yrs old), what we did for a living, when we bought the house, etc. What did any of this have to do with presenting us with information about the alarm? He said you don't have to pay ANYTHING FOR 3 MONTHS. I will waive all the fees including installation, cellular, and any other equipment to be installed. I asked, what's the catch? Nothing in life is FREE it comes at some cost. He responded, "why are you being skeptical of me? I'm being honest with you... it will cost you nothing for the first 3 months, I'll reduce your contract from 5 yrs to 3 yrs. The 3 months free will be coming directly from my pocket." I did not believe what he was saying, I asked him for a business card, he didn't have one, I asked him for a broucher, he didn't have that either... I told him we needed 24 hrs to think it over and do our research. He continued to say, "I'm giving you guys a GOOD DEAL, I'm going to pay your first 3 months for you, I'll even cut the monitoring charge in HALF and it'll only be $49.99 a month instead of $100." I asked him again, so you're saying: we pay nothing up front, you'll give us half off monitoring and you'll be able to have it installed whenever we want?" Yes, he says. I told him to give us 24 hrs and I would let him know either way. And what do you know, he shows up at my house the very next day (less than 24 hours) and tries to talk my husband into just saying yes, I was in the house at the time, my husband told him to knock on the door and talk to me. I told him, ok we're going to go ahead and go with you guys. He was excited, he immediately got on the phone and called whoever it was he was calling. I told him we could take this outside to where my husband was. Once outside my phone rang, I stepped aside to answer it, and I look back and he's trying to get my husband to sign the contract with out the chance of reading it first. I immediately hung up my phone and stopped it before he did! I told him we needed to read over these forms before anyone signed anything. I had questions about Section 3, (monitoring) by the way was on a preprinted contract, that had 60 months rather than the agreed upon 36 month term. He scratched through it and said "oh it's no problem we can change that". I also noted that section 4 (also preprinted) had $49.99, the fee that he supposedly was "cutting in half for us". I read over the entire contract and nothing seemed fishy besides the two items noted above, so I said ok we'll go ahead with it. He said oh I need you to sign this form (Titled: Residential Service Application) just to verify you own the home. Before anyone signed I also read over that form. A paragraph under "Emergency Contacts" said that we agreed to have someone check our credit. I asked about that, he said "NO NO NO! I need your social security number to do that and I didn't ask for that. We WON'T RUN A CREDIT CHECK. This form is simply for us to call in and have our contacts with Leon County tell us whether or not you are the actual home owners." I asked are you sure? He said yes, my husband signed the form. After all this is said and done he says, "oh yea we do everything in steps and now we're to the point where I must COLLECT 3 MONTHS PAYMENT UP FRONT BEFORE THE INSTALLER COMES TO COMPLETE THE INSTALLATION." What the F*CK? I began to get upset and I explained to him this is not what he told us. He said well let me call my boss and see if we can waive this, I'm pretty sure it won't be a problem. He walks from the back yard of my house to the front and is talking to "James", he comes back and says: well we just need one month up front to get this done, and can you also give me a voided check? I said no, this is not what you told us, I have yet to see any type of proof that you can offer what you promised. With that being said I told him to get lost and kept the paper work. He left. I called [protected] and complained, the rep said he would forward the info to his boss and he's sorry about the experience but that's not how they conducted business. I awoke this morning and had a notification from Experian stating changes have been made to my credit report... hmmmmm I wondered, I went to check it out and what do you know "Silverline Securities" ran a credit check on me with out my permission. I never signed any papers allowing them to do this, nor did i give them a verbal! I never provided them my social security number. I specifically asked if they would do this and he told me "no.

I would have done business with this company "SafeGuard America" but why? When you have sales people pull shady stuff like this there's no wonder there aren't MORE COMPLAINTS! Stay FAR AWAY FROM THEM.

The sales person's name is Michael Duran and his number he provided for work is [protected], I live in Tallahassee FL.

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SecretSanta
orlando, US
Mar 02, 2010 7:12 pm EST

I like them too!

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SafeguardManager
orlando, US
Feb 22, 2010 1:16 pm EST

Please also take the time to utilize the search feature of this website site to take a look at the other security company's complaint history. I am proud to say we have the least complaints of all our competitors. ADT, Brinks, Broadview etc. have pages and pages of complaints. This should be the ultimate barometer of our customer satisfaction.

