ADT Security Services
Reviews and Complaints

did you read the fine print?

Yes Adt are crooks just want to get you with crooked contracts !

ADT= PROVIDES NO SERVICE, CONTINUES TO BILL- EDISON HAD A POWER OUTAGE IN MY AREA, MONTH + AGO- ADT NEVER CALLED, SO I UNPLUGGED THE UNIT- NEVER CALLED. COULD BE DEAD, ROBBED, BOTH- HAVE RECEIVED 2 BILLS WHEN UNIT IS UNPLUGGED- FRAUD

ADT Security is a joke! And a ripoff too!
I know because I worked for them for almost 2 years as a commercial and residential service engineer in Arizona.
I designed, installed and tested technical security systems at US embassies and consulates before I retired from the USG and went to work for ADT. I am an electronic engineer and had specialized USG training in all aspects of technical security. I did military communications systems engineering for 23 years prior to working in security.
When ADT hired me, they promised 30 days of training and I got nothing! They also said I would earn $75k but it was less than half that amount. And ADT managers, who knew nothing about security, expected and demanded that service personnel do at least 7 service calls per day, regardless of the complexity of the problem. Service crews were sent out with no parts and often had to call other service personnel to see if they were nearby and had the part needed.

ADT installs alarm systems that do not work and when a burglary does happen, they tell the customer ADT is not liable since the customer did not test his alarm system monthly as they are supposed to do.
Most homeowners would not even know if their system was communicating or not with ADTs monitors (they either have a communication link over a telephone circuit or a wireless connection via a cell radio transmitter). I personally saw situations where the system was installed and not working properly and the customer had been paying for months or up to a year without knowing it.
Yet despite all the shortcomings, ADT sees fit to charge $30-40 a month for a false sense of security - it's all about profit and little to do with customer service and satisfaction.
And ADT has no installation standards, installer training, or spare parts on service trucks. I was sent to one customer’s home which was about a 1 hour ride away; when I arrived he needed a few standard 1.5 volt batteries and I had none on my truck. I had to drive to the nearest Ace hardware and buy them using my own money. At other residences, I found the heavy alarm panel mounted with only drywall screws (it was falling off the wall), exposed conductors on wires, panels installed upside down, and sensors that had been installed days ago falling off.
ADT sales reps know little about security principles and how to design a proper alarm system. They advertize the $99 special, which is OK for a studio apartment at best, and then use the bait and switch scam to get the customer to shell out $1000 or more for an “expanded” home alarm system. Sales reps are out to maximize the total sale dollar amount since they get paid on commission.
And ADT will take over any system ever installed by anyone else, as long as the customer pays the $30-40 monthly fee. Then ADT will not have trained personnel or parts to support these odd ball systems when they do fail.
Buyer beware! It is a known fact that a big guard dog is a better deterrent for burglary! And keep in mind that a critical factor for any alarm system is the time it takes for police to respond to the alarm– if you are in a remote location and it takes 30 minutes for police to get there, burglars have this much time to crash and grab.

Still no help. Just answering machines and sorry i can't help you...you need another department. I have called many times. I have waited for 3 months. When i tell them i am going to cancel the contract that i have been paying on for three months due to no service they tell me about all the fees i would have to pay. Please do not do business with ADT they are the worst in customer service i have ever seen. One of their own sales men told me it is hard for him to come back and help me once he has made the sale becouse he has a quota to meet and he does not have time for me once the contract has been signed I called ADT among many other alarm companies when I was shopping for a service. After about an hour long conversation, I agreed to have someone come out and look around my home to discuss setting up the service and signing their contract. I was told my credit card would not be charged until the contract was signed and I just had to give them the number to hold the appointment. Two days later I had a charge for $107, their activation fee +tax. When I called customer service, I was told that's their policy and I would have to wait 30 days for my refund. When I explained that wasn't good enough and I had been promised that nothing would be charged in the first place, he told me to read my brochure (which I didn't have, I'd spoken to someone on the phone) and I would have to wait 30 days like everyone else. That's when I asked for a supervisor and the call got really bad. I spent 20 minutes on the phone with the CUSTOMER SERVICE rep telling me that a supervisor was not available but they would call me back. When I said I wanted to hold, he told me that this wasn't a supervisor issue and they were going to tell me the same thing he had already explained. By the end of my phone call with him, he was threatening to "disconnect the call" if I couldn't realize that I didn't need to speak to a supervisor. I finally got the supervisor who said she would escalate the refund (that should not have been charged in the first place)! I HATE ADT'S CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SALESMEN AND CANNOT UNDERSTAND HOW THEY ARE STILL IN BUSINESS!

