Business Profile

Security Systems

Guardian Protection

Headquarters

BBB Accredited Business A+Rated by BBB

Important information

Customer Complaint:
The BBB of Western Pennsylvania processes complaints for all of Guardian Protection from throughout the United States since the company is headquartered in the Western Pennsylvania service area.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Guardian Protection's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Customer Complaints Summary

158 total complaints in the last 3 years.
46 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

If you've experienced an issue

Submit a Complaint

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:10/15/2023
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.
I am writing to file a formal complaint against Guardian Protection regarding their deceptive practices and unauthorized charges for services at a property I no longer live in. I believe that Guardian Protection has violated consumer protection laws and engaged in unfair business practices by deceiving me into signing a 5-year contract without allowing me sufficient time to review the terms and conditions. I purchased a home security system from Guardian Protection for the property located at ***** ******** *** ********* ** *****. At the time of purchase, I was approached by a sales representative who used distraction strategies and undue pressure to coerce me into signing the contract. The sales representative did not provide me with enough time or opportunity to thoroughly review the terms of the contract, resulting in my unwitting agreement to a 5-year commitment for services. Unfortunately, I sold the property in July 2023, thereby rendering the security services provided by Guardian Protection unnecessary. Despite notifying Guardian Protection promptly about the change in ownership, I have been continually charged $50 every month for services at a house I no longer occupy. This ongoing financial burden has caused significant distress and inconvenience. To exacerbate the situation, when I contacted Guardian Protection to rectify this issue and terminate the contract, I was informed that I would be required to pay an exorbitant fee of $800 to end the agreement prematurely. This demand is not only unreasonable but also completely unjustified, as it was their deceptive practices that led to my inadvertent contract acceptance in the first place. In light of these circumstances, I am seeking action from the Federal Trade Commission to address Guardian Protection's deceptive tactics, unauthorized charges, and unfair business practices. I have reported this is issue to the FTC and CFPB.
Business Response
Date: 10/16/2023
October 16, 2023

Better Business Bureau
520 E Main Street, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

RE: **** ***** * ** ********
**** *** *****

Thank you for advising Guardian Protection (“Guardian”) of the above-referenced complaint. Guardian appreciates the opportunity to address our customer’s concerns.

For background, our customer contacted Guardian through its website requesting a quote for security services. A representative contacted him and scheduled a meeting with a Guardian sales representative on January 4, 2022. It is during this meeting that security solutions and pricing were discussed and agreed upon.

An electronic Sales and Installation Agreement and Monitoring Agreement were created, and the customer happened to sign it then and there, though he could have elected to tell the representative he would review it further and sign it at a later date if they decided to move forward.

In addition to the agreements, in accordance with federal law, the customer was provided with an electronic Notice of Cancelation that advised our customer of his right to cancel the transaction within three (3) business days without penalty or obligation. He signed this form indicating he read it and understood it.

Guardian’s monitoring agreements include a separate statement noting the agreement term and requiring the customer to initial it in order to avoid any deception. Guardian also includes a cover letter with the agreements when the executed copy of the paperwork is emailed to all parties. This cover letter, attached with the agreements and Notice of Cancelation, advised our customer of important terms he agreed to advised he should speak to his representative if he had any questions.

Guardian installed a security system for a discounted amount in exchange for his 60-month monitoring commitment/payments. The discounts provided for the installation were to be recovered with monthly payments from the customer over the course of the agreement while Guardian provided services to the customer. Guardian has received twenty-one (21) payments to date. The value of the thirty-nine (39) unpaid months is $1,949.61. Guardian has not recouped its initial investment for the installation and will take a loss when accepting payment of the $750.00 Early Termination Fee, and therefore is unable to reduce or waive the Early Termination Fee.

Thank you for the opportunity to address this matter. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaint Response Team
Customer Answer
Date: 10/17/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Dear Guardian Protection,

I appreciate you addressing my concerns regarding the interaction I had with your sales representative and the ongoing charges for services at a property I no longer own. However, I must bring to your attention the fact that regardless of what is stated in the contract, the interaction between myself and your sales representative was deceitful.

During the meeting on January 4, 2022, when the security solutions and pricing were discussed, I attempted to review the contract. However, your sales representative deliberately distracted me and did not give me sufficient time to thoroughly review the agreement. This is highly unethical and raises questions about the integrity of the entire transaction.

Furthermore, I find it incredibly unjust that you continue to charge me for services at a property I no longer own. As I mentioned before, I am currently facing homelessness and the fact that you are still focused on recouping your investment is insensitive and ethically questionable.

Based on the research I have conducted and the numerous customer complaints I have found, there seems to be a recurring pattern of this kind of practice with Guardian Protection. It is concerning to see that many customers have experienced similar issues with deceptive sales tactics and difficulties in canceling services.

While you may argue that I signed the electronic Sales and Installation Agreement, it is important to note that I could have chosen to review it further and sign it at a later date if I decided to move forward. The fact that your sales representative did not give me this opportunity and deliberately distracted me during the review process raises serious concerns about the validity of the agreement.

Additionally, I am aware that I was provided with an electronic Notice of Cancellation, which I signed to indicate that I read and understood it. However, this does not negate the fact that the sales representative's behavior was misleading and deceptive, undermining the entire transaction.

Lastly, I understand that you have not yet recouped your initial investment for the installation and will take a loss if the Early Termination Fee is waived or reduced. However, given my current circumstances, I urge you to reconsider your position and show some compassion towards a customer who is practically homeless.

I kindly request that you thoroughly investigate this matter and take appropriate action to address my concerns. It is crucial that you uphold ethical standards and ensure fair treatment of your customers.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]

Regards,

**** *****
Business Response
Date: 10/23/2023
October 23, 2023

Better Business Bureau
***** ********* ****
520 E Main Street, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

*** **** ***** * ** ********

**** *** *****

Thank you for forwarding our customer’s additional comments about this matter.

Guardian reviewed the call we received from our customer on June 6, 2023. He told a representative that he had sold his home and was moving into temporary housing until they found a new home. She explained we would be able to relocate the service to the temporary property, but he declined because there was a security system from another provider in the home. She then advised he could continue paying monthly until they move into their new home, at which time we could relocate service to the new home he purchases. Further, we would credit back up to six (6) months of payments made while he was in temporary housing. Lastly, if the buyer of the home he sold had contacted us and activated monitoring at that property, we would release him from his agreement. Unfortunately, the buyer never contacted Guardian.

As previously stated, Guardian has not recouped its investment, and therefore is unable to reduce or waive the Early Termination Fee. This position remains unchanged.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response Team
Customer Answer
Date: 10/23/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

Dear Guardian Protection,

Thank you for your response. However, I must emphasize that regardless of the conversation that took place on June 6, 2023, the contract itself was deceitful. The sales representative deliberately distracted me when I attempted to review the contract, preventing me from fully understanding the terms and conditions. This lack of transparency is deeply concerning.

I am disappointed that the issue of deceitful practices and lack of accountability was not addressed in your previous response. Based on recent complaints from other consumers against Guardian Protection, it is clear that this deceitful practice is common and tolerated within the company. This raises serious questions about the integrity of your business.

