ComplaintsforGuardian Protection

• Initial Complaint

  08/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased this service on 8/12/2024 and on 8/15/24 i reviewed the information and noticed that they had enrolled me into a 60 month contract that i did not have knowledge of. when the installer was at my home and we were going over the paper work everything looked good. however, while reviewing the contract to print and put in my housing file, it now contains a page informing me that i am enrolled for 60 months and this was not apart of the packet he went over with me at my home. Its a very shady business practice. And i would like to cancel and get out of this 60 month contract that i didnt agree to.

  

  Business response

  08/20/2024

  August 20, 2024
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main St, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA   15106
  
  RE:         **** **** * ********* ** ********
  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  Thank you for forwarding the above referenced complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”).  Guardian values the opportunity to address our customer’s statements.    
  
  Our customer has expressed dissatisfaction with learning on the day of installation that she entered into a 60-month monitoring commitment.  Our customer states she purchased the system on August 12, 2024 and her installation was performed on August 15, 2024.  Our customer states the cover sheet was not present with the original agreements she signed when purchasing the system, and that she didn’t agree to a 60-month monitoring term.
  
  With regard to our customer’s claim that the terms of the agreement were not communicated prior to signing the agreement, Guardian references the attached electronic paperwork sent to our customer for execution.  Guardian would first like to note that once Adobe Acrobat documents have been initialed and/or signed by the customer, the document cannot be altered.   Terms cannot be changed and pages, such as the cover sheet with the important terms of the agreements, cannot be inserted. The cover page was part of electronic paperwork at the time of creation on August 7, 2024.  Please refer to Adobe Acrobat’s “Packet Final Report” in the attachment.  It shows each step the electronic paperwork took, from creation to completion. Please note there is no reference to the document being edited or updated. 
  
  When reviewing the “Packet Final Report”, one will  notice the system was sold on August 7, 2024, the date the agreements were created and emailed to our customer, not August 13, 2024.  Our customer executed the Sale and Installation and Monitoring Agreements on August 7, 2024.  The paperwork included the cover sheet discussed above as well as a Notice of Cancelation that informed our customer she could cancel the transaction without penalty or obligation up until midnight on August 12, 2024.  Additionally, please refer to section E) Initial Term and Automatic Renewal.  Our customer had to initial the statement “The initial term of this Agreement is 60 months (“Initial Term”) in order to execute/complete the electronic paperwork.
  
  We are sorry our customer did not review her agreements again during the 3- business days she had to cancel the transaction without penalty, or even prior to allowing our technician to perform the installation.  Guardian now has an investment in the home and is not in the position to release our customer from her Monitoring Agreement.  If our customer wishes to terminate the agreement early, she may do so per the terms of Section 18. EARLY TERMINATION / CANCELATION in his monitoring agreement. 
  
  Thank you for bringing this matter to Guardian’s attention and providing an opportunity for Guardian to respond to our customer’s statements.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  Agency Complaint Response Team

• Initial Complaint

  08/16/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company keeps sending me a bill claiming that I owe them money , i have not done business with this it company , I had a account with vintage security which I terminated a few months back i don’t understand how this company keep’s sending me a bill . Sounds like a scam .

  

  Business response

  08/19/2024

  August 19, 2024
  
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main Street, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA 15106
  
          RE:  **** ******* * ********* ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  Thank you for forwarding our customer’s complaint.  Guardian Protection (“Guardian”) values the opportunity to resolve our customer’s issue.
  
  Our customer expressed dissatisfaction with continued billing after she terminated her account with Vintage several months ago.
  
  Guardian reviewed our customer’s account upon receipt of this complaint.  We found our customer had terminated services during the transition of services and billing from Vintage to Guardian.  We were able to confirm the request for termination and that a cancelation document was sent to the contract signer to sign and authorize the termination.  The signed cancellation document was never received from our customer, resulting in the final payment being applied to the account incorrectly.
  
  A representative called our customer and confirmed the billing would be terminated and the account balance was credited to $0.00 on this date.  We apologize there were issues with the processing of the account termination.
  