ADT Security is a joke! And a ripoff too!
I know because I worked for them for almost 2 years as a commercial and residential service engineer in Arizona.
I designed, installed and tested technical security systems at US embassies and consulates before I retired from the USG and went to work for ADT. I am an electronic engineer and had specialized USG training in all aspects of technical security. I did military communications systems engineering for 23 years prior to working in security.
When ADT hired me, they promised 30 days of training and I got nothing! They also said I would earn $75k but it was less than half that amount. And ADT managers, who knew nothing about security, expected and demanded that service personnel do at least 7 service calls per day, regardless of the complexity of the problem. Service crews were sent out with no parts and often had to call other service personnel to see if they were nearby and had the part needed.

ADT installs alarm systems that do not work and when a burglary does happen, they tell the customer ADT is not liable since the customer did not test his alarm system monthly as they are supposed to do.
Most homeowners would not even know if their system was communicating or not with ADTs monitors (they either have a communication link over a telephone circuit or a wireless connection via a cell radio transmitter). I personally saw situations where the system was installed and not working properly and the customer had been paying for months or up to a year without knowing it.
Yet despite all the shortcomings, ADT sees fit to charge $30-40 a month for a false sense of security - it's all about profit and little to do with customer service and satisfaction.
And ADT has no installation standards, installer training, or spare parts on service trucks. I was sent to one customer’s home which was about a 1 hour ride away; when I arrived he needed a few standard 1.5 volt batteries and I had none on my truck. I had to drive to the nearest Ace hardware and buy them using my own money. At other residences, I found the heavy alarm panel mounted with only drywall screws (it was falling off the wall), exposed conductors on wires, panels installed upside down, and sensors that had been installed days ago falling off.
ADT sales reps know little about security principles and how to design a proper alarm system. They advertize the $99 special, which is OK for a studio apartment at best, and then use the bait and switch scam to get the customer to shell out $1000 or more for an “expanded” home alarm system. Sales reps are out to maximize the total sale dollar amount since they get paid on commission.
And ADT will take over any system ever installed by anyone else, as long as the customer pays the $30-40 monthly fee. Then ADT will not have trained personnel or parts to support these odd ball systems when they do fail.
Buyer beware! It is a known fact that a big guard dog is a better deterrent for burglary! And keep in mind that a critical factor for any alarm system is the time it takes for police to respond to the alarm– if you are in a remote location and it takes 30 minutes for police to get there, burglars have this much time to crash and grab.

I worked for ADT for a couple of years so even though I think the company is run by a bunch of idiots the system did what it was suppose too. The system picked up an event false or otherwise and ADT called you. You didn't answer so they went down your call list. No success so they called the PD. That's the service they provide. I have an active system in my house. ADT calls me even when they detect a fault in my system. Even when I'm aware of it.

Question, did you buy from ADT or a dealer? Dealers are total ### and will tell you anything to close the deal. I got tried of explaining that to people.

Adt has the worst customer service. they set the appointment for service problems with their system and then pull a no show leaving you unprotected

for days on end. when they didnt show up i called them to find out what was going on they said there werent any techs available at the time but i could pay extra for emergency service? thats right folks they wanted me to pay extra for the service call they scheduled and didnt show up for!

please research carefully when choosing a security company to protect you.

the biggest doesnt necessarily mean the best.