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SafeguardManager
orlando, US
Feb 21, 2010 6:42 pm EST

Please be advised that that I have been notified that this particular complaint blog has been setup by one of our competitors. A potential customer advised me that they were directed to this site by a competitor in an effort to sway the decision of choosing an alarm company in their favor. This is an unscrupulous practice and I advise anyone who is directed to this site by an alarm salesman be wary of the company they are dealing with. An alarm company should earn their customer's business by providing superior service and laying out the benefits of going with their company, NOT bashing or fabricating misinformation.

As a result of these false accusations I issue a challenge... Any customer who arrives at this site and is concerned about the honesty, reliability and excellent service of our company will be provided with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. This means that if for any reason you are dissatisfied with our service and we are not able to resolve the issue within a reasonable time will be able to cancel their contract WITHOUT penalty. Please advise your security representative that you would like to take advantage of this guarantee. I challenge our competitors to offer the same guarantee of customer satisfaction.

Have a wonderful day.

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not sure what to believe
Jacksonville Beach, US
Feb 11, 2010 10:01 pm EST

I am a Safeguard America customer as well. I have only been with them for a year however have not had any issues. I seriously hope that I never have to deal with what some of their other customers have had to go through. They give a month free monitoring for every person I refer and that's how I came across these complaints. I referred my neighbor and he did research and brought these complaints to my attention. I was completely shocked when hearing how they treated their customers. I however experienced a much more pleasant experience from the beginning. The representative was kind and sweet.(I was looking for an alarm so the call couldn't have come @ a better time to protect me and my 2kids from my crazy ex-husband)and when she couldn't answer my ?s i was transferred to a Jessica who was also very kind and patient with my ?s. I was then scheduled for an instillation the Next day( If that's not prompt). The technician was great! I believe his name was Steven and he was very professional. The piece of mind was worth it all. I have set it off by mistake and they spoke right through my touch-pad. I didn't remember my password and they sent the police. I was embarrassed however realizing what if it wasn't me? Also I called to ask if possible to move my motion to a better area and they sent the same polite technician and he moved it and didn't charge me. I truly hope they continue being great 2 me as i will to them. Also if those complaints ARE from competitors that's not right. You're not only hurting the company but myself as well. My neighbor now is unsure and I could have used Another free month considering the economy. So please think about the little people too. I have 2 raise 2 kids on my own n would like to feel safe. So safeguard America I'm sorry you're getting attacked it just wont be from me. Thanks

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Charismawoman
Orlando, US
Feb 01, 2010 8:22 pm EST

I have personally had contact with SAFEGUARD AMERICA as far as telemarketing for them and I can tell you that this company does everything possible to satisfy it's customer. They are very quick to return a call to you to help meet all your security needs. They handle each customer as quickly as possible and I personally worked with one of the top notch Sales Representative this country has from this industry. He is very knowledgeable about our product, very patient and kind with his customers, and will go many extra miles to ensure that everything is done accurately and to your satisfaction. One must remember, this is a highly competitive industry and it includes many long hours, numerous hours of driving to just one customer at a time and each representative aims to do their very best to be sure their customer is satisfied 100%. I personally know the owner, Mark Tosoni as well and he is a man of integrity, a man of honesty, of high moral values and does everything he can to meet all your security needs and expects the same of his representatives. Again, I'm certain some other competitors are playing their games to put their "mark" against SAFEGUARD AMERICA, but rest assured - we have several thousands of happy and satisfied customers who have stayed with us for many years. And yes, as with any agreement you need to be involved and read what you're signing, as you are ultimately responsible for the service provided to you like anything else in life!

