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Dealers owning their own lines - difficult central stations

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Ken -

    Our association has helped many dealers start the process of getting the horse back in front of the cart. We found that many dealers had their alarm accounts programmed to the central station's receiver numbers and had their radios registered to the central station. Alarm dealers usually start out on a shoe string and do not realize how hard it will be to relocate their accounts in the future, especially when they obtain hundreds, or even thousands of accounts. Every account added to a central station's receiver number, is another stitch binding you into having to submit to the central station. 

    We suggest dealers get their own receiver phone numbers and client call in numbers and then have those lines call forwarded to the central station. Also, we suggest dealers find a wireless provider that allows the dealers to contract directly with the wireless provider. Nothing gets the horse back in front of the cart faster than having the ability to fire the central station.  

    Also, dealers should be keeping up to date client information in their possession. We suggest not allowing clients to change call list information, or passwords, over the phone. Instead, we suggest dealers only allow client to change information by sending changes directly to the dealer. If you don't believe the client is always right, you will, when they claim that you didn't correctly take down a phone number they had previously called in. 

    If alarm dealers have questions, in regards to things to look out for, we do our best to expose upcoming problems to alarm dealers. Our association is 100% alarm dealers. We promote open markets and educating actual alarm dealers. Yes, once on the court, all our dealers compete against each other, but it is our goal to first ensure that we all continue to have a court to play on. This is why our association brought forth HB2546 in Arizona this year. 

Roger D. Score, President

Arizona Alarm Dealers Association, Inc

(520) 419-4677

arizonaalarmdealers.org

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Response

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    It is critical to own your own phone lines, IP address and radio accounts.  It can't be expressed any more clearly than that, and do not do business with any central station that insists on doing business any other way.  Also, be sure to let me know if a central trys to get you to put accounts on its lines without a firm, written, unconditional committment to transfer the lines to you on demand - if on The Alarm Exchange it won't be for long if it doesn't adopt new policies that fairly balance the needs of the central and the dealer.

    Dealers need to be careful selecting a central station and other services because it's the dealer that contracts directly with the subscribers.  Your door will be the first one knocked on when there is a problem.      And here's how I define problem - something that starts with the subscriber and ends up landing you in court.  It's now your problem.

    Here's another mess a dealer just wrote to me about.  Dealer had its accounts with Mason central station. Radio accounts were with Alarmnet.  Dealer paid central, central paid Alarmnet.  Except Mason didn't pay Alarmnet and Alarmnet terminated radio service without notice to the dealer or the dealer's subscribers.  Some of these accounts had radio as only form of communication.

    Here is the dealer's email:

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    I am writing to express how disturbing it is for a Central Station to have

their dealers Alarmnet Accounts cancelled without any notification. That

 leaves end customers with alarms that do not have any way of communicating

 in the event of an alarm.  I have spoken directly with head people at

 Honeywell and been told that Mason has known of this issue (unpaid bills)

 for over 6 months and done nothing about it. In fact they informed me that

 Mason is the only company in history they have had to cancel  .Why couldn't

 someone simply send out an email instead of having this happen. I have had

 to jump through hoops and spent thousands of dollars transferring the

 accounts over to someone else.  Had dealers had notice it would have been

 a lot easier. I seriously doubt i will get a reply because i never do from

 this Central Station.

  Best Regards,

 Miles Vaughn

 Digital Sky INC.

 Biddeford, ME 

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Response

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    DO BUSINESS WITH BUSINESSES LISTED ON THE ALARM EXCHANGE and at the very least they will either conduct themselve in an ethical fair manner or have their listing canceled.  If your alarm vendor isn't on The Alarm Exchange find out why - and look elsewhere.  And Alarmnet, you should have realized that the dealers and subscribers were going to be exposed to additional risk - some kind of notice should have been given.  If you have explanation I'll be happy to post it.

    The central station in this scenario claims to have sent out notice to its dealers that the central was in dispute with Alarmnet and would no longer monitor Alarmnet radios.  While Alarmnet may not know who the subscribers are, it should know who the dealers are because it's the dealers buying and radios and calling them in to Alarmnet.  Alarmnet should have made an effort to notify the dealers, even if it considers the central station its customer.

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TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS REPLY TO THIS EMAIL OR EMAIL Ken@Kirschenbaumesq.com.  Most comments and questions get circulated.

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WEBINARS

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Topic:  Analysis of the Residential All in One and the Commercial All in One security contracts.  This will be a comprehensive review and comparison of the Residential and Commercial contract forms. 

 When:  February 20, 2014 at 12 noon to 1 PM EST.  This webinar will not be recorded

 Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8748425151461332994

 Presenter:  Ken Kirschenbaum, Esq.

 Who should attend:  alarm company owners, office managers and license compliance officers 

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Topic:  Analysis of the Commerical Fire All in One and the Fire Suppression All in One.   This will be a comprehensive review and comparison of the Fire Alarm and Fire Suppression contract forms. 

 When:   Thursday, February 27, 2014 at 12 noon to 1 PM EST.  This webinar will not be recorded

 Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8188883684086152194

 Presenter:  Ken Kirschenbaum, Esq.

 Who should attend:  alarm company owners, office managers and license compliance officers 

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Speaking Engagements

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Sonitrol Verified Electronic Security.  Annual convention March 22, 2014 at The Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas.

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Alabama Alarm Association.  AAA's Fall Meeting and Trade Show - October 21, 2014 from 3 to 5 PM at DoubleTree Hotel 808 South 20th Street Birmingham, AL 35205  contact Shelly  (205) 933-9000 for more info

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