How about a complete and secure home security system for about $250 with no monthly monitoring fee ever? Beside being wireless, you can install it yourself and modify the program to meet your exact needs. It can call your cell phone, the police, the hospital or anyone else that you want it to call. I have had mine installed for 3 months and I'm sorry I didn't know about it about ten years ago. I also have Magicjack VOIP phone line that costs me just $19.95 a year...that's right $19.95 a year!
If your interested give me a call @ [protected] or cell: [protected].
My E-mail address is: trrose@bellsouth.net.
Have a great day!
TR Rose II

Once you have signed the ADT contract and the grace period has passed, I don't believe that you can just cancel the contract without good cause. And, do you know for sure how long the contract is that you signed? They tricked me into signing a three year contract. It did not say anywhere on the contract that it was for three years. A different document, they sent me later after I complained that the salesperson did not disclose I was signing a three year contract, was without signatures, and said it was for three years. I managed to get the three year contract negated. I found out that I am senstive to too much EMF (electronic magnetic frequency/radio signals in a close area. Once the alarm system was activated, regardless if it was armed or not, it made my heart race and over stimulated my central nervous system. I can't sit in the same room with a wireless modem/router either. I will feel like I am being enveloped in radiation and will feel ill and like I can't think. When I checked a resource to find out how many antennas, radio/tv towers, wireless systems, and other EMF frequencies are within a four mile radius of my home I was shocked to find there were over 400 different EMF/radio systems. This was back in 2007 and I'm sure there are more now with everyone going wireless. Add everyone's microwave ovens on top of that and we are all swiimming in a EMF soup. It affects everyone differently and at different levels. But scientists are finding out that EMF causes cancer. When I asked for the contract to be cancelled due to medical issues, that was when I found out it was a three year contract. And, I am a person that reads the entire contract before I sign it. Anyway, the manager told me that I needed a doctor to write a letter. EMF medical issues are a new medical issue and not too many doctors are familiar with it. But I did find a doctor to write the letter and my contract ended. Make sure you get everything promised or changed in writing and keep the names and telephone numbers of everyone you deal with at ADT. I'm surprised that ADT' is still handling their accounting between the local office and the national accounting office. It is a very inefficient system that ends up with mass communication errors and billing problems between the two offices and it takes forever to get accounting mistakes corrected. I think it is because their accounting program is only accessible at certain times for corrections and the correction will only show up after the next billing period ends and is billed. That is why it seems to take two billing cycles to get an accounting error corrected. So, if they miss the deadline to get a correction inputted before the next billing cycle ends and bills are printed, you have to wait until the next month and billing cycle run before it shows up. Cheap, archaic system.

And, it seems that the smoke sensor was so sensitive that every time you cook and a little steam smoke rises it sets off the alarm and the fire department shows up. Then you get billed for a false alarm. But when the burglar alarm is activated, the people monitoring the alarms take forever to contact you before the police are contacted. The problem I ran into was my city is new and used to be a part of a large city next door. It's been over ten years since my city was created and separated from the big city. But ADT's database is so old that is still showed my zip code in the old big city. So, the first time the fire alarm activated it took 15 minutes for the fire trucks to arrive even though their office is one mile away. The problem is the zip code sent the fire alarm to the previous big city's fire department and they didn't recognize my address and then it took someone ten minutes to figure out that my address/zipcode was in the new city and then they had to forward the alarm to my city's fire department. Now, if this had been a "real" fire and not a false alarm, my house would have burned down by the time they arrived.

Warning: Don't make an assumption about anything - check out even the smallest detail and ask a lot of questions. Don't be shy - it may save your family's life someday.

On another note, to protect your family and yourself from EMF, there are many products coming out that you can put on your cell phone, wireless modem/router/babymonitor/microwave/portable phone base/desktop and laptop computers, cable/satellite boxes, TV's, etc... There is a new product that isn't expensive and I'm not associated with it at all. It's called x-Zubi. If you want to purchase it and get a charity tax write off, search for the 'jimbakkershow" and call them to order. With shipping, they are $25 a piece. Or, you can purchase them from the x-Zubi website without a charity tax write off. You need one z-Zubi for each wireless product.

The x-Zubi is the only product on the market right now that completely absorbs EMF radiation and it will last as long as you keep it on your phone, etc...

Again, I have no connection with x-Zubi. Cancer from EMF radiation is real. Check it out if you don't believe me. People are getting brain cancer in the shape of their phone antenna or hip bone cancer from carrying their cell phone on their belt.