  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Agency Complaint Response Team

• Initial Complaint

  08/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In the summer of 2021 I purchased my very first home. I opted to have a security system, I chose guardian because several other houses in the neighborhood used them. 3 years went by and I sold my house. I tried to cancel my account but they said there would be a cancellation fee of $1200 due at the time of the call. I told the rep, that there was never a cancellation fee discussed with me at the time of set up. She stated that the contract is for 60 months and that if I end it before the 60 months there is a fee. I do see on the contract where it says 60 months but NOWHERE on the contract does it go over an early cancellation fee. I feel this is wrong of them to try to enforce a cancellation fee without putting it in their contract. I would have never signed that contract had I known that!

  

  Business response

  08/19/2024

  August 19, 2024
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main St, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA   15106
  
  RE:        ****** ***** * ********* ** ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  Thank you for forwarding the above referenced complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”).  Guardian values the opportunity to address our customer’s concern.
  
  Our customer has expressed dissatisfaction with Guardian’s request for payment of the $1,250.00 Early Termination Fee noted in her agreement.  She noted the Early Termination Fee was not discussed by her sales representative and stated she would not have signed a 60-month term had she been aware of the Early Termination Fee. 
  
  For background, our customer’s security system was sold and installed by a representative working for AAA Home Security, LLC (“AAA”) whereby all aspects of the sale and installation, including the electronic paperwork, took place directly with the representative of AAA.  AAA 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 AAA, until such time that Guardian purchases the account from AAA.  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 and employees.
  
  Guardian is a customer-centric organization that has put several options in place to assist our customers who move.  Guardian offers to relocate services to our customer’s new home when possible, to waive the balance of the customer’s agreement term if the new owner of the home subscribes to monitoring services with Guardian, and payment of an Early Termination Fee being the worst case scenario.  Our customer confirmed she is not in a position to relocate the service at this time, and it is apparent the new owner is not interested in the monitoring services.
  
  A Guardian representative performed an in-depth review of our customer’s account then contacted our customer.  She noted the terms for terminating services before the end of the initial term are included in our customer’s Monitoring Agreement under Section 8) “Suspension; Termination; Default…”  This being said, due to status of our customer’s initial term and her account history, the representative found we were able to offer a reduced early termination fee which our customer indicated was satisfactory.
  
  Thank you for advising Guardian of this matter and providing an opportunity for additional assistance to our customer.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  Agency Complaint Response Team

  Customer response

  08/19/2024

  [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

  08/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  my complaint to Guardian Protection: “My video doorbells battery has been degrading over the past 4 month i literally talked to more than 4 people & no one noticed today i was harassed & threatened on my porch & my video doorbell was broken & not working because your techs failed to catch a problem. so i call service & they say i have to PAY for a new one despite the product that you sold me & backed breaking. this is the most egregious issue ive ever dealt with in my entire life, Corbin employee * ***** *iterally told me im out of luck. i just paid a $600 bill for my annual subscription & your services aren’t working, you’re breaking the contract we signed & i’m going to be reporting this to the better business bureau. the one & only time i’ve ever needed your camera the camera was broken due to a degraded battery which once again <4 techs looked at it & said nothing about battery degrading. You guys are scamming me 100% & i will not stand for it. i’m going to be reaching out to his superiors with this complaint. your company failed to protect me when i needed it to. i will not rest until the whole world knows what happened today with your equipment malfunctioning while i got harassed on my own door step. this is EGREGIOUS!!!! this is not right & you are refusing to right the situation. you’re scam artists. nothing more”

  Customer response

  08/05/2024

  I had to call to have my broken video doorbell camera removed from my account. they tried billing me for a broken product that they know is broken i’ve talked to so many people there. it’s a corporate scam this is in reference to *********

  

  Business response

  08/12/2024

  August 12, 2024
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main St, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA  15106
  
  RE:        ***** ******** * ********* **********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau: 
  
  Thank you for forwarding our customer’s complaint to Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”).  Our customer has been in contact with several Guardian representatives, and we invite the opportunity to perform another review of his account and respond to his assertions.
  
  Our customer expressed dissatisfaction with his video doorbell.  He noted the battery has been degrading, Guardian was unable to detect there was an issue with the battery, the video doorbell no longer works, and feels Guardian should replace his video doorbell at no charge.  He is also unhappy that Guardian did not immediately stop the video doorbell service and reduce his monthly rate.  And lastly, our customer asserts a representative literally told him he was out of luck. 
  
