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NorthStar Alarm Services

NorthStar Alarm Services review: contract cancelling 66

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6:01 pm EST
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Please do not sign a contract with this company. I was told I could cancel before June 6 of 2009 (which is also on my contract)as they wanted to promote there services because we were in a new subdivison and my home was on a corner lot. Well when I called in after I was charged unauthorized charges to my account to cancel the service I was told the salesman made a mistake and I had to cancel 3 days after services so I could not cancel and they would file a collection on me if I did not continue to pay them. I am very upset with this company not only that I can not cancel but there service along with customer service is horrible. I am now having to get a attorney involved as I do not want the service and by my contract I have the right to do so.

They still continue to charge me services even after I have called to cancel. My last conversation with them is if they do not come and pick up there equipment the contract states I can dispose of at my free will.

I will keep you all posted of the outcome.

66 comments
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vanman
Des Moines, US
Jan 01, 2009 8:41 pm EST

Yes this company is totally fraudulent. My wife was duped into signing a contract with this [censored] who fraudulently claimed we could cancel the contract or have a new system installed if we moved to a new address. Well, we moved a year later to an area they did not service an sent a certified letter saying we wanted to cancel since they did not service our new area, Long story short, they said we have to pay $1000 to get out of the contract. Big time scam salespeople. Need to be turned into BBB. Which I will gladly do.

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verl
Portland, US
Jan 21, 2009 9:04 am EST

I am haveing problem with the Billing. they do not stay consistant with there billing.They started the billing out, over charging my account then reanbursed me, then the next did the same thing, so we got that staighten out in December, which the billing date is the middle of the month. Then January the billed me on the first of the month. So I called the and told them to bill me thru mail and they said they would have to charge me $2.00 billing charge, so since that conversation I had with them they billed again inthe same month and the $2.00 service charge went to a $20.00 charge.I have tryed to cancel since the first week they installed because of bad information they gave my Wife stating she could have her cat in the house and after they installed the unit we were talking with installer and he said we could not and on top of that he said your batterys that support the sencer need to be changed every 3 months, and if we did not stay on top of that our system could malfuction. I have bean calling them every month sence August trying to cancel, I even made a statment that I will stop payment and they responded by the would take to collection, that I was commeted to 5yrs.I have read a lot of simaler complaints.there has got to be a way out of this, if anyone has a idea please post your comment.

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norstar.alarm.sux
Austin, US
Jan 21, 2009 6:58 pm EST

I'm in with these guys and will regret it for the next four years. PLEASE, PLEASE do yourself a favor and slam the door on them!

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verl moultrie
portland , US
Jan 24, 2009 11:27 am EST

Maybe this might start the ball rolling.I Contacted an Attorney and he said to write a letter requesting your contract to be canceled immediately.And that you will no longer require there services. I also added with my experience that there Costumer Service is very poor and there Billing Department is very inconsistent, and at the signing of the contract that the person was not honest and in other words lied to me and my wife on services that came with their contract.My Attorney told me to keep sending these letters even if it go's to Collection, then at that time you send a letter back to collection agency stating that you want to contest this action.Just make that you keep good note's on the issues that were brought on by this corrupt Company.If everyone that has issues with this company would follow this actions maybe we might be able bankrupt them or at least cause them to change there ways for the better.Good luck to everyone involved in this nightmare.

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just_me
US
Feb 10, 2009 12:29 pm EST

A contract is a contract people. Read these things before you sign them. You sign a legit 3-5 year contract you have to understand that you are going to be paying for 3-5 years. And if you stop, they will send you to collections and you credit score is going to take a huge hit. It's the same with a house payment or a car payment. A contract is a contract.

However, I do agree that the mess ups with the billing do need to stop.

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realproblem
Perris, US
Mar 20, 2009 10:19 am EDT

I also had a major promblem with this company. I entered a three year contract with this company after a salesperson came to my door. After five months of service, some programing issues occurred. They could not fix the problem resulting in almost three weeks of no service. They were going to replace the entire system, most likely charging me. I canceled the contract and went to another alarm company because I couldn't risk the safety and security of my family. The other alarm company used the same equipment and everything is fine, except that I'm working with a lawyer to cancel the contract because they failed to provide adequate services.

