Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:21/03/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: api should have cancelled the contract back in September of 2022 when we first contacted them on the issue. But they didn't. When we would call to again request getting our service cancelled, their customer service people would either put us on hold and never come back on line or tell us we needed a reference number. But, they were not able or willing to supply a reference number to us. This lack of service is another reason why we want our contract cancelled and why we do not accept paying an invoice of 23 months.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 24/03/2025

  Hello, 

  api was advised by ****** **** to cancel the account  Feb 2025 with a final invoice owing for 23month of unpaid invoices. 

  From: ************ ********************** 
  Sent: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 2:58 PM
  To: customerservice ******************************
  Subject: Cancel
  

  Business Response

  Date: 15/04/2025

  there are no cancel calls or requests on file with the exception of February 2025  , ****** also does not have a cancel request for the account 

  all payment for monitoring were rejected from Nov 2022 despite the account being in contract term 

  we can adjust the invoice to half . 

   

  **** 

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 28/04/2025

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the house alarm went off and after an hour and a half the neighbours called the RCMP who broke a window to get into my house to check to see if anyone was hurt inside. api alarm did nothing. It cost me $100.00 dollars to replace that broken window. What kind of service is that? We had an different phone number when we first called to cancel our account. My wife called and talked to someone named ******** who hung up on her. She called back and a second ******* apologized, but said there was nothing he could do. This was back in September of 2022. We are more than willing to return api's equipment, but feel that they didn't provide the service we had been paying for. Someone from apr even told my wife that our alarm didn't even to off. The RCMP will vouch for the fact that it did.
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** ******

  Business Response

  Date: 15/05/2025

  This account was cancelled at the end of February , the final invoice was also cancelled 

  the only email to cancel api ever received was Feb 4th the customer was attempted by our retention team and circled back the customer care team to cancel at the end of Feb

  ****** was also asked for the original email to cancel, they advise they have received none to date 

  the account is cancelled with no invoices outstanding 

  Thank you 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 18/05/2025

  
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  

  Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:30/11/2023

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because: To my knowledge I was never made aware of the need to cancel in writing AND to do so 60 days prior to term end.  The company failed to advise me of this, their policy, prior to the term end.  I never agreed to be an API client in perpetuity.  Their approach amounts to negative billing which is unlawful in the province. Thus I am under no obligation, nor will I pay this invoice. 
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  *** ********my case with her concluding with the fact that since 2020 there had been several smoke alarms for which we received no calls from API Alarm Inc. indicating that we were not being monitored. Some two weeks later my sister who I used as an emergency contact for API, called to let us know that API monitoring had called about a smoke alarm at the house. Our missed calls record showed we did miss the call. I was out in the yard. My daughter and her husband who both work from home, did not take the call on the house phone as the normally don’t. I called the monitoring station. I explained confusion regarding the call. I explained that the alarm DID NOT sound, and that the consul showed no alarm had occurred. I asked that we no longer be contacted.
  
  API Alarm Inc. tells me that we did not cancel in writing 60 days in advance. It’s interesting that every invoice we received over the years was dated “date sent Oct. 1” and “date due Oct 31”— that is, 30 days prior making the 60 day requirement unlikely. The second last invoice we received in October included yearly charges since Oct 2020 plus other charges AND some $350 for 2024! When I emailed national operations manager **** ****** and asked how it is that after stating our position that we do not nor have wanted API Alarm Inc. services since October 2020 they would send an invoice including a charge for next year? Some weeks later we received a new invoice excluding 2024.
  
  We chose not to purchase API Alarm services in October of 2020 buy not PREpaying for their service. Whatever direction API ALARM chose to go in response was their choice. We did not prepay for their dervices and bear no obligation for their choices. This smacks of negative billing. We will not pay for something we did not agree to purchase.

  Business Response

  Date: 30/11/2023

  Hello 

  Customer failed to cancel his services he assumed not paying would get the account cancelled, this was explained to the customer in multiple communications this past week. 

  Customer failed to make payments for monitoring from oct 2020 onwards, multiple attempts were made to contact the customer for payment, messages left , customer was advised of the cancel process, which is written notice by email, this was never received. The alarm system repeatedly was actioned by our dispatch team from 2020, the alarm is not on a pay per use basis, it was also explained to the customer we cannot simply cancel an alarm at the end of an agreement. The agreement goes into a month to month status and the customer can cancel at any time.

  We attempted to work with Joe and offer a no charge service call which he declined, he owed October 2020-October 2023, Customer was advised the account would be cancelled and we would bill for services rendered not the full 3 years , we would bill for 2 only which is more then fair , a final invoice was sent for $657.66 which covered 24months. 

  Business Response

  Date: 05/12/2023

  The cancellation policy is clearly laid out on the back of the customers agreement

  Thank you

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/12/2023

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:   API’s position applies to an agreement that started in the fall of 1989. Since that time, for the past 30 years, we received an invoice dated “sent Oct. 1 … due Oct. 31…) each year. Invoices were paid until we no longer wanted their services. Please note that the invoices did NOT contain any reminder regarding THEIR CANCELLATION POLICY.  Is it reasonable to expect any customer to recall a line on the back of an agreement of 30 years ago?  The company also failed to provide the 60 days prior to the invoice due date that it required for cancellation. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  *** ********

  Business Response

  Date: 12/12/2023

  The account regardless of status in contract or month to month clearly stipulates the cancel process

  The customer owed 3 years, we attempted to work with him and only billed for 2 , the amount is owing 

  We will in good faith take it down to 12 months to put the matter to a close , a new invoice will be issued 

  Thank you

  Customer Answer

  Date: 14/12/2023

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  The company has a duty to advise the customer, in a timely fashion, of their policy regarding cancellation, on a regular basis. Never, over the 30 years that we were customers did API Alarm inc. do so.   After not having received payment for 2021 in October of 2020 the company should have enquired with us as to why and we would have advised we did not want its services any longer. As this is a prepaid service anyone in such a position would have done so lest they provide services without payment.

  As we have previously stated, since October of 2020, not once did API Alarm Inc. call our home on any of several smoke alarms we had—until the curious one of this October as we have previously reported.  Thus, we had no reason to believe API still considered us a customer.    Given this, we find it at the very least, disappointing, that a company to whom we were loyal customers for some 30 years would continue this effort to extract money from seniors citizens.  We will pay what we owe—NOTHING.

  Putting this aside for the moment, we wish you all a very happy Christmas.

  Respectfully,

  *** *** ******* ********

   

   

  
  
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  
  
  *** ********

  Business Response

  Date: 20/12/2023

  The customer will be billed one year of service as opposed to the total amount, this is more then fair , the cancel policy is outlined, there were several attempts made Customer will be billed one year for services rendered we consider the matter now closed

  Thank you 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 21/12/2023

  
  
  Complaint: ********
  
  
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  I have been quite clear and thorough as to the several reasons why we do not owe anything to API Alarm Inc. I consider any further attempts to extract money from us as **********.  

  Respectfully,

  * **** ********