Please do yourself a favor and avoid Brinks. Brinks has been making plenty of money from suckers like me who didn't read the fine print "evergreen clause" in the contract, stating that it auto renews every year unless you remember to cancel it in writing at least 60 days before the renewal date. So, I'm stuck for another 10 months with their subpar service. What a ripoff.
I just recently realized that our alarm hasn't actually been working properly. It looks like it's working, but we recently discovered it's not. Do you think Brinks ever bothered to call us with a "Is everything OK? We noticed you haven't set your alarm in 6 months?" No, they just continue to send the bill. When a new city ordinance required homes with alarms to get a permit, did Brink notify me? Yes, 1 month AFTER the ordinance was in effect, and 3 weeks AFTER I got fined by the city for a false alarm.
Bad timing, yes, but that, along with very poor phone support add up to a company I will never recommend, and I hope others spread the word.
money from suckers like me who didn't read the fine print "evergreen clause" in the contract, stating that it auto renews every year unless you remember to cancel it in writing at least 60 days before the renewal date. So, I'm stuck for another 10 months with their subpar service. What a ripoff.
It looks like it's working, but we recently discovered it's not. Do you think Brinks ever bothered to call us with a "Is everything OK? We noticed you haven't set your alarm in 6 months?" No, they just continue to send the bill. When a new city ordinance required homes with alarms to get a permit, did Brink notify me? Yes, 1 month AFTER the ordinance was in effect, and 3 weeks AFTER I got fined by the city for a false alarm.
company I will never recommend, and I hope others spread the word.
Sir, your unfortunate experience with this company actually points to other industry wide problems that bear mentioning. After 15 years in this industry, and having watched how companies large and small conduct themselves, I've come up with a few "truisms" that bear mentioning:
1- Those companies that advertise the most usually give the end user the least overall.
2- Most end users do far too little research before buying security services.
3- Many consumers seem to believe the hype that alarm systems are indeed "free" and honestly believe that they are getting something for nothing, not realizing they are simply paying for their system in the overpriced monitoring rates.
4- Many consumers don't read the fine print in their contract choosing instead to trust the party presenting it for signature. Corporate greed being what it is, this is tantamount to believing the salesman when he insists on your paying full price at your auto dealership !
5- Industry wide self serving practices of having to sign a long term contract for monitoring services results in most clients not realizing there are other options that don't lock them in so tightly.
6- Most end users don't realize that many simple, cost effective "physical security precautions" are an important part of their overall security platform, instead relying too heavily on electronic services (see point 2)
7- Many companies are far too willing to put the responsibility that the alarm is working properly onto the end user (In this gentleman's example, you have to wonder why his company didn't program in a simple auto test signal)
8- In this industry, it is very much "buyer beware" (as you have unfortunately found...)
9 - There are plenty more...add your own....
Overall, this often appears to be a pretty scummy industry, made much worse by opportunistic companies whose primary goal is not your security but gaining your business at any cost. Ethics always seem to take a back seat to profit !!
Frankly, I've become pretty disillusioned with our industry over the years and I'll be glad to soon leave it behind......
I just recently realized that our alarm hasn't actually been working properly. It looks like it's working, but we recently discovered it's not. Do you think Brinks ever bothered to call us with a "Is everything OK? We noticed you haven't set your alarm in 6 months?
..........why have an alarm if you're not gonna set it for 6 MONTHS???? that's like paying for cable, but not owning a television set!!!! it's not up to them to make sure you use your alarm!!! you are required by contract to test your system monthly....should Brinks hold your hand and come to your house every month to make sure you do what you're supposed to????
No, they just continue to send the bill. When a new city ordinance required homes with alarms to get a permit, did Brink notify me? Yes, 1 month AFTER the ordinance was in effect, and 3 weeks AFTER I got fined by the city for a false alarm.
..........it's up to YOU to know what your city requires!!!
If you got fined, the system must have worked. You have to take responsibility yourself for permits. I am certain that the new ordinance received a lot of media exposure before it went into effect.... I'll also venture to bet that Brinks had a comment for months on your statement that you ignored.
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