I have decided to take action and will be forwarding all responses, along with other people's complaints, to the Florida Attorney General immediately. It is essential that these deceptive practices are brought to light and appropriately addressed.

Furthermore, I am appalled by your mention of not recouping your investment once again. It is important to note that I am still currently considered homeless, and your repeated references to your own financial interests are both insensitive and inappropriate.

I expect a thorough investigation into this matter and a prompt resolution. I trust that you will take this issue seriously and take the necessary steps to rectify the situation.

Regards,

**** *****
Initial Complaint
Date:10/11/2023
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.
Starting February 2022, cell phone companies removed their 3G towers. Prior to this Guardian told me I needed to update my system but did not explain why. I did not update the system. Not know that I was paying for their service but not actually receiving any monitoring for my system. It wasn't until I called last month when there was a billing issue that I realized this was the case. So I paid about $46 a month since 2022 from literally nothing. I feel like they are scamming money from people by not being honest about not actually providing the service they say they are.
Business Response
Date: 10/20/2023
October 20, 2023

Better Business Bureau
***** ********* ****
520 E Main Street, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

RE: ******* ******* * ** ********

**** *** *****

Thank you for forwarding our customer’s complaint and the providing Guardian an opportunity to respond.

Our customer states Guardian notified about the need to update her system prior to the cellular carriers shutting down their 3G networks, but Guardian never explained why she needed to update her system.

Guardian has attached sample alerts sent to our customers via email, the US Postal Service, and by phone. These alerts began in late 2020. Our customers received multiple alerts each month, and per the attached, Guardian was quite clear as to why its customers needed to upgrade their cellular communicator.

Our customer’s system communicated via the Verizon 3G network. Verizon retired their 3G network on December 31, 2022. After this date Guardian began contacting our customer daily about system communication failures. Our records show the daily automated calls where either answered by a person or a message was left on the answering machine. Notice of a system communication failure, regardless of the reason, should be acted upon by our customers immediately.

Our customer finally called Guardian on September 1, 2023 to discuss getting her system upgrade, as she had not yet and as a result the system and her app were not working anymore. She was given a cost for the upgrade and said she wanted to think about it over the weekend and would call Guardian back. She did not call Guardian back until October 11, 2023 with the decision to cancel her account, at which time Guardian processed her request.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response Team
Initial Complaint
Date:10/05/2023
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.
My wife contacted Guardian Protection to install security features in and around the house since there were 4 females staying at the property after moving from another state around mid to late January of 2022. After a few months I joined my wife and daughters to live in the property. After 17 months we were evaluating to cut down on our expenses and since we don’t use the security features and we have since brought in 3 big dogs I thought we can cancel the service. To my surprise, we were told in August of 2023 that we’re locked in for a 5 year contract or pay the early termination fee of $1,250.00. I have never heard of such a long contract. Apparently, my wife, who dealt with the salesman, also was not informed of this long contract or the ridiculous and expensive early termination fee. Otherwise, we would not have signed up with this company. I spoke with Jeff from the retention department on October 5, 2023 and said he couldn’t waive the early termination fee and basically we’re stuck with paying a monthly fee for another 3-1/2 years for a service we don’t even use since someone is always home. Jeff also mentioned that an email was sent regarding the length of the contract and offered to have it resent to my wife’s email address. I told him just because an email was sent doesn’t mean my wife received or read the contract. I explained to Jeff that the length of the contract and termination fee was never discussed initially. Jeff brushed it off and told me that he wasn’t there to verify. This is not an honest company that will skip on the important details to get us signed and sends the email that shows the details of the contract. After reading Yelp reviews so that I can file a complaint there also I am not surprise to discover many, if not most, of the complaints posted have to do with unforeseen charges not mentioned to other clients of Guardian Protection in the beginning.
Business Response
Date: 10/09/2023
October 9, 2023

BBB of Western Pennsylvania
520 E Main St, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

RE: ******* ******** * ********* ** ********
**** *** *****

Thank you for forwarding the above referenced complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”). Guardian values the opportunity to review our customer’s account and respond.

The complainant noted he was displeased with the contract/agreement length and the agreement’s Early Termination Fee, which he learned about when trying to cancel his account because his family no longer utilizing their security system. Guardian is sorry to hear they are not taking advantage of the investment they made and would be happy to help our customer configure the system in order to take more advantage of its features for the entire family’s safety.

For background, the complainant is not the signer of the agreements. In addition, the agreement signer, the complainant’s wife, did not contact Guardian, but rather conversed with one of Guardian’s authorized dealers. Her security system with cameras were sold and installed by AAA Home Security, LLC (“AAA”), an authorized dealer of Guardian Protection, whereby all aspects of the sale and installation took place directly with AAA. AAA is a separate and distinct company from Guardian, for which Guardian provided 24-hour monitoring and related services until Guardian purchased the account from AAA approximately one year after installation. Guardian does not control any day-to-day business activities or any internal policies or procedures of AAA, including security evaluations, sales processes, installation practices or any other aspects of AAA’s business.

A review of our customer’s account and agreements (attached) shows AAA performed installation and activation services for just $49.00 in consideration of the 60-month monitoring commitment she entered. AAA also provided a discount on the Monthly Fee. Referencing the attached agreements, our customer initial this statement: “The initial term of this Agreement is 60 months.” Guardian’s review of the electronic paperwork also found that AAA emailed the agreements to our customer for review and execution on 12/26/2021 at 4:20 PM. Our customer did not view or sign the agreements until 12/27/2021 at 1:42. PM indicating she had ample opportunity to review the agreements in their entirety. Our customer also signed a notice indicating she understood she had until midnight of 12/30/2021 to cancel the transaction without penalty or obligation.

Guardian has an investment in our customer’s account that has not been recovered. Guardian’s expectation is/was to receive thirty-nine (39) more monthly payments at the monthly fee of $59.99 as our customer had agreed to. Guardian will realize a significant loss if our customer elects to terminate early, even with payment of the $1,250.00 Early Termination Fee. Because of this, Guardian is not in a position to waive it or reduce it.

Thank you for providing Guardian an opportunity to address our customer’s complaint. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response Team
Customer Answer
Date: 10/10/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

RE: ********* ** ********

The business did not address the issue of not informing us about the length of the contract and early termination fee which was mentioned on the complaint. The salesperson failed to mention the length of the contract as well as the early termination fee at time of selling their service. A contract was simply given for us to initial and sign. We are displeased that something as important as these was not mentioned by the salesperson but simply rushing to get us to sign.

This was during a time when we were signing documents for the sale of our previous house. We signed 2 to 3 inches of documents sent to us to initial and sign and the person who brought the documents was there to guide us on what we were signing. This company is banking on clients overlooking the length of the contract and early termination fee when the salesperson failed to mention this important information to get their sales. Sending a document via email for us to sign and initial on 12/26/2021 at 4:20 PM and sending it back signed and initialed on 12/27/2021 at 1:42 PM is no indication that we had ample opportunity to review the agreements in entirety. We don’t sit and wait to receive an email sent to us. When we get a chance to review and open an email is when we do it. This was during a time when we were preparing to move out of our house. You can just imagine how much goes into moving.