Being wireless is wonderful but EMF radiation is no joke. Anything wireless uses this technology.

South Carolina Residents can be assured of our commitment to honesty and service. Please visit http://1stpriorityalarm.com where Protecting You and Your Family is Our First Priority

Yeah. i agree with your concern, i worked for the the ADT because of harassment i'd resign from adt
please leave your postal call hear i will call you and provide you better services from adt

thanks & regards..
Sam Parker

ADT didn't force you into a contract, they didn't guide your hand in signing it. suck it up buttercup.

ADT Security is a joke! And a ripoff too!
I know because I worked for them for almost 2 years as a commercial and residential service engineer in Arizona.
I designed, installed and tested technical security systems at US embassies and consulates before I retired from the USG and went to work for ADT. I am an electronic engineer and had specialized USG training in all aspects of technical security. I did military communications systems engineering for 23 years prior to working in security.
When ADT hired me, they promised 30 days of training and I got nothing! They also said I would earn $75k but it was less than half that amount. And ADT managers, who knew nothing about security, expected and demanded that service personnel do at least 7 service calls per day, regardless of the complexity of the problem. Service crews were sent out with no parts and often had to call other service personnel to see if they were nearby and had the part needed.

ADT installs alarm systems that do not work and when a burglary does happen, they tell the customer ADT is not liable since the customer did not test his alarm system monthly as they are supposed to do.
Most homeowners would not even know if their system was communicating or not with ADTs monitors (they either have a communication link over a telephone circuit or a wireless connection via a cell radio transmitter). I personally saw situations where the system was installed and not working properly and the customer had been paying for months or up to a year without knowing it.
Yet despite all the shortcomings, ADT sees fit to charge $30-40 a month for a false sense of security - it's all about profit and little to do with customer service and satisfaction.
And ADT has no installation standards, installer training, or spare parts on service trucks. I was sent to one customer’s home which was about a 1 hour ride away; when I arrived he needed a few standard 1.5 volt batteries and I had none on my truck. I had to drive to the nearest Ace hardware and buy them using my own money. At other residences, I found the heavy alarm panel mounted with only drywall screws (it was falling off the wall), exposed conductors on wires, panels installed upside down, and sensors that had been installed days ago falling off.
ADT sales reps know little about security principles and how to design a proper alarm system. They advertize the $99 special, which is OK for a studio apartment at best, and then use the bait and switch scam to get the customer to shell out $1000 or more for an “expanded” home alarm system. Sales reps are out to maximize the total sale dollar amount since they get paid on commission.
And ADT will take over any system ever installed by anyone else, as long as the customer pays the $30-40 monthly fee. Then ADT will not have trained personnel or parts to support these odd ball systems when they do fail.
Buyer beware! It is a known fact that a big guard dog is a better deterrent for burglary! And keep in mind that a critical factor for any alarm system is the time it takes for police to respond to the alarm– if you are in a remote location and it takes 30 minutes for police to get there, burglars have this much time to crash and grab.

ADT—Knoxville, TN

My complaint is not with ADT main company but a contractor out of Knoxville, TN. I was TOLD that my contract was for one year but later learned it was for three years. I was going to pay out one year and then cancel. I wanted to do that only because the customer service was so bad. For example, I signed the first contract and a few days later they called and said something on it was not correct. I signed the second contract that still had the $32 rate. Two weeks later a woman came to my door with a third contract for me to sign. I wouldn't sign this one as I had signed the second one of which she had no knowledge. This was not making me feel very good about ADT. Also, they would apologize for the background noise on the line each time I called. It sounds as if there "office" phone is a pay phone in a bus station.

First there was the lie about the contract length. On learning that I have Vonage phone service, they said the ADT system couldn't work on these newer telephone systems and that I had to have "cell-phone monitoring". This will be a growing problem as more and more people are going to Voice over Internet Provider systems. They never said there was an extra charge for this plus the charge was NOT in my contract. The first months charge to my credit card was for the amount stated in the contract but the next charge was for almost $20 more. I called the office in Knoxville and they said they had to charge me something. I refused to pay this full price as I had not been told at install. I agreed to a new contract for half the rate for the cell phone monitoring service and they sent me a new contract. After two months I saw ADT was still charging my card the full rate, so I called again and they agreed this was incorrect and that they would try to fix it with ADT billing. This was when I asked how many months I had left on the contract. I told her that I was unhappy about being lied to and she said it was my own fault. I tried to ask her if it was my fault for not catching a lie as it was spoken or words to that effect but we were both shouting by then.

