A CAUTIONARY STORY TONIGHT ABOUT
DOOR TO DOOR SALESPEOPLE WHO
WANT TO UPDATE
YOUR SECURITY SYSTEM.
SUMMER
GENERALLY, THEY COME IN THE LATE
DAYS OF SPRING OR THE SUMMER
MONTHS.
IT WAS JULY WHEN A SALESMAN
KNOCKED ON THE DOOR OF A COLLEGE
TEACHER WANTING TO
UPGRADE HER SYSTEM.
LORI:
WATE, SIX ON YOUR SIDE CONSUMER
REPORTER DON DARE WAS SHOWN
EQUIPMENT INSTALLED LAST SUMMER
THAT MATCHES A SYSTEM INSTALLED
MONTHS EARLIER BY ANOTHER
COMPANY.
DON:
THAT'S RIGHT, LORI. THE FIRST
SECURITY SYSTEM WAS SET UP IN
FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR,
FIVE MONTHS LATER ANOTHER
SALESMAN ARRIVES TO UPGRADE THE
SYSTEM.
DIANE ROBINETTE: THIS IS THE
EQUIPMENT THAT WAS
INSTALLED IN JULY BY VIVINT.
DIANE ROBINETTE, A RETIRED
COLLEGE
PROFESSOR, SHOWED US SECURITY
EQUIPMENT FROM
VIVINT RECENTLY DISASSEMBLED AT
HER HOME. DR. ROBINETTE SIGNED
UP WITH ALDER SECURITY IN
FEBRUARY. IN JULY, A SECURITY
COMPANY SALESMAN CAME TO HER
FRONT DOOR, SHE BELIEVED HE WAS
FROM ALDER.
DIANE ROBINETTE: A MAN CAME AND
SAID I'M GIVING YOU AN
UPDATE FOR THIS EQUIPMENT. I
SAID, OKAY. HE SAID THERE WILL
BE NO ADDITIONAL CHARGES, THE
CONTRACT WITH
BE THE SAME. DARE: WHAT DID HE
DO THEN? DIANE: HE PUT IN
NEW EQUIPMENT, ALSO CAMERAS. I
DIDN'T EVEN HAVE WIFI AT THE
TIME. DARE: HE TAKES THE ALDER
EQUIPMENT
OUT? DIANE: YES. DARE: AND PUTS
IN NEW EQUIPMENT. DIANE: RIGHT.
DARE: WHEN YOU START CHECKING
YOUR
MONTHLY BILLS IN JULY, WHAT DID
YOU SEE? DIANE: I SEE THAT
I'M BEING DOUBLED BILLED. I
NOTICED 51 DOLLARS AND A
FEW CENTS. IN ADDITION TO WHAT I
WAS PAYING TO ALDER.
AND, I NOTICED 15 DOLLARS A
MONTH FOR FORTIVA.
DR. ROBINETTE IS TOLD FORTIVA IS
A
RETAIL CREDIT SERVICE FOR
VIVINT. OVER 4 MONTHS, SHE WAS
BILLED BY ALDER SECURITY AND
VIVINT. DR. ROBINETTE SAID SHE
NEVER RECEIVED A
WRITTEN CONTRACT WITH VIVINT.
HOWEVER, SHE DID CONTACT THE
COMPANY.
DIANE: FIRST I CALLED THEY SAID,
YES, WE WILL TAKE CARE OF IT.
WE'LL SEND YOU YOUR CONTRACTS.
AND FORTIVA SAID
WE WILL SEND YOU A DISPUTE FORM.
I NEVER GOT ANYTHING IN THE MAIL
FROM EITHER ONE OF THEM. DARE:
ONCE YOU SAW
THIS DOUBLE BILLING YOU GET BACK
IN TOUCH WITH ALDER,
THE ORIGINAL SECURITY COMPANY?
DIANE: YES AND HE
CAME AND REPLACED THE EQUIPMENT.
HE PUT IN NEW
EQUIPMENT.
DIANE SAYS: THE EMAIL FROM
VIVINT SAID
ON BEHALF OF DR. ROBINETTE, WE
CONTACTED VIVINT AND EXPLAINED
WHAT HAPPENED. HERE IS THE
RESPONSE.
DIANE READS: I RECEIVED YOUR
LETTER THAT YOU SENT TO
YOUR LOCAL NEWS STATION AND I'M
HERE TO HELP. I AM
HAPPY TO CANCEL YOUR ACCOUNT AND
REFUND ALL
MONIES PAID IF THAT IS WHAT YOU
WOULD LIKE.
VIVINT SAID SOON IT WILL PICK UP
THE
EQUIPMENT THAT HAD BEEN
DISASSEMBLED. HERE IS WHAT TO
KNOW ABOUT DOOR-TO-DOOR SECURITY
SALESPEOPLE.
VERIFY THE SALESPERSON AND
COMPANY. THEY SHOULD HAVE A
BADGE AND A NUMBER, WRITE IT
DOWN. REVIEW THE CONTRACT AND
TERMS. IF THERE IS NEW EQUIPMENT
GET A RECORD OF IT. AND DON'T
FEEL
RUSHED. KNOW THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS
FIND EVEN BETTER DEALS.
VIVINT TELLS 6 OYS, IT'S
REPRESENTATIVE CARRIED AN ID AND
WORE A VIVINT UNIFORM. THE
COMPANY SAID IT REGRETS ANY
MISUNDERSTAND ING THAT TOOK
PLACE WITH MS. ROBINETTE AND ALL
HAS BEEN RESOLVED. DIANE
ROBINETTE SAYS THE EXPERIENCE
HAS TAUGHT HER A LESSON.
DIANE ROBINETTE: TO ASK LOTS OF
QUESTIONS AND BE SURE
WHO IS WHO.
DON:
AGAIN, VIVINT SAYS IT'S SALES
TEAM
HAS A SYSTEM TO CONFIRM THAT
EACH CUSTOMER UNDERSTANDS THAT
VIVINT HAS NO RELATIONSHIP
WITH
THE CUSTOMER'S CURRENT PROVIDER.
AND, VIVINT SAYS, ITS CUSTOMERS
ARE ASKED TO COMPLETE A PRE
INSTALLATION SURVEY TO
CONFIRM THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF
THE TRANSACTION.
THE COMPANY APOLOGIZED TO
DIANE ROBINETTE, AND SAID IT
WILL BE
PICKING UP ITS EQUIPMENT AT HER
HOME IN A FEW DAYS.
BO.
BO:
THANKS DON.
IF YOU HAVE A CONSUMER QUESTION
FOR DON -- SEND HIM AN EMAIL AT
D-DARE AT W-A-T-E DOT COM,
OR CALL HIS SIX ON YOUR SIDE
HOTLINE
NUMBER AT 865- 633-5974.
SUMMER
THANKSGIVING IS STILL DAYS AWAY
-
BUT OUR NATIONS CAPITOL IS
ALREADY