The response from this business also mentioned Guardian’s expectation to receive their full 60 months of payments in order to recover their investment. According to the amount on the contract sales and installation price is $49. Whether that is an error is in their part. Regardless, this is not relevant to my complaint of failing to inform us of the length of the contract and early termination fee by the salesperson.

This company needs to own up to their salesperson’s failure of mentioning the term of the contract and early termination fee to their clients. Perhaps, a need to train their salesperson properly in more open communication will eliminate this very common complaint. It seems the complaints I read on the BBB webpage and other websites such as Yelp show a failure to communicate something and mostly have to do with the same complaints as ours and hidden charges.
We hope in finding a resolution to our issue.

Regards,
******* ********

Business Response
Date: 10/13/2023
October 13, 2023

BBB of Western Pennsylvania
520 E Main St, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

RE: ******* ******** * ********* ** ********
**** *** *****

Thank you for sharing our customer’s additional comment.

A Guardian representative was not present at the meeting our customer had with the AAA Home Security, LLC (“AAA”) sales representative and unable to comment on the conversation at that meeting.

As stated in our original response, Guardian’s records show our customer initialed and signed a Monitoring Agreement which included a signed and initialed statement that reads “The initial term of this Agreement is 60 months”, indicating she read and understood the term of the agreement. Our customer received installation and activation services for just $49.00, per the Sales and Installation Agreement, in exchange for the monitoring commitment. Copies of the agreements were attached to Guardian’s original complaint response dated October 9, 2023.

Regarding the Early Termination Fee not being discussed, one of the reasons for the Consumer Credit Protection Act’s law requiring businesses to provide consumers three business days to cancel a transaction without penalty is because it is always possible some terms of an agreement or transaction are missed being discussed verbally. The three business days allow consumers to review the terms of agreements and assure themselves they are comfortable moving forward with the transaction.

Guardian has not recouped its investment in our customer’s account and Guardian’s position on this matter is unchanged.

Thank you for providing Guardian an opportunity to address our customer’s additional comments. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response Team
Initial Complaint
Date:09/14/2023
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.
We purchased Guardian Security services through Utility Concierge in September of 2020. During this purchase process, no representative from Guardian or Utility Concierge made us aware of the main points of the contract to help us understand what we were reading - Specifically, the $750 "liquid damages" for cancelling. Under false pretenses, we signed the contract without being explicitly aware of the cost of cancelling the account. The company maliciously hides their "Cancellation fee" as "liquid damages" in the contract, which is an attempt to take the legal loophole of not having to more prominently share the cancellation fee in the contract. The page that explicitly speaks to the $750 fee for cancelling also has no initial or signature options, making it more likely that a customer will not see it. That same page also comes after the signature page of the main document, another deceptive pattern to steer customers away from reading the rest. We were also not provided with a copy of the contract, nor was it made readily available through the account portal. When we went to cancel because we moved and our new home already a home security system installed, the representative brought up the $750 fee and used the argument "well you should have asked before you signed it". This unethical behavior from the company is a cash grab for all their customers who want to cancel their services. A reasonable person cannot expect customers who have any awareness of this cancellation fee in the current state. We will be fighting this fee until it is dropped, and will also be making a strong effort to make sure no other Guardian Customers have to go through this unnecessary experience thanks to the lack of customer-centric thinking from Guardian.
Business Response
Date: 09/22/2023
September 22, 2023
Better Business Bureau
***** ********* ****
520 E Main Street, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

RE:      ******* ***** * ** ********
**** *** *****

Thank you for advising Guardian Protection (“Guardian”) of the above-referenced complaint. Guardian appreciates the opportunity to respond to and address our customer’s concerns.
For background, as our customer noted in his complaint, on August 25, 2020 he was offered a discounted security installation and monitoring services in his current home by his utility concierge. Our customer accepted the offer for the installation and services when he affixed his name and signature to the Sales and Installation Agreement and Monitoring Agreement. In addition, he signed a Notice of Cancelation that gave him the opportunity to fully review the agreements and cancel the transaction without penalty or obligation until midnight on August 29, 2020.

While our customer believes Guardian has a lack of customer-centric thinking, while not obligated to do so, Guardian tries to offer several alternatives to paying a fee to terminate the Monitoring Agreement early. When properties are within Guardian’s service area, Guardian offers to relocate services to a customer’s new home or release the customer from their existing agreement if the buyer of the home subscribes to Guardian for monitoring. In fact, Guardian offered to relocate this customer’s service. He was offered to relocate his service using all new equipment or to have Guardian remove his existing equipment from the home he sold and reinstall it in his new home. Our customer indicated he wished to relocate his existing equipment and even had Guardian remove it from the home he sold. Our customer later changed his mind when he found his new home had an existing system installed by another provider.

Our customer’s original professional installation, performed on September 21, 2020, included a premium touchscreen control panel, 3 wireless door sensors, a motion detector, video doorbell, deadbolt lock and a garage door controller. This installation, valued at approximately $2,000.00 was performed at no charge in exchange for his monitoring commitment. Our customer only paid $110.00 when he decided to add two additional door sensors at the time of installation.

Guardian recoups the cost of free and discounted installations and services over the course of a customer’s monitoring term while providing services and makes business decisions and commitments to third-party vendors based on this same term. At this time, Guardian has not yet recovered its investment. Our customer has twenty-four (24) unpaid months remaining on the monitoring commitment he entered. The value of those unpaid months is $1,439.76.   The Early Termination Fee is nearly 50% less than the value of the unpaid monthly fees Guardian expected to receive through the end of our customer’s monitoring commitment. Because Guardian has not had the opportunity to recoup those costs, we are unable to reduce or waive the Early Termination Fee required for early termination of the monitoring agreement. Guardian also contends our customer had ample time to review and question any and all terms of the agreements he entered.

Thank you for the opportunity to address this matter. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaint Response Team
Customer Answer
Date: 09/22/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