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Northstar Alarm
Provo, US
May 27, 2009 7:39 pm EDT

Hi Ms. Lynch,

I'm sorry there was a miscommunication about your contract at signing. We always try to make sure our salespeople are open, honest and clear about our commitment to you and vice versa. I'm sorry if you had a different idea of what was being signed. While I sympathize with your situation, just_me has a good point; you signed a legitimate contract binding both parties. It might be a good idea to go over your contract again to be sure what you agreed to and for how long and what you can expect from us. We want to make sure we are giving you the best service possible during the duration of your contract. If you have more questions about the contract or service, please call and we'll help you the best we can.

You also mentioned you were unhappy with our customer service. We try to provide the best service possible to our customers. If you could let us know how we can improve our service, we would appreciate it.

Cari
Northstar Alarm

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Nunnia
US
Jun 27, 2017 1:50 pm EDT

I have North Star Alarm with no service. It is a joke. I have tried speaking with your customer service and 2 of your representatives have hung up on me and left me on holds prior to hanging up. You work for a fraudulent company that does nothing to make anything right with your customers! I will never do business with North Star Alarm again if I can ever manage to get rid of you people or this contract for service I do not have! Pathetic liars!

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Erika Gmz.
ARLINGTON, US
Nov 09, 2020 10:27 pm EST
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

It is a shame of the 5 years contract...It is unbelievable...the sales giys lied to is and make us sign a 5 years contract, I have not a job at the moment and we are struggling really bad with the pandemia... You guys have to be flexible with people.

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tony12
south jordan, US
May 30, 2009 12:04 am EDT

I have now had an alarm with NorthStar alarms for 2 years now. Before having Northstar install their security system I did research on their company and felt really good after I found out that they have been around for about nine years. There represenative from there company was really respectful and honest to me. I decided to have the system installed and felt really good about it. About 6 months ago I was out of town and my wife and child were home alone and someone tried to break in my home. The alarm went of instantly and the alarm company came over our two way speaker and was able to make sure my wife and child were alright and they sent the police over immediatly. One of the best purchases I have ever made, I don't know what would have happened if we didn't have an alarm.

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Josh Carr Superstar
Spanish Fork, US
May 30, 2009 2:05 pm EDT

I have NorthStar and they have been great

It's probably because:

1. I actually read the contract before singing it and knew how long it was.

2. I pay my bills.

None of these complaints sound like the company is trying to rip anyone off just people don't want to pay for it anymore. Can a company really be held 100% responsible for your buyers remorse?

I have an idea why don't you try to cancel any contract that you signed up for and see how the company treats it? Go ahead sign up for a cell phone and see if AT&T will just let you shut off service because you aren't in the mood to pay anymore. How about your mortgage? Stop paying that and see what happens.

It's hard to say if customer service is bad because they are trying to rip you off or you are trying to rip them off. I say it is the latter because I always pay my bill and they are amazing when I call in.

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A.A
Charlotte, US
Jul 01, 2009 12:27 pm EDT

Northstar is the worst experience I have ever had! I sent the contract for cancellation within the alotted 3 days, and obviously this did not make the technician happy because I have never been talked to the way I was.
This company is a complete scam, I was told they would leave a hole in my wall or I could pay $500 dollars to leave the system there and pay a laundry list of fees.
The techinician that came to my home made me feel completely uncomfortable and I had to sit on the phone for an hour to get them to send a different one- completely unacceptable. Please Please do not ever sign with this company. I have been with other companies in the area and have never had probelms. Unfortunately from my understanding they are not registered with the BBB but I will definetely try and find a way to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else!

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EricVB
Wabash, US
Jul 02, 2009 9:53 pm EDT

The problem comes when trying to cancel the contract. The salespeople are not consistent or honest with you, and it would take two hours to read the contract in full on your own. The contract states that you must send written notice of cancellation in advance 60 days before the end of the contract in order to cancel it, or it will auto renew for 18 months.

