Complaints

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:05/15/2024

  Type:Sales and Advertising 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 built a home in 2019 and signed a 5 year service contract with Security Force for alarm system monitoring. I moved in 2020 after being in that home for a year and a half. I called Security Force to cancel service as I was moving and they informed me that I would be expected to pay out the rest of the contract or move the service to my new home and finish out my current contract which was 3 1/2 additional years. I agreed to this and asked multiple times that I would not be signing a new 5 year contract and the person I spoke with assured me that it was a 3 year contract. I was later provided with a contract for 5 years. Unfortunately I did not see this in the contract as it is in small print and buried and I took the word of the person at Security Force that I spoke with and confirmed 4 times that the new contract was for 3 1/2 years. I am now moving again after being in my current home for 3 1/2 years and have had security force since then. I have paid every single bill on time and never missed a payment. I do not want to use them in my new home so I called to cancel that service and was informed that I had signed a 5 year contract (not a 3 1/2 year as discussed) and would be required to pay $1,300 to pay out the rest of a 5 year contract. I feel like this was an absolute bait and switch and deceitful business practice. I want them held accountable.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 05/15/2024

  ****************,

   

  I actually worked on your account today with our staff after receiving the email you had in regard to the concern for the buyout. We apologize for any confusion in regard to the renewal term. We don't believe we have our terms hidden, as we have them placed on the front page of our agreement and we also make sure all of our clients initial off that area for what term they are selecting. With that being said, I did let our team know today upon reading your email that once we receive your copy of the sale of your home we can refund you the difference of what you had paid for your cancel as the maximum amount would be the $749.00 plus any overdue balance.

   

  We hope this helps with your concern and appreciate you reach out for any concerns. 

   

  Thanks

   

  Security Force

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/16/2022

  Type:Billing 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 had Security Force install a security system in my home. The young man that installed it before leaving ask me for the first month's payment so I gave him my debit card. He called his office to try to give them a payment and they put him on hold for 20 minutes. He was in a hurry and left. The next day when I went to go outside my alarm went off so I went to my pad and punched in my security code to disarm it and it would not disarm. It malfunctioned . I contacted security Force to please have someone come out and replace it. I had to use my key fob to arm and disarm it as the pad was not working properly. I also have a security camera on my front porch that was not working properly. When my neighbors across the street and next door would come home it always went off and it made noises . I contacted the manager at the Raleigh North Carolina office and asked him multiple times to please come replace my security camera on the front porch and my pad that disarms and arms my home. He made an appointment for June 15th 2022 and no one came out. I told him I would make a payment that he requested when the service person came and fix my security system. I have the text messages where he had agreed to send someone out but again no one ever came. I have tried at least a dozen times to get some customer support but have not got anything but a hard time from them. Shortly after my conversation with the manager in Raleigh NC, he sent a bill to me for over $5,000, and also sent it to the credit bureau as a collections in has ruined my credit. I messaged him again yesterday and told him we need to settle this situation. To please remove the collections from my credit report and cancel my contract but my service was cut off on July 3rd. It was only on for less than 3 months. I'm a disabled 71-year-old woman and I feel like they're taking advantage of the fact that I'm alone and disabled. I told him he could come get his equipment to please text me back and cancel the collections

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/16/2022

  In response to the message we received. We have an abundance of recorded customer service notes, calls and conversations in regard to this clients account. Since the first day of us performing the work, we have not received any payment from Mrs. ****. We made multiple attempts to set up services to return and during arranging returns to her home we were attempting to get our initial payment. Each and every time we made this attempt there were changed stories and lack of execution from the client to get us the initial payment owed. During this time we were in constant review of how her equipment was performing. We invested a lot of time, effort and money in correcting the ongoing issue, as we pride ourselves in making sure to stay on top of items like this. As the issue kept prolonging we made the attempt to offer Mrs **** three different options, 1) to make the initial payment and we would set the return service, 2) we could return remove the equipment and cancel her account, or 3) we would need to send her account out to collections. She did not allow us to execute on either of the first 2 options so unfortunately option 3 ended up being executed. 

  Security Force makes all attempts and works very diligently to work with every client we have, to correct any concerns or issues they may have. We do not make any claims to be perfect but we do make the claims to work towards a solution in every instance. In regard to this specific instance, Security Force and our staff have been threatened verbally, threatened with lawsuits and we were just not allowed to execute on a plan. If the initial payment was able to be processed when it failed the initial time, we would have been able to dispatch a service tech as many times as needed with no issue. We have invested a lot of time and money into this clients home all of which will be lost at this point. Mrs **** can work with our team to rectify the money that is owed and we will let them know we are open for compromise. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/16/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: it is not true. He is so wrong and dishonest.

  I have many text messages from the Raleigh NC manager, **** ****** and he set me up an appointment for June 15th 2022, and I was home and waited but nobody showed up. I have his text message making excuses why they never came.

  As far as payment goes. I gave the installer, ******)  my debit card when he was through with the installation and he called the office to give them my payment but they put him on hold for about 20 minutes , so he hung up, was mad and left.