  Guardian would first like to say that we are sorry the customer’s doorbell has been malfunctioning and is now no longer working at all.  With regard to Guardian detecting issues, we refer our customer to Section 9) of his Monitoring Agreement which clearly indicates Guardian does not monitor any signals or images from camera devices.
  
  "9.  CAMERA SYSTEMS: If You purchase a camera, including video doorbells,
  and / or video storage (the “Camera System”), such specialized video service will
  be provided by a subcontractor.  Any capture, use, storage, transmission, or
  destruction of video events or alerts pertaining to the Camera System is conducted
  solely by the subcontractor.  The fee for video Services is included in the MSC.  You
  agree that the video Services are expressly limited to viewing real time events,
  recording and playback of events captured by the Camera System, and receiving
  alerts via Your web-connected device(s).  We do not monitor the video feed from the
  Camera System.  We will not receive signals or images from the Camera System
  and cannot notify any Authority in response to any signal from the Camera System.
  You agree that; (a) We need to access Your computer network to program the
  Camera System; (b) Your computer network will not be operational during
  installation; (c) You will need to have or obtain a compatible wireless router; and (d)
  We are not responsible for the security of stored images or data, including, without
  limitation, those stored on Your device or Your computer network."
  
  The notifications our customer received when his video doorbell lost its wi-fi connection or had battery performance issues, were received from a sub-contractor.  Guardian Technical Care representatives were able to help him reconnect  his video doorbell when he called on June 27, 20024, July 18, 2024, and July 30, 2024.  It was when he called on August 2, 2024 that it was determined the Video Doorbell’s battery was no longer functioning properly.
  
  We are sorry our customer is unhappy with the billable service rates he was quoted.  The warranty on his device has expired and the terms of his sale and installation agreement clearly state the Limited Lifetime System Repair Coverage does not apply to several items/situations including (a) video devices, including cameras, video doorbells, video storage (the “Camera System”) under Section 6.3 “What Is Not Covered.” 
  
  Our customer spoke with a representative from Guardian’s Loyalty Center on August 3, 2024, the day after our customer spoke with Technical Care regarding the video doorbell battery issue.  The Loyalty representative made two offers to our customer, who was not eligible for a free replacement video doorbell:  1) to have the  video doorbell replaced for a flat charge of $175.00 rather than at our billable rates,  or 2) delete the video doorbell from the system and receive a $10.00 per month reduction of his monitoring fees.  
  
  Guardian’s liaison tried reaching our customer to advise him Guardian will honor the Loyalty Center representative’s offer to replace the video doorbell for a fee of $175.00, but her voice messages were not returned.  If our customer decides to take advantage of this offer, he  must contact Guardian and schedule the replacement of the device by August 31, 2024.  If our customer does elect to have his video doorbell replaced as Guardian has offered, his monthly service fees will increase by $10.00 per month when the video doorbell service is reactivated.  
  
  As to our customer’s annual payment for services, his billing was changed back to monthly billing.  Guardian should be able to request a pro-rated refund for the fees he paid for service through July 16, 2025 on August 17, 2024 when the change to monthly billing is completed.
  
  Thank you for providing Guardian with 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

• Initial Complaint

  07/31/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Upon inquiring about the service I was told that the service could be transferred to new location since we anticipated needing to move before the 60 month contract was up. Was not disclosed that it had to be somewhere they operated. Moved out of state after 12 months and asked to transfer service to new location and was told the options were to pay the remaining charges for the life of the contract or transfer the contract to the new owner which they did not want. I knew that I would be moving back to my hometown and was told that it would not be an issue. When the time came I emailed the general manager and she emailed back that they did not operate in my new city.

  

  Business response

  07/31/2024

  July 31, 2024
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main St, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA  15106
  
  RE:        **** ************** * ********* ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau: 
  
  Thank you for advising Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”) of the above-referenced matter.  Guardian values the opportunity to provide address this customer’s concerns. 
  
  This customer’s complaint states her sales representative said the service could be transferred to a new location but did not disclose the new location had to be in an area where they operated.  The other options for early termination were to transfer the service to the new owner or pay the agreement’s early termination fee.  The customer stated the new owners did not want the service and she does not want to pay the early termination fee.  She has asked that the contract be terminated without penalty.
  