All businesses assume a risk when offering free and discounted services or product. Guardian uses them as veils for cancellation penalties, because that's what this is - a cancellation penalty. At that, an incredibly expensive and unreasonable cancellation penalty. You can not call it "free" or a "discount" if it is not actually those things. You also bury this cancellation penalty in a page that does not require a signature or initials. I did not sign or initial any page that referenced the $750. Although, the contract clearly defines other penalties and fees on more prominent pages that did require initials and signatures. This is clearly an attempt to get any reasonable customer to sign up with false pretense. While we did sign the documentation, we were another customer who has fallen victim to the fine print cancellation penalty.
Guardian claims these "damages" are costs from things that they provided as "free" or "discounted". Guardian can not claim these items are "free" or "discounted" if they plan to reclaim the costs of them if the customer leaves them within 5 years. Also, damages include future money the company has already used to support the remaining contract, not past items they decided to offer at a discount. Guardian has not already paid for the monitoring support for the remaining time, unless they pay their employees 5 years ahead of time (which they do not). Any vendors Guardian engages with and structures payment with is completely separate from our contract and another risk that any business must assume for using vendors instead of providing products or services themselves.
Guardian claims to be customer centric but only offers compromises that make sure they stay paid, such as contacting the new owners and making them use Guardian, or paying Guardian more money to have them come out and uninstall/reinstall equipment. But no compromises that protect the customer by any means. Some examples could be returning the equipment for a reduced cancellation penalty, offering a discounted remaining contract, offering free accommodation services, or anything of that means. They charge hundreds of dollars to have someone come out to uninstall or install equipment, offering no type customer flexibility in more costs they have to incur. If we have someone come out and uninstall the existing equipment and reinstall Guardian's equipment, that will be another $300 - $400 out of our wallet. Why doesn't the company offer complementary moving services to maintain their contracts versus cornering their customers's wallets into a corner?
They claim that the $750 is 50% of the $1400 remaining, but Guardian has not actually paid for the monitoring services for that $1400 yet, which makes it an intangible "damage" and not something they have already lost or incurred, as well as something that is unreasonable to use as a comparison or reference to a cost incurred.
Does any reasonable consumer ready every line of every contract that Guardian provides them? No, they do not. Guardian knows these customers look at it once, maybe twice, and then sign with the assumption that we can trust the most important things have been highlighted to our attention via initialed or signed sections of the contract. Guardian has violated that trust. This fee should be much more prominent on the contract and should be a required speaking point by their representatives.
Being customer-centric means being flexible and empathetic to their customers and their situation. If Guardian is willing to come out, uninstall existing equipment and install new equipment at no additional cost, we are happy to continue services through the end of our contract.

Regards,

*** *****
Business Response
Date: 09/28/2023
September 28, 2023

Better Business Bureau
***** ********* ****
520 E Main Street, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

***      *** ***** * ** ********

**** *** *****

Thank you for sharing our customer’s additional feedback.

As our customer pointed out, businesses do assume a risk when offering free and discounted services or products. To clarify our customer’s transaction, it was not a free or discounted system, but rather Guardian performed an installation with no upfront charge to our customer in exchange for his monitoring commitment. The services provided at no charge up front were to be recovered with monthly payments from the customer across the course of the agreement and while providing service to the customer for many of those months.

Our customer’s agreement has a provision for early termination upon payment of a $750.00 Early Termination Fee regardless of the number of unpaid months remaining on the initial term. This is the risk Guardian has assumed and a loss will be taken on this account if our customer pays the Early Termination Fee instead of making payments for the remaining twenty-four (24) months of his initial monitoring term.

Guardian agreed to perform a specific installation at a specific property in exchange for the receipt of sixty (60) months of monitoring payments. Guardian would rather incur the loss it will sustain when our customer pays the Early Termination Fee than incur greater losses by performing a second installation at no charge within the same unsatisfied agreement term, or with an extension of the current agreement term.

Guardian urges all customers to review their agreements in their entirety and take advantage of the provision of the Consumer Credit Protection Act in which they may cancel certain transactions without penalty or obligation within three (3) business days.

Thank you for informing Guardian of our customer’s additional comments. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaint Response Team
Initial Complaint
Date:09/14/2023
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.
My house was stuck by lightning as a result my alarm system was damn. The damn impact the 2 outside camera and my geeni garage door opener. I’ve replaced my garage overhead that had the animation for the garage opener that Guardian was able to integrate with their system. I have called several time and have ask if I can buy cameras that are compatible with the Guardian system and have been involved I could only purchase the cameras from Guardian. The company is price gouging on their prices for the cameras of 350.00 each plus the installation fee. I’ve requested a copy of my contract and it stated “You acknowledge that all non-Company installed equipment (“Tie Ins”) are subject to Our inspection. If a Tie In is found to be defective or otherwise unacceptable to Us, it cannot be connected to the System. You may choose to replace the defective equipment at Your cost.“ that state along says one can have non-company installed equipment it just has to be inspected. Guardian is breaching the contract by stating I have to buy my outdoor cameras directly from them.
Business Response
Date: 09/20/2023
September 20, 2023

BBB of Western Pennsylvania
520 E Main St, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

RE: ******* ****** * ********* ** ********
**** *** *****

Guardian Protection (“Guardian”) is in receipt of the above referenced complaint. Guardian values the opportunity to try to work toward a mutually agreeable resolution to our customer’s issue.

Our customer has expressed dissatisfaction with Guardian’s pricing of cameras to replace her lightning damaged cameras and feels Guardian is “price gouging” when she was quoted $350.00 per camera. She is also dissatisfied Guardian declined to tie in cameras purchased elsewhere, even though we were able to tie in her new garage door controller and there is language in her contract implying all tie-ins are acceptable.

Guardian reviewed our customer’s account, including the “Tie In” statement in her agreement, and quote for replacing the video cameras. Guardian would like to note the statement “2.You acknowledge that all non-Company installed equipment (“Tie Ins”) are subject to Our inspection. If a Tie In is found to be defective or otherwise unacceptable to Us, it cannot be connected to the System. You may choose to replace the defective equipment at Your cost.” Guardian would like to note this statement is specific to the installation outlined in the Sales and Installation Agreement and any Tie Ins listed in the agreement.

While not under any obligation to do so, Guardian is currently offering to provide remote assistance for Tie Ins of compatible home automation equipment purchased elsewhere and installed by our customers, but we are not currently providing this service for video devices for various reasons.

Regarding Guardian’s pricing for video equipment, Guardian’s pricing of $350.00 for an outdoor camera includes full installation by a Guardian technician and is not comparable to the price of a camera in a box. Guardian also knows the history of each camera we purchase through our preferred vendors as opposed to the storage and handling of video equipment purchased online through other vendors. Guardian does acknowledge, however, that part of the installation work for the two new cameras our customer needs was performed with the installation of the original cameras.

Guardian reached out to our customer to offer a lower installation price for two replacement cameras since the installation is already completed, or to make a one-time exception to tie in compatible cameras she has purchased elsewhere. Our customer indicated she was satisfied with the offers.

Thank you for bring this matter to Guardian’s attention. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response Team
Customer Answer
Date: 03/25/2024
Problem:
This is the 2 complaint with Guardian Home Security in regards to adding my own equipment,no where in my original contract does it state I can't use my own equipment. The 1st issue was resolved and I was able to added my own cameras now I'm being told I can't added window contact and they have to be purchased directly and installed by Guardian.

Desired Outcome:
All customers to use equipment purchased for 3rd party companies
Business Response
Date: 03/27/2024
March 27, 2024

BBB of Western Pennsylvania
520 E Main St, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

*** ******* ****** * ********* ** ********
Dear Better Business Bureau:

Guardian Protection (“Guardian”) is in receipt of the additional comments from our customer submitted on March 25, 2024 and is happy to respond.

Our customer is upset that Guardian will not continue to make exceptions to its business practices and has requested that Guardian allow customers to purchase (and connect) equipment purchased from third parties. In addition, she notes her agreement does not state that she cannot use her own equipment.

Guardian made a one-time exception when we offered to install compatible cameras our customer purchased elsewhere. Our customer is looking for additional exceptions that we are not willing to provide, for the tying-in (connecting) of even more equipment she purchases elsewhere.

With regard to Guardian’s agreements, the agreement does not discuss tying-in equipment purchased elsewhere after the original installation because Guardian does not agree to do so. It is not something that is offered and therefore not mentioned.