  The next morning  after installation when my security pad malfunctioned and my alarm went off, I punched in my security code but it would not go off. I reported it immediately and have been given a run around since day one. I told him when they came out that I would give the service person a check but nobody ever came. I have repeatedly tried to get this resolved but Mr. ****** chose to turn me into collections instead of giving me customer service. He does not answer his phone and has not replied back to my voice messages. Or recent text messages either. 

  When I messaged him back about it, he said that he did not have another new front porch camera and that he would try to get it from another person, and would reset another appointment but every time I messaged him about it, he was rude and very defensive about the fact that my security system malfunctioned less than 24 hours after the installer left my home.

  I called many times to Guardian, the people who monitor the alarms and also to Mr. ******'s office, and finally Mr. ****** sent me a test message and I have them all. 

  He needs to cancel my collections for over $5000.00 against me on the credit bureau as I do not owe this and come get his equipment. This has been such a terrible experience with this company. We need to resolve it ASAP.

  Sincerely,
  
  ******** ****

  

  Business Response

  Date: 09/19/2022

  In response to Mrs. ****, regardless of what Mrs **** is stating that transpired at the initial time of her installation(the tech was in a hurry, got mad as he was on hold and left), from that point forward we have made a multitude of attempts to correct this issue from the time of the install. Please see the below message that was sent to Mrs. **** on 6/8, it is time stamped and dated in our system. This was after months and months of us attempting to work with her and make this right. Security Force takes every client we have very seriously and this is indicative of our high ratings, and continued positive comments from clients on social media/internet. If Security Force was able to rectify the issue with the initial client payment not processing, this would all have been corrected smoothly and seamlessly.  As you will see below we offered Mrs. **** 3 options to correct the ongoing item and none of those were accepted and that forced us to initiate the last option. If mrs **** is willing to get her past due amount up to date, we will offer to arrange a trip to her home, and correct all or any concerns she has. Please see noted message to Mrs. **** now:

  182821  Wed - 06/08/2022 - 07:18 pm  General  We appreciate your concerns. Our records and data on your account do not reflect what you are stating. With that being said, we are willing to send a technician out but in order to do that we need a good faith payment for a portion of your past due. If your initial payment was processed as it should have back when it was installed, you would have paid at least one month of service but at this point you have sent in zero. Our company and no company operates without receiving compensation for their services. At this point we have invested thousands of dollars of equipment in your home, provided monitoring services (your belief is no services have been provided) but we can see that portions of your system are working and you have used your system today. If you make this payment we will have our technician come out and troubleshoot all product and make sure it operates up to expected level. You have set the date of June 15th so we can use that as the guide, please call me and we can process a payment for a portion of what is owed and I will set up a service for our technician to come out. If you choose to at this time, we can also just cancel your services and release you from the agreement under the requirement you allow us to come and remove all the equipment and deactivate the services. If none of these options work for you, we will follow our internal processes in accordance with the agreement. Thanks (***) 

   

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 09/20/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  This letter from securityforce manager ** ****** is so far from the truth but he is such a scam artist. He never sent me a letter giving me options as he claims. The only option he gave me was by text message and he threatened me at that time because I had not made a payment but he said he would send someone out on June 15th and I told him I would give the service tech a check for my service payment. But again no one showed up and I told him to please reschedule because I needed my service repaired and replaced for my malfunctioned pad where I could not arm and disarm my security system. He also stated that he tried for months and months to work out an option agreement to resolve this. I did not even have service that long so that's another big untruth from Mr ******. I called him yesterday again September 19th 2022 and he happened to answer the phone. When I told him who I was and told him that I wanted to resolve this situation and wanted him to come pick up the equipment because it's useless to me it does not work and my service was terminated on July 3rd so I had partial service for only less than 3 months total. There again he's  stretching the truth ! When I called yesterday and tried to reason with him he was very rude said he was not going to come get the equipment and he would not answer any questions he kept telling me to call somebody at a 1877 number and I asked him to please text me the number because I was sitting outside and did not have a pencil to write with and he hung up on me! He did not text me the number either. He is a very rude man and very disrespectful. He also claims they have positive comments which is another untruth. His reviews have one stars and people on their website talk about how terrible security force is not to do business with them because they are a scam and I have to agree with all of them. This is being I'm very stressful experience for me. I have had no way to arm or disarm my home from day one and they never made attempts after I called several different people at least 10 or 12 times asking for someone to please come out. I tried to make the payment to the installer the day of installation and I gave him my debit card and if he did not want to wait when he was put on hold to give it to the office that was no fault of mine. He told me not to worry about it that they would send me a bill. And when they did they sent me a bill for $5,000. I only had partial service for less than 3 months total. This company is a scam and they do not give customer service and they have really told a bunch of big untruthful stories about how they supposedly tried to give me service. I waited all day and the service tech never come and it took me weeks to even get him to even schedule me for June 15th. That was the only day that he actually gave me a date! Then they didn't even show up. He needs to be ashamed of the way he has treated me. I'm honest and I pay my bills but they offered no customer service. He said in his reply that no company give service without payment but on the other hand I tried to make a payment from the very beginning and the installer left after being put on hold for 20 minutes so I agreed to pay ** ****** on text message when the service tech came out supposedly on June 15th but never showed up so why should I send him a as he said good faith payment when I've been without  adequate service since the first day that it was installed? Another thing is this cheap equipment that they installed which is not even working it's sure not worth $5,000 and he filed a collections on me with the credit bureau and that is not legal. I want a list of the equipment in what they say the value of it is and I think that by law they should send it to me. I'm not going to be mistreated like this I have tried to reason with this company over and over and they're unreasonable. ** ****** needs to be removed from Security Force Inc. because I think he's the biggest part of the problem that they have. In my experience with talking with him he's very very rude and unprofessional and says things that he does not live up to repeatedly. That's not being a good manager of customer service. l have had zero customer service since day one. And I begged for it repeatedly. I expect someone from security Force Inc to withdraw the collections and come get the equipment and I also asked for my contract to be canceled because they cut my service off on July 3rd so what is the whole point of this? It's useless to me , obviously it's not worth much or they would come get it! They will never collect anything from me as I live on a social security fixed income and I don't owe it. They need to go by what their contract States and what Mr ** ****** said in his reply which is so far from the truth. They have not offered me any customer service whatsoever. The only thing he ever offered was to send someone out on June 15th and nobody ever showed up. I was home all day long I never left home. He's so manipulative, and dishonest. God don't like ugly and he sure has been ugly to me! It's his cross to bear . Telling a bunch of big whopping comments about how good his company is and how much he's tried to help me. That's the furthest thing from the truth that I've ever heard and his company has the worst reviews from any company. It's on the internet just go Google it and you'll see I'm not the only one he's treated this way. Scammers is all they are!

