ComplaintsforCame Security Alarms

• Initial Complaint

  10/19/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We recently purchased our home and the previous owners left the CAME system in the home with their information in the system. Occasionally the keypad beeps and we have to hit a random button in order to make it stop. About three months ago I called CAME and asked is there a manual we can get to tell us how to stop the random beeping. They said since we didn't have a monitoring agreement they couldn't send one out to us or tell us how to permanently stop the beeping. Today we had an electrician out to do some work and they had to shut power off. When they turned back on the beeping began again. I called CAME to try and see if once again someone would come out and unlock the keypad and shut the system off permanently. They said they could not help because we don't have an agreement. I told them the previous owner's information is still in the system and I don't know what their codes are. They then said they can't tell me anything because they don't know that I'm actually the new owner. I said that makes sense and that I would send them via email escrow and title documents proving who I'am. They said we still need an agreement with them. I told them this doesn't sound right that if I owned their business I would be worried about being liable for having an active CAME system that could malfunction and cause the new owner harm from the alarm constantly going off for example hearing loss or cause a heart attack from the stress of not being able to shut system off. I asked to speak to supervisor. Colette got on phone and I could sense beligerance in her voice from my questions. I explained to her the urgency of shutting it off because it was causing problem with electrical work being done. I asked calmly to discuss with owner and she said I'am the owner. She eventually hung up on me 3 times. The final call she told me not to call back. I told her I would discuss with my attorney and BBB and she said go ahead and hung up on me again. Very unprofessional.

  Business response

  10/20/2022

  This particular party called in wanting us to provide some sort of service for him.  We had no way of knowing who he was or whether he actually owned the house he spoke about, or any house for that matter.  We politely told him that since we do not have a contract with him we are limited on what we can share, in terms of information.   The system is owned by the home owner.   We do not own the system.   He was rude from the beginning with my staff and would not take no for an answer.   We did try and help him silence his keypad by giving him some generic information.   We also explained that his electrician should be able to help him power his system off, and that instruction manuals were available on line.   When my staff reached their frustration level, I was given the call and the party was rude and demanding.   I tried to explain that we had no legal obligation to him and that in fact would incur liability if we advised him of anything.   He threatened he would get his attorney to deal with me.   I politely said "I am hanging up now as this is going no where".   He called back twice and I again told him there was no point in threatening us repeatedly.   He wasted at least thirty minutes of staff time as we tried to explain that the system was "his" and not "ours".   We are under no obligation to provide services to this gentleman.  He is not entitled to service, either on the phone or with a technician visit.   We have no contract with him and am not interested in being berated by someone that does not understand the concept of how our services work.    

  We have been providing security services in this county for over 30 years, and in California since 1955.   We have an extensive customer base and pride ourselves on providing great customer care.   We also understand the legal implications of our industry and follow all guidance from our counsel.   This phone call was handled politely and correctly.   This gentleman clearer feels entitled and not aware of how business works.

  C****** ** ****

  Owner

   

  Customer response

  10/20/2022

  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  Let's get the record straight I had a very calm and polite conversation with Christina and she did tell me to punch just a random key on the keypad and maybe that would stop the beeping temporarily.  I did explain that I could easily provide proof of ownership and all I wanted was them to give me a code to permanently shut the system down until I decided if I wanted to pursue monitoring services from them. Christina was not frustrated with me in fact I asked her if I could talk to a supervisor and maybe explain who I was to provide proof of ownership and what I needed in more detail she politely turned me over to Collete which after she rudely hung up on me the first time I found out she is the owner.  Collette was so rude during our very brief discussion that I asked to speak to the owner and that's when she said she was the owner.  After she hung up on me the second time I called back and told her I would contact my attorney as well as the BBB and she told me to go ahead and she hung up on me again.  During my conversation with Collette I asked if they could explain to the electrician how to do it because he didn't want to touch it without some guidance she said any general contractor should know how.  In a nutshell like many other security companies they leave their installed equipment in the homes active in hopes to get continuing business from the new owners.  They don't care about any liability their equipment may incur from being left active all they want is some money. They did not tell me ever that there was a manual online it was always a matter of I had to have a contract with them in order to talk to me. Even if there is a manual I still need the master code from the previous owner (which they have) in order to access the system.  Leaving these systems behind is like leaving land mines behind after a war has been over for years just waiting for someone to trigger it.  We should at least be given a code to disarm the land mine they left behind. On another note after my conversation with Collete I went to the BBB site like I said I would and low and behold there was listed a similiar complaint from what I experienced.  Right done to the fact that Collette has a habit of being rude and hanging up on potential customers as well as existing customers.  Her response to the gentleman in that complaint reveals her personality she attempts to justify her rude treatement of that customer by saying he always paid his bills late.  Enough said I know it would only take a minute for them to disable my system so what's the problem with just showing a potential customer a little good will?
  