This means you have to send them a letter 60 days before the end date of your contract stating you wish to cancel. If you send the letter 59 or less days before the end of the contract, it still auto renews, even though you cancelled before the end of the contract. At best, this is unethical. The only thing CLOSE to this behavior that would seem legitimate to me is the service continuing 60 days from the date of the notice, regardless of the end date of the contract provided notice is received before the end of the contract.

These people are simply screwing people out of 18 months x the monthly fee of the service. You'd be hard pressed to find customers who cancelled this contract successfully at the end of their first 3 year term. I guarantee of all of their customers who attempted to cancel at the end of 3 years, only a negligible number were successfull at doing so without penalty.

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Jason2121
Orem, US
Jul 29, 2009 5:22 pm EDT

I would just like to state that as a licensed technician for NorthStar Alarm in Houston, TX this company is not fraudulent. Read the contract in it's entirety before signing anything...as you should with any contract you sign. It's pretty basic though. Either you want a security system or you don't. If you do make sure you know what you are signing and if you don't then don't. That's it. However, Great company to work for and I love the people of TX. Thanks.

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EricVB
Wabash, US
Jul 31, 2009 8:56 am EDT

JASON2121:

You're saying that because you work there and you know the contract front and back. You have to admit, a contract that "auto-renews" for an entire 18 months if you do not send a written cancellation notice a full 60 days before it expires is pretty dirty. Not even Cell Phone carriers do that... Your company's contract also has worse mid-term cancellation terms.

With a cell phone carrier, for instance, you can cancel your 2 year contract (which is valued often times at 100 dollars per month in revenue for them) by paying a $175 early termination fee.

With your company, the entire balance for the remaining time on the contract is due upon early termination... which discourages early termination and encourages people to try to wait until the 60-days prior... which gives them a chance to get trapped in it all over again.

Sure, its a legal contract... but customers are put on the spot to sign or not sign the contract when the salemen come to their home to sell the service, and the contract is way to long to sit there and go over. If you have to put it front and back on a 8.5x17 sheet of paper in 6 point font, something tells me you're trying to entice people not to read it.

Every honest contract I've ever signed has been standard 10-12 point font single side, and as many pages as it takes.

Point is, it may not be fraudulent, but it is sure as hell dirty and underhanded to do business like that... You know its bad if the phone companies won't even do it.

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Jamie Vallen
Orem, US
Aug 10, 2009 2:43 am EDT

Do you want to know how big of a joke this company is? Scroll above to the username Ryan and read his other comment, or look here. His other comment reads this:

"I worked for Northstar also last year in Texas, I worked with JAMIE VALLEN also last year. He was fired the first month because he was a bad technician and couldn't do his job properly. I just don't like when people that get fired or do a bad job blame people for their inadequacies. Hopefully Jamie has moved on with his life. From all of my experiences with Northstar they have treated me well, and it was a good experience for me."

Hmm... that doesn't make very much sense. Ryan who happens to be a guy that I know personally and worked with constantly seeing as he was my boss... Also claims to of bought a security system that he happened to do so much research on... Wow sounds to me like Ryan (who also runs and owns a descent portion of this company) is committing fraud. He is going onto a forum dealing with his own company (his own $) and writing false comments acting like a customer to gain support of this company. Don't buy into this guys crap. In my 3 years in the alarm system business this guy happens to be the biggest S.O.B I have ever dealt with. Ryan is a flat out liar, and I've seen him take advantage of people everyday I was there. He also happens to like non-english speaking homes cause it's harder to be pushed out of their door. I'm just saying and his actual words to me when I worked for him. This guy owns a big chunk of what is now Northstar. He really doesn't care about any of the customers. Almost all systems pulls I did while I was a technician for this company in Texas was from his accounts. I wouldn't trust this company. I'm not saying there isn't good people in it. Cause there truly is, but they try to force longer contracts than needed. They aren't typically upfront about all the costs. (read your contract) and some of these salesman (advertisement reps as they would LIKE to be called) just aren't always honest, but let me also tell you that this is typical in the security business. I say this honestly if you want a good alarm system pay the bigger guys a little extra money and have it done right. Don't buy into this "better customer service ###." By the bigger guys I mean Brinks, or ADT (don't be fooled by the guys that say "ADT Authorized Dealer") Those are the people who will be a little more honest and truly give you what you're looking for. They're not your typical summer sales "sell and run" type company. Their reps and techs are typically not seasonal and you know what you're getting when you go in.

