This is one of the many companies selling in-home alarm systems that are supposed to help the elderly and disabled summon help in an emergency. Some of these systems work better than others; all of them are expensive and, in many cases, the contract terms are objectionable. For example, LifeAlert customers tell us that the company holds them to the three-year contract even if the elderly individual dies before the term is up.
A few recent complaints ...
Susanne of Timonium MD (09/23/08) After reading all the negative things about Life Alert, I tried to call them to get more information. My call was transfered 3 times, then I was told someone would call me back. This is not the kind of service I'd want for my parents. Can you imagine - one of them falls down and is put on hold forever?
I will not use Life Alert. I'll find something else.
Charles of Tucson, AZ August 8, 2008
Charles of Tucson AZ (08/08/08) In August of 2006, I signed up my mother,who lives in Lockport, N.Y. to receive a Life Alert System i.e. a Master Unit, Smoke Detector and CO Detector. The unit was installed in my mother's apartment and started making the monthly payment os 59.00 per month. I was not aware of the Programming, Processing & Shipping cost of 298.00! I had the payments set up as auto pay out of my N.Y. Debit card. Two months ago, my mother informed me that she was no longer in need of the system and wanted me to cancell it. She further stated that she was not sure the system even worked!
I called Life Alert to cancell her service. I did make payments for two years in the amount of 59.95. After a conversation with one of the Life Alert people, I was informed that I could not cancell the contract because I agreed to a 3 year deal. I do not recall any such converstion about a 3 year committment. Life Alert refused my request to cancell the agreement and insisted that I would be required to pay the full amount. I cancelled my credit card immediately. Then I got a phone message from Life Alert with a name and extension to call. I tried three times to get in contact with this person and each time my call was re-routed to the welome greeting.
Three days ago my mother informed me that someone from Life Alert had also called her. She also attempted to get in touch but encounterd the same situation as I did. My mother is 89 years old and she does not need their harassment calls; nor do I for that matter. I am not seeking any kind of financial redress at this point. I want the so called contract cancelled and I refuse to make any more monthly payments to Life Alert. Two years of payments is enough.
Bonnie of Thomasville, NC July 19, 2008
Bonnie of Thomasville NC (07/19/08) My father fell this morning and pushed his pendant. It did not work. I just happened to find him and he did not break anything. I picked him up myself. I called the machine in the house and they told me they were sorry it did not work and they would send me a new one next Tuesday.
This is Saturday and I asked what I am supposed to do until then. Their answer was I don't know we cannot get you a new one until Tuesday because we are in California. There should be some way or a more local office to send something so necessary. I guesss I have to spend every minute there now until a new one comes!
Ally of Roslyn Heights, NY May 12, 2008
Ally of Roslyn Heights NY (05/12/08) An update to my complaint of 05/02/08...It may have been coincidence, but the day after my last comment was posted I received a call from John, VP of Life Alert, who had pulled up my mother's records and noticed she had been a faithful, and for the most part, very happy customer for the past 11 years. John was terrific, stepped up to the plate and did the right thing. He saw my mother's system was very very old. He apologized for the misrepresentation of the customer service people on the phone (Ami in California, who told me that a technician coming to the house for a faulty box from Life Alert is something the customer would have to pay for ), and sent out a service man free of charge promptly to install a brand new system at no cost to my mother. Something that should have been long ago.
But I was quite pleased with his willingness to set things right with promptness and courtesy. Although Life Alert my be more expensive than others, my mother has been quite pleased with their service for the past decade until this last incident. Our decision, because of John, is to continue with Life Alert for the foreseeable future.
Ally of Roslyn Heights, NY May 2, 2008
Ally of Roslyn Heights NY (05/02/08) The burgler alarm portion of the box tripped off in the middle of the night three times, summoning the police to my 90 year old mother's house (at 3 AM) and scaring the daylights out of her. Life Alert's Senior Supervisor, Ami, says that the company's policy is to charge THE CUSTOMER to come out and service faulty parts on Life Alert's system. (This on top of the monthly 49 fee.)
As of this moment, I have replaced the batteries on my mother's system for the third night in a row. This while we research getting her a new system. Customer service with LifeAlert is atrocious. It is worth any amount of money to find an alternate solution. SAVE YOURSELF HEADACHES AND HEARTACHES, DO NOT GIVE THIS COMPANY YOUR BUSINESS. Life Alert preys on the elderly. HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE
Terms of Use Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of the Terms of Use
Advertisements on this site are placed and controlled by outside advertising networks. ConsumerAffairs.com does not evaluate or endorse the products and services advertised. See the FAQ for more information.
Company Response Welcome If complaints about your company appear on our site, we welcome your response. Please see the Response Form for more information.
For more information, see the FAQ and privacy policy. The information on this Web site is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice. ConsumerAffairs.com Inc. makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information herein provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from the use thereof.
Print This 
Email This
