Phonewatch Blues

[Lar Naparka]

Has anyone here had any dealings with Phonewatch, the domestic alarm company? I have had one of their systems installed over a year ago and I won't be recommending their services to anyone else.
I had no problems with the installation and I had no reason to believe that anything about the transaction wasn't what it seemed.  I did say at the beginning that I felt that the monthly monitoring costs were a bit steep but I was told that I'd have to have the system monitored for a year. This was part of the contract I was told.
I thought no more about the matter until the first year had passed and I hadn't heard from the company  but I decided to wait another while before contacting them.
So I rang their customer support unit to find why I hadn't been heard about a contract renewal although they had kept on debiting my account. The guy I spoke to told me that since I was using a credit account, it was standard practice to assume that the contract was being renewed for another year unless I had contacted them to make changes.
I wasn't too happy at this and told him it was my clear understanding that I had signed up for one year only and would review the matter before signing any future contracts.I asked the agent to explain why I had received no notice of renewal of any sort. He put me on to his supervisor at this stage and she assured me that it was standard practice to inform a customer that the renewal date was approaching. I had been sent a letter and an email, sez she, advising me that the present contract was coming to an end. I told her I got neither.
She told me she had copies of both to hand so I asked her to send me copies of both items.  So we left it at that.
But
the following morning I got a call from a gent to  to arrange a convenient time to have the equipment de-installed and taken away. Furthermore, it would incur a cost and Phonewatch would not be held responsible for any repair work that might need to be done after the removal of their property. Of course I could also reconsider my position and continue renting their goods and services for another year.
I nearly blew a fuse at that stage
I told him I never agreed to a rental  contract of any sort and I was led to believe all through the transaction that the €599 I had handed over was for the purchase of the equipment that had been installed. No I was told, that was merely a connection fee.  Furthermore, I had signed a rental contract and I should have a copy of it as it was given to me when the system was installed.
I told him I had enough; I couldn't locate a copy of an agreement that was never signed by me or sent to me.
I told him to direct any future correspondence to my solicitor unless I received a copy of the contract by return post as well as copies of the te email and letter that were supposedly sent to me
.
I got a phone call the next morning from a Phonewatch agent telling me that the company accepted that I hadn't signed a rental contract. Apparently an administrative hiccup etc. etc.
I was offered a new yearly contract at  a greatly reduced rate (33% off ) and I was
asked to accept sincere apologies for inconvenience caused and all that sort of stuff. Also, no doubts about the ownership of the gear that was installed. It was 100% mine.
Has anyone had a similar experience or indeed a positive one either?

[AZOffaly]

Ironic that these chancers are supposed to protect you from robbers!

[T Fearon]

Phoneywatch more like.If they cannot watch your contract how will they watch your home?

[Hardy]

Ironic that these chancers are supposed to protect you from robbers!

Well handled, Lar.