Phonewatch Cancellation

KoolKid

DontBanMe wrote: »

Hi, so I have a non-monitored alarm on my house, sensors on windows and doors.

My wife wants to get PW alongside this for the monitoring.

I'm dubious about it all to be honest but I don't have a counter argument about the monitoring and really don't know enough about any of it or rival companies in Cork to price check.

On the sticky there is only one company in Cork and they don't appear to have a website

Anybody have any advice on what to do here?

Upgrade you existing system and get it monitored. Setting & unsetting 2 systems all the time is nuts. +1 for Kub to look after you.

kub

DontBanMe wrote: »

Hi, so I have a non-monitored alarm on my house, sensors on windows and doors.

My wife wants to get PW alongside this for the monitoring.

I'm dubious about it all to be honest but I don't have a counter argument about the monitoring and really don't know enough about any of it or rival companies in Cork to price check.

On the sticky there is only one company in Cork and they don't appear to have a website

Anybody have any advice on what to do here?

PW do not have the ability or interest to work on other systems, just the one which their manufacturer is producing.
Therefore you will end up with 2 systems in your home, 2 different external boxes as well, which when i see, i smile at the innocence of the house holders.

Website?

DontBanMe

The system we have, the company that installed it don't do monitoring. Are there companies out there that will sit on top of the current system and do monitoring?

My wife has gone ahead and ordered PW so I have to work quickly to get an alternative if I'm to get my way

DontBanMe

altor wrote: »

Here is a link to the PSA website.
You can search by area.

That company is Kubs which he helps a lot of users on here.
If you contact him he will help you also.

Also the guy & company that installed the alarm aren't on the PSA site :eek:

I'm guessing they should be?

KoolKid

I'm guessing they are not licenced. Can't think of any logical reason for a licenced company to turn down monitoring. Shop around and get a good licenced company to take over your system and get you monitored.

kub

DontBanMe wrote: »

The system we have, the company that installed it don't do monitoring. Are there companies out there that will sit on top of the current system and do monitoring?

My wife has gone ahead and ordered PW so I have to work quickly to get an alternative if I'm to get my way

Would € 4,800 help your case?

Tell her at € 40 per month over 10 years, that is what she will be paying them for something she will never own.
I am surprised that there is an installer out there who cannot get a system monitored, is he licensed?

DontBanMe

kub wrote: »

Would € 4,800 help your case?

Tell her at € 40 per month over 10 years, that is what she will be paying them for something she will never own.
I am surprised that there is an installer out there who cannot get a system monitored, is he licensed?

I couldn't find him or the company on the PSA site linked above so it doesn't look likely!

kub

DontBanMe wrote: »

I couldn't find him or the company on the PSA site linked above so it doesn't look likely!

You are probably correct as monitoring stations will only accept connections from licensed installers.

altor

DontBanMe wrote: »

Also the guy & company that installed the alarm aren't on the PSA site :eek:

I'm guessing they should be?

He should if he is still installing alarm systems.

There are loads of different ways of getting your system monitored if its up to todays standards. If you do decide on P.W. you will be tied into them for the life of your system as no other installer can take over the new system.

KoolKid

DontBanMe wrote: »

My wife has gone ahead and ordered PW so I have to work quickly to get an alternative if I'm to get my way

Cancel it now while you can. Get your Mrs to take a read over peoples experiences on this forum...

aismac

Just getting back to the original issue:

Has anyone managed to successfully get out of their rolled over 1 year contract with Phonewatch? I was a couple of days late contacting them about mine and am now stuck paying upwards of €400 for a service I never effing use.

Ais

onesome

Hi I was with phone watch for 10 years, first it was eircom phonewatch, and i had a 3 year contract, and when that was up i just kept paying by direct debit, then phonewatch took over, and i use to get an invoice every August with a price increase never took any notice of it been a contract. But this January I changed from PW to home secure, and phone watch started to threaten me saying i was in a contract with them until August 2017, i got on to Home Secure who had told me i should have no problem switching, Home Secure issued me with legal letter to send to PW ect. PW tried to intimidate me into paying and saying if i had not paid in 10 days they would get a debt collector after me, i told them to send me a signed contract or even a verbal one, which they didnt i have my original contract that i took out with Eircom. I stopped my Direct Debit immediately so they couldnt take any more money, and it is now May and i havnt heard a word from PW since. I had about 4 letters in January trying to frighten me. How can a company hold a gun to peoples heads. I have no problem paying for a service, but i have a problem when the company i paid to proctect my home for over 10 years, would be the ones who would try and rob me in the end.