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TRADE AND CRAFTERS
Miami Shores, US
Jan 21, 2010 3:08 pm EST

PS' A QUALITY SYSTEM INSTALLER WILL N-O-T REUSE OLD SYSTEM MAGNET DOOR AND WINDOW CIRCUITS--THAT IS LIKE REUSING A CLEANED OUT OIL FILTER AND PUTTING NEW OIL IN A CAR! THE SYSTEM WILL BE TESTED AND RETESTED-USING THE ADULT PATTERNS OF USE, AND THE CILDREN'S ACCESS PATTERNS OF USE. AGAIN-THE INSTALLATION MUST BE FLAWLESS; THE COMPONENTS MUST BE NEW AND WELL MANUFACTURED ! THIS SYSTEM, ALONG WITH QUALITY FIREARMS AND GUARD TRAINING MAKE UP THE CRUX OF THE SECURITY INDUSTRY IN THIS COUNTRY-THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE MUST BE QUALITY, QUALIFIED, AND FLEXIBLE FOR INNOVATION AND DURABILITY TO KEEP UP WITH THE DISCRIMINATING AND VARIED DEMANDS OF THE CLIENTS.

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TRADE AND CRAFTERS
Miami Shores, US
Jan 21, 2010 2:58 pm EST

OF COURSE, THE ABOVE BEING SAID---AND I DO NOT SAY THIS IN MIRTH OR IN LEVITY-----THE BEST WATCH OF A PREMESIS FOR YOUR SECURITY DOLLAR--IS THE COMMON SECURITY GUARD! A COP---HE IS NOT-AND NOT HELD TO THE DEGREE OF DECISION-MAKING. BUT LOOK AT THE PAY GRADE! IF YOU LIKE CCTV MONITORS OR VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS, OR ALARMS; YOU CAN PAY OUT THE WHAZZOOO-AND HAVE BATTERIES FAIL, COMPONENTS FAIL, AND WAVE BYE-BYE TO YOUR MERCHANDISE ON VIDEO CAMERAS AS THE THEIVES SKIP OFF INTO THE NIGHT. BUT THAT LOWELY, UNDERPAID GUARD---HE CAN PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL THE REAL COPS--FAST! SIMPLE TRUTH. YOUR ONLY OTHER OPTION--GET A GUN AND CARRY IT---AND FOR GOD'S SAKE---BE PROFICIENT AND CERTAINLY DISCRIMINATING WITH USE OF "DEADLY FORCE". IF YOU KILL THE NEIGHBOR BY ACCIDENT, OR A CHILD GETS HOLD OF A FIREARM---THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY FOR A LIFETIME.!THAT BEING SAID-THE CHOICE IN SECURITY MEASURES IS TOTALLY YOUR---CHOOSE WISELY!

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TRADE AND CRAFTERS
Miami Shores, US
Jan 21, 2010 2:47 pm EST

I HAVE BEEN IN SECURITY FOR MANY MANY YEARS-SEEN OLD SYSTEMS WHICH WORK, AND NEW ONES THAT DID NOT. SOME NEW INNOVATIONS MAY COME INTO THE MARKET-OBVIOUSLY, THEY MUST BE TRIED AND VETTED IN A NUMBER OF ENVIRONMENTS. WHAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, FROM ANY COMPANY OR SUB-CONTRACTOR UNIT IS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF FUNCTIONAL SYSTEM, LACK OF WORKMANSHIP IN DISPENSING THE PRODUCY INITIALLY, LACK OF QUALITY PRODUCT BEING INSTALLED, AND, YES. RUDENESS OR LACK OF CHEERFUL ADVICE TO CUSTOMER. THE CUSTOMER IS PAYING FOR A QUALITY PRODUCT AND SERVICE, AND HAS EVERY RIGHT TO EXPECT THAT SATISFACTION---WHATEVER EXTRA MILE IT MAY TAKE TO SWEETEN THE RESULT! THAT IS THE AMERICAN WAY---ANYTHING LESS WILL QUEER THE REPUTATION OF THE OVERSEE COMPANY, AND MUTE THE SALES OF THE SYSTEM!

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joelred
Ocala, US
Jan 12, 2010 6:33 pm EST

i been with them for two years i had so many problem with them they been to my house about ten times so far this system is junk and we are paying for service for no reason half the time when the alarm goes of and we are in the house no one calls back or no cops i advice you to go to other security system not safe home security

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Ridiculous Complaints
Saint Cloud, US
Dec 19, 2009 11:08 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I think that the previous complaints are from Safeguard America's competitors and I think this site should police these complaints more thoroughly. I have been a Safeguard customer now for over four years and have been satisfied with their service. All alarm companies have a three year contract no matter who you go to whether it's Brinks or ADT. As a matter of fact I had ADT and every year I received a rate increase, I never received one with Safeguard America and they lowered my rate after the first three years. People really need to read the contracts that they sign prior to leaving a bad review that could potentially harm someone's business. I am a small business owner and would hate if it were done to me. If you enter into an agreement and the agreement states you must notify the company 60 days prior to the end of your contract term if you want to cancel then notify them 60 days in advance and it won't renew tell them you want to go month to month. Don't get upset because YOU failed to live up to the terms of an agreement YOU signed. It's the same thing with Brink's they have a 1 year auto-renewal does that make them crooks too?

