Heads Up Maui! - Security system scams (Hilo, Keaau: for sale, crime)

[Calico Salsa]

Maui folk keep an eye out for the "security system salespeople" that are out and about in the neighborhoods. Here's how it works:
Guy (so far we've only seen guys) comes to your door. After telling you how your house is the best in the neighborhood, they run a pitch that you sign up to get a FREE security system installed, in exchange for having a sign posted in your front yard. Their spiel is that the advertising of the sign is better than taking out ads, no cost to you, crime is on the rise in YOUR neighborhood, blah blah blah.

If you're suspicions aren't already going, you might notice:
1. They refuse to give out a business card or brochure
2. They keep tapping on an iPhone or iPad (the new version of carrying a clipboard), showing a map of the area while they are vaguely stating how there are reports of crime in your area
3. To look official, they wear a shirt embroidered with company names, and have an ID card on a lanyard
4. But hey, they don't drive onto your street, so you can't get a liscense plate
5. Our guy first claimed to be from Hawaii, but then later said he was from elsewhere,
6. They claim to be headquartered on Oahu and Utah, but they couldn't name where in Utah
7. Their only presence on the internet is stuff they could have put up, listed on sites, etc.
8. Big claim that they are listed with the Better Business Bureau, but just FYI I could list my cat as a business if I joined BBB

We have friends in the security business here, and they said whoever signs up had better read the contract. The "free" system is of course only free on the equipment, you have to pay the monitoring charges. And the charges on the the contract are a lot higher than the ones the salesman has told you. And the term is longer than he promised.

Plus of course you've just let someone into your house and let them see all your possessions and every door & window.

Soon as we chased the fellow away, we talked with the neighbors, 2 of whom were already watching this guy at our door. One said another fellow had come to her door 3 weeks ago, but with a different company name on his shirt.

A call to Maui PD - they said they were alerted that there are folks canvassing for sales on the island. I asked, how did they hear? Answer: the company called to let MPD know. I asked, did they check them out? Answer: no. Hmmm. If I were running a shaky deal, I'd first call the PD and pretend to let them know. And rumor has it they have given a couple of officers free systems, but without the hooks that they get on the civilians.

So watch out, don't fall for it. No one is giving anything away for free.

[hotzcatz]

They were up the coast over here on the Big Island, too. Claimed to be Mormons from Utah and an eagle scout as well. He, it was a fellow, did have some brochures if we wanted them and claimed two people on our street had already signed up. We told him we had nothing that hadn't been bought from yard sales (i.e. all our stuff is junk - which is unfortunately true) and the monthly cost (he said about $50 per month) would be more than the replacement cost of someone taking a cartload of stuff out of the house. Plus there were two neighbors peeking out the windows at him as he was talking to us, so I'd trust the neighbors to keep watch much better than any silly security service. Not to mention the dogs which run loose in the backyard and house. So, I don't know what they were doing, they may actually be selling security systems, but it seems they are selling security system monitoring and not mentioning that part.

There were also some folks who claimed to be from Keaau looking to demonstrate vacuum cleaners. Kirby, I think, were the vacuum cleaners. They wanted to clean a room in the house for free in exchange for being able to demonstrate their vacuums. She (it was a girl this time) claimed they got $20 for each demonstration they gave. They were over in the Kalopa area, not down in town at all. Dunno why folks from the other side of Hilo are this far away from home, you'd think there'd be lots of folks they can try to sell things to over where they are at.

When these sorts of folks appear, take their picture with your cell phone or digital camera. Ask them for a fingerprint as well, if you like. Then you'll be able to I.D. them later if necessary. If they know you have their photo and fingerprint, I don't think they are likely to send someone out to your house later to burgle it. If they did, then they need an I.Q. check.

[AlohaHuey]

Good idea on taking their picture.

Our house has been visited twice on the BI. I didn't let them in.

Our dogs would give any potential burglars a pause.

[mdand3boys]

It isn't a scam, at least not here on the Big island. They are a real company and just like most of the security companies (well, maybe all of them) either make you pay for the couple hundred $ worth of equipment up front or "give" it to you in exchange for signing a monthly contract for a some pre-determined amount of time.

If you check the BBB ratings of any security company, you will find complaints. This particular company has had a few as well, but seem to have all been settled. That's a good sign.

As to the salesman not knowing exactly where his company was headquartered, I can believe that a new hire wouldn't know, especially when representing a large company and being confronted with a paranoid home owner. Probably got him flustered.

[franklin42]

They were all over my neighborhood in Honoka'a on the Big Island last week. They came to our house and luckily my wife didn't let him in. No business cards or brochure. Calico nailed it to a T. Tapping on the Ipad, based out of Oahu, no car, we had the perfect house, everything is free, blah blah blah. Super shady. Tell them to get lost for sure. I am literally going to run the guy off my property if I see him again.

[Calico Salsa]

Originally Posted by mdand3boys

As to the salesman not knowing exactly where his company was headquartered, I can believe that a new hire wouldn't know, especially when representing a large company and being confronted with a paranoid home owner. Probably got him flustered.

You'd think that any security company would welcome questions by a potential client. Especially a paranoid (or I would say cautious) homeowner who knows better than to trust any fellow coming to the door with a sales pitch.

This fellow's story just didn't add up. He said he was from Utah, and had been with the company for 9 months. Some of that has to be a shaky truth, if he doesn't know the Utah headquarters. Just goes to show that even if the company is legit, they are still teaching their salesforce a pitch that may not hold up to [cautious] scrutiny.

MD, give me your address by PM and I'll send them your way!

[whynot?]

Kinda freaky, but when (on the odd occasion they have need to) our security company calls, it shows up as a Washington state number on our caller ID. We've finally put it in our directory so we recognize it right away, and don't decline the call.

We've had a (wired) security system for our 10 years on Maui and never had a real problem. Just high winds, usually. Still, for the money, it ought to give us peace-of-mind rather than random phone numbers and judgment calls?

Feel your pain.

[mokeanne]

i don't think all of them are scams. from what i understand one company just brought in ADT to hawaii. a co-worker thoroughly checked out a company and did an install with them. of course the man gave her his business card and let her take a pic of his driver's license. she did the whole nine yards before they purchased it. personally, my neighborhood has been flooded with these guys. some of them are college students and this is their summer jobs.

and like md said, a lot of companies offer free equipment w/ a monthly contract for so many years.

[lauleahere&there]

For what it's worth, the "college student" line can also be just that. We used to live in a college town, and frequently got the story of "I'm taking a communications class and selling subscriptions is part of my assignment." Well. My hubby was a professor in the Communication Studies department. So I'd ask them who their prof was, what building their class was in, etc. Usually they were ready to leave after that.

[Calico Salsa]

Yup, totally agree that not all are necessarily scams. But everyone should be cautious and do their due diligence before they let anyone in to inspect their homes, or before they sign up for any ongoing services.

The plain fact is that the sales pitch is obviously that... a sales pitch, with some lines to put you at ease -
"your house is the best and most deserving on the block"
and some to convince you -
"recent crime reports in your area"
and some to close the sale before you can change your mind -
"we can only do this if you decide in the next 24 hours"
All those things are maybe a little true, but possibly not the whole truth. They are designed to make you sign up. The company is NOT thinking of you, they don't care about you, they care about making the sale.

Even if the company and service are legitimate, the person at the door may push the "truthiness" even further in order to close more sales. So they might tell you it's only 24 months, but the contract reads 60 months. Read the whole contract carefully, don't let anyone rush you into a decisions.

Always remember that the nice sweet "college" kid at the door is gone, but you are the one putting your signature on a contract that binds you to whatever it says.