There are many liabilities in this industry and Guardian’s business practices are in place to protect both our customers and Guardian, especially with equipment designed to monitor and report possible intrusion and life safety incidents. In addition, Guardian provides certain warranties and service plans for the equipment we install. Introducing equipment purchased elsewhere would make it difficult to manage our customers’ service plans.

Guardian may, in the future, offer self-installation options for intrusion and life safety devices purchased directly from Guardian, but as of this writing, we do not.

Thank you for bring this additional message to Guardian’s attention. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response Team
Customer Answer
Date: 03/27/2024
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

I want to have Guardian provided the original contract and highlight where it states that a customers can't use 3rd party equipment. The contract does not state that nor did Debra state while helping with my last issue it would be a 1x courtesy. I email Debra this month was provided the same generic correspondence Guardian responded to with this complaint . Pull the contract the contract doesn't state anywhere on it that a consumer can't use 3rd party equipment. If Guardian can't comply with their contract the early termination needs to be waived.
Regards,
******* ******
Initial Complaint
Date:08/30/2023
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.
I moved into my house in December of 2022. In January of 2023, I met with a Guardian Sales Rep in my house. We discussed the services and costs. When it came to the length, the Sales Rep expressly stated that this was simply to lock in the price for a certain number of months. He also expressly stated that if I cancelled under a year, I would owe the remainder for the first year as obviously the company would need to recover the cost of equipment. That part was reasonable. Thus I felt no harm in agreeing to lock the price in for the 5-year term as I understood from the Salesman verbal representations, that I could cancel after 1 year without penalty. I found out several months later, that I could not personalize the system to my liking and every time I decided to add a new item to the system, I would be charged a fee. At that time, I decided that I did not want to continue their service and would cancel in January 2024. I have since acquired hardware to replace the Guardian system and am in the process of setting up my new system but needed certain devices removed from Guardian so I could pair them with my new system. When calling the support staff today (8/30/23), they informed me that there would be a $30+ fee per month that I would be terminating early. The key to this complaint is that 1.) the Sales Rep made a fraudulent misrepresentation that was meant to induce me, and likely others, into signing into the agreement, specifically a much longer agreement than I ever would have a greed to, and 2.) I relied upon that misrepresentation to my detriment. This misrepresentation would cost me in excess of $1200 is early termination fees if I were to cancel in January 2024 as planned. I believe all of the criteria has been met to file a tort claim, but this was my first route.
Business Response
Date: 09/14/2023
September 14, 2023

Better Business Bureau
***** ********* ****
520 E Main Street, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

RE: **** ****** * ** ********

**** *** *****

Thank you for advising Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”) of the above-referenced complaint. Guardian appreciates the opportunity to address our customer’s concerns, and to clarify and resolve this matter.

Our customer states he was expressly told by his Guardian sales representative that he would be able to cancel the agreement after paying monthly service charges after one year because Guardian would have recovered its investment from the installation of a security system at that time. Our customer also noted he was displeased with being told there would be a fee anytime he needed Guardian to tie-in additional home automation devices he had purchased through other vendors, and that there would be an early termination fee if he canceled prior to fulfillment of his initial 5-year monitoring term.

Guardian reviewed our customer account and also reached out to the sales representative and his manager. Guardian’s position is that at no time did our tenured sales representative make a fraudulent statement verbally or in writing that our customer would only need to make twelve (12) monthly payments to satisfy the terms of his agreement. The only reference the sales representative made regarding a twelve-month period was to confirm all equipment installed, including the security system, would be covered under our customer’s home warranty, and be repaired or replaced at no charge during the warranty period. Regarding the quote of $35.00 to tie in home automation devices remotely, Guardian does charge a fee for programming to configuring and activating compatible home automation devices purchased elsewhere, like many other providers. Currently, the fee is per programming request, not per device. Our customers may make one call to have multiple devices configured and activated at the same time and will be charged a one-time $35.00 fee for the programming.

Guardian attempted to reach our customer to discuss our findings, but the call would not go through, possibly due to Guardian’s calls originating on a toll-free line. Guardian also reached out to one of our customer’s contacts and left a message asking him to have the complainant contact Guardian, but that did not happen. Guardian therefore is detailing its findings in this response.

For background, please note our customer first met with a Guardian sales representative the first week of December 2021 at his builder’s design center. The representative quoted the options, including terms, to have a monitored security system installed, but our customer declined and decided to engage Guardian only for the installation of a Home Automation Hub, Video Doorbell, and structured wiring. Our customer next met with a Guardian sales representative on January 4, 2023. The purpose of the meeting on January 4, 2023 was to activate the Home Automation Hub and devices, as well as providing a new review of security products and monitoring services that were available for their new home.

As memorialized in the attached Sales and Installation and Monitoring Agreements dated January 4, 2023, our customer decided to have a monitored security system installed with a Touchscreen Control Panel to replace the Hub, four (4) door sensors and a motion detector. The offer was to install this system at no charge in exchange for a 60-month monitoring commitment that also protected the monthly fee from increasing for the duration of the 60-month term. The agreements for this additional transaction were created and emailed to our customer on 2023-01-05, 0:07:42 AM GMT (Adobe Sign uses Greenwich Mountain Time). The Adobe Sign audit report (attached) shows the customer viewed and signed the Agreements approximately 3.5 hours later at 2023-01-05 0:11:21 AM GMT, well after the Guardian sales representative had left.

Our customer had every opportunity, without pressure, to review the agreements in their entirety including each statement that required his initials, and to call the sales representative with questions and concerns prior to fully executing the documents. In addition, he was given until midnight of 1/9/2023 to cancel the transaction without any penalty or obligation. Guardian would also like to point out that, as seen in the attached Agreement file, the email our customer received with the completed agreements included a cover sheet that expressly stated the Sale Amount, Monthly Service Charge, Initial Agreement Term and noted the customer should contact their Guardian Protection sales representative if they had any questions.

Guardian is sorry our customer is unhappy with the remote programming fee to the extent that he decided to terminate his services early. Our customer certainly has the right to do so per the terms outlined in Section 18. EARLY TERMINATION / CANCELLATION of his Monitoring Agreement (attached.)

Thank you for the opportunity to address this matter. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaint Response Team
Customer Answer
Date: 09/14/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

The business or sales rep is not telling the truth about the oral representations made by the sales rep. The sales rep likely meets with many people per day/week. I only met with him once. Based on this, I am more likely to correctly recall the single conversation I had with their sales rep, than he is to remember a single interaction with a customer from nine months ago. I specifically asked about the length because the only reason I opted for the longer term was to lock in the price for longer in the case that I liked the service. I would never have locked in an untested service for 5 years without knowing you could cancel for a certain period. From the term lengths discussed with the sales rep, the payment for the shorter terms would not have been different thus there was never any other incentive to agree to a longer period e.g. a cheaper price for locking in longer.
It was a clear misrepresentation of the actual terms that they set forth in “writing” that they provided on a iPad for signature. Given the satisfactory answer to my cancellation question that I relied on to my detriment, I signed the iPad.
As it relates to their calls, I did not receive them as I blocked the number they must be reaching out from and advised my additional contact to do the same. Since I have removed their system, there have been calls alerting me to the status of the system being offline. The calls were excessive (25-50x in a week). Obviously if the system was still in use and offline, i would want to be alerted but since I had already replaced their hardware, I blocked the number.
Again, I am more than willing to honor the original oral representations made but nothing more.