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RonJones789
Indianapolis, US
Sep 24, 2009 7:12 pm EDT

I had service with them for 1 year. 6 months of it they did not porvide service. Because they said my unit was out of date and could not service that anymore. SO I PAID 6 months for no service. I told them that I wanted to cancel because that is just bad service. They told me that I need to upgrade my equiptment for $300. I have been fighting them now for 2 year because they wanted me to finish the contract. Tonight I get a collections company call... THEY ARE SCAMMING PEOPLE! Total BS... RON JONES INDIANAPOLIS

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Northstar technician
mapleton, US
Sep 27, 2009 6:21 am EDT

there is always two sides to every story. I am a technician for northstar, i spent about a month in indianapolis installing security systems. i am back home now, in utah, still installing. this has been a very helpful job for me in paying for school. now i know no one likes sales people, however being a salesman can earn you lots of money. i know many salesmen in our company... they are all great guys just trying to get through school, or make a good life for themselves. i am a tech but i have tried selling in good old mormonville, utah to earn extra tuition money(i am 19 and have had three semesters of school, totaling about $7, 000 of tuition money that i have PAYED FOR FROM MY OWN POCKET) so a sell here and there would be nice, however people can be rude as rude gets. PLEASE be kind and courteous when a salesmen comes to your door and please realize it is really not a scam. don't slam the door, it hurts, really. TIP: a good way to say no is telling them you have a credit score of 500 or something, remember to be KIND, and wish them luck. i am sorry to those who have had a bad experience, our customer care is better than MANY companies, alarm or not.

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LaughingSprite
US
Oct 08, 2009 11:10 am EDT

We just moved into our house and tried to switch the existing contract into our name. They told me they would e-mail a contract, then asked for my bank account information so they could start billing. I told them I would provide that information after I received the contract. Two weeks later I still did not have the contract but they were calling and asking for my bank account information. At this point they are giving all appearances of being scam artists - they want access to our money before a contract is provided. This has been my only experience with this company but so far is it not a good first impression.

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chebeck
Drap, US
Dec 13, 2009 9:24 pm EST

I think is funny how people don't want to be held responsible for what they agreed to when signing a contract. Then they call the company that made the contract a scam, because the company sticks to what they agreed too.

I love my alarm, but then again, I knew what I was signing when I signed it.

Also its different than a cell phone contract, its like buying a car or a home. Most of the time you can't just cancel the contract with the dealership after using the car for a year (if you can then let me know where to find it). It's the same type of agreement you're signing when you get the alarm system.

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thomas1
Fontana, US
Feb 25, 2010 4:05 pm EST

Well let me just say, I had a north star rep knock on my door last night. He started out by telling me how perfect my house was in that it was located on a corner lot, and in a new sub-division.
Here's his initial statement. " if you will allow North Star the privilege of placing one of our signs in your front yard, North Star will provide you with our services for free. Now that's a pretty clear promise and a clear statement. North Star, not the police or anyone else would provide their services for FREE.

However, by the time he completed his scam of a conversation, he was asking for the last 4 of my social security number and trying to explain why I would have to pay about $50 a month for some other fee's that were out of North Stars control.

Well here's the deal. I can't wait for them to try and show up to install it. I will laugh then right out of my home. Reason being, Free vs $50 a month does not = FREE!
I would say to North Star and to their reps, Stop lying to customers. Stop trying to scam customer's into becoming customer's. It's better to tell the truth.

