BBB Case - Security Networks

Receiving calls from 406-530-5038?

See full complaint I filed with the Better Business Bureau below. I urge you to do the same. FCC complaints for do not call violations are OK, but at least the BBB publicly posts the number of complaints and the number of resolved cases for each company. When you find Security Networks on the BBB website, you may be surprised to see that they have an A+ rating!!!!

Additionally, it might be helpful if we all reach out to the company's management directly. All of their e-mail addresses are located at this link:

http://www.securitynetworks.net/about_us.php

See their current BBB rating of A+ and file a complaint here:

http://www.bbb.org/south-east-florida/business-reviews/fire-alarm-systems-service/security-networks-in-west-palm-beach-fl-34001029

Fille FCC complaints for do not call violations here:

https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx?panel=2

*updated 4/12/2011. I removed all comments added by others who found my case from Internet links, just to make the report easier to follow.

** updated 4/26/2011. Added the company's 4/19 final response and my rebuttal. Unfortunately, I am of the opinion that the BBB will consider this another case where the company has made "reasonable attempts to correct" but the complaint filer still was unsatisfied. We'll see, but if the BBB ignores the many comments left by others on my posting, in addition to the numerous others that should have been filed, then filing complaints with this branch of the BBB is useless.

*** updated 5/3 - the Better Business Bureau has dismissed my case as invalid, due to the fact that I allowed others to use my same complaint. They did offer to re-open it using another case number if I responded back with only the portions of the complaint that were mine. I did do so on May 2nd and am awaiting their response. See e-mail below.


**** updated 5/23 -  My new claim was accepted by the BBB on May 12th. The text has not changed from below, but all comments added by others have been omitted from the official claim. According to the person from the BBB, Security Networks has until today, May 23, 2011, to respond. Very curious as to how the BBB will rule this claim.


***** updated 5/26 -  Company has not yet responded regarding my rebuttal to opting in at popularliving.com. Regarding the comment posted below on May 20, only an IP address where this "opt-in" was made from would suffice to validate their claim that someone in my household actually did so. As of now, my claim says that the company has until June 9th to respond. The e-mail response I received from the BBB yesterday, 5/25, is posted at the bottom.

updated 6/14 -  Company has not yet responded to BBB's "last chance" communication to reply to my rebuttal. My case is currently on hold. Let's see if the BBB upholds their A+ rating.

updated 6/29 -  The June 9th deadline for a final chance to respond has passed. Today I e-mailed the BBB for an ETA on their review of this case.

updated 7/13 -  Reached out once again to my contact at the BBB seeking an update on this case. I think I've been very patient up to this point, and am beginning to consider that maybe the BBB is more interested in retaining its members and their fees than actually responding to complaints. I do know this, Security Networks has not stopped this telemarketing campaign one bit based on comments I've seen on various websites (800notes, whocallsme, numberinvestigator, etc.)

****** updated 7/15 - received response from BBB. See response and my reply below. Clearly the BBB will mark this as one of those closed complaints where the company made reasonable attempts but the consumer was not satisfied!

COMPLAINT ACTIVITY REPORT  Case # 9009xxxx           BBB of Southeast Florida & the Caribbean

Consumer Info:   Peters, Gerald                                                                     Business Info: Security Networks, LLC

                                xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx                                                                           

                                xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx                                                                           

                                       -        -                                                                                                  561 697-9997

Location Involved:   (Same as above)

Consumer's Original Complaint :

My number has been on do not call list for years. I received call from telemarketer on March 29, 2011 at 8:17PM. Caller ID number showed no name, number as 406-530-5038. Call began with pre-recorded message using scare tactics mentioning numerous break-ins in area and said to press "1" if interested in service. I pressed "1" and held for approx 5 minutes until "Angela" answered the phone. After getting the company name from rep, I advised that I am on the do not call list and that receiving this call was unacceptable. She said "OK" and hung up.

After disconnecting I attempted to dial the number that showed up on caller ID and got pre-recorded message saying "all circuits busy now, please try your call later - 1123." As I try to call this number now, 2:26PM the day after receiving the call, I still get the same pre-recorded message.

Consumer's Desired Resolution:

Only wish that they would adhere to FTC regulations and not call numbers on the do not call list.

BBB Processing

03/30/2011                web      BBB         Case Received by BBB

03/30/2011                STC       BBB         Case Reviewed by BBB - Member

03/30/2011                Otto      BBB         Send Acknowledgement to Consumer - Member

03/30/2011                Otto      EMAIL     Notify Business of Dispute - Member

COMPANY'S EXCUSE/RESPONSE

04/06/2011                WEB      BBB         RECEIVE BUSINESS RESPONSE : Please be advised that Security Networks is rolling out a new telesales campaign. The numbers being dialed come from a commercially available list that contains individuals who have ''opted in'', meaning they have agreed to be solicited as a result of a recent internet search conducted by that individual. In rare cases, the individual may not realize, or recall, that they have opted in (agreed to be solicited), and complain either to Security Networks or the BBB. We are very sensitive to this, and, when we receive a complaint of this nature, we immediately place that telephone number on our internal do not call list. We have received very few complaints relative to the number of calls we are making, but nevertheless, our superior rating with the BBB is very important to us, and we will continue to monitor the complaints very closely.  