Regards,

**** ******
Business Response
Date: 09/20/2023
September 20, 2023

Better Business Bureau
520 E Main Street, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

*** **** ****** * ** ********

**** *** *****

Thank you for sharing our customer’s additional feedback.

As per Guardian’s original response, our customer had every opportunity to read what he was initialing and signing when executing the agreements.

Our customer was provided with four business days (5 calendar days) to further review the terms of the agreements and cancel without obligation or penalty. Guardian also included a cover sheet with his copies of the executed paperwork noting his Sale Amount, Monthly Service Charge, and Initial Agreement Term in large bold print.

Guardian’s position on this matter is unchanged.

Thank you for informing Guardian of our customer’s additional comments. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,

Agency Complaint Response Team
Customer Answer
Date: 09/20/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

I relied to my detriment on the false representations made by your sales rep. These oral representations were meant to induce me to sign the agreement or at least sign a longer agreement. End of story. Any further charges will not be paid by me.

Regards,

**** ******
Initial Complaint
Date:08/25/2023
Type:Order 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.
My husband and I build our home 2 years ago with Bloomfield. The homebuilders partner with Ranger and Guardian Protestant Protection to provide our alarm system and monitoring. Early on we reported issues with our system and we were told we had to pay 75.00 for them to come and fix the issue. We started to them that we just received the equipment and didn't understand why we had to pay additional money for them to fix the issue that should is under warranty. Time and time againnwe called with no reaokev because they states we had to pay for them to come out to look at the issue. We were then told we had a two year contract before we could cancel. So we decided to just wait the two years out so we can cancel. During the time I was not a peace at my home. I received constant message about sensors and tampering of my system and the alarm not being monitored due to these issues. When I go out of time we have family members to check on our home, the video is delayed and the system is overall faulty. The system has been faulty for 2 years. We finally made it to the two year mark to cancel and now they are telling us we have a 5 year monitoring contract. I have to pay 1300 for early termination and it is nothing more they can do. I don't think it is fair for me to feel unsafe in my home for another three years with a company that has not protected my home. We have tried to work with them and even waited 2 years to be able to cancel, only to be told I have a 5 year contract. My husband doesn't recall electronically signing the 5 year contact in fact his name is spelled wrong thought the document and on the signature page. I thought I was agreeing to the two tear agreement through the builder and not a 5 year contract. I simply just want out the contract. We were made to partner with them because of the new home build and now I'm feeling stuck and unsafe in my home. Please help me rectify this issue.
Business Response
Date: 08/30/2023
August 30, 2023

BBB of Western Pennsylvania
520 E Main St, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

RE: ****** ****** * ********* ** ********
**** *** *****

Thank you for forwarding the above referenced complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”). Guardian values the opportunity to review our customer’s account and resolve her issues.

Our customer noted she and her husband have multiple issues with their system and were quoted a $75.00 fee to send a technician to repair equipment that was recently installed. She also said they were told they had a two- year agreement and had decided to wait out the two years to cancel their account and were surprised to find they had a five-year monitoring contract.

For background, our customer’s system was sold and installed Ranger Technology Solutions (Ranger), an authorized dealer of Guardian Protection, whereby all aspects of the sale and installation took place directly with Ranger. Ranger is a separate and distinct company from Guardian, for which Guardian provided 24-hour monitoring and related services until Guardian purchased the account from AAA approximately a year after installation. Guardian does not control any day-to-day business activities or any internal policies or procedures of Ranger, including security evaluations, sales processes, installation practices or any other aspects of Ranger’s business. The cost of the installation and terms of the agreement were negotiated and executed with Ranger.

Regarding the equipment issues and service call quotations, a review of our customer’s account found Guardian had a computer update that changed our customer’s 365-day equipment warranty to a 90-day equipment warranty in error. This update occurred just six months after their services were activated, and just 11 days before our customer called with their first covered equipment issue. Our customer had additional covered equipment issues within 365 days of their activation where Guardian should have offered a service call at no charge.

After a full review of our customer’s account, Guardian has agreed to terminate our customer’s account and release them from their Monitoring Agreement without penalty or further obligation. Our customer’s account is in the process of being canceled with a $0.00 balance.

Thank you for providing Guardian with an opportunity to further research and resolve this matter. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response Team
Customer Answer
Date: 08/31/2023
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

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.

Regards,

****** ******
Initial Complaint
Date:08/25/2023
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.
I signed on with Guardian in March 2020 and in 2022 I sold the home I was in. After speaking with Guardian and requesting to bring the service with me, Guardian informed me they do not service the area in which my new home was in ( it was in the same county). At that point I requested to cancel the service and was told I would be unable to cancel due to being in a contract (which I never received). After several attempts at trying to resolve the issue I was told the only way to cancel the contract would be to pay $700-1000 or continue paying the monthly fee. Since I did not have the money to pay the $700-1000 upfront I kept paying the service fee since they had my bank account information even though I did not believe this was fair. After a year and a half of paying the fee without the service I called today 8/25/2023 to see if I could finally cancel the service and I was informed I still had another year and a half before the contract was done! I feel I am completely being taken advantage of.
Business Response
Date: 09/01/2023

September 1, 2023

BBB of Western Pennsylvania
***** ********* ****
520 E Main St, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

RE: ***** ****** * ********* ** ********

**** *** *****

Thank you for forwarding our customer’s complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”). Guardian values the opportunity to review his account and address his complaint.

Our customer stated he is moved a short distance from the home his system was originally installed in, but Guardian is no longer able to provide service in the area. Our customer is upset Guardian has asked him to pay a $750.00 Early Termination Fee to settle his account and Monitoring Agreement.

For background, our customer’s security system was sold and installed by Complete Home Security and Services, LLC (Complete Home) whereby all aspects of the sale and installation, including the electronic paperwork, took place directly with Complete Home. Complete Home is a separate and distinct company from Guardian, for which Guardian provided 24-hour monitoring and related services for customers whose systems were sold and installed by Complete Home, and later purchased our customer’s account from Complete Home. Guardian does not control any day-to-day business activities or any internal policies or procedures of Complete Home, including security evaluations, sales processes, installation practices or any other aspects of Complete Home’s business.

Guardian is a customer-centric organization and tries to provide alternatives to paying an Early Termination Fee when our customers move. However, Guardian is not a nationwide company and cannot guarantee these options are always available. Like many other businesses, service areas may change from time to time, and stores or branches may close. It is for this reason there are no agreement terms regarding the relocation of services to a new property or the ability to release a customer from their agreement if the new owner would want to subscribe to Guardian for the monitoring of the existing security system.

