OREM, Utah – The television newsmagazine Inside Edition aired an investigative story this week that focused on how a residential security provider, based here, systematically trains its employees to scam unwitting alarm customers.
The four-minute segment, through undercover footage, illustrates how a sales manager for Alder trained representatives in Lexington, Ky., to sell deceptively and then practice takeover tactics by door knocking in local neighborhoods.
The segment includes an “ambush” interview between the Inside Edition producer and the sales manager, as well as a written statement from Alder. On camera interviews include the president of the Utah Better Business Bureau, ADT’s general counsel and an ADT customer who was victimized by Alder.
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The Utah BBB told Inside Edition that Alder has more than 200 complaints nationwide, many of them for deceptive home security sales. At the Lexington sales training meeting, Alder Regional Sales Manager Bobby Shane instructed the staffers on the fundamentals of “takeovers” of existing alarm accounts held by competing security providers.
Inside Edition witnessed an attempt at a deceptive takeover firsthand when an undercover correspondent was invited to shadow an Alder salesman as he canvassed neighborhoods in Louisville, Ky., looking for ADT signs in front yards and knocking on doors.
“I’ve actually come by about your old ADT signs out front here,” the salesman told one homeowner. “My job is to put the new signs up here okay.”
The homeowner clearly believed he was speaking to an ADT salesman. “He’s with ADT alarms,” the homeowner told his wife.
Once inside the home the Alder salesman attempted to persuade the homeowners to switch their ADT contract to a new Alder contract by offering a free upgrade. However, the deceitful salesman fails to mention the price for the new upgraded Alder equipment and monitoring services is actually $49.99 a month for 60 months, or about $3,000.
ADT is currently suing Alder for deceptive and misleading sales practices. Alder denies all the allegations and says they ensure their customers are satisfied and provide them with best in-class products and services, according to Inside Edition.
View the segment here:
