SEATTLE -An elderly woman is claiming a BP Alarm sales representative tricked her into paying two alarm bills from separate companies every month.
NorthStar Alarm customer Jean Byrnes says a salesman claimed he was there to update her home security equipment. Byrnes says the sales representative had all the right answers and made her believe he worked for her existing alarm monitoring company, KOMO News reports.
Byrnes, who had recently renewed her five-year alarm contract with NorthStar, believed the upgrade was part of her new contract. So, the homeowner, signed paperwork assuming it actually was her alarm service, NorthStar. The technician then changed the batteries in her alarm sensors and replaced a chip in her alarm keypad. He also cover the NorthStar logo on the keypad with a BP Alarm sticker.
Because Byrnes had heard about the different alarm industry changes over the years, she assumed BP Alarm had taken over NorthStar.
However, five days after the BP Alarm rep installed a new system, NorthStar Alarm representatives contacted Byrnes informing her that she was still obligated to make monthly payments on her NorthStar contract, even though she had switched to BP Alarm for her monitoring service.
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It was then that Byrnes realized that the salesman switched her service and activated a three-year contract with BP Alarm.
When Byrnes informed NorthStar that she had been duped, company representatives told her they were aware of the deceptive salesman and sent her a photo of the man who tricked her. The homeowner immediately had NorthStar change her equipment back so she could continue her contract.
However, when Byrnes contacted BP Alarm, she claims the owner refused to cancel her contract, and instead started sending her late notices stating that she owed money to BP Alarm. The firm recently decided to give her a full refund after a KOMO News reporter contacted BP Alarm owner Mike Bower.
Bower confirmed that the sales representative who deceived Byrnes had been terminated, although he would not elaborate on why the employee was fired.
