How to Spot Home Security Scams
The primary objective of home security providers should be to keep their customers safe, but this is more than just an objective; this is a responsibility. Doing anything to manipulate, mislead, or deceive customers is a giant ethical breach, and creating a false sense of urgency to turn a profit is not something any respectable home security company should condone.
Within the home security industry, this is well understood. We at NCA Alarms take our responsibilities to our consumers very seriously, but there are some who do not share this conviction.
In recent years, there have been increasing reports of sales people from fringe security companies using unscrupulous tactics to deceive and manipulate customers into switching security providers. We’re not going to name any names, but it is often the case that victims of this marketing scam are not even aware that their home security provider was changed until after the fact.
Of course we would hate to lose your business, but we’d hate it even more if you were manipulated or misled into compromising your home safety. So, we want to give you a few tips on spotting home security scams before they can do any damage. And if you need a second opinion, you should check out what the Federal Trade Commission has to say about this after reading!
5 things shady salespeople do that you need to watch out for…
1. They Won’t Bother To Make Appointments
Almost always, these shady salespeople will knock on your door in the middle of the day without any prior notice. There will be no effort made to notify you of their arrival or make an appointment with you. Door-to-door sales tactics should always be a red flag. No established or well-reputed home security provider would instruct their salespeople to do such things.
2. They Will Tell You They Are From Your Current Security Provider
We want to say this loud and clear: NCA would never send anybody to your home without an appointment, nor would any of our reputable competitors. It’s just not done. So if somebody knocks on your door out of the blue claiming to be a representative of NCA or any other home security brand you’ve heard of, odds are good this is false. Don’t be fooled. And if you’re unsure, feel free to call us right away to check and see if we sent anybody from our team to your home. Our number is (615) 777-7622.
3. They Will Tell You They Are From A Trusted, Global Brand
If they don’t tell you that are from a security company, they may attempt to pass themselves off as an affiliate of a well-respected, well-known, global, Fortune 500 company. This should immediately set off alarm bells. These large companies are far too busy and far too professional to be sending their employees on unsolicited, door-to-door sales calls.
4. They Will Try To Scare You
They might show you footage or pictures of so-called burglars slipping past antiquated security equipment in order to make you feel vulnerable and unsafe. Of course, we at NCA would always advise you stay up with the latest technology in the security sector, but we would also encourage you to make pragmatic decisions about what sort of technology you invest in. And decisions made out of fear are anything but pragmatic. If a salesperson makes you feel afraid, they are bad news.
5. They Want To Replace Your Security Sign
Many shady security companies will target households that already have a security sign out front, or a security sticker on their window. During the course of their visit, they may try to replace this sticker or sign with a sticker or sign of their own. It may come under the guise of a “free upgrade,” but don’t let that distract you from the truth. This is a dead give-away. Tell them to get off your porch and move on with your life.
Listen To Your Gut!
No security system can be more perceptive than your intuition. If you feel like anything is amiss or feels off, listen to your gut. Tell them to go away. And feel free to call us to talk about it if you have any doubts!