ComplaintsforA.P.I. Alarm Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  23/03/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  March 5 2022 A.P.I. Security took unauthorized funds from my bank account. The original contract section 2.3 states that 60 days notice must be given before a raise in fees. No such notice was given .

  

  Business response

  08/04/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/03/28) */ Hello George, Your rates were not increased. The only additional billing in March is the annual permit fee for the Saskatoon Police for your residence. You can also email the office or call the office directly for faster response ********************************** Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/03/29) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The issue was that the raise in funds taken from my account were not authorized by me and no prior notice was given. The original contract states that a 60 day notification has to be given before any raise in fees, including a one time debit. The response from A.P.I.Is not satisfactory and the issue is not resolved! Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/03/30) */ Hi George The notes indicate you or someone authorized on the account spoke to a representative on May 31,2021 about police response and the annual permit which is approx. $25. If you no longer wish to have police response on the account we are happy to change it to a notify account. This fee is simply your annual police permit fee and without it the police will not respond to alarms or will charge your penalties without it. We are happy to do whatever it is you like. so please confirm Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2022/03/31) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I spoke to no one representing A.P.I. about taking additional funds from my account and no one else is authorized on my account. I have stopped any further auto withdrawals by A.PI. from my account *********************************************************** I am willing to submit payment in another fashion I.e. by e-transfer or other. No one should be able to arbitrarily remove funds from my account without my authorization. Again ,as reported in previous correspondences, 60 days prior notice was not given. Business Response /* (4000, 13, 2022/04/01) */ Hello at the date in question it would have been a representative from fluent. But again this fee you are questioning is an annual charge of only $25 for your police permit. If you do not want it we can cancel it for you. Your alarm rates have not changed at all Consumer Response /* (4200, 15, 2022/04/04) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) As I tried to explain before, the issue wasn't the fee, it was the fact that it was removed from my account without the agreed upon prior notice of 60 days. No one representing ****** or A.P.I contacted me regarding the extra funds being debited. Also no one else is authorized to take funds from my account! I have stopped any further auto withdrawals from my account. I will continue to make my regular monthly payments as long as another means of payment can be agreed upon. Business Response /* (4000, 17, 2022/04/05) */ hello - you can pay multiple ways including bill pay at any major bank, you can login and pay yourself. that's all up to you. all that I am trying to confirm with you at this point is if you want the police permit for response or not? That's what this $25 is for that you are questioning. please let us know what you would like to do Consumer Response /* (4200, 19, 2022/04/06) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Please refund the amount taken from my account (25.00) without my authorization. Cancel the police permit and send information to my email address as to how to log on to your site and make payment. Thank you. Business Response /* (4000, 21, 2022/04/07) */ No problem - you will receive an email from the office with the details Consumer Response /* (2000, 23, 2022/04/08) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) Thank you for your help B.B.B. The complaint has been resolved.

• Initial Complaint

  07/02/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Aside from the fact the the company has been very difficult to deal with over the past ~2 years since taking over from ******** we believe we have been over charged one months monitoring by API and are requesting this amount be provide by CHQ to us for the amount of $27.95. We'll only be providing the sampling of emails (**************) related to this specific issue. If a complete recap and copies or all email are required we will be seeking further compensation. We can provide further information on their POM service and how it actually does not cover the equipment it implies it covers should it be requested.

  

  Business response

  01/04/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2022/02/08) */ The customers account was canceled at the end of January and the outstanding invoices already cancelled. The original request was November 8th to cancel the account, 30days notice is required, there would not be a refund owing for the month of October or November --yes the error made was that the account was not cancelled initially at the end of November, the customer emailed us in January and we cancelled the account and the December and January invoices that were on the account, no refund is owing which was also explained to the customer prior, the November payment covered service rendered for October and November Consumer Response /* (3000, 8, 2022/02/09) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) Over the past 2 years unauthorized monthly charges were charged to our Visa; we were not under contracted and paid monthly after the switch from ********. We called in each time to ask why. Monthly billings were sporadically dated. During the cancellations process and towards the end we asked for a recap of the past two years billing/charges so we could valid as we believe we have been charged for an extra months period during our time with API. API ignores most emails when politely following up and then we were told this information would not be provided. It would appear the onus then is on US to PROVE they have over charged us. After they have refused to provide this information we a simply asked them for a single months charge value to be provided back to us via CHQ; this has been refused. AS an aside, how could they be charging (ie the invoices isn't in error then towards the end) for a service they could not be provided as it was not hooked up? So we are asking ********************** to have the month charge be reimbursed via CHQ to us that we believe is an overcharge/payment during the course on our dealing with API, OR the information requested regarding charges to our visa which may well prove API is correct and we are incorrect.