  Regards,
  
  J** ******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Business response

  10/21/2022

  To be clear this person is NOT a customer of ours.    We do not know him and did not have his name previously.    We do not have codes or keep records on systems that we do not contract for.   His problem is that he did not get the proper information from the previous owner of the home when he bought it.   His lack of knowledge or concern initially is not our problem.   We would not take this person as a client as his attitude reflects a problem waiting to happen.

   

  Cristina was trying to be helpful.  She came to me to express her frustration with this person as she wasn't able to get through to him that we did not have the ability to help him.   He can spin it any way he'd like, but the bottom line is, we did not owe him service.   

   

  Having someone spew on the phone over and over about his stand, without listening to our response actually does warrant ending the call.  

  Customer response

  10/21/2022

  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  We do not expect any service just the master reset code so we can shut this system off ourselves. You know you can do that but since there is no money involved you won't. One thing this complaint has resolved is that you don't want us as a customer nor do we want you as our security provider.  There are millions of people out there with this same problem of active alarm systems being left behind and being held hostage by the provider to sign up for service or else.  I guess this is just something that needs to be changed in your industry to protect the consumer.  Your responses speak for themselves and obviously you don't plan on doing the right thing by providing the reset code.  
  
  Regards,
  
  J** ******
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  06/23/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  This complaint involves CAME Security Alarms located in Morro Bay, California. CAME provides us with fire sprinkler system monitoring. Therefore if the fire extinguisher system fails or is triggered, they send a signal to the local fire department. They installed their monitoring system in February 2018 before we opened the restaurant. We signed a 2 year contract at that time (February 2018) and fulfilled that obligation in February 2020. Even though we continue to be monitored by them until June 30, 2022, as we paid for that service until that time, we do not have any contract with them. In June 2022, we decided to change vendors. We did this to bring the service closer to home and also because we had a relationship with this vendor, as they provide security alarm system for the restaurant. We contacted CAME to cancel our service, and they told us that their contract automatically renewed itself every 2 years and therefore, we were under obligation until Feb 2024, even if we cancelled. We reached out for legal assistance and found out that contracts cannot be automatically renewed like this and a new contract needs to be signed to be valid. We reached out to CAME to discuss this and they requested that we send out a cancellation notice via in writing and that they expected full payment till 2024. We requested multiple times that they unlock the software at our facility so that the new vendor could program their software, and they told us that we needed to acknowledge payment of the "so called contract till 2024" otherwise they would not unlock the system. In addition, they said that there would be a service fee to unlock the system, and we needed to acknowledge payment of this, otherwise they would not unlock the system. We tried to discuss this further with them, but they either ignored the phone calls and just kept sending emails that they would negotiate a partial payment of 50%. They sent out a technician one day, unannounced and nobody was at the restaurant, then they charged us a service fee for that visit. Here are points of contention: We do not have a contract with CAME, the original one ended in February 2020. We paid an invoice that covered service from January 2022-June 30th 2022, therefore we are still under service until June 30th. They have a software lock up on our system that we own, on our property, and are refusing to unlock the system unless we pay them a service fee and also a minimum 50% contract fee which they feel they are entitled to. If we have service until June 30, 2022, then they are obligated to continue service, which includes unlocking the system, unless they reimburse us for service that we already paid for. They have been unresponsive on the phone and have either dodged the phone calls or have hung up on us. We cannot get the new vendor to start service, as they cannot unlock the system on our property. We must have fire monitoring at our restaurant, otherwise the fire department can close our restaurant.