As a result of my experience, I will never become a North Star customer. I will research and go with another agency. A second note to North Star. Try a different scam because the one you have now, telling customers if they allow your sign in the yard, you will give it to them for free, get a clue, most agencies already place some kind of sign to notify customers and burglars alike that customer have a system.

And if you decide to continue with your approach, clean it up. If you say free, say what you mean and mean what you say!

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hysterical with reason
Tempe, US
Mar 28, 2010 4:42 pm EDT

A Northstar rep came in my house and got all kinds of information from me by telling me he worked for Honeywell. He lied so much about so many things and did NOT leave me any copy of the contract so that I could cancel in 3 days, but he had to come back so that I could talk to the company for him and I DEMANDED a copy at that time and that's the only reason I was able to cancel. I called him on a Sunday from work (he knew where I worked because I had given him that information. He kept insisting he could come over to my house--the contract was all canceled by this time and there was no need for him to come over to my house, he just knew that would scare me. I finally said, "If my house gets broken into today, the police will know that you did it." Two Sundays later, my house was broken into and the two things I had told him were the only reason I needed an alarm system, my computer and my beloved dog (who is a mutt and not worth a penny, but to me she is priceless) were gone when I got home. He had changed his cell phone number. Checked his background on the Internet and he has a rap sheet a mile long--he is a known felon. Oh, I did get the dog back, because some kind people found her, severely injured and a long way from home, where he must have taken her, and took her to the Emergency Clinic. CAN YOU IMAGINE ANYTHING, EVEN A DRUG ADDICT LIKE THIS NORTHSTAR REP BEING SO VILE AS TO HURT A LITTLE DOG JUST OUT OF SPITE? These people are not just dishonest, they are DANGEROUS!

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going to get even
US
Apr 20, 2010 4:49 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

My wife and I signed a contract mid "08" and had explained to the salesman that we planned on buying a home before the 5 year contract would be void. They told us that we could have the system installed in the new home when that time came or leave it for the new tenants of the old house. I was also told at this point that if we didn't want to keep the system upon moving, we could submit a 60 day notice to cancel the contract and that signing the contract /initial was just a procedure.Well, we bought a new home with an state of the art monitoring system and (which we got for 24.99 a month for the first year)with a contract that states the charge will not rise above 28.00 amonth after plus after the first year we can renew year to year...no 5 year contract. Crazy, huh?
With calling Northstar again they just told me that I'm obligated to pay them for the next three years, regardless. If for any second I thought I was being duped by the two salesmen who'd come to my door and miss led me about the 60 day contract cancelation upon moving --I would have slammed the Damn door in their face.

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Barkleyjsu
Jacksonville, US
May 29, 2010 4:20 pm EDT

Saved myself from about five year's worth of headaches because of the comments you all provided. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your willingness to help keep people like me and my family from making a horrible mistake. I was able to stop my contract before the guy left the neighborhood and insist that the tech stop the install. The manager of my salesperson accompanied him back to my house, and when I demanded my canceled check be returned, he looked a bit surprised that his salesperson had to fish it out of his wallet. So, to those of you who have posted that this company is reputable and that others should just "pay their bills" and "fulfill" contract obligations, what do you think about a company that sends sales people out like the one I had...just askin"?

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Mike
US
Jun 18, 2010 2:24 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

These guys are totally shady. Had 3 years of no problems, but then bought a new home. Called a couple months before my 36 month term ended to see about moving the service or canceling, and the agent conveniently left out a reminder of the 60 day clause. Decided to cancel, called within the 60 days to do so, and the rest is history. Yes it's a contract, but please be advised that this is a company whose business model relies on deception and fine print, and there will be zero tolerance if you don't follow your contract to the T.

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does any display work
Gastonia, US
Aug 11, 2010 9:42 am EDT

Hate this company! I agreed to take over this contract when I bought the house from previous owners because they couldn't get out of the contract with Northstar. Northstar would not let me just take over the previous owners contract they made me sign a new one for 16 months. I have digital phone WHICH DOESN"T WORK WITH THEIR SYSTEMS and I'm not about to give them more money for their cellular crap. I'M NOT EVEN USING THE *$&^ system and yet I STILL have to pay them money for the next 4 years. HATE THIS COMPANY, DO NOT GET CAUGHT UP IN THIS 5 YEAR + CONTRACT! Should have gone with my gut and told the seller to deal with the crap they had signed up for in the first place. I will find every website possible starting now to complain about this company! Gonna be out $3000 after all is said and done. I have complained with the BBB as well as multiple other sites to warn others, I advise others the same.