Don't buy an ADT system from the dealer in Knoxville, TN!

TWO ISSUES:
1. Did not complete the install
2. The WORST customer service ever-Granville OH area

1. Did NOT complete the install-During the installation their technician told me he needed to return to swap out one of the pads and add the light switch. He called me a month later and said he had n't forgotten he was waiting for the items to come in.Now saying, via the national office, they said they did install everything, even though I have Two different types of pads and no light switch.

2. Customer Service (or lack of). Called the local office 6 times and even talked to people. They said they would call me back and NEVER did. Eventually called the national office who guaranteed the local office would call me back the next business day..they never did. A week later, I called the national office and left them a message. The national office rep called me 4 days later (he was on vacation..fair enough) and left me a message saying that the local office had contacted him and said the "install was complete."

Now even though NO ONE from the local office has returned 6 of my calls, the national office say that the local OFFice told them that the install was complete. I can't believe ADT are still in business. My 2 yr old has a better comprehension of manners than ADT. 6 calls none returned. Install NOT complete.

Even if I am wrong about the installation (which I am not)I figure I hopefully have at least 40 years left of my life. That means ADT have lost approximately $28, 000 dollars of future income because of a light switch and pad which probably costs them about $25. To be honest the real issue with me now is the customer service or lack of... Specifically in the Columbus/Granville, OH area. 6 calls none returned...so infuriating!
What happened to the customer is always right. Infact what happened to general courtesy!

I want to thank you very much for your quick and what appears to be accurate response to my email dated 7/11/12. SecureWatch customer service department has been truly remarkable in handling my problems. I had my system installed in mid April. From that point on I have been receiving recorded phone message up to 5-6 times a day stating there is a non-emergent alarm/alert with my keypad. Some of these calls have been waking me up in the middle of the night. There have been repairmen out to my house twice, neither time was problem corrected. I even received a letter telling me of the problem and to call [protected], which I did to no resolve.

I contacted customer service representative Colleen C. Stevens who was very polite and helpful, she arranged for one of the repairman to take a look. Yesterday I contacted SecureWatch Customer Service Department via email. A customer service representative contacted me by phone within an hour and made arrangements with a repairman to replace my keypad the same evening. I have not received any calls since it was replaced. I am sorry I forgot the name of the representative I spoke with yesterday, but SecureWatch customer service department (representatives') are some of the most polite and helpful that I have ever had the privilege to work with. I did not care at all for the trouble I had and was very disappointed with ADT/SecureWatch. The customer service department has turned it into a pleasant experience and the only reason I would recommend this company to anyone-and I would-is because of the customer service department. With a customer service department like yours', I look forward to my next problem.

Thank you very much, one very satisfied customer,

I agree 100% . ADT Alarm Systems is a crooked and scamming company to deal with.
I was needing a medical alert system because I had taken numerous falls in my home, and after a trip to the ER following a fall I was checked over throughly, given pain medication and sent home. I had been asked by a DR. and nurse if I had a necklace with a button to press if i needed help(I am a 75 yr, old widow and live alone). I didn't have at that particular time. I hadn't been home an hour (still on the effects of pain medicine) when a fellow knocked on my door and wanted to sign me up for an alert system. I thought the hospital had sent him-- THEY HADN'T. So I signed some papers to have their system installed in my home the following week . I was told that it would cost $29.95 a month. AT NO TIME was I told I was signing a 3 year CONTRACT. a week later an installer came and cut a hole in my wall and installed an electronic box with several buttons to press and spent NO TIME EXPLAINING TO ME HOW TO USE IT.( I have had their system disconnected and removed from the wall) examined by several friends who work for other alarm system companies and the ADT system is not even designed to be a MEDICAL ALERT SYSTEM, but rather is a burgular system) Within a couple weeks I fell again and tried to press on their necklace/button to get help--nothing worked ! but it kept asking me for a password/CODE. I lay on the floor for over 40 minutes and was finally able to reach a phone and called a neighbor who came and called the paramedics. After many phone calls, arguements etc. (over 2 yrs time) I was told that I would be "forced" to honor the 3 yr. contract and continue to make the $49.95 a month payments. I am still fighting them and NOT making payments
Daffnee M