  For background, our customer’s security system was sold and installed by a representative working for AAA Home Security, LLC (“AAA”), an authorized dealer of Guardian, whereby all aspects of the sale and installation took place directly with the representative of AAA.  AAA is a separate and distinct company from Guardian, for which Guardian provides 24-hour monitoring and related services.  Guardian does not control any day-to-day business activities or internal policies and procedures of AAA, including security evaluations, negotiations, sales processes, installation practices or any other aspect of AAA’s business and employees.
  
  Guardian’s records indicate *** ************** initially engaged AAA’s services on April 7, 2023, as memorialized in the Sale and Installation and Monitoring Agreements, with the installation and activation of service taking place on June 12, 2023.  The initial term of the Monitoring Agreement is designated as sixty (60) months.  *** ************** acknowledged the initial term by placing her initials beside the separate clause which states, “The initial term of this Agreement is 60 months.”  and executed both agreements when she affixed her electronic signature on them.  Further, AAA informed Guardian that the customer told AAA Home Security via a recorded call that she would be I the home for approximately 5 years.
  
  Given that *** **************** complaint and request relate to her sale, installation, and contractual obligation with AAA, her concerns and request will need to be addressed by AAA.  In an effort to assist in facilitating resolution, Guardian has provided a copy of the complaint to AAA.
  
  *** ************** may contact AAA directly at: AAA Home Security, LLC., 1*** ********** ****** ***** **** ******* ******* ** ******  ********** ***** *******7 to discuss this matter further.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Agency Complaint Response Team

• Initial Complaint

  07/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  After completing my 3-year contract with Guardian, I called to cancel the subscription. I was sent e-documents to sign to confirm the cancellation, which I did. I have continued to be billed, and it has been 6 months since the cancellation. I have called to speak to someone and every time I have called, I have been told all agents are busy and to leave a message. I have not received a callback. I would like Guardian to remove the monthly charges past my cancellation date and stop billing me.

  

  Business response

  08/06/2024

  August 5, 2024
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main Street, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA   15106
  
                  RE:        ******** ***** * ********* ** ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”) is in receipt of the above referenced s complaint.
  
  Our customer is disputing monthly fees Guardian has billed after the cancelation date of her account.  She has request4ed that Guardian remove the monthly charges for services after her cancelation date and stop billing her.
  
  Guardian reviewed our customer’s account in detail and found there had been an error with the cancelation of billing and it continued beyond the January 27, 2024 cancelation effective date.
  
  Guardian applied a credit of $264.22 to our customer’s account, reducing her balance due to $119.82.  Our customer owes $119.82 for the last two months of her agreement’s initial 36-month term.  These bills are for services provided from November 28, 2023 through January 27, 2024.  A representative tried reaching out to our customer to confirm the billing correction but she did not answer the calls and it is unclear if the voice messages to her were recording properly.
  
  Guardian apologizes for the error and the difficulty our customer experienced having the error corrected.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  Agency Complaint Response Team
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I signed up for Guardian protection services in June 2021. They put me on a 5 year contract unbeknownst to me. They installed outdoor cameras and an alarm system and i started paying them monthly for services. I never really checked the work they did and didn't need to until Feb/March 2024, when i tested the cameras and found out they were not working. I reached out to guardian and they sent a technician on March 16th to figure out the issue. The technician stated that the cameras were not getting power because the previous technician had placed them in the wrong place. They advised me to place an outlet in the attic which i did. A 2nd technician was sent on April 9th to transfer the cameras to the new outlet. He said that the cameras would need to be replaced. I reached out to guardian for replacement of the cameras and they told me that i had a bill of $479 for the 2nd technician's diagnosis. There was no prior disclosure that i would incur a bill for this service. Then they told me that i would have to pay over $2000 to replace all the cameras. I told them that the cameras were incorrectly placed by the 1st technician sent to my house in June 2021. Why should i pay for replacing them, when the problem arose with the technician. They can't explain the service fee of $479 and they can't show me where it says on the contract that i am responsible for damages incurred by the technician. They have taken money out of my account for 3 years with non working equipment and still want to charge me an exorbitant amount of money for doing their job. This is fraud. How can they keep charging me for services when their equipment is not working.

