Customer Reviews For Connect America Medical Alarms

The medical alert system reviews on this page have been submitted by former or present customers of Connect America. Please keep in mind that many of these medical alert providers have thousands of clients, and this is only a small sampling of the opinions of their customers. If you have had a good or bad experience with Connect America, we encourage you to submit your review. If you represent this company, please feel free to submit a rebuttal.	Important: Connect America Rebuttal
(Added May 18/12) This is a long post, but after a bad experience, Connect America did make amends. Here is my story: My name is J. Levick and I signed up my mother for Connect America in March 2010. My initial contact back in 2010 was with a sales person named Susie Goodman and it was pleasant experience AT FIRST. When the credit card was billed, there was a small discrepancy in the price that Susie had quoted me. It was not a huge amount, but my mother is on a fixed income and every bit helps. So I called to speak to Susie about the error. The pleasantness of the first contact had disappeared, I explained that the billed amount was not what was quoted, she told me I was wrong, and she didn’t know where I came up with the price I was telling her it ws supposed to be. I read her my notes from the initial phone conversation and told her that I had repeated those same notes during our initial conversation and she confirmed on the phone that I had the price correct. She told me I was wrong, I must be remembering it wrong or I wrote it down wrong but she didn’t know where I got that price, and the phone line went dead. I immediately called back and my call was directed straight to her voice mail where I left her a message that we must have been cut off and asked her to call me back; I never received a return call. I called customer service a few hours later and was assured I would get a call back shortly. I waited several hours and called back and was again told I would get a call back right away. More than a week later, after still receiving no return call, I called and spoke to a ”Kristin" at x108 in customer service. I explained the problem, she said she would check on it and get back to me. After not hearing back for a few days, I called and Kristin told me she had checked with Susie, and Susie told her she never quoted me the lower price, and she was taking Susie’s word over mine (essentially calling me a liar). At this point, I mentioned that the recording you hear while waiting on hold says that phone calls are recorded for quality control and I would be happy for them to review the recording because I was confidant in the notes I had taken and having had Susie repeat it back to me. Kristin said all she could do was pass my complaint on to her manager “Barb”. After more than a week passed without hearing anything, I called Kristin back and was told that she had spoken to her manager and there would be no adjustment. I was disgusted with the whole experience, but I just didn’t have time to pursue it further. In March 2011 when the yearly amount appeared on the credit card (this is valid, on the contract, it clearly says you will be billed for renewal unless you notify them to cancel the service) I began looking for an alternative service. That is when I found this website. My experience was so much like what others had posted that I thought that is just the way the company was and I really needed to find a new service. Then I noticed on the upper right of this page there is a box with the Connect America logo and a link “Important: Connect America Rebuttal“. The rebuttal contains contact information for Kristi Quartermus, Customer Relations and her invitation to contact her directly to fix a problem. I called Kristi (fully expecting the same poor treatment as before) and was surprised and pleased with her response. I explained what had transpired, I also told her that the reason I found her contact info was because I was looking for a different service to move to since I was so disgusted with how I had been treated. The credit card bill just reminded me to start looking, and I would cancel the service when I found a new service. She listened to my entire story without any interruptions, she apologized for the way I was treated last year and explained that they had become aware of the customer service problems and they were working hard to improve. They wanted to keep my mom as a customer and she would make amends for the billing discrepancy and offered a better deal for the upcoming year. She would have a credit issued to the credit card to reflect the new price. Very shortly after that, the credit card was credited back the agreed upon amount. I have not had any other issues that necessitated a call to Customer Service, I hope it has improved since last year, but if calls to the main customer service line are still handed poorly, I would encourage you to contact Kristi to work on a resolution.
(Added May 18/12) Unfortunately, my 91 year old mother fell a couple days ago and the Connect America system did not function. She was on the kitchen floor for over an hour banging on the floor with a pot before a neighborhood heard the noise and called for help. I have spoken with six people at Connect America in an effort to determine the cause of the malfunction and they have passed me off to the next person. Please avoid this system at all costs!
(Added May 18/12) My mother's service was cancelled, Connect America was notified via registered letter, the equipment was returned, and I sent them proof of delivery and yet they continued to charge my mother for another 3 months. She is no longer living on her on. They (CA) finally told me a check was mailed, nearly a month later, still no check, and they will not respond to my emails or phone calls. I will be taking legal action against them. I have the time, money and inclination .
(Added May 6/11) This company is awful, they will not return a phone call if you need to cancel the service. My mother went into assisted living, so we no longer need the system. DO NOT use this company
(Added Mar 11/11) On 11/4/2010 I responded to a newspaper insert advertising under the name of Medical Alert via telephone, and was convinced to sign up for service for a year at a discounted price of $329.45. The debit charge on the W-F card statement was listed for "Medical Alarm Company" The equipment arrived approximately 7 days later, and was installed satisfactorily. Because of failing health, my mother was moved to an assisted living residence with its own internal personal alarm pendant. I contacted Connect America and was given precise instructions for return of the system, which were followed to the letter. Confirmation of receipt via e-mail came on January 28, 2011. Since that time I have made countless efforts to communicate with this company to obtain a refund for the unused portion of the contract. My 95 year old mother even received a call advising her that a check "had been cut" in my name, but that was 14 days ago, and no sign of payment has been received. My experience exactly mirrors that of other reviewers on this submission page. STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY; PASS THIS MESSAGE ALONG. Pay a few bucks more and obtain your system from a reputable company.
(Added Dec 16/10) These people are the most unprofessional, rude people I have ever dealt with. My aunt had this service and passed away 11/6/10. SInce then I have been trying to contact them to have the service cancelled and find out how to return the equipment. You NEVER get to speak to someone - they tell you they will take your number and have someone call you back. THEY NEVER CALL BACK. But yet they CONTINUE TO CHARGE YOU for the service! It has now been more than a month since my aunt passed away and they STILL have not called back. I finally submitted something online as an interested customer and got an email telling me I have to pay for the service from the time she passed away and I also have to pay to have the equipment returned via a traceable service - PLUS have to phone them to make sure the equipment was received by them. It's hard enough dealing with a death, but to be treated so crudely by a group of people who are dealing with the poor elderly is outrageous.
(Added July 25/10) Consumers BEWARE!!! I purchased a Medical Alarm for my 87 year old mother. I was "urged" by the Sales Staff to pay up-front as I would receive a better "deal". What a deal! This, by far, has to be the MOST unprofessional group of individuals I have EVER had the displeasure of being associated with: RUDE, ABRASIVE, CONDESCENDING, ARGUMENTATIVE, and just plain unprofessional. I contacted Connect America when they drafted my checking account at month 11 of my "contract" for the FOLLOWING YEAR of service. No courtesy notice, nothing. I can assure you, they did not indicate this is/was their practice when they were in such a hurray to sign us up! The real trouble began when I contacted Connect America for a refund. When I explained we no longer needed the service, we were told one "lie" after another. To date, we've still not received a refund. I would discourage ANYONE that is needing a Medical Alarm service from using Connect America or any of the following companies (all operate under Connect America): Alert 911, Medical Alarm Company, Medical Alarm Dealer.com, Medical Alarm System.com, Medical Alarm.com, Medical Alert Company, Medical Alert ID Card, and Medical Alert System.com. A very disappointing experience knowing that this is how a company operates that is "supposed to be" working for the benefit of the elderly. I will tell anyone/everyone I know of my experience and strongly recommend they utilize companies OTHER THAN those listed above.
(Added July 23/10) I concur with the previous reviewers statements. All of it is accurate. They go so far as to threaten collections prior to the start of services. In other words they are threatening collections before they provide a service for the year. In neon highlighted, hand-scrawled, in pen, demand for payment the following was said by "Deb" extension 109 at Connect America: "IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE PAYMENT BY JUNE 25, 2010 ACCOUNT WILL AUTOMATICALLY DOWNLOAD TO COLLECTIONS". Most of the words were individually highlighted and written in pen using print. I have encountered people and companies of all sorts, from the dismissive to the criminal to the obnoxious. This person, Deb, at least in writing, has been one of the most obnoxious I have encountered. I could only imagine what the company does or has as an unstated "Mission Statement". I could imagine its personel and the company very much like a boiler-room, wall street operation, cold-calling clients and clapping and yelling and cursing each time they get a victim. Hope this review helps or at least keeps potential clients on their toes.
(Added May 20/10) My name is Pete Tesh and I bought and put the Connect America medical alert system in my Father-in-laws house in West Chester about two years ago. I have to say that when it has been needed (and it has) the system and the response have been professional and prompt. I have no complaints...and my father-in-law is still kicking!! They take the money out of my account as agreed and the systems works. I'm no fool.... I researched all the companies and had a choice between Phillis Lifeline, life alert and this company. I think, and my in-laws agree, we made the right choice. Anyway, I found this review site when I was looking for something else... it's a great resource but after reading the review above (it read like their competition wrote it). I had to reply and set the record straight.
(Added Sept 10/09) Very dissapointed with this company's customer service. I have had this service for a year now, and also recommended it to several of my family members who signed a contract with them as well. Evidently, they automatically renew your contract each year, using your credit card number that you signed up with originaly. My credit card company changed my number because of some recent on-line purchase breach of my credit card information - same VISA company, but different number. Today a representative called me to tell me they were going to send me to collections if I did not give them a usable credit card number. This is how she started the converstion - on a negative note. After some discussion, I just decided I would not be renewing with this company and sent the unit back (insured). Then I called both of the folks I suggested this company to and they both said they would cancel before their next contract came due. It is unfortunate, because this was all about communication. It would seem a company would be interested in your business and just be polite - it goes a long way with us senior citizens.

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Preventing Accidents In The Home

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