One thing to seriously consider is that for a company that is SOOOO BADDD they only received a couple of complaints and the first one was in 2007 almost three years ago and that complaint was just plain ridiculous! Magnets are glued on with industrial strength glue and don't just fall of from "humidity". Now if your home is eight years old and so are the magnets that might be possible but these people claim they only had the system for one year so how could that be possible?

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SafeguardManager
orlando, US
Dec 17, 2009 11:28 am EST

P.S. Safeguard America's parent company is Safe Home Security and we are members of the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association- NBFAA. You can verify this by going to www.alarm.org.

Thanks,
Mark Tosoni

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SafeguardManager
orlando, US
Dec 17, 2009 11:18 am EST

Dear Disguntal,

I am very sorry that you have been experiencing difficulty with your alarm system and wish to address any concerns or issues that you may have. It is my #1 priority to insure that you are satisfied 100%. I have some questions... Firstly you mentioned that the system we are monitoring was one that you already had in your house correct? Meaning we did not install it. What monitoring rate are you paying and when you signed up for the service did you take advantage of the lifetime warranty that includes parts and labor and lightning? We offer many different options regarding monitoring and the customer has the option to take advantage of any of our additional services. If a customer opts for our lowest rate of just $17.95, this is just for basic service that includes police, fire and medical. There is no warranty. Should you desire to have a warranty the monitoring rate would then be $29.95 per month on an existing system. Because we did not install your system for you it is difficult, without having a technician do an onsite inspection, to determine the cause of your malfunction. When a system reprogramming takes place the technician does an inspection of the system and confirms that it is properly communicating with the monitoring center. It is very possible that your system started to malfunction sometime after the initial installation but this is just speculation. I notice that you never mention having a technician come to your home to diagnose the problem, has a technician ever come to your home to check the system? I understand all of my customers concerns as I am a customer myself but I can only assume that the disagreement with customer service was over the cost of the service fee for the technician to come to your home to check the system because when you signed up you chose not to take advantage of the warranty. Is this what happened? Please try and understand that if you did not have a warranty like with any other product i.e. television, air conditioner or appliance there would be a service charge.

I would at this time like to extend an olive branch to you and give you my direct number so that you may contact me to resolve this issue, I also welcome any and all other consumers who have or have had an issue to contact me as well. My name is Mark Tosoni and I am the General Manager for the central Florida area. I will do my best to insure that all of your issues or concerns are addressed.

Thank you,
Mark Tosoni
General Manager CF
Safeguard America
[protected]

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Disguntal
Riverview, US
Dec 16, 2009 3:16 pm EST

Check the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association, when researching an alarm company.
Safeguard America isn't a member.

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Disguntal
Riverview, US
Dec 16, 2009 3:04 pm EST

Safeguard America - The interuption in my serice was clearly a person not paying attention to the system. I set the alarm off and waited for the company yo call throught the system. To speculate that the phone number has change or that I did nothing to resolve the issue clearly your opinion.
I call the monitoring station while the alarm was blasting in my ear. The representative on the other end said I cannot hear you so I went outside and asked do they see a fault at my address - answer was, OH! how long has that been happening.
This was not the only time I set the system off. Each case was different. The employees are rude and not customer oriented. You say that the company is the 20th largest in the industry, with unscupulous practices such as the automatic renewal for a full contract term (not month to month), and rude employees, I see that rating falling fast.
Laws are being errected in Florida to stop automatic renewal to protect the consumer form being ripped off. Maybe, once all states follow suite, Safeguard America will hire and train their employees to project a better attidue than what everyone is experiencing today.
Company ratings fall when the customer support staff is not qualified and respectful to the clientel.
Last point - Telephone number hasn't changed in 10 years or anytime since the contract was signed.
Check your ratings again.

