Paying customer wakes up to CF alarm every morning

Well everyone, I think this thread might have come to a close. Or maybe a beginning.

In my origional spirit of first trying to see if the communication problem can be easily fixed, and if not cancel my agreement to save everyone time (Brinks technician time included), I called the Brinks cancellation department today. Those who have read these threads for the past 6 weeks know my intention was not to this on or consume peoples time. You also know I just wanted an interim fix to allow my wife to use the alarm at night (ie: can't "unplug") but without the daily CF alarm beeping even if I still have to pay my monitoring. Somewhere around 5-10 visits over the past year and they have not been able or willing (not sure which) to disable the daily CP alarm. I won't get into the vonage issue any more than to say those of you who read the threads understand the how, and why, as well as what my plans where when I move.

Marsha at the "Customer Loyalty" department of Brinks (800-437-3611, x32603) was very nice when I asked to cancel my agreement. Since I have always accepted accountability for the situation over the past year and paid my $32 every month the past 22 months, I thought my sole request to let me out of my agreement two months early was a very fair and reasonable one. I was stunned this would not be done. She did say I could send a fax to the End of Term Manager (972-871-3331) but I an not sure if I want to use any more of their time. I have provided the above contact info as a resources for people with a similar challenge to cancel your agreement should you wish. I would not say I am upset, but rather sad. I still remember my origional Brinks salesperson from 2 years ago. I have spent several thousand with Brinks including almost every hardware item they sell (motion, fire, heat, panic/pendant, line cut, remotes, glass break, doors, latchkey/paging) and two years of monitoring, and I have been operating under the assumption this would all be behind me soon and the Brinks truck would pull up to my new home in a month or so(with a regular line) and setup me up and this voip would obviously never come up again. All I wanted was to continue to pay my monthly bill like I always have, but stop the daily CF alarm until I move in a month. They didn't need to get it the alarm to work, just stop the beeping.

As the popular saying goes, "it is what it is." I will move on to Keyth (preferably) or ADT and hope this experience has been informative. If something changes I will let you know, otherwise thank you everyone who provided a positive contribution to this forum. I am so thankful Al Gore invented the internet :)

Sir, I don't know your panel whatsoever; however, most work pretty much the same way. The "beeping" you experienced was likely a trouble of some kind..."failure to communicate"...or "no dial tone" or some such thing. Those features can be turned off in (should I venture to say) all panels, so the fact that Brinks couldn't do so is somewhat of a surprise. Perhaps there was some other reason not quite so simple why it couldn't be done.......

Anyway, best of luck to you, and stop back if you need more advice.....just keep your Kevlar vest close at hand...:))

R.H.Campbell Home Security Metal Products Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

R.H.Campbell. Didn't want to make it sound like I'm pissed at you, not so. I read some of your post and you sound like you have a firmer grip on the ground so can i ask you some things? I don't know the inside workings of alarms so excuse me if I sound dumb. My comments were not about what technically can be done by the company but what the company feels is their only option by contract or policy. Would disconnecting the beeping of the failure to communicate (what he said it was) mean not being able to warn him he had no phone service? Is that some type of violation of standards or rules for a monitored alarm? When I asked my company if they could turn off the test callin, I get off work at 11pm and used the phone overnight for stuff and kept getting cut off, they said they could not as it was required by the contract they and I signed. They also said that to turn it off would violate standards cause the alarm must warn me when I don't have phone service and the test is the daily requirement to do it. They offered to change the time of the test but not completely turn off the test or make it so I wouldn't know if the test failed. their only other option for me to not have the daily callin or buzzing if it failed was to cancel. I'm just wondering if that makes sense? if not, tell me why?

RHC, I understand what you are saying. I'm lost though over the comments that the company should do something over if the company liability lets them do it. Example for you. We install electrical monitoring equipment under orders of a NV NAC for home medical equipment. It's hooked to the phone lines and connects on a circuit before the breakers. If electricity is lost, it calls the utility and a buzzer goes off inside. The contract states it is to monitor the electric utility line, not just electricity. If the home disconnects electricity and installs alternative power (wind, generator, mule&wheel) we still need to maintain monitoring of the utility line so long as we are being paid. I know it's a nuisance and I know it could be moved to a circuit on the alternative power, but if it's for utility monitoring we have a responsibility to followr what is written not what the customer has. I can shut off the buzzer but that makes us liable should anything happen. If the customer cancel service we will have to turn off the entire thing. If the phones go down, a buzzer sounds until restored. The customer can silence the phone buzzer for 8 hours (it will report the silencing when service is restored) but the buzzer can never be disconnected even if they disconnect phone service. If it causes them problems, they need to get back phone service and utility electricity. As long as they are paying for the service, we must provide it and maintain it exactly as originally agreed. They can only have it as installed or cancel all service . I think that is what I'm asking of the alarm, if the alarm was installed with that feature set that way, and I disconnected phone service wouldn't i be the sole responsible person regardless of what I'm willing to pay or what the company is trying to do for me to get it to work?

Many alarms can be programmed not to buzz on com-fail, but yet will display the trouble on the keypad display in some manner (blinking led, FC display, Comm Fail, Telco Trbl...whatever)...and of course the CS would know it missed a test.

You ask some good questions; I will give you my opinion below.....

RHC: Yes, but so what ! He fully knows that because he chose to go with VoIP for his phone service. Unfortunately for him (and for us as alarm dealers), VoIP doesn't work reliably enough for security services (when it even can be made to work) . Seems to me, he doesn't need his alarm panel to tell him he has no conventional phone service !!

RHC: No, not that I know of, at least nothing of a formal nature. Perhaps they have internal company rules in that regard.

When I asked my company if they could turn off the test callin,

RHC: I don't know how your alarmco specifically handles this sort of thing, but the test signal is considered a "must do" by any alarm company. It is for the customer's protection because you simply can't rely on customers to test their systems properly. So I expect, being a part of their service, not having it in place could well violate their contract in that they would not be providing an internally acceptable level for service to their client. However, that said, the time to report in can be any time of the day or night. Usually companies make it at a given time between 1 am and 5 am, simply because the client is less likely to be bothered by having his phone call terminated by the panel in mid conversation at that time of the early morning.

They also said that to turn it off would

RHC: The daily test does indeed warn of a possible loss of phone line. But it can also mean any of the following....the telephone company , or the customer himself, has been fooling with the phone line and screwed things up.....the customer has installed DSL service without a proper filtering arrangement....someone doing renovations has disconnected the AC to the panel and the battery has run flat (dead panel..).....the telco phone line happened to be temporarily dead at the time when the panel was due to check in........there are lots of reasons !!

They offered to

RHC: Not really ! It seems pretty strange that any company would chance losing a client over something as simple to correct as this. Most panels have the option to disable the trouble beeping, so it ONLY shows as a trouble light or indication on the keypads. They would still know the panel hasn't checked in from their end; however, the client wouldn't be endlessly bothered by the incessant beeping from the keypad....

R.H.Campbell Home Security Metal Products Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

But if HE doesn't want to get a pots line for the little time left at his current home and accepts full responsibility and is WILLING to pay the monthlies until he can get back online in his new home WITH a pots line for the alarm why can't they accomodate?

All he wants from his alarm company at this time is for the keypad to NOT start beeping during the wee hours of the morning.

NExt thing you know you are gonna build a sig line with an owl in it...