When I wanted to upgrade my smart home’s security…
I considered leaving my safety in Vivint’s hands.
After all, the company has 1.5 million customers.
But when I found out the dark secrets behind Vivint’s success…
I was 100% sure the company would only put my house at risk.
Continue reading to find out:
- 10 real horrifying stories about Vivint.
- The 3 most common complaints about Vivint and its services.
- How far Vivint’s employees are willing to go just to secure sales.
- And this is just the beginning…
10 Vivint horror stories
| Horror Story | Summary |
| #1 | Paying monthly despite not using the services |
| #2 | Customer still had to pay Vivint for 2 years after canceling her subscription |
| #3 | Robbed because Vivint’s installer was part of a criminal group |
| #4 | The company didn’t call the police even when the security alarm went OFF |
| #5 | Deceiving customers about how long installation takes |
| #6 | Insulting a mother just to sell their products |
| #7 | Salesman won’t leave a customer’s house |
| #8 | Saying traumatizing threats to an elderly woman |
| #9 | Faking signatures and legal documents |
| #10 | Charging other people’s credit cards |
#1: Customers had to pay despite not using the services
The first story’s about a client who relocated after using Vivint for 3 years.
Now, this man always knew that they may move houses due to his wife’s work.
So before he signed up a 5-year contract for Vivint’s services…
He told the salesman about his relocating concerns.
When he did…
The company’s representative assured him he shouldn’t worry about anything.
And the salesman even promised him this:
If he moved elsewhere, Vivint would help the new homeowner take over the security system.
However, when the foreseen event finally happened.
Vivint didn’t stay true to its promises.
The company never helped in transferring the security account.
As a result, the customer was still being charged $50 monthly. Despite not using Vivint’s services anymore.
The man negotiated with the company to cancel the subscription.
After all, he was already living somewhere else. And he can’t keep paying for the security service he wasn’t benefiting from.
However, Vivint didn’t want to compromise even 1 bit.
The company wanted the customer to pay the remaining balance written in the contract. Even when it initially promised relocation would mean an easy cancellation.
#2: Extremely hard to cancel the subscription
Imagine signing up for Netflix’s one-month free trial.
But after 3 days, your credit card gets charged. And you have no other way to stop your subscription.
Well, unfortunately, that’s pretty much what happened to many Vivint users.
And it’s still happening now.
For example, 1 customer wanted to try Vivint’s home security. Because he was promised that he could cancel anytime. And he can return any devices he doesn’t need or like.
But when he soon wanted to end the contract…
He wasn’t able to reach his sale representative. And Vivint’s official customer support also barely answered.
Eventually, the company told him to pay for the total amount of equipment he used. Which costs around $4000.
And Vivint firmly stated that if he didn’t pay this amount in full, he wouldn’t be able to cancel.
A similar event also happened to another customer.
See, despite spending hours talking with Vivint, 1 woman couldn’t end her subscription.
So, she canceled her debit card instead. This way, the security company won’t be able to charge her.
However, after 2 years…
She found out that Vivint had her bank account number on file. And she was still being charged $40 monthly since she canceled her card.
#3: Vivint installer was part of an organized crime group
There are many allegations that Vivint doesn’t do background checks on its people. And this horrifying story just further fuels the flame.
Not long ago, 1 Vivint customer’s house was broken into. And his family lost almost $10,000 in cash.
Now, according to the police report…
The security camera installer was likely part of the scheme. Because the criminals knew exactly what the passcode of the lock was. And they also memorized where the cameras were located.
The authorities also alerted the victim that…
The installer might be linked to an organized crime group in Mexico. So, he should take the most precaution moving forward.
This tragic event left the Vivint customer and his family in constant distress.
And when all they wanted was a safe home…
Vivint caused 1 of the most traumatic experiences in his family’s life.
#4: Company won’t call the police
1 of the best benefits of subscribing to a smart home company is its fast police response.
“What’s that?”
It’s when your house’s alarm gets triggered. And your security company calls authorities on your behalf to check on your house.
This means you don’t have to worry about your home’s safety alone.
Unfortunately, though, not all smart home services are responsive.
And Vivint is a living example of that.
I once briefly talked with a fellow tech enthusiast at a mall.
And he told me that his house used to be protected by Vivint.
But now, he’d rather have a surveillance-less home than return to that company.
Why?
Well, 1 night, he was at a birthday party outside. And his security alarm at home went off.
He was stressed and worried about the situation when his phone was alerted.
However, Vivint’s support team was indifferent to the situation.
The poor guy stayed on the phone with the company’s representative for 15 minutes. Only to be told that he has to call the police himself.
Now, the alarm ended up being a false one because of battery issues.
But if it was a real burglary…
Then, the criminals would already have left before Vivint even took action.
#5: Lying about how long installation would take
There’s a saying, “time is gold.”
And I know lots of people who take that by heart.
Unfortunately, though, many Vivint salespeople don’t respect others’ time.
For example…
1 guy freed up an hour on his weekend so Vivint’s installers could come to his house.
But the promised 45-minute quick installation dragged to a 5-hour long session.
So, he ended up missing essential appointments.
#6: Personal insults as selling tactics
A random person knocks on your door, trying to sell a product.