I agreed there customer service sucks. My alarm went off right after I left for work and the ADT operator sent the police to the wrong address. I got to work 45 minutes later they called and the operator left a message on my work phone and said to call them. When I called back they said the police were unable to locate my house and he didn't know what to do next since he had the wrong address in his computer. I shortly hung up and called a friend to go over to my house. He went over and my garage door was open, but no one was there and nothing was missing. When I called ADT back and talked to a manager she told me that was human error and it happens. I am a single female living alone and if someone had hurt me this morning I would still be lying there waiting for help... the point of paying $45 per month for an alarm is so that help shows up when it goes off. I want out of my contact so I can switch to another company but ADT said there is nothing they can do. I just have to hope that next time the operator gives the wring address to the police! DON'T USE ADT, there monitoring service and customer service suck.

ADT Security is a joke! And a ripoff too!
I know because I worked for them for almost 2 years as a commercial and residential service engineer in Arizona.
I designed, installed and tested technical security systems at US embassies and consulates before I retired from the USG and went to work for ADT. I am an electronic engineer and had specialized USG training in all aspects of technical security. I did military communications systems engineering for 23 years prior to working in security.
When ADT hired me, they promised 30 days of training and I got nothing! They also said I would earn $75k but it was less than half that amount. And ADT managers, who knew nothing about security, expected and demanded that service personnel do at least 7 service calls per day, regardless of the complexity of the problem. Service crews were sent out with no parts and often had to call other service personnel to see if they were nearby and had the part needed.

ADT installs alarm systems that do not work and when a burglary does happen, they tell the customer ADT is not liable since the customer did not test his alarm system monthly as they are supposed to do.
Most homeowners would not even know if their system was communicating or not with ADTs monitors (they either have a communication link over a telephone circuit or a wireless connection via a cell radio transmitter). I personally saw situations where the system was installed and not working properly and the customer had been paying for months or up to a year without knowing it.
Yet despite all the shortcomings, ADT sees fit to charge $30-40 a month for a false sense of security - it's all about profit and little to do with customer service and satisfaction.
And ADT has no installation standards, installer training, or spare parts on service trucks. I was sent to one customer’s home which was about a 1 hour ride away; when I arrived he needed a few standard 1.5 volt batteries and I had none on my truck. I had to drive to the nearest Ace hardware and buy them using my own money. At other residences, I found the heavy alarm panel mounted with only drywall screws (it was falling off the wall), exposed conductors on wires, panels installed upside down, and sensors that had been installed days ago falling off.
ADT sales reps know little about security principles and how to design a proper alarm system. They advertize the $99 special, which is OK for a studio apartment at best, and then use the bait and switch scam to get the customer to shell out $1000 or more for an “expanded” home alarm system. Sales reps are out to maximize the total sale dollar amount since they get paid on commission.
And ADT will take over any system ever installed by anyone else, as long as the customer pays the $30-40 monthly fee. Then ADT will not have trained personnel or parts to support these odd ball systems when they do fail.
Buyer beware! It is a known fact that a big guard dog is a better deterrent for burglary! And keep in mind that a critical factor for any alarm system is the time it takes for police to respond to the alarm– if you are in a remote location and it takes 30 minutes for police to get there, burglars have this much time to crash and grab.

Full Disclosure: I'm a salesman for a subcontractor of ADT alarm systems.

This is why we don't even do VOIP installations anymore. It's suddenly ADT's fault a mouse chewed thru your cable line x-D

The only cost effective way to be notified of a broken tel wire is with a GSM device, and since it carries extra costs with it most customers choose not to purchase it.

Tech may have been lazy unfortunately, but 90% of the tel problems that occur with alarm systems not being able to communicate seem to happen after a cable company switches the customer over to digital phone.