KoolKid

This was discussed on Joe Duffy recently. It's called inertia selling and according to the Joe Duffy show its illegal in Ireland.

kub

I have heard the buzz words in their advertisements. That is what it feels like to have Phonewatch.

Mumha

We recently bought a house which had PW, and the renewal was €530 for a 3 bed semi, which was €150 more than I'm paying for my current house, so I've switched to Feale which is coming in at a more reasonable €240. I thought I'd have more hassle in cancelling PW, but in fairness, it took about 2 minutes to do.

kub

Mumha wrote: »

We recently bought a house which had PW, and the renewal was ?530 for a 3 bed semi, which was ?150 more than I'm paying for my current house, so I've switched to Feale which is coming in at a more reasonable ?240. I thought I'd have more hassle in cancelling PW, but in fairness, it took about 2 minutes to do.

Well done on getting away from PW as easily as that. That other quote you got, is that for annual monitoring only on what you currently have or a new system on some sort of finance arrangement?

Mumha

kub wrote: »

Well done on getting away from PW as easily as that. That other quote you got, is that for annual monitoring only on what you currently have or a new system on some sort of finance arrangement?

Yeah I was surprised, I had been expecting him to say they'd send an engineer out to "disconnect", so they'd come out for a nose.

The other quote is based on what the existing PW stuff. That said, I got them to install a GSM (€150), which has allowed me to get rid of my Eircom landline.

kub

I hope that € 240 includes the Sim, monitoring and maintenance.

Mumha

kub wrote: »

I hope that € 240 includes the Sim, monitoring and maintenance.

Yes, absolutely.

GavFitz

Does anyone know what happens to your system if you cancel? Will it still just function as an alarm just unmonitored?

kub

GavFitz wrote: »

Does anyone know what happens to your system if you cancel? Will it still just function as an alarm just unmonitored?

How old is your system?

GavFitz

kub wrote: »

How old is your system?

Mine is about 3 years, the system with the camera's etc?

kub

GavFitz wrote: »

Mine is about 3 years, the system with the camera's etc?

Sorry but, have a read of this

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057807240

You are only a number to them, you stop paying, they pull the plug.

GavFitz

kub wrote: »

Sorry but, have a read of this

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057807240

You are only a number to them, you stop paying, they pull the plug.

Appreciate the info, thanks for that

athwm

I too have been caught by the 'pay up for the remainder of the year' small print, so I've i've sent this appreciation of their methods to Phonewatch:

Dear Eoghan Homan, Financial Controller Phonewatch,

As you are aware I have queried your claimed balanced on my closing account.

You have ignored my email and letter and passed on my details to your debt collecting agency, Intrum Ireland Ltd which threatened me with court action if I didn't pay.

Is this your usual way of promoting your business in the hope of gaining more customers?

Having spoken to your sales agent in 2017 I did sign a three year contract with no mention of further annual contracts, which I fully honoured.

When in August on leaving my home I cancelled the contract, and gave the usual one month's notice, as I paid monthly. I was told that you were demanding a further 10 months payment for monitoring which I do not require. On speaking on the phone to a member of your staff, she referred me to the small print in my three year contract.

You claim to have notified me by email which I didn't receive nor did you send any mail to my address.

Do you realise that the amount demanded is more than my week's state pension? ..... but I don't expect someone such as you to care about that.

You may have the money demanded, YES I will give it to you as the bully usually wins in confrontations but also be aware that I feel duty bound to explain on social media and other outlets what I consider to be your shameful and duplicitous business practice. The smooth talk and smiling faces when selling your system are soon forgotten - even years later when a valued customer needs to cancel your service. There are many people up and down the country who will benefit from a true explanation of your sharp practices and ruthless dealing with ordinary private citizens, without the financial muscle to take you on. 

Take note that this will be my first post - but not the last.