A review of our customer’s account found Complete Home installed a sizeable system, including a camera, at no charge to our customer in exchange for the 60-month monitoring commitment. The monitoring term factored into Guardian’s purchase price of our customer’s account. To date, Guardian has not recovered the cost of its investment. That being said, due to our customer’s excellent account history, Guardian has offered a reduced settlement to help cover the cost of its commitments to third-party vendors that were also based on the term of the monitoring agreement. Our customer is currently considering the offer.

Thank you for informing Guardian of the additional concerns. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response Team
Initial Complaint
Date:08/18/2023
Type:Order 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 had Guardian Protection at my home at **** ******** ***** **** ******** ** ****** The end of April of this year, I sold the property and moved to *** *** ***** ******** ** ****** Prior to moving I called Guardian to transfer the service. I was told that Guardian does not service the area that I was moving to and that if the new buyer did not assume the contract I would owe the remainder of the contract. I was told that the new buyer was going to continue the service and assume the contract. I then continued to receive billing notices from Guardian until recently I spoke with them again and they informed me that the new buyer had not assumed the contract and that I owed for the remainder of the contract which was over $700. After speaking with them for some time, they stated that they would settle for $504. I asked to split this into two payments and they agreed and I paid $200 so I still owe $304. I still maintain that I did not want to cancel the contract, I wanted to transfer the service and they do not service my area so to me they nullified the contract. My request is that Guardian accepts the $200 and waives the remainder.
Business Response
Date: 08/21/2023
August 21, 2023

BBB of Western Pennsylvania
520 E Main St, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15136

RE: ******* ******* * ********* ** ********

**** *** *****
Thank you for forwarding this customer complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”). Guardian appreciates the opportunity for a review and resolution of the customer’s issue.

Our customer has expressed dissatisfaction related to continued billing for service at a property that she has sold, as well as the request for any additional payment toward the Early Termination Fee.

Guardian is a customer-centric company and strives to provide options for satisfying an Agreement early when a customer moves or sells a property. However, service areas can change from time to time and Guardian cannot guarantee that options to the Early Termination fee will be available to all customers. It is for this reason that there are no Agreement Terms regarding relocation of services to a new property or transferring the service to a new owner. The Monitoring Agreement does state in Section 8. SUSPENSION; TERMINATION; DEFAULT: “Your obligations under this Agreement continue even if You sell or leave the Premises.” In addition, the new owner has not contacted Guardian to subscribe to our services; if they had, the customer would have been released from his agreement the day the new owner’s service was activated.

A Guardian representative reached out to our customer after a thorough review of our customer’s sale, installation and account history had been performed. Guardian and our customer arrived at a mutually agreeable settlement of her Monitoring Agreement dated August 16, 2021.

Thank you for informing Guardian of this matter. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response Team
Customer Answer
Date: 08/23/2023
[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

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.

Regards,

******* *******
Initial Complaint
Date:08/06/2023
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.
First off I was lied to when I started service about the contract length. I did not want a 36 month contract and they told me that was the shortest offered. Anyway, we sold the home with this account back at the end of December of 2022. Gaurdian could have come and got their equipment back, which was just a panel, the rest of the equipment was already installed in the house. They did not add any new sensors to the house and were there for less than 20 min setting up. I have tried, canceling the service, pausing the service, and even transferring the service to our new address. However none of these options were available. They actually kept these services and left us with access to the new homeowners security system, which would make me feel uncomfortable if I was living in a house and the previous owners still had control of our security system. At this point, the frustration and time wasted will out weight any bogus amount due if this matter goes to court. This is not fair business practice, and the customers are getting screwed over by this company in the case that they sell their home and can not get service in the new area they move to. I do not want to be contacted by the company just want them to stop calling and emailing me, this is more like harassment. This company is greedy and would never use them again for any services. Will be using ADT from now on
Business Response
Date: 08/07/2023
August 7, 2023

BBB of Western Pennsylvania
***** ********* ****
520 E Main St, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

RE:      **** ****** * ********* ** ********
**** *** *****

Thank you for forwarding the above referenced complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”). Guardian values the opportunity to review our customer’s account and respond.

Our customer noted he was displeased with the contract length, and that he tried canceling the service, pausing the service, and even transferring the service to their new address, but none of these options were available. He feels he should be released from his agreement without further payment.

For background, our customer’s system was sold and installed AAA Home Security, LLC (“AAA”), an authorized dealer of Guardian Protection, whereby all aspects of the sale and installation took place directly with AAA. AAA is a separate and distinct company from Guardian, for which Guardian provided 24-hour monitoring and related services until Guardian purchased the account from AAA approximately a year after installation. Guardian does not control any day-to-day business activities or any internal policies or procedures of AAA, including security evaluations, sales processes, installation practices or any other aspects of AAA’s business.

A review of our customer’s account shows he received the installation of the new control panel, the reprogramming of his sensors, and the configuration of the remote access and control service at no charge. The testing of the newly installed panel and devices alone appears to have taken 30 minutes. His 36-month agreement, which he accepted when he initialed it and signed it, shows he also received an $8.00 discount on his monthly fee.

With regard to canceling the account, our customer called Guardian to cancel his account on December 30, 2022, a week after his home was sold. Per Section 8 of the Monitoring Agreement (Dealer) our customer executed (attached): “Your obligations under this Agreement continue even if You sell or leave the Premises.” And while this language exists in the agreement, Guardian strives to provide options for satisfying an agreement early when a customer moves or sells the premises, such as relocating the service to the customer’s new property or releasing him from agreement if the buyer subscribes to monitoring services with Guardian. In this case, the customer informed the representative he did not have a location to transfer the service to and he did not plan to get a new system/service at any time, and the new owner never contacted Guardian. Our customer is responsible for payment of the last six (6) months of monitoring fees, the bills that generated from January 2023 through June 2023, and any other fees that may have been assessed.

Regarding the continued monitoring and access to the system, our customer requested to speak with a supervisor and did not give the representative an opportunity to discuss the need for signed authorization to at least stop the monitoring. A supervisor did return his call and left a message, but the supervisor’s call was never returned.

Thank you for providing Guardian an opportunity to address our customer’s complaint. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response Team
Customer Answer
Date: 08/07/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

i have made serveral attempts to cancel, not one of the reps on any of those calls said anything about signing anything. They offer a lesser than 36 month contract but I was lied to on the phone. I have a recording of that phone call I can ultrasound upload upon request.
ive been trying to cancel since the close of our home in December

Regards,

**** ******
Business Response
Date: 08/11/2023
August 11 2023

BBB of Western Pennsylvania
***** ********* ****
520 E Main St, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

RE:      **** ****** * ********* ** ******** **** *** *****

Thank you for forwarding the complainant’s additional statements. Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”) is happy to address them.

Our customer commented on Guardian’s initial response that he has made several attempts to cancel and not one of the reps on any of those calls said anything about him signing anything. He also noted “they”, his sales and installation company AAA Home Security, LLC, offers agreement terms shorter than 36 months and he has a recording of the sales call he had with them.

