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CPI is no mom-and-pop corporation, and you are, I'm sure, not the first unhappy customer that has gone down the "who is required to pay for what" path. I'm fairly certain you're going to find that YOU are responsible for supplying the phone connection and YOU are responsible for notifying them of changes to YOUR telephone service.
IMHO, your only hope is that the yearly/monthly/whenever testing to make sure your equipment is functioning properly is contractual and not just a convenience they have decided to provide gratis. If it is, you are probably entitled to a refund for all the years save the first after your phone service was disconnected. It it isn't, you're likely not entitled to anything.
Location: American People's Democratic Capitalist Republic of South Carolina
176 posts, read 454,083 times
Reputation: 44
CPI Security system (made by GE) failed several times in a month
I had CPI security system with cellular backup installed a month ago. It failed during installation, but they got it fixed. Then the cellular backup failed a couple days later and they got it fixed by installing a much bigger antenna. Now a month after the installation I had a false door alarm while in STAY mode and I disarmed the system pretty fast although not instantaneously and CPI did not call me on the speak neither by phone at all. I waited for 2 hours and called them. They said there were no signals. Then we did testing by pressing on the Medical alarm and they said it worked, but they returned a call on the speaker in whole 2 minutes. They also told me there was one more alarm from my house after that medical test, which I did NOT initiate. She said I should call the tech. support tomorrow. Then we did yet another test using a silent duress code, waited several minutes, nothing. The system is malfunctioning just a moth after installation. Perhaps it's because it's made by General Electric which is notorious for a low quality electronics, or perhaps just bad luck, but how many times in a month can I have bad luck with the same company, same system? I'm not completely disappointed yet, but my confidence level with CPI now is about 5 out of 10 instead of 9 out of 10 just a week before when the false door alarm went off and CPI called me within 30 seconds. Not to forget to mention they charge almost $50 a month for the monitoring, so it's not the cheapest and I thought will be of a high quality.
They check with us every year. Hopefully you called them with the new telephone numbers when you disconnected. Communication is the key here.
One time my Mother-in-law fell and couldn't get to the security system to turn it off from the stairs coming up from the garage. So they came on, and they stayed on with her, called us at our home so that we could come help her, stayed on with her until we got there. So, I am a big believer and supporter that they can and will do the right thing.
Be sure you did the right thing to by communicating with them what your new phone numbers were and the changes you made to your phones. We have always understood that it was hooked up to our main phone line and that is why we haven't given it up.
Ok well I agree that CPI security sucks but only on a personal employment standpoint...you should know you need a phone line. I hate that company with a passion but come on, dont be stupid you knew what was going on, and knew you needed a phone line. What happend did your alarm go off and no one called, right? So that gave you room to complain, I hated customers like you
I had a VERY similar situation happen to me with ADT. I paid them every month for 2 years and finally found out that I was never 'connected' with them. My problem was that they didn't have any towers near me and I had no signal coming into my house. When I cancelled with them and tried to recover some of my money - they told me it was my fault because I am supposed to call them every month to run tests on the alarm. They also have horrible customer service. This is around the time when I switched over to CPI. Only thing I can suggest is to stay away from ADT.
I work for the phone company and the first thing we tell our customers who want to cancel their home phone service is that their alarm system will not work.... just saying. you may have outsmarted yourself.
I had CPI security system with cellular backup installed a month ago. It failed during installation, but they got it fixed. Then the cellular backup failed a couple days later and they got it fixed by installing a much bigger antenna. Now a month after the installation I had a false door alarm while in STAY mode and I disarmed the system pretty fast although not instantaneously and CPI did not call me on the speak neither by phone at all. I waited for 2 hours and called them. They said there were no signals. Then we did testing by pressing on the Medical alarm and they said it worked, but they returned a call on the speaker in whole 2 minutes. They also told me there was one more alarm from my house after that medical test, which I did NOT initiate. She said I should call the tech. support tomorrow. Then we did yet another test using a silent duress code, waited several minutes, nothing. The system is malfunctioning just a moth after installation. Perhaps it's because it's made by General Electric which is notorious for a low quality electronics, or perhaps just bad luck, but how many times in a month can I have bad luck with the same company, same system? I'm not completely disappointed yet, but my confidence level with CPI now is about 5 out of 10 instead of 9 out of 10 just a week before when the false door alarm went off and CPI called me within 30 seconds. Not to forget to mention they charge almost $50 a month for the monitoring, so it's not the cheapest and I thought will be of a high quality.
cellular back up is good b/c you don't have to have a phone however, just like cellular towers lose signal so do cellular back ups. When the cellular back up goes down a test is what is needed to reset the signal...during that medical test...it resets the system good as new but if the signal goes down another test is required...frustrating, but it's like that with every company and cellular back up
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CPI Security system (made by GE) failed several times in a month
