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1st Defense Security is Seriously run by Kids - Not Professionals as is obviously required

Submitted By
Teresa
Visited
0
1st I had an instance early this morning (Friday) at approximately 4:30 a.m. when I inadvertently set off the alarm. Three calls from Monitronics came in to my charging cell phone. 1st voicemail didn’t leave a return number, 2nd call left a return number (closed office), I don’t even know what the 3rd call said, I was entirely to frustrated to check it by the time it came in. I had just woken up and mistakenly set off the alarm by opening my back door. I was tired and groggy and couldn’t quite figure out how to handle this quick enough to get the alarm quieted, figure why my cell phone wasn’t ringing or be able to answer when I saw messages coming in on my personal cell phone, not the alarm system cell phone, etc. I called the caller ID number from the 1st call, The Monitronics office is closed and opens from 8:00 to 5:00. I then called the police to make sure Monitronics/1st Defense Security didn’t call them to send the police. The officer told me that they wouldn’t respond to a home alarm system anyway. I informed them again Monitronics may be calling you, the police, because instead of using (my security system cell or home phone), they called and left a message on my personal cell, in returning their call from caller ID, their office is closed and I can’t call them back. She said that doesn’t matter, they wouldn’t come out on a home alarm system even if an alarm company called them. I got the 2nd message on my cell from Monitronics, attempted to answer when I saw the message coming in but couldn’t connect, called the number they left on voicemail this time. This number also went to voicemail…. Office is closed and open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 I dug up the pamphlet the Monitronics sales person left me a few days before and called another number the sales person left me. I spoke to a woman who said she couldn’t take time to listen to the problems/police conversation, but had to call the security guard and tell him not to come to my home. 10 minutes or so later, a security guard appeared at my home anyway. I told him what happened, he said the police would in fact come, if he called them. Security leaves, another 5 or 10 minutes go by and my mother calls me from Montana to ask me what is going on. She picked up a voicemail on my brother’s phone. Monitronics or 1st Defense Security left a message that my Nevada home alarm was going off. That telephone number was given to Monitronics in case of an emergency… if anything had happened to me upon a security call. Upon the office opening up and my calming down, I contacted Monitronics/1st Defense Security and asked to speak with a manager. I had called in the past asking them to stop calling my cell phone (installation follow-up calls), unless they couldn’t get through on my primary number and asked them to make the number I listed as primary - the 1st call number, yet they were still calling my cell phone. I wanted to make sure a manager attended to this. The operator of this call wanted to handle this herself and told me that I do in fact have call buttons directly to the police, fire, etc. and continued to cut me off as I was speaking. Telling me that I needed to listen to her and totally blew off the fact that I may need to be heard. I insisted on speaking with a manager. As this manager, Andrew, began with the same attempt at speaking without wanting to hear my concerns, I insisted that he needs to listen to hear all the problems first. He quieted and I began speaking. When I was done, there was a period of silence, about 15 to 20 seconds. I said Hello???? Still nothing. I couldn’t believe it, while I was talking, he either held the phone away from his ear or put me on hold. My neighbor was here and I stated this and hung up. A few minutes later, this manager calls me back saying we got disconnected. No, we didn’t, it was still a live call when I eventually hung up because he had placed me on hold while I was talking. I told him this and that I was entirely to angry to speak to him anymore and goodbye. I then called the sales office at 11:38 a.m. I was told that all the managers were in a meeting and it was requested that I leave a message. I left my number and requested a call back. It is now 3:00 p.m. and I have not received a response from this office. I did however receive a call from a subsidiary of Monitronics asking me how things were going and wanting to update information. Here are my problems: 1st this system was sold to me under the pretense that I had an instant connection with the police, ambulance and fire in case of an emergency. The police department assured me that I understood them correctly, they will not respond to a home alarm system. They will not respond if an alarm/security office called them. The misrepresentation of this very important point is the only reason I opted to have the system installed and signed the contract, that this system would provide me with instant contact with police, as if a 2 way telephone call, Monitronics/1st Defense Security and/or the police could even listen in if I was unable to speak for whatever reason. I have yet to see this and do not believe it does have these capabilities as I was told, otherwise, I wouldn’t have had these problems this morning with my personal cell phone. I have a peeping tom, registered rapist living next to me, who I have had problems stalking me while I work in or enjoy my backyard and seen on several occasions hiding in his front bushes when I work in my front yard as well as hanging over our common wall between our yards checking out a lamp and surveillance system I installed to thwart him and his thoughts. This home security system as explained and sold to me is the only type of system that would help me in this situation. It does absolutely no good to me to have a security guard in 10 to 20 or more minutes after an alarm goes off, observe what is or is not happening and then call the police, who then may or may not come upon that call and then having another 10, 20, 30 or even 60 minutes for the police might arrive is inevitable. Monitronics/1st Defense Security says the police will respond, the security guard tells me they will come, however, the police say they will not come. I suspect the truth in the matter is that if the security guard was able to see something from the outside of my house inward, the police would come on his say so. Otherwise, I will have to call 911. How is this system going to help me in this situation when it doesn’t work as described. This is nothing less than fraud to tie me up in a 3 year contract? 