Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  12/03/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I've been a customer of **********************(*********************** since Feb 2018 in which they have provided fire monitoring services for multiple properties. To date I have paid over $10,500 for their service over the past 6+ years. Recently I sold my property located at ******************* (Acct # ********** on 9/**/**. I noticed that my account continued to be billed for October 2024 so I contacted SWS Billing to have the account switched over to the new owner. These homes require fire monitoring services so SWS would not be losing an account they would simply be switching the customer name and billing information. I followed a similar process for switching over the property's water, sewer, electric, gas, HOA, and club membership without any issues. Those companies prorated the final bills to the date when the property was transferred. So I paid those bills up until my ownership was terminated and then the new owner took over payments.SWS, on the other hand, has refused to shift the responsibility of the October 2024 payment to the new owner and will not refund me for the payment they automatically withdrew from my bank account. I told them I had no problem paying through Sep 2024 but can't understand why I am responsible for paying the Oct 2024 bill. I don't physically own that property anymore. I paid for a service that I can't use for a property I do not own. I paid for another homeowner's fire monitoring service. How can you force a person to pay for another person's bill? It comes across as unethical and icky. At the same time I still have their service at another property. Is this the standard for how long-term customers are treated?The response I received was that their service contract(which I have never received a copy of) states I need to give them 30 days notice to terminate service. That makes sense if I'm switching service providers, but I sold the property. Their service was continuing it was just being transferred to a new owner.

  Business response

  12/18/2024

  Customer signed a contract with us and he emailed his cancellation to us on 10/25/2024 that he sold the home in September.  He asked to discontinue the autopay and change the service to the new homeowner.  We replied that we made the change and the November invoice would go to the new homeowner. On 12/01 he emailed again asking why he wasn't refunded.  We responded with our 30-notice of cancellation that was on the contract he signed.  He replied stating our values didn't align with his.  We also told customer that he should have been responsible for the November invoice since it was less than 30 days notice but we changed it as a customer service gesture.  As another customer service gesture we have also credited his second account in the amount of $80.22 as he has requested in this dispute.
  
  
  

  Customer response

  12/18/2024

   
  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. Looking forward to continuing my business relationship with SWS as a valued customer.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *****

*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. ↩