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does any display work
Gastonia, US
Aug 12, 2010 1:50 pm EDT

NORTH STAR ALARM IS HORRIBLE DO NOT CHOOSE THEM, THEY WILL LIE TO YOU ANYWAY THEY CAN TO WRAP YOU UP IN THEIR 5 YEAR + CONTRACT, THEY HAVE A "C" RATING WITH THE BBB, READ ALL THE COMMENTS ABOUT NORTHSTAR ALARM! I AM PAYING FOR AN ALARM SYSTEM THAT DOES NOT WORK AND STUCK IN A CONTRACT FOR ANOTHER 4 YEARS - WILL HAVE SPENT $3000 WHEN ALL SAID AND DONE.

MY GOAL IS TO POST THIS ON EVERY MESSAGE BOARD I CAN FOR EVERY DAY THAT I AM IN THIS CONTRACT HOPEFULLY 4 YEARS WORTH OF COMMENTS WILL SAVE SOMEONE FROM USING THIS SERVICE. HOPE THIS CATCHES SOME GOOGLE TAGS: NORTHSTAR ALARM FRAUD NORTHSTAR ALARM LIE NORTHSTAR ALARM BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE (SPENT 40 MINUTES ON THE PHONE WAITING FOR A REP TO TELL ME HE COULDN'T HELP ME) NORTHSTAR ALARM LIARS NORTHSTAR ALARM SCAM

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austinkris
Austin, US
Aug 18, 2010 2:22 pm EDT

Please refer to this blog. This is a REAL company that has terrible business practices. All empolyees should be ashamed of themselves. http://grahamcohen.com/2010/01/northstar-alarm-services/

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Bad Company 6
San Antonio, US
Aug 27, 2010 7:01 pm EDT
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Awaiting Allocation and Dispatch

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bobbuii
US
Sep 20, 2010 10:54 am EDT

Northstar is the BAD of the BAD.They have to many TRAPS in their contract so you must be careful when you sign it but BETTER all STAY AWAY FROM NORTH STAR ALARM.

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Fed up in Kyle, TX
Kyle, US
Oct 11, 2010 10:42 am EDT

My elderly mother who was living alone got duped by a Northstar rep into signing a contract for an alarm system. He promised her all the same things that others on this forum were promised. Well two years into her contract she became ill and was no longer able to live on her own. She called and wrote the company telling them she would be moving into a facility where she could not have the services transfered. She told them that her house was being sold and they needed to come pick up their equipment. They refused. They told her that it didn't matter what the circumstances were, she was obligated to pay the remaining 3 years of the contract. They never picked up their equipment and she put a stop payment at her bank on their automatic withdrawal. They made threatening phone calls and sent nasty notices and then turned her over to the credit bureaus and ruined her credit. Being an elderly person who had NEVER not paid a bill and who always had impecable credit, this took a toll on her. She fretted and worried about it daily. No amount of talking to her and telling her they were the crooks not her would do any good to stop her from worrying herself sick. THESE PEOPLE ARE [censor] AND THEY PREY ON THE ELDERLY AND THE ILLITERATE AND THE NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS. I am turning them into the the Texas Attorney Generals Consumer Complaint department and I suggest everyone on this forum do the same. Maybe, we can get something done about them if the AG goes after them.

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Happynow22
Portland, US
Nov 02, 2010 6:16 am EDT

Dont ever sign a contract with this company. It's a scam. I took me months of calling every day to get out of my contract. I think that they finally just got tiered of me wasting theur time, so they let me out of it. I needed to drop the contract because I sold the house that i was using their system for.