  

  Business response

  08/06/2024

  August 6, 2024
  
  
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main St, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA  15106
  
  RE:        ******* ***** * ********* ********
  Dear Better Business Bureau: 
  
  Thank you for advising Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”) of the above-referenced matter.  Guardian values the opportunity to address our customer’s concerns. 
  
  Our customer states she signed up for Guardian in June 2021 and we put her into a 5-year contract unbeknownst to her.  She also states she tested her cameras in February or March 2024 and found they were not working.  A technician was sent on March 16th to resolve the issue and the technician found the cameras were not getting power because the  installer had placed them in the wrong place.  The tech advised her to get an outlet in the attic.  Our customer had an outlet installed in her attic.  The technician was sent back and found the  cameras would not power up and needed to be replaced.  She said she received a bill of $479.00 for the second service call and was not told she would incur a bill for the service.  She was also quoted over $2000 to replace all of her cameras.  Our customer doesn’t feel she should have to pay for replacing the cameras when the problem arose from the installation.  Our customer states we also cannot explain the service fee of $479.00.
  
  For background, our customer’s security system was sold and installed by a representative working for AAA Home Security, LLC (“AAA”), an authorized dealer of Guardian, whereby all aspects of the sale and installation took place directly with the representative of AAA.  AAA is a separate and distinct company from Guardian, for which Guardian provides 24-hour monitoring and related services.  Guardian does not control any day-to-day business activities or internal policies and procedures of AAA, including security evaluations, negotiations, sales processes, installation practices or any other aspect of AAA’s business and employees.
  
  Guardian’s records indicate *** ***** initially engaged AAA’s services on June 14, 2021, as memorialized on the attached Sale and Installation and Monitoring agreements.  *** ***** Acknowledged the initial term by placing her initials next to the statement “The initial term of this Agreement is 60 months.” in Section E) of the Monitoring Agreement.  The terms of our customer’s Limited Lifetime System Repair, including what is not covered, is detailed on the first page of our customer’s Sales and Installation agreement under Section C).
  
  Our customer first contacted Guardian about a camera issue on March 4, 2024, approximately 31.5 months after the installation.  Guardian first sent a technician on site to troubleshoot our customer’s video equipment on March 16, 2024.  The technician found a definite issue with the outlet the cameras were plugged into.  He was unable to power the cameras properly and advised our customer the outlet for the cameras needed replaced, and it would be better if it new outlet was located in the attic.  Guardian’s technician was on site for nearly an hour on March 16th, but Guardian did not bill the customer for the trip and labor spent troubleshooting the cameras.
  A Guardian technician was next on site on April 9, 2024 after our customer replaced the electrical outlet and had it relocated to the attic.  Guardian’s technician spent nearly two hours trying to get the cameras working properly but was again unsuccessful.  It is possible the failing electrical outlet the cameras were first plugged into caused damage to the cameras.  The possibility of damage from electrical fluctuations and surges, or lightning damage, cannot be determined until such time as power is restored to the device(s).  Our customer was charged billable rates for this service call, totaling $479.00.  The charges included a trip fee, 1.75 hours of labor, as well as parts charges for a power supply board and battery that were installed in an effort to get the cameras that were installed by AAA working again.
  
  A Guardian representative called our customer and left a voice message to discuss this matter, but her call was never returned.  Our customer’s cameras are well out of their original installation warranty and are not covered by her Limited Lifetime System Repair plan.  She has the option to replace the cameras, or have Guardian turn off the camera services and reduce her monthly fee by $10.00.
  
  Thank you for bringing this matter to Guardian’s attention.  Should have any questions, please contact Guardian at 1-800-776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Agency Complaint Response Team

  Customer response

  08/07/2024

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

• Initial Complaint

  07/23/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The alarm system faulted and my house was burglarized. Repeated attempts to get someone to address the issue have been ignored. Their customer support people keep passing me to other people and then they promise to investigate and contact me but have NEVER responded. I lost thousands of dollars of antique coins.

  

  Business response

  07/29/2024

  July 29, 2024
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main Street, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA 15106
  
          ***  ******* ****** * ********* ** ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  Thank you for forwarding our customer’s complaint.  Guardian Protection (“Guardian”) values the opportunity to provide response.
  
  Our customer states their security system faulted and their home was burglarized, and that repeated attempts to have Guardian address the issues have been ignored.
  
  Guardian regretted to learn our customer experienced a burglary, allegedly on May 21, 2024, while they were out of town.  When our customer contacted Guardian on June 3, 2024, the date they found evidence of a burglary, his account was immediately reviewed.
  
  A Guardian Customer Care representative confirmed a tamper signal was received from a door sensor.  Please note that a tamper signal is not an alarm.  It is an indication the sensor cover became ajar or was removed, or the tamper switch itself was damaged or worn out over time.
  
  Three things happened when the signal was received, 1)  Guardian placed an automated call to the only phone number we have on file for our customer.  This call would have provided our customer with the ability to connect with our Monitoring Center if needed, 2) an email was sent to our customer to the same email address he provided in his BBB complaint, and 3) a push notification was sent to his iPhone. 
  
  Our customer spoke with a supervisor in Guardian’s Monitoring Center on June 5, 2024.  The supervisor confirmed Guardian received a tamper signal, not an alarm, and that an automated call was placed to the customer, and an email and push notification were sent.  This supervisor advised he would have our technical team review his account to try and determine why the sensor sent a tamper signal instead of an alarm and call our customer back.
  
  Unfortunately, the Monitoring Center supervisor did not call our customer back after his account was reviewed and we apologize for this lack up follow-up.  The review by Guardian’s in-house technical team found a tamper signal had been received from this device almost monthly since December 2023.  Our customer was notified of the previous tamper signals as well but did not contact Guardian to discuss them or request a service call.
  
  Guardian has offered the customer a service call, at no charge, to service the sensor that sent in the tamper signal, as well as another device the customer is aware is not functioning properly.  Our customer is considering the offer.
  
  Guardian urges its customers to test their entire system at least monthly, and to contact Guardian promptly to troubleshoot an issue and/or request service when an indication of a malfunction is received.
  
  Thank you for providing Guardian with the additional opportunity to respond.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at 1-800-776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Agency Complaint Response Team

  Customer response

  07/29/2024

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

  They claim that they responded after one call to customer service and that is not true. I made at least 4 calls and each time they claimed that someone would get back to me and they never did.  As, for them leaving me a message - I have every call and every message from the last two months and they did not respond.  This indicates that they are not doing what they claim and this situation is systemic and not just one person forgetting to contact me.   
  I knew from looking at the other complaints that they would blame the age of my system and suggest purchasing a new system.  That is exactly what they did when they called.  They basically said they could not explain why the door faulted instead of sending an alarm but offered to check it now - free.   It’s like closing the gate after the cow escaped.  
  I have had their security service for over 12 years and was lead to believe they were protecting my house but in reality they only provide deterrents to burglary and cannot technically explain why it faulted instead of alarming.   As, they told me on the call “we feel bad for your loss and hope your insurance company covers everything you had stolen”.   I have lost all trust for Guardian and it’s security services.  I will update my insurance policy to cover individual items because that is a better use of my money and buy a Ring doorbell and camera.  
  
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* ******

• Initial Complaint

  07/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In Spring 2024 the tenant at a townhouse we own contacted Guardian to come out a) to repair/reset one of the master control panels and b) to repair/reset the Sonos sound system for the TV. The entire alarm/smart home system had been installed by ******* ********* a company that Guardian purchased. We have a 5-yr contract with *******/Guardian. At a service call (25 March) the Guardian tech said that the sound system was not turned on and had been installed improperly and was missing some piece (nfi). He offered to come back with someone at a later date to fix it. On 08 April 2024 when the Guardian techs were scheduled to return to complete the job, one technician arrived at 0800 and the other didn't show up until 0900. They argued about the nature of the problem (the surround sound would not stay on and the TV kept switching off) for nearly 3 hours. In the end, they were unable to fix it. Because the were unable to fix the issue, the tenant refused to sign the work order. I later received a bill from Guardian for $1,032.75. I called the company to dispute the charges, noting: -- The control panel and surround sound have NEVER worked properly. This has been an ongoing issue since we bought the property from the builder. -- Guardian has NOT fixed the issue, and as it apparently relates to some proprietary equipment/software that Guardian controls, there is not much we can do independently to resolve. -- The tech who arrived early billed us for the hour he was there waiting for the other technician. When I spoke with a rep of Guardian on 3 July, I was told that we had, in fact, been overbilled, and that the actual amount we owe was closer to $400 (round figure). At that time I asked for an email documenting original charges and corrections. I have never received this. I'm writing now because Guardian continues to try and bill us for this service call at the amount that I now know was errant. My efforts to unravel and resolve have failed.