2nd, on the paperwork that I filled out and signed, I left Monitronics a primary and a secondary number for Monitronics/1st Defense Security to reach me, along with the emergency number should anything happen to me. Why request the information if it is not going to be utilized as requested by your clients and how intelligent is it of a security company to call Montana when an alarm is going off in Nevada – especially when the number is listed as a emergency contact for if something happened to me? The primary number is my home number. Apparently, because Monitronics/1st Defense Security doesn’t like or trust magicjack phones, they required me to have one of Monitronics or 1st Defense Security cell phones hooked up to the alarm system, then Monitronics/1st Defense Security reverts to my secondary phone instead, my cell phone. This cell phone was only purchased for emergency situations. When that is charging, I apparently don’t have ringtone to it, so just because Monitronics or 1st Defense Security doesn’t like my magicjack, makes no sense that they won’t use that number to call me when their own system does not function as promised. It is a viable phone, I work at home and use it every day so this makes absolutely no sense to me. Calling my brother/mother in Montana and in the middle of the night also makes absolutely no sense to me in this instance… where I live thousands of miles away from them and they are able to do nothing but worry. I could see if something happened to me, they would need to know, but that is not how 1st Defense Security used this number. 3rd, when I have these sorts or problems and concerns, and when 1st Defense Security’s staff act as if they are virtually sick to death of dealing with client calls and hold phones away from their ears or place speaking clients on hold so they don’t have to listen to what they personally don’t want to hear I again have to say, how is Monitronics and/or 1st Security Defense going to help me in an emergency situation. I have requested Monitronics and 1st Defense Security to come to get their system, and cancel the contract. The security and system does not have the capabilities as described when sold to me, but rather a false sense of security which could lead to more danger in not properly being prepared under this false sense of security. Upon calling First Defense Security to obtain an e-mail address of upper management such as a CEO so I could send this e-mail to someone who may want to know how customer service is handling matters, the receptionist forwarded me to Andrew again. Andrew wanted to know what the e-mail was about, when I told him and that I felt upper management needs to know how customer service is treating customers, he informed me that I must send the e-mail to him and that if he saw fit, he would see that upper management received it. Considering Andrew is part of the problem, I don’t believe he would forward it to anyone in upper management. When I told him, I wanted the system removed, and the contract completely cancelled, that it was not as described, he said he would be glad to do that, business is booming more than ever before and that they do not prefer to service neurotic customers such as myself. I thanked him for giving me one last statement to report and hung up. I did some research through the Nevada Secretary of State website, found no personal contact information for the owner of 1st Defense Security, Thaddeus Gravo, but he did have a registered agent listed… snail mail address given. I searched the internet for Thaddeus Gravo and 1st Defense Security for e-mail contact information. I found that in 2007 when Mr. Gravo last logged into his MySpace account, he was 22 years old then, thereby making him approximately 24 years old. I found he had an open account with facebook and left him a message there. Unanswered. I do not know the last time he used this account. Other than going through his CPA listed as resident agent at the Nevada Secretary of State site, I suspect that at the age of 24 Mr. Gravo does not have a handle on his staff and/or knowledge of how important the product and service is when managing a business and this is why I received the ROTTEN customer service I got. I anticipate, you will find the same type of service with 1st Defense Security. My total disgust and disdain with this fact is that security is so much needed, and this company clearly shows me that all they want is the money and they could care less if their system saves lives as long as they make the money they attempt to lock you into with contracts. Remember, a contract is NOT a binding contract if it was obtained by fraud – you did not get what was promised when you signed for it or paid for it.
Complaint Follow Ups (1)
byConsumer Helper, November 29, 2009
Hey read your complaint and many others all over the internet. The owner you have been trying to contact, Thad??? is a complete jerk and really doesnt care about your concerns or any of those of his employees. Its a revolving door staff over there with constant screwing over of his staff. NEVER pays monies owed and has no loyalty to anyone. His own family disowned him. He is a rotten SOB and here is his direct cell number so all of his pissed off customers can call his punk ass directly!!! your WELCOME 702 400-7817 BUYERS beware do NO business in NV or Cali with this jerk or any of his associates you will regret it. 702 400-7817 THad the owners number!!

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