But when you refuse, you get insulted in return.
It doesn’t sound like a fun start to your morning, does it?
Well, sad to say…
Vivint representatives are experts at using personal insults to sell their services.
See, 1 woman complained that a salesman from the company knocked on her door.
But since she was busy with her kids running in and out of the house…
She had to politely turn down Vivint’s services.
Unexpectedly, the salesman responded with something like:
“You must not care about your kids. Don’t you care if something happens to them?”
Of course, the mother took that as a threat and a direct insult as a parent.
So, she eventually called the police. And Vivint’s representatives were escorted out of the said neighborhood.
#7: Invasive sales representatives
Vivint’s employees go to such disturbing extents to sell their products.
And I’ve heard almost a dozen people complain about how creepy the company’s selling tactics are.
For example…
1 man (let’s just call him J) had ADT’s security systems protecting his home.
And Vivint’s representative randomly knocked on his door 1 afternoon.
Right off the bat…
J said that if Vivint can’t offer a lower price than ADT ($50/month)…
He won’t consider taking the deal.
But Vivint’s employee insisted that J would want to hear his pitch.
So, as a form of respect, he let the salesman in his living room.
Now, the services being offered by Vivint were impressive.
J was almost ready to take his wallet out.
However, the salesman ended the pitch by saying the whole package cost $115 monthly.
So, J kindly refused the offer because he was on a tight budget.
But at that point, the salesman became desperate.
He pulled out $300 in cash, stating that he’ll pay for the first 3 months of J’s subscription.
Again, the complainant refused.
J saw this as a big red flag. And he was starting to get concerned about the salesman’s approach.
Vivint’s employee kept insisting, though, saying:
“So you really want to put your family at risk for only $50 extra a month?”
And that statement emptied J’s remaining patience.
He felt that his own privacy and decisions were being invaded by a stranger. So, he had no choice but to kindly ask the salesman to leave.
At first, Vivint’s employee didn’t budge.
So, J had no choice but to subtly mention that he had a gun. And this finally made the salesman give up.
You might also want to know: (5 Fixes) ADT Doorbell Camera Blinking Red [Updated]
#8: Traumatizing threats
This story proves that Vivint’s employees have no shame in choosing their next victims.
Because they even go to extreme lengths to threaten and fool the elderly.
This story is about a woman in her 70s living alone in a small peaceful town.
Out of nowhere…
2 guys appeared in front of her door. And they claimed that there have been countless crimes in the area recently. Even when it couldn’t be further from the truth.
Vivint’s sales associates scared the older woman into signing up.
They mentioned that she would get murdered or sexually assaulted if she didn’t get Vivint’s services. So, the lady couldn’t refuse.
Luckily, her son was able to cancel the subscription after dozens of calls and documents.
However, the damage was already done.
The old woman was traumatized by the experience. So she became highly anxious for the following weeks.
#9: False promises and faking legal documents
When signing up for a security company…
The last thing you’d expect them to do is participate in illegal and fishy activities.
But at this point…
It’s unsurprising that Vivint does this regularly to hundreds of its poor customers.
See, there was once a time when the company offered members of a specific Sam’s club limited incentives.
Vivint offered:
- Free installation.
- A monthly fee of only $31.
- Equipment charge of $500.
The members double-checked with the installers that the rates were indeed right. And Vivint’s employees assured them that it was.
However, the next month…
Sam club members were each charged around $2700 for the security equipment. And their monthly bill became $39 instead of $31.
Due to these unexpected rates…
They all canceled their subscription within the accepted timeframe.
But Vivint insisted that they didn’t end their contract.
Apparently, the company holds signed documents. And these prove that Sam Club’s members didn’t cancel their membership.
As it turned out…
Vivint plagiarized signatures for their papers.
So, similar to the 2nd horror story…
These club members also had a hard time escaping the smart home company.
#10: Charging the wrong individuals
A mother became her son’s cosigner when Vivint installed the security devices at his house.
But unexpectedly…
The parent was the one charged for the subscription during the first month.
She was only supposed to take the legal obligation to pay if her son couldn’t.
But her son’s card was working as usual. And even he didn’t know what was going on.
They called Vivint’s customer support, but no help was provided.
Common complaints about Vivint
#1: Aggressive salesmen
Simply speaking, they don’t take no for an answer unless you say it at least 5 times.
They’ll try all types of selling tactics. And even shed some fake tears just to get you to buy their products.
See, some Vivint employees even stake out up to 10 PM to leave you no choice but to sign.
As a result, many people have reported the company’s sales associates to the police. And people’s complaints have reached several news networks already.
Here’s a video that shows how annoyingly persistent Vivint’s employees can be:
#2: The worse customer support
At first, your agent will promise that you can contact them anytime.
But when you actually need their help, you won’t be able to reach them.
Of course, the company also has an official customer support number.
But even that hotline is filled with inexperienced and unprofessional employees.
#3: Impossible to cancel
As mentioned earlier, canceling Vivint’s services isn’t a piece of cake.
It’s a really tough row to hoe.
You’d need to present dozens of documents just to cut ties with Vivint.
Or you might even need to hire a lawyer to help you escape the company’s evil endless contract terms.