Guardian would like to note again our customer’s system was sold and installed AAA Home Security, LLC (“AAA”), an authorized dealer of Guardian Protection, whereby all aspects of the sale and installation took place directly with AAA. AAA is a separate and distinct company from Guardian, for which Guardian provided 24-hour monitoring and related services until Guardian purchased the account from AAA approximately a year after installation. Guardian does not control any day-to-day business activities or any internal policies or procedures of AAA, including security evaluations, sales processes, installation practices or any other aspects of AAA’s business. Nor does Guardian have access to phone conversations between AAA representatives and its clients.

Guardian reviewed all conversations between the complainant and Guardian personnel that occurred on December 30, 2022 through August 8, 2023.

12/30/2022 – The complainant called Guardian’s Loyalty team to cancel his account because he sold his home. He stated he was not going to get service anywhere else. The Loyalty representative reviewed that he still had 6 months remaining on his agreement. The complainant disputed the term stating it was supposed to be month to month. The representative asked if the new owners were interested in the service. The complainant said he did not know; it was not any of his business. The representative began discussing the situation further, but the customer interrupted her, spoke over her, and said he wanted to speak with a supervisor as he was not going to pay any cancelation fee, and stated again he did not as far as he was aware he did not sign for a 3-year agreement. The representative offered to turn off the monitoring but noted the billing would continue. The customer began speaking over the representative and requested to speak with a supervisor before she was able to finish discussing turning off the monitoring and the procedure necessary to do so. The representative agreed to put a request in for a supervisor to call him and the customer ended the call. Guardian would like to note a supervisor called the complainant and left a voice message for him on January 3, 2023.
02/22/2023 – The complainant called Guardian and spoke with a payment specialist. The specialist reviewed the account was not canceled. The customer advised the specialist that he had sold the house, was going through a divorce and had nowhere to relocate the service to. The complainant then said he did not personally sign up for any agreement with any length of time. The specialist noted the supervisor had called the customer on 1/03/2023 and offered to put in a request for a supervisor to call him again. The customer then stated Guardian missed its opportunity to remove the equipment, that’s on Guardian, and he has no liability. Guardian would like to note it would not have released the customer from his agreement if the equipment had been removed and returned. The equipment would not have been reinstalled in another customer’s home due to liabilities. The payment specialist confirmed his account will continue billing until the end of his term. The customer advised he would not make any further payments. The specialist confirmed we are not taking automatic payments from his funding account because the autopayments had been stopped. The complainant again said he would not pay anything, spoke over the specialist, and ended the call.
07/11/2023 – Guardian’ Customer Loyalty Department returned a call per a voice message from the complainant. The complainant again stated he sold the house, that he had called multiple times, and did not have anywhere to relocate the service to. He said he was moving into a rental home while building a new home. He stated he was not willing to pay for service until then. He also stated he and his wife seemed to have access to the system still. The Loyalty representative reviewed the account and confirmed the 36-month term of the agreement, that the obligations under the agreement continue even if the complainant moved or sold the property, and there were six (6) unpaid months remaining. The complainant said he was willing to transfer service when he had a place to do so but was unwilling to negotiate anything else. He stated he was willing to complete the terms of his contract but was not going to pay for services he did not receive and said he would file complaints with other agencies. The complainant stated Guardian could have removed the panel and make money off of it. He also stated Guardian never turned off the service because he continued to get notifications and felt that was an invasion of privacy. The representative confirmed the billing had stopped, the agreement term had ended, but the current balance is owed.

A copy of the agreements the complainant signed was attached to Guardian’s original response. Please note the attachment includes a DocuSign history of the signing events for the documents. The documents were sent to the complainant using the email address noted in his complaint. The agreements were viewed and signed approximately 2.5 hours after they were sent to him. The customer had ample time to review the agreements before initialing and signing his acceptance of the agreements’ terms. The complainant also had period of three (3) business days after signing the agreements to cancel the transaction without penalty.

Guardian is not going to defer the fulfillment of the last six months of the customer’s agreement for an indeterminant amount of time. The billing ceased on June 4, 2023, the end date of the agreement term. The monitoring also ceased on June 4, 2023, the end date of the agreement term since the customer had not worked with Guardian to cease the monitoring of the system prior to the end date of the agreement term. The customer is responsible for paying the account balance of $223.60, which includes 6 months of monitoring, sales tax, and late fees. If the account balance is not paid by August 31, 2023, Guardian will proceed with its collection efforts.

Thank you for providing Guardian an opportunity to address our customer’s additional remarks. Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response Team
Customer Answer
Date: 08/11/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]

This response basically is the same response of the last message and we’re getting nowhere. They missed where they actually offered me a lesser amount to close out the contract earlier. I believe it was around 120 in the month of February. I will have to go back through emails to find the documentation. I told the rep over the phone I did not want to 36 month contract. After reviewing the phone call that’s recorded I only agreed to 36 months because she said that was the shortest term offered, however, when phoning in to guardian, I asked what the shortest term was in a 12 month term is available I was lied to from the start. I should not get locked in to a contract, and when I requested a shorter term that was available I was lied to point blank, no mention of any of this is in their response

Regards,

**** ******
Business Response
Date: 08/15/2023
August 11 2023

BBB of Western Pennsylvania
***** ********* ****
520 E Main St, Suite 100
Carnegie, PA 15106

RE:      **** ****** * ********* ** ********
**** *** *****

Thank you for forwarding the complainant’s additional statements made on August 11, 2023 and shared with Guardian Protection (“Guardian”) on August 15, 2023.

The complainant noted Guardian’s response on August 7, 2023 was basically the same response to the original complaint. He states Guardian missed where “they” actually offered the complainant a lesser amount to close out the agreement earlier this year, he believed in February 2023. He also states he spoke with a rep over the phone and stated he did not want a 36-month contract but accepted it because she said that was the shortest term offered. He states he then called Guardian and asked what the shortest term offered is and was told 12 months. He stated he feels lied to.

Guardian’s response has been consistent because the facts of the matter remain the same. The complainant was quoted and sold a security system by AAA Home Security, LLC (AAA). AAA is a separate company from Guardian. It has its own promotions which may differ from Guardian’s promotions with respect to package and equipment discounts, monthly service fees and monitoring terms. The fact Guardian offers a 12- month monitoring agreement, which would not have included an installation at no charge, has absolutely no bearing on what AAA said they could offer the customer. The complainant had every opportunity to shop around with other providers if he didn’t like the offers being made by AAA.

Regarding the complainant’s statement he received an offer from Guardian to settle the account for less than the account balance, Guardian outlined all conversations that took place between the complainant and its representatives from December 30, 2022 and August 8, 2023 and found no such offer.

Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.

Sincerely,
Agency Complaint Response Team
Customer Answer
Date: 08/15/2023
Better Business Bureau:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********* and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

I have documentation of the recorded phone call sent to me and the emails. Will be submitting to the general attorneys office as well and any other entities they recommend if needed, if this can not get settled via this bbb complaint. My story hasn’t changed, I just moved into a home where we can have a security system, lived in an RV camper and out of apartments for work for the last 18 months, we kept the system in the tx home while we owned it. And yes I was going to go through a divorce, and luckily it didn’t happen and we are back together. My personal life should have nothing to do with this contract, but you mock my life and then use the word “states” like I am making things up as I go. I have documentation for everything I have “stated”, please let me know what you would like to see.

thanks

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]

Regards,

**** ******

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