  Business response

  06/23/2022

  We did enter into a contract with J*** ********* as the owner of La Bodega restaurant on 2/8/18 for a two year term.  Our contract has a clear "ever green" provision for rolling over every two years.   This is a legal contract in the State of California.   The rollover explanation is in the first paragraph of his contract.   To cancel the contract the owner must send us a cancellation notice 30 days before the renewal date.   

  John was sent a Newsletter regarding the sunsetting of the 3G communicator on the fire system back in February 2022.  He opened the Newsletter but did not reach out about the upgrade.   John has been notorious in paying his bills very late (5-6 months after billing).   They paid their 1/1/22 invoice in June of 2022.   It was due in January.    AT&T shut down their 3G service to his alarm panel communicator at about that same time.   We reached out about the system and John told us to come out to perform the upgrade.   We sent a technician and when he arrived -- he was told to leave by a woman (we think Theresa).   The technician was denied access and left the premises.    We called John to ask about the confusion and at that point he said he wanted to cancel his contract and go with another vendor.   He was told that was fine, however his cancellation needed to be in writing and he was informed that there was still some term left on his contract (from the roll over).   This is customary and this was explained to him.

  At that point his fire system was not communicating and we were obligated to notify the fire department.   We received a call requesting the "lock out code" for the panel but we explained there is proprietary information in the control panel and we would need to schedule a technician to de-program the panel.   If John had cancelled while his cellular was still functioning we would have performed that task remotely with no charge.   We let him know there would be a fee to send a technician.  

  We offered John a 50% buy out of the balance on his contract.   He would not give us an answer as to whether he would accept that or not.   We asked for a simple yes, or no.   No response.

  We sent a person to the site at 9am on June 16 to perform this de-programming.   We had set this appointment up with John.   We had sent several emails to John to ask him respond to our 50% offer as well as to acknowledge there would be a technician fee for our visits.   No response.   We let him know we would be there at 9am on June 16, but when we arrived, the building was locked.   John apparently was running late and we were forced to pull our person out as we could not wait for an unknown period of time.

  He did call each day and we told him we were trying to schedule someone but our schedule was very full and we are short staffed.   We again asked him to communicate through email and to at least acknowledge our reference to the 50% offer.  No response.

  Our intention is not to keep his system from being taken over by another vendor.   We have wasted two site visits and cannot get a decent answer from this person.  His contract is valid yet he feels he does not have an obligation to fulfill it.    We sent him recaps of all conversations via email and explained the simple process for arranging a technician.   We will proceed with our rights for collection appropriately and are working towards getting a technician out to his site.   

  These are people that are basically very rude and un-business like.  We have never had them pay any invoice on time.   They were extremely rude to the technician when he was on site and John continues to take up staff time calling to argue.   We are a reputable family owned company and have been providing alarm services since 1955 in California.   We treat our customers well and actually try to work with clients in these sorts of situation by offering a 50% buy out.     Many alarm companies (especially the national ones) would not do this.   When all is said and done, we are actually relieved at the loss of this client as they are clearly not reputable.  

   

  Customer response

  06/27/2022

  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 17468721. The business response facts are inaccurate, but this is the business's perspective. On June 23rd, 2022 at about 4:05pm a representative from CAME contacted J*** *********, owner of La Bodega, and reported that a technician would be in the area. John reported that it would be ok for them to enter the restaurant. There was no discussion about technician fee or other fees during this phone call with CAME representative. Within 5 minutes, the technicians entered the restaurant, and within 15 minutes they unlocked the system. 
  Regards,
  
  T***** ********
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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