Waterlooville, United Kingdom
212-218 London Rd
N/A
+44 2394387808
Last Sunday evening at 2200hrs my external alarm activated without warning. I called the CIA emergency number and after 19 minutes waiting I was asked for my contract number. I said that I do not have a contract for a 3 year old, fairly new system but needed the code so that I could turn off the alarm. Sometime later I was told that the CIA policy is for me to call back during working hours. I explained that I couldn't leave the siren blasting all night and would pay for a call out to turn off the system. After an hour, an engineer phoned and I told me how to disarm the system, when this didn't work he said he would have to come out and would be about 30 minutes. On route he phoned again to say that the call-out charge will 250.00 in CASH. When he arrived, he used his ladders to remove the batteries from the alarm and told me that there was water in the alarm which had shorted out the contacts. The alarm was finally silenced at 2345hrs, some 100 minutes later. The following day I emailed CIA to discuss the fact that the external alarm should be water tight and the automatic 15 minute cut-out switch was clearly not working. This was met with disinterest and I should have had a contract. CIA have agreed that the siren should have cut-out after 15 minutes (This is in line with Environmental Law) and the unit should have been watertight and argue that had we had a maintenance contract the problems would have been discovered. After a number of email exchanges CIA agreed to replace the external alarm on condition that I buy a contract. This offer has been declined. It would appear that CIA want to provide shoddy equipment and make a lot of money from selling long term contracts. Apparently CIA have been taken over by another company, SBD inc, so watch out for a possible change of company name.
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Really poor service / value. Paying for a monitored service and the alarm triggered and there was no contact to see if it was a fire or false alarm. Then took 20 minutes to get through to CIA on the phone - and thereafter a very unhelpful operative.
My new build house was already fitted with a CIA alarm. CIA quoted me 135 plus 110 per hour just to come out to show me how to use it. 6 months later a different alarm company (who I had previously used), told me the system was faulty. CIA told me there was no installation warranty and manufacturers warranty was out of date. So, 6 months in a new house with new alarm and I’ve just paid 190 to have it fixed and shown how to use it. Their pricing is structured that you have little choice but to take out their service agreement. Today the engineer took 2 calls from the office, said during the second call ‘you have to understand the customer is paying for this call’! Then expected me to make payment using his phone, and to sign his phone. Little understanding of the restrictions due to COVID-19.
We have been trying to get our system serviced and working for over two weeks and we can’t get in touch with this firm. They do not answer their phones and keep you hanging on for over an hour before giving up. Maybe they are not still in business...and perhaps it is understandable.
Good helpful service.
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