  

  Business response

  07/24/2024

  July 24, 2024
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main Street, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA 15106
  
          RE:  ******* **** * ********* ** ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  Thank you for forwarding our customer’s complaint.  Guardian Protection (“Guardian”) values the opportunity to provide response and work with our customer in an effort to resolve his issues.
  
  Our customer expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of a sound/home theater system installed by ******* ********* as well as the amount billed by Guardian for a service call on April 8, 2024.  He is also upset that the sound system issue has not been fixed.
  
  Guardian conducted a review of the installation and service history of our customer’s systems upon receipt of this complaint.  Guardian could find no history of an issue with the sound/home theater system in *******’s records prior to March 2024, and it appears the touchscreen control panel issue has been resolved.
  
  A Guardian representative reached out to our customer after the initial review.  The first item discussed was the $1,032.75 service bill.  There were errors in the logging and bill of labor hours.  Credits have finally been placed on our customer’s account to bring the balance due for the service call down to $462.75.  Our customer was billed for this service call because the sound/home theater system is out of warranty and our customer does not have an extended repair plan for it.  The billing is for the corrected time spent troubleshooting and attempting to repair the system.  Guardian would like to note that no equipment or wiring issue is promised to be resolved in a single service call.  In this case, it appears a part needs to be ordered to attempt a full repair.
  
  When discussing our review of Guardian’s initial investigation into the issues, our new customer advised he had more history of the issues in email and text messages.  Guardian gladly offered to review the added information, reach out to ******* employees who have joined Guardian for further review of our customer’s account history,  and put together the best possible repair proposal we can offer. 
  
  Thank you for providing Guardian with the additional opportunity to work with our customer and try to resolve the issues with the malfunctioning sound system.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian at 1-800-776-832.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Agency Complaint Response Team

• Initial Complaint

  06/21/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We had water damage in our house, which included damaging our Guardian Protection system. The fire department turned off the system. We were not able to turn the system back on, as it was too damaged. Guardian told us that our system was too old to fix. They indicated that we needed to upgrade our system. It took us several months to work through the reclamation and remediation process. During that time, Guardian refused to stop billing us, even though the system was inoperable.

  

  Business response

  07/02/2024

  July 2, 2024
  
  BBB of Western Pennsylvania
  520 E Main Street, Suite 100
  Carnegie, PA   15106
  
              RE:      ***** ******** ********* ** ********
  
  Dear Better Business Bureau:
  
  Guardian Protection Services, Inc. (“Guardian”) is in receipt of our customer’s complaint and values the opportunity to address this matter.
  
  The complainant states his system was heavily damaged by water, that Guardian said it was too old to be fixed and they had to upgrade their system, and that Guardian refused to stop billing them.
  
  Guardian is sorry our customer experienced damage to their home after a water pipe broke. Our customer contacted a number of Guardian representatives about the issue over the course of several months, but for the most part our customer was seeking technical assistance.  A review of the phone calls to Guardian revealed our representatives were not informed of how extensive the damage was or how long home repairs would take.  For the most part they assisted the customer with placing his system on test until the customer was ready for a technician to repair the damaged device, or possibly upgrade the system.  At no time did the customer request cancelation of the monitoring and account, leading representatives to believe our customer would be ready to have the system issue addressed in the not-too-distant future.
  
  That being said, Guardian believes its representatives could have requested more details about the situation which would have led to better handling of our customer’s account.  For that reason, Guardian did credit the monitoring fees that accrued after the water damage occurred through the time the account was canceled, leaving the account closed and with a $0.00 balance.
  
  Thank you for informing Guardian of this matter.  Should you have any questions, please contact Guardian directly at (800) 776-8328.
  
  Sincerely,
  Agency Complaint Response Team

*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. ↩