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yardman1234
LaVergne, US
Nov 22, 2010 2:26 pm EST

So many with the same problem, yes they are going to take me to collections and thats good, i wrote 3 different times to cancel my contract, in time . Now they say they have no records of it. they cashed my checks and it is also on the for: section, When they turn me in, I will notify all to start this class action lawsuit, I already have the attorney and i will get this company for bad practice.They want to keep calling me and harrass me, and i just tell them, thats their problem. They tell me that they do not keep any paperwork, so they just throw away all that comes into them.. I will not pay them, and when it is turned in for collections and hurts my credit, then i will start...

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Maria Sconfienza
Eagle Mountain, US
Dec 07, 2010 9:00 pm EST

These people are scam artists. The sales man i spoke to told me that i had 18months to try out the system. He even circled the 18th month part on the contract. He explained that the 5 year term did not apply to me telling me that they were looking for people to help advertise in my new area and that because i helped them do that i had a 18month trial period. Yeah not so much... All these people are liars and i hope the 20 bucks that guy made in comission helps him sleep at night knowing how many people he ripped off! [censor].

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i-man
dallas, US
Jan 27, 2011 6:48 pm EST

I was duped by them too. I was told that there was NO contract by the installer, that I only needed to sign to start the service. Their business is based on long contracts, that way they dont have to worry about keeping people happy or being competitive with their pricing. Avoid them.

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FGarcia
US
Mar 16, 2011 4:33 pm EDT

Austin Anderson, a North Star representative showed up to my door last week in our new home in El Paso, TX. Talk about a pushy sales man, he claimed he needed advertising homes in my area. I told him I would have to talk to my wife, and wanted to do some research on his company, he seemed upset and left. Thankfully I found this page and learned more about these people.

I also talked to one of my neighbors who got their alarm with NorthStar. He is not happy about his contract, apparently he was told he was just signing a 6 month agreement, but later after reading the contract, he found out it was a 60 month contract, with an automatic 18 month contract renewal. He had later been approached by another company, who offered more and better equipment, a lower monthly payment, and a 36 month contract. He was not happy, as he is stuck for 60 + months paying more for less. Boy, am I glad I didn't sign anything with this Austin guy!

This company is too dishonest, I can see why they lie about the fact that they are selling a service with a contract longer than a car loan, so much for the "free security system for advertising", but please have some respect for people.

I will never do business with this NorthStar company, thankfully their sales man was pushy and rude, and helped me make the right decision on the spot.

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Goodfriend
Oregon City, US
Mar 23, 2011 8:01 pm EDT

I used to work as a door-to-door sales rep. for NorthStar Alarm Services. Here's my experience. Alarm systems are a legitimate home security safeguard. I heard about NorthStar at a booth at a basket ball tournament I attended. They told me to come check out their business and they would hold an interview there. They said things that made me think I would make lots of money and be selling high quality equipment. At the meeting they provided lots of food and showed a video of other sales reps who loved selling for Northstar. A very high energy presentation. They also talked about their core values of honesty and integrity and service. I took the bait. Then they have you attend a training session where they teach you ddor-to-door sales techniques. Pretty clever if you ask me. They always have you start with a line: "Hi, my boss wanted me to ask you if I could place this sign in your yard..." then they tell you exactly where they want you to place it. In the training they tell you to look for something unique about the property and tell that to the home owner. Then they give you a very tricky way of getting your foot into the homeowners door. It worked because I got into almost every door I approached. Using fear tactics you tell them that a person could smash through the door easily and show them vulnerable spots in your home. It always surprised me how easily people let me walk around their home.

We were also taught to give them the equipment for fee, but they would have to pay for the services. But then, when it came time to sign the contract, you would try to upgrade the equipment also, to include other non-free equipment. I later learned almost every alarm company gives you that "free" bit of equipment for free. They give you the wall panel piece for free. Everything else costs you money. What good is a wall panel without the sensors around the house.