• Initial Complaint

  30/12/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  It has become evident that A.P.I. is billing me monthly, but is not actually providing monitoring service. We have had several alarm "events" over the last few weeks and at no point has API contacted us. When I contacted them, after a very long wait to speak to someone, I was told "I can see that there are communications issues with your alarm, but they don't show up on our screen" - whatever that means; the person couldn't provide any further explanation. I have decided that I want to cancel my service, but I cannot do so because the A.P.I. "Manage My Account" website is offline. I expect that A.P.I. will keeping invoicing me and charging my credit card because they make it impossible to cancel service. *******************************************************************************

  

  Business response

  21/01/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2022/01/07) */ The alarm is communicating, communication alarm will be received and restore within one minute, the customer has failed to contact API for service with the exception of December 29 where he was advised the alarm is functioning , to cancel the account they are to email **************************** Also note when an alarm is activated and the authorized user cancels the alarm with the code the alarm is not called on as it is a false signal, as was the care Nov 15 2021 and Nov 13 2021 Consumer Response /* (3000, 8, 2022/01/10) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The Station Monitoring representative told me there was a communications problem with the alarm. She did not say the alarm was functioning properly. She said that she could see that the alarm isn't communicating properly, but couldn't explain the problem. The Station Monitoring operator transferred me to service saying that it needed service. I left a message for service and Service, to this day, has never returned my call or contacted me in any way. The Customer Portal (Canada) was out of service on Dec 29 and continues to be out of service as of today. The businesses response fails to mention the multiple alarm disconnects that happened in December. My alarm was completed turned off and powered down multiple times in December and I was never contacted and it is not mentioned in the Business response, because it isn't being properly monitored. If you call A.P.I. Station Monitoring station you need to wait on hold for over 30 minutes which is completely unacceptable for an alarm monitoring company. Consumer Response /* (3000, 11, 2022/01/10) */ I want to add to my previous response - the Customer Service email that was included in the business's response is not available on the business's website. They have an 800 number that you need to wait in queue for 30 min, no email address is listed on the website, there is no email address on the invoices, there is no web contact form on the website, and the customer portal has been out of service ("Not Found - 404 Error. The requested resource cannot be found) since at least Dec 29. The business's response gives the illusion it is easy to contact this business. It is anything but easy to contact this business. Consumer Response /* (3000, 14, 2022/01/12) */ I am requesting to adjust my request for resolution. MY first priority in a resolution is to be provided with the "installer's code" for my alarm. This should be easy for the business to fulfill this request. It is simple provision of a numeric code to "unlock" my alarm hardware, which I own outright. In fact, I have owned the alarm hardware outright since purchased 8+ years ago. I should be entitled to use hardware that I own with another service provider, but to do this, I need to be provided with the installer's code. Consumer Response /* (3000, 17, 2022/01/12) */ Further to my request for the installers code... I did not purchase my alarm from A.P.I. I purchased it outright from a business that does not provide monitoring. No one from A.P.I has ever been to my home and no one from A.P.I. has ever serviced my alarm. I have only paid A.P.I. for monitoring service; however, only A.P.I. has the "installer's code" for my alarm. The installer's code locks the monitoring to a service provider. Without the installer's code, the alarm equipment that I purchased outright from another supplier might be useless to me and need to be entirely replaced. This is not right. I have never had a contract with A.P.I., A.P.I. didn't install my alarm, A.P.I. has not tested my alarm, A.P.I. has never serviced my alarm, ******************************************************************************************************************** That is simply wrong. Hence, I demand that the resolution to this complaint include providing me with the installer's code. I can provide full proof of purchase of the alarm system from an independent supplier. A.P.I. has no contractual right to my installer's code, which locks equipment that own to A.P.I's monitoring station. Consumer Response /* (3000, 20, 2022/01/12) */ If A.P.I. does not provide me with the installer's code, then I expect A.P.I. to issue me a credit/refund sufficient to cover the cost of replacing the panel because the panel, which I own outright and did not purchase from A.P.I. is useless if not unlocked. My panel cannot be unlocked with an "unlocker" tool because this is not possible for my model of panel. The only way to be able to use my panel is to gain access to the installer code. Business Response /* (4000, 22, 2022/01/19) */ This has been sent 4x, I did respond advising the installer code iF we have it would be sent at the end of the month when the account is terminated, customer was also provided the customer email to request the code Sincerely Katherine ******** A.P.I. Alarm Inc. ****************************************************************************************************** Consumer Response /* (4200, 24, 2022/01/20) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) The business has stated that it will provide an installer's code IF they have it. If they do not provide me with the installer's code then I demand $1,000 as compensation for parts and labour to placed equipment that I purchased from others and will be rendered useless without the installer's code. A.P.I. has also failed to address the monitoring communication problem, failure of service to contact me, and failure to maintain a customer portal, which were the reasons for which I requested a refund of six months worth of service. In summary, I expecting to receive from A.P.I. at the end of January either (i) the installer's code plus a refund for six months service; Or (ii) refund of $1,0000.00 in lieu of an installer's code plus refund for six months service. Business Response /* (4000, 26, 2022/01/21) */ THE NEW INSTALLING COMPANY CAN RESET THE PANEL AS OUTLINE PRIOR THIS IS A ******** ACCOUNT, API DID NOT INSTALL THIS ACCOUNT, IF ******** PROVIDED API THE CODE IT WILL BE PROVIDED THERE WILL BE NO REFUND

*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. ↩