Last Updated: 7:55 p.m.
The Palm Coast city administration and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office say they have received complaints from residents regarding permitted solicitors from a home security and home automation company, Vivint Inc.
Residents have stated that Vivint solicitors have told them they have been sent by Flagler County government or Palm Coast government to alert people that telephone lines in their area are being upgraded, and that the new telephone lines would no longer be compatible with the residents’ emergency systems.
A company spokeswoman said Monday evening that Vivint-trained representatives would in no way misrepresent either Vivint or the city and county where they’re operating, and that news of the matter reached the company only when it was published here today. “No one on our end had been contacted by the city that I’m aware of or that our legal team was aware of,” Megan Herrick, Vivint’s director of media relations, said. “That’s also concerning.”
Vivint Inc. is not affiliated with Palm Coast, the city said Tuesday, and residents should be skeptical of any company representing that they were sent by the city. But it does have a soliciting permit.
Vivint representatives are dressed in company uniform,s, carry IDs and have QR codes on their IDs that residents can immediately scan to verify the representatives’ legitimacy, Herrick said. After hearing of the complaints, Vivint officials contacted the sheriff’s office, but were told that complaints were not, in fact, lodged. Rather, the sheriff’s office reported that residents had made inquiries about the company’s legitimacy–which the company expects, Herrick said. It was already after hours when company officials tried to contact Palm Coast officials. (The Provo, Utah-based company is two hours behind Palm Coast’s.)
The city, according to a new release issued today, has placed the company on notice based on the complaints received and in accordance with city rules and regulations about solicitors. If the city receives additional complaints following the warning, the city may suspend or revoke Vivint’s solicitor permits, according to the release. But word of that notice had not reached the company in Provo.
Vivint Inc. is owned and run by Todd Pedersen and Alex Dunn. It has been operating in Florida since 2007, with a Florida registered-agent location in Plantation, according to documents filed with the state Division of Corporations. In 2011 the company renamed itself Vivint, from APX Alarm Security Solutions. It was then reportedly one of the five largest home-security companies in North America, with half a billion dollar’s worth of financial backing from Goldman Sachs (the same company that backs American Traffic Solutions, which runs Palm Coast’s red-light spy-camera network). Late last year the company was acquired by Blackstone Group for more than $2 billion. Today the company has 700,000 customers and 3,200 employees, reaping plaudits for its innovative systems and focus on green energy.
The company projects a youthful, progressive image, catering as much to families as to the environment, and boasting just this month of outfitting a home that will produce more energy than it will consume thanks in part to its solar panels. The company also projects a carefully honed image that appears at odds with the sort of rogue behavior of solicitors Palm Coast described in its release.
“We’re kind of baffled,” Herrick said of the accusations against the company. “There’s no misrepresentation complaints that have come to us at all.”
But such complaints, if justified, can be narrowed down very rapidly if residents can substantiate when and where a representative misrepresented the company. The matter would then be addressed immediately, Herrick said.
Consumers, the city notes in its release, should be aware that door-to-door solicitors need a permit from Palm Coast and should present the permit when requested. Permitted solicitors are only allowed to solicit between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. In addition, solicitors should not threaten or harass anyone. Complaints regarding solicitors should be directed to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office at 386/313-4911.
Jana DiNatale says
They were at my house on Saturday morning. I told them they are full of crap. They said, Oh, my system was over 5 years old. It was just installed a year ago. And they were from ARM.
Binkey says
Came to my house twice. Once at about 7 PM, the other time they tried to tell me my neighbor talked to them a long time, and tried to use his name but got the name wrong.
Concerned Resident says
Real Security Companies do not need to go door to door. This company came to my house and told me that my current alarm company was going out of business. This was a complete lie. They also tried to tell me my house wasn’t protected and tried to have me sign a 5 year contract at over $50 a month. Hope they leave this town and no one gives them business. Lying to customers will get you nowhere!!!
Stating the obvious says
If this company did the right thing by obtaining permits to solicit within the city, why would you suspend their permits? Yes there were a large amount of calls to the Sheriff’s Office in reference to this company, but the employees were doing nothing wrong. The solicitors had permits and company identification cards. That is all that is required. If a solicitor comes to your door and you don’t want them there, then tell them you’re not interested and ask them to leave. It’s as easy as that. If solicitors within the city are really that big of a problem, then residents should complain to the city. Only the city can stop solicitation (As a whole), since they are the ones that issue the permits. Punishing one company just because they have the financial backing to hire numerous solicitors/promoters is crazy. Our city officials are hypocrites.
Nancy N. says
Hmm, I smell an ARM astro turf at work here. Sniff sniff…ewww.
The employees were doing nothing wrong? Let’s review:
* Soliciting outside of city allowed hours
* Trespassing by refusing to leave property when asked
* Misrepresenting their relationship with the city and county
* Lying to residents about planned upgrades to utilities and changes at their current alarm companies
* Threatening residents who refused their solicitation
If that’s “nothing wrong” I don’t want to see what qualifies as “wrong” in your ethics.
really? says
I disagree. When I asked him to politely leave my property and he didn;t and then I have to threaten to have him arrested, I say that is wrong. I don”t have that much trouble with Mormans.
tulip says
From my own experience and what I’ve heard and read, these salespeople are awful!
Mine came to the door, and asked if this was the**** **residence. I said no and asked him what street number he was looking for and he avoided the question. Then he shows his ID and informed me that they would be doing some work in the street. Then he opens a book and I informed me he wasn’t selling anything and then started talking about Vivint. I said I wasn’t interested. Then he asked me if I would let him put an orange sign in my yard and I said no and shut the door in his face. He stood outside the door talking loudly for about 5 minutes. It was making me nervous and I was thinking about calling the police, but he decided to leave. A very pushy and aggressive and deceitful young man.
Shocked, I tell you... says
We had one of their salesmen at our house a couple of days ago and he was perfectly fine. Clean cut image, very polite.
No complaints here.
Nancy N. says
Sniff sniff…is that plastic grass I smell?
Anonymous says
Does this include the Jahova’s Witnesses that just don’t grasp the concept that I do not wish to convert to their religion? Maybe Jeff Foxworthy