I also found out while selling, that the fire dept., police department and emergency services may not actually come to your home if you call for help on the alarm. They don't go because of the number of false alarms that cost the city a great deal of money. Before purchasing any alarm, check with your emergency services providers to see their stipulations for such events. In the area I was selling, emergency services would not respond unless a confirmation phone call had been made. At that point, the intruders could have come, done their business and gone.

Any phone calls that are made to their "boss" are really phone calls to a secretary who has no idea who you are, even though the sales person may talk about you and your home with their "boss" like they had spoken before about putting an alarm system on your property. When it's time to sign the contract, the salesperson is taught to put the contract in an envelope and seal it. Then they tell you to place it someplace safe, so it won't get lost or stolen. This is done to keep you from reading the fine print and not canceling your contract within the time limit. I made a lot of money this way. Because if you cancel, I don't get my commission. I still have guilt for doing this to people. I hated doing it then, and I feel terrible about it now. So, yes, they do try to keep you from reading the fine print. I quit after a month of selling, even though it was very lucrative for me. I felt as though the company lacked the very core values they taught. And yes, all the techniques and shadiness go all the way up the chain to the owners. Jason and Ryan and I don't remember the rest anymore. My manager put a lot of pressure on us to sell. We were out there 6 days a week for 10 hours a day. When I left, they wanted me to pay a contract cancellation fee. Since when do you have to pay a fee to quit employment?

Nothing about this company is good - stay away.

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anaismnorthstar
US
Mar 31, 2011 4:53 pm EDT

As part of the corporate communications team at NorthStar Alarm, please know that your encounters with a few of our sales reps and feedback have helped us identify and successfully resolve many of the issues mentioned in some of the comments above. We apologize for these unfortunate occurrences, but thank you for helping us continue to grow and improve our business practices.

Our representatives must follow a very thorough process with any new contract. To clarify any misunderstandings that may occur, there is then a recorded Quality Assurance call that reconfirms the individual's understanding of the terms. After the system is installed there is a 2nd Quality Assurance call that once again reconfirms that the system was installed according to the customer’s expectations and specifications on the agreement, that they understand how to use it, and that they understand the terms of their contract.

If you have encountered a sales representative who you feel intentionally mislead you or have had any other situations that have not been addressed or resolved, please contact me directly as soon as possible so I can assist you.

Anais M.
Phone: 801.373.7827 ext. 100
Email: anais@northstaralarm.com

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Linkya
Little Rock, US
May 06, 2011 8:17 pm EDT

I love my Northstar Alarm, I had it installed two years ago and not once had a problem with it. The boy who sold it to me was so nice and respectful. I knew what I was getting into by signing the contract. Dont be stupid! Read the contract before you sign. The tech who installed the system was also a sweet heart. I had ATD before and it was horrible. Cops always coming for false alarms. Anyway who ever bad mouths this company can piss off cause your the idoit who signed before you read!

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cherry377
Jacksonville, US
Jul 31, 2011 8:57 pm EDT

i'm in arkansas . i was to charge, and told them i wanted out of my contract, they charge took 150 .00 out then its costing me 55.13 . i have told them to come get there stuff and seal the hole, and want my money back . they wont let me get out of my contract either . i told the better business and they did nothing . now i'm stuck paying . yeah i had a guy, told me the same thing, that they were trying to promote there business .
i did'nt want this .

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cherry377
Jacksonville, US
Jul 31, 2011 9:00 pm EDT

THAT REP GUY WOULD'NT HAPPEN TO BE NAME NATHAN

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wez007
US
Aug 11, 2011 5:58 pm EDT

We have had Northstar for almost 5 years, we are moving out of our house and the new owners don't want it. So now we are stuck paying for the next 9 months of service. It would be nice if they would implement some sort of termination fee in these instances. But knowing what I know now, we will never sign another long term contract again, with any company. Really it is foolish to assume you will need or be able to afford something for that long. When the economy tanked we really could have used the extra $40 per month that we have been paying. There are many other alarm companies who do not require long contracts and are more reasonably priced. So while it is understandable that people are frustrated, the fact is that a contract was signed. We were dumb enough to sign it, we must deal with the consequences. So for us the bottom line is this: Lesson Learned!

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