   

   

   

   

   

   

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******** ****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/27/2023

   
  Complaint: 18032459
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I have waited for Security Force *** to make contact was made to come and pick up their equipment and I would pay them $149 as they agreed and cancel a $5000 collections they have on my credit report

  I am almost 72 years old and live on her love below poverty income, and it is ruining my credit

  Would you please contact them and have them get in touch with me so I can let them get the equipment and pay them the $149

  This is been so stressful for me. My doorbell light blinks red constantly and even though I dont have service since July 4, 2022 when they cut me off occasionally the alarm goes off and I cannot turn it off. Its very upsetting and like I said, I have bad Health and Im disabled ! 

  Please tell them to come pick up their equipment and cancel the collections on my credit report and I will pay them the $149 they requested to end this bad situation

  Thank you so much

  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/03/2023

  We have responded, as far as we are aware to all items and statements we have received from this issue. We had offered the client to send us the past due amount owed for the services she received and the fee for the removal. At that time *********** refused and has continuously made disparaging remarks to our staff and about our company. She has stated multiple times about making good faith payments which have never happened. Upon never hearing from *********** with our initial request about paying for the services received and the removal fee, her agreement went to our legal department for collections. Security Force will never and has never taken advantage of any of our clients. in this case we actually went outside of the agreement terms and were allowing the client to get out of the agreement signed. At this point we are asking for her to communicate with our collection agency to come to a settlement. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/03/2023

  The response from Security Force ***  is totally untrue!
  I have called them on three separate occasions in the last five days and spoke with a representative and he told me I would have to speak to someone in billing and nobody was available at that time and that he would have them contact me back and no one never called back so I called yesterday, August 2, 2023 again at the ******* office to the billing department which I got from guardian. Who was the company monitoring the equipment because it constantly was going off and I could not turn it off

  . I left billing department a long voice message and also spoke with guardian representative who sent over a request telling them that I needed someone to contact me so I could pay the $149 and have them come and get their equipment and cancel the collections against my credit report, which is  totally fraudulent!

  I never had security since day one when they installed my system, and the cameras did not work the one on the front porch as I told you when I found my original complaint kept making a loud, whistling noise. Every time my neighbor would come home, and I was never able to have any security system whatsoever. Every time it would go off guardian who monitored it would call me and that is why I called him yesterday because security force is ignoring me and refusing to call me back.

  I will expect them to get in touch with me and I will pay them $149 when they come out to my house to get the equipment. I am not sending any money to them until they make an appointment and come out to my house at ********************************************************************************** and I will gladly pay them and let them remove all of the equipment.

  They are not being honest with you they are trying to cover up for their lack of professionalism! I have called them twice last week and also again yesterday, August 2, 2023 and they are not returning my calls and the man told me that he would have someone call me back from ****** to set up an appointment so someone could come out and get the equipment and collect the $149 which was agreed to be payment for settlement and tooth cancel mine collections on my credit report. I have never had a securities with this company and they turned my service off on July 4, 2022 and the equipment is just sitting there. They need to come get it. 

  Thank you so much

  They can call me at ************ or text message me either one will be fine and I will gladly reply back and set an appointment up with him.

  Thank you again

  ***************, ******, **************

   

   

   

   

   PS

  I have the money, but I will give it to them when they come out and get their equipment.