04/06/2011                STC       EMAIL     Forward Business response to Consumer

04/07/2011                WEB      BBB         BBB REVIEWS CONSUMER REBUTTAL TO BUSINESS RESPONSE : (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

                                The businesses explanations are not valid, legitimate reasons why so many people have been receiving rude, unprofressional, and in the case of do not call subscribers - unsolicited calls from this number.

                                1) I would like evidence that I did opt in. I received this call at xxx-xxx-xxxx.

                                2) The claim that only few complaints have been made relative to outbound calls placed is because the callers DO NO IDENTIFY THE COMPANY! I had to trick my caller into identifying the company name, just in order to identify Security Networks as the company that was soliciting alarm services.

                                3) Why would they use a number that shows up on caller ID that has a message of "all circuits busy" all of the time. I called the number yesterday and got a busy signal. Seems to me that this company is doing everything possible to avoid being identified. Why would a company engaging in legitimate B2C business hide their identity? There is no reason as this would only minimize the company's exposure.
                                No, I do not accept that this company is simply making calls to subscribers who have opted in. If their callers would actually identify their company as "Security Networks", their would be a significant increase in the number of complaints received. Based on the number of comments I've seen on numerous websites, their callers are extremely rude and agressive as well.

                                Please verify for me in what way I opted in to receive calls from Security Networks. As I disgree with your telemarketing strategy, this may at least validate that you do not intentionally violate the DO NOT CALL list.

** Company's final response and my rebuttal as follows:

04/19/2011               WEB      BBB         RECEIVED BUSINESS' REBUTTAL RESPONSE : Records indicate that information was given on 3/25/2011 via www.popularliving.com, where this phone number was entered as an appropriate contact number.

04/26/2011                WEB      BBB         CONSUMER REJECTS BUSINESS' FINAL OFFER : (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)

                                Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, I can not believe that anyone offered my number from the website you listed. Prior to leaving for vacation last week, I checked the internet browser history for both PCs at home (for both my screen and my wife's) as well as my laptop. This domain name - popularliving.com - shows up nowhere. Based on my inability to find that anyone in my home has even been to this website, combined with the many negative comments left by others on this complaint as well as numerous other websites, I can only assume that your company willingly engages in unethical sales practices, including ignoring the do not call list and making sales calls to known mobile numbers.

*** e-mail received 4/29 from BBB:

from Bradley - BBB Accreditation Service Specialist
to jerry42570@gmail.com
dateFri, Apr 29, 2011 at 9:07 AM
subjectComplaint against Security Networks
Apr 29 (4 days ago)


Mr. Peters,
In regards to your case against Security Networks, we had to close your complaint as invalid as it appears that other consumers had found or gained access to your complaint link and started adding information onto your complaint in regards to their own problems with Security Networks. This compromises the BBB complaint system. I have attached a copy of your complaint with all the information that have been posted. If you could please review all of the information and send back to me which informations and responses you posted, i can re file the complaint with a different complaint ID and link and we can continue the complaint process. Other consumers who are dissatisfied with the company may also post complaints on our website or call out office at 561-842-1918, and the BBB can send a complaint form out to them. Please review the information in your complaint and send back to me all the parts that are posted by you only. Please send this information back as soon as possible so we may continue the complaint process.
Best Regards,
Bradley- BBB Accreditation Resolution Specialist

***** e-mail received 5/25 from BBB:

from Bradley - BBB Accreditation Service Specialist

to jerry42570@gmail.com

date		Wed, May 25, 2011 at 1:10 PM
subject		Re: Fwd: Complaint against Security Networks

Mr. Peters,

At this time, we are waiting for the company to respond to your latest rebuttal. The complaint was put on hold automatically by our system as we were supposed to receive a response from the company in regards to your issues by May 24th, the system puts it on hold so we can review. At this time, the BBB will send a letter to the company, letting them know if they do not respond to your rebuttal, they may be putting their accreditation with the BBB in jeopardy. If any new information arises, you will be contacted via email. If you have any further questions or concerns in the meantime, please feel free to contact me.

Best Regards,


Bradley- BBB Accreditation Resolution Specialist

****** 7/14 response from Security Networks:

07/13/2011

Received Business' Rebuttal Response

It appears there is no way to please this consumer regardless of what we have to say. Again; while we are currently running a telesales campaign we follow the FCC and FTC guidelines and those registered with those agencies closely. There has been an issue brought to our attention clearly identifying that another company is somehow using our name as their identifying representation and blatantly abusing consumer's rights by running an incredibly aggressive telesales campaign themselves. We have filed complaints ourselves with both the FTC and FCC. Unfortunately, Mr. Peters will not accept any response we give and this issue will most likely never be resolved.

Thanks to the many of you who have followed my link from other web postings and have added to this complaint. Additional thanks to those who have followed through themselves and have filed their own complaints and maybe even reached out to the company directly. As many of you are, I am completely fed up with telemarketers and wish more could be done. For those who wish to continue taking action, follow the links provided near the top of this post to file formal complaints with the FCC and BBB, or to contact the company directly. 

LETS PUT AN END TO THIS NONSENSE!!

KW- Security Networks, telemarketing, Do Not Call, Better Business Bureau, FCC, FTC, 4065305038, WNT01