Every spring and summer like clockwork, alarm companies hire traveling sales agents to go door-to-door to sell their services. These unsolicited “cold-calls” can be at best an annoyance and at worst criminal. Their high-pressure pitch can be convincing and deceptive, resulting in customers buying or changing to an expensive and/or inferior system.
Take for example this legal case in Texas (which resulted in the agent receiving one year in jail):
“On the day of the offense, appellant rang the complainant’s doorbell. When the complainant answered, appellant pointed to the sign in the yard and said, “I'm here to update your security.” He said that he would put a light on her sign and make it more visible from the street. He did not say what company he worked for. He was not wearing a uniform, name tag, or anything to identify what company he worked for.
Believing that appellant worked for Central, the complainant invited appellant into her home. Appellant told her that installation of new features, such as wireless monitoring, would be “free.” Ultimately, the complainant signed a five-year alarm monitoring agreement with Capital at a higher monthly cost than her previous service with Central.”
Before allowing anyone inside your home make sure they have the proper identification and a photo ID. They should state the name of their business and the services they are trying to sell before asking you any questions.
Warning Signs of a Security System Scam
Sales Agents will use a few unethical strategies when trying to get you to buy or switch to a new alarm company.
Below are a few tactics that are commonly used:
- Telling you about a rash of burglaries or violent crimes in your area. Relying on scare tactics is not a sign of a professional home security company.
- Offering “free” or “limited-time” packages. The old saying “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is” applies to these agents. Many of the claims of free products come with strings attached like expensive service contracts.
- Some agents will make vague references to your current security provider, implying they represent your alarm company. They may claim that they are there to upgrade or analyze your current system. (They may even have a lanyard with a logo from your provider!) However, once they present you with the paperwork you will notice they are in fact from another company. This is clearly an unethical and shady practice. If you feel the agent has been intentionally deceptive at any time you should ask them to leave.
- If at any time a door-to-door home security sales agent claims your current provider has gone out of business, sold their business or hired a new company to represent them this should be a red flag. Ask them to wait outside and contact your current alarm system provider to confirm. Usually, any professional company would send their customers a notice by mail/email/telephone about any changes to your account.
If you are approached by one of these door-to-door sales reps they should be able to easily give you the following information (which you should verify with your current company, either with a bill, online or a call to their customer service center): 
- Business name of the security company they represent
- Street address (not P.O. Box)
- Company telephone number
- Contractor's license number
- State that issued the license
- Name under which the license is filed
If at any time you are suspicious of the tactics or offers you are being presented you should contact your state Attorney General, local consumer protection agency, Better Business Bureau, and/or state licensing officials.
According to the FTC, when you are purchasing a new alarm system or changing companies your contract should include:
- Installation price
- Monthly or quarterly monitoring fee
- Contract period
- Applicable discounts
- A written warranty
- The owner's manual
- An explanation of your right to cancel the deal
- Cancellation forms
The contract also must be dated, and show the name and address of the seller.
Above all else trust your instincts and don’t sign anything without consulting someone you trust. Here at Tasco Security, we operate with the utmost ethical standards and only sell our customers those products and services that we truly believe fit their needs. If you are interested in discussing home security we would be happy to talk and walk you through your options.