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Abbott S. Ford - Never said anything was wrong with the system. The system was the same as the one I already had; it was the service that turn me sour.
Your time is coming - they'll get you too if changes aren't made within their staff.

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Abbott S. Ford
, US
Nov 03, 2009 11:18 am EST

We've never had a single situation with any negative issues described. I do understand that the company uses the same monitoring center as the DOD. When we first started using our alarm system, we quickly realized that any "falsing" was due to keypad errors, or not bypassing quickly enough (20 sec). We have a SIMON unit, and it works perfectly.

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Safeguard America
Orlando, US
Oct 05, 2009 2:42 pm EDT

I wanted to take some time to address some of the issues that have been raised on this website. Yes it is true that the contract automatically renews if notice is not sent 60 days prior to the contract end date but this is clearly stated in the contract and is common practice in the alarm industry. It is imperative to always read a contract prior to signing regardless of the situiation. If you had a 36 month agreement for monitoring and we terminated your service exactly on the contract end date and you were broken into or had a fire we would be responsible and you would be upset. The contract is designed to describe our obligations to you as well as your obligations to us. The previous complaint only states that no one ever responded when his alarm went off but fails to describe any methods he took to resolve the issue ie. service calls etc. There are many reasons that may cause an interuption of service between the monitoring center and a subscriber including changing phone service, system malfunction etc. but without proper diagnostics or evaluation it is unfair to point fingers as to the cause. Safeguard America is the 20th largest alarm comapany in the industry and utilizes a state of the art monitoring center that services the United States Dept Of Defense and The Fire Dept Of The City Of New York fire monitoring with a 98% pass rating. We also have a 97% customer satisfaction rating with all our customers.

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flyboyua
, US
Mar 02, 2017 12:55 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

YOUR COMPANY SUCKS... I have been a customer for four years, when I signed up I was told my rate would never increase but it has. When I complained, the response is "well you signed a new contract, " guess I have to take the blame for that one even though I trusted you to make the correction once I brought it to your attention and was told it would be done.
Recently I learned that for four years anyone could have broken into my home simply by cutting my phone line and you guys would not even know about it for a week. Whats the point in having a monitored system if you have no idea that it's been tampered with?
How about the time the Fire Dept. was sent out to my house at 0300 hours, banging on our doors, scaring the hell out of my family since I was away at work and your excuse was "We were doing a training exercise and someone forgot it was training." Oh, by the way, the fire dept. keeps tract of calls to your residence and if you have more than one false alarm they bill you for the response.
I say BS to your 97% satisfaction rating, who did you poll? I guess it was your employees.
So now that I am asking to terminate my contract (which by the way is a 60 month that you tricked me into over the phone, even though I had just signed a 36 month contract in writing 3 months prior), you now are basically telling me too bad even though I'm not receiving any service from your company.
How about your ghetto style customer service people you have? They turn ghetto once you start to complain about a problem with your service. I even tested my system with your rude customer service person on the phone and when she realized that there was no signal she transferred me to someone else without saying a word.
Well Karma has a way with dealing with people like you!

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Disgruntal
, US
Oct 01, 2009 1:24 pm EDT

This last guy must be a company employee. This company is one of the worst I have ever come across. Their customer service is very argumentative and they do not monitor. I have set off my alarm on several ocassions and nothing...no call back through the system, cops, or anything.

I have been with this company for 4 years (not by choice), and now they have automatically renewed my contract which I am suppose to honor (right). I call to cancel and now they say I must put it in writing 60 day prior to termination.

They will never get another dime of my money, any adverse actions will be meant with a law suit.

For all in search of a home security company, THIS IS NOT THE ONE!

Don't waste your time or money and call your homeowner association if they knock on your door solicting their service.

Buyer beware! You will definitely get what you pay for...no service!
I'm calling News Channel 8 (8 on your side).

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pbuzz
Orlando, US
Sep 25, 2009 10:52 am EDT

I strongly disagree with this person. I have had Safeguard America monitor the alarm equipment in my house for 4 years now, and have been extremely happy. The technician who originially activated my equipment was very professional. Also, once my system siren went off and the telephone calls started immediately. This is a good company that I would strongly recommend.