ADT Hidden Charges

bottlabrown

I have an ADT monitored alarm fitted and recently changed my telephone provider ( Virgin to SKY ) . Not really thinking it would affect my alarm I received a letter from ADT saying they were no longer able to test my alarm. I then realized that my alarm is hard wired into my telephone socket . SKY had installed a new socket so I contacted ADT told them about my new provider . They said not a problem we'll send an engineer out which they did. The engineer had to re-position my alarm control to be nearer to the SKY telephone socket. It took him just over an hour . The alarm was tested and everything worked fine . A few days later I received an invoice for £150 "saying it was to install equipment as requested " . I hadn't asked for a install all I wanted their monitoring system to be able to do it's job for which I'm being charged £25 per month . I rang up and complained they aid the alarm was working correctly and it was my fault I'd changed provider. As it lay with a third party it was in the terms and conditions that moving the line from one box to another was chargeable. I've asked for a full copy of the terms and conditions - still waiting for the email
I guess the purpose of this thread is
1. To warn anyone who might find themselves in a similar position
2. Ask if this is has happened to anyone else

Undervalued

I am struggling to see that you have any valid complaint at all.

It might be argued that £150 is a little high. However if you have ever run a business that involves travelling by appointment to a customer's house to carry out a small amount of work you would understand why the cost has to be in that sort of order.

You had a working installation that depended on a hard wired connection to a phone line. You chose to have the phone setup changed, that was not in any way the alarm company's fault. So there is no reason why they should charge you less than the going rate.

cajef

bottlabrown wrote: »

" . I hadn't asked for a install all I wanted their monitoring system to be able to do it's job for which I'm being charged £25 per month .

But the alarm system was doing it's job until SKY fitted a new socket, it is not ADT's fault that they did not reconnect the alarm system, do you expect people to work for nothing to correct other peoples mistakes, if you are not happy complain to SKY about the bill.

bottlabrown

If they'd explained on the phone that there would be a charge I might have excepted it . NO in fact I would have said don't bother "you're fired" and saved myself £300 a year .

Hintza

bottlabrown wrote: »

If they'd explained on the phone that there would be a charge I might have excepted it . NO in fact I would have said don't bother "you're fired" and saved myself £300 a year .

You can still cancel your contract and save £300, but best pay the bill first.

Undervalued

bottlabrown wrote: »

If they'd explained on the phone that there would be a charge I might have excepted it . NO in fact I would have said don't bother "you're fired" and saved myself £300 a year .

Obviously, if you had asked, they should have given you an idea of how much they would charge but I am amazed you thought it would be free. It was not a breakdown or fault, it was a direct result of something you had asked another company to do.

If (and I am not saying it is) the £150 is excessive, or if you had good reason to believe it would be less, then you may be able to argue it down a bit but that is all.

LilElvis

Of course the OP could/should have read their contract with ADT and found out exactly what is covered free of charge and what is chargeable. They better check their phone bills too to make sure the alarm is dialling into a freephone number and not one of the ones that will be costing him 50p+ each day.

marlot

I concur - £150 is on the high side, but I would have expected a charge. Why should ADT be out of pocket?

shaun_from_Africa

A charge of £150 would be VAT inclusive so if you knock this off, the money going to ADT would be £125.
This £125 has to cover the wages of the service engineer for the time they were at the property which was "just over an hour" and the time taken getting to and from the job and this may only be a few minutes, but then again it may be another hour or two.
It also has to cover whatever costs were incurred due to the administration and paperwork in organising the work.

£125 may seem like a lot of money, but once you start looking at what may have been involved in the work, there may not have been a great profit for ADT.

alumende27

Is it a hidden charge though? I have an alarm system that is on support (albeit with a less expensive local company), and their charges were clearly laid out in the initial contract. I can't believe ADT don't have something similar.