ADT - Reallly, really bad customer service.

We've been with ADT for 3 months and it's been a horrible experience.

We had our alarm installed, which we purchased and did not hire, and since day 1 it has been a problem. When we had the quotation done, we thought the cost was a bit high. However, as ADT has been a company with a good reputation, we thought we were paying for quality and expertise. This has not been the case - AT ALL! On the day of installation, we asked specifically for all elements of our alarm to be tested and working at optimal level. This is because we had been broken into under suspicious circumstances in December and felt that our security needed upgrading. The technical support guys informed us that half of our beam system would not been working though, because the person supplying us with a quotation did not stipulate that we needed an additional wall bracket. This was, apparently, reported by the technical guys and also by us by telephonically on the 11th of January - this was the day of installation. We dealt with Emanuel Peters of the Pietermaritzburg branch.

Since then, there has been virtually no further communication or response. We have tried contacting ADT telephonically, via their website and even visiting them in person. Even through appointments, or promises, there has been either no follow-up or the technical team has arrived days after our appointment (when both myself and my husband are at work, as most people are during the week.)

The original technical team also connected our gate receiver incorrectly, causing the gate motor to malfunction, and us to have to get a gate repairman out at the cost of almost R1000. This was also reported as soon as we were made aware. The customer care assistant advised us that she escalated the matter, and would get back to us as soon as she received feedback. This was at least a month ago, and we have not received a call, text or email to address this matter.

In addition, because of the fault on the technicians part, we know that ADT cannot gain access to our property. We have had, in the interim, a break-in to our immediate neighbour, where they were held up and stabbed. And we're not even sure that our own security company can get into our property to help us if we activated the panic!!

Additionally, a QA inspector inspected our property at random and agreed that the installation job was unacceptable. Frankly, as a normal female, I could probably also drill a skew hole in our wall that leaves a chunk out of the corner of our house (40 cm from where it was meant to come out.) But apparently, even though the ADT QA department finds it unacceptable, even the company itself does not find it necessary to do anything about it. Apart from the example above, the rest of the job consists of a lot of sloppy workmanship, and we could probably have done a better job ourselves, even though we paid the fee for "Professionalism and Expertise."

If ADT is not willing to fix the above matter, we would prefer them remove the system, repair the house to its original state and refund the money so that we can do it ourselves or get a different supplier. We are tired of trying to phone, go into their branches or do online queries ourselves.

If anyone is looking at security in Pietermaritzburg, please reconsider as they are very quick to ask for money but very slow to making it worth it.

At the moment, I am a female with my husband working shifts. There are many times I am home alone, and I'm not even sure that my security company will be able to get into my property, should I press the panic button. Shocking.

It is so sad that we need to resort to a forum like this, when it comes to security in SA. One would think that everyone would consider security to be a top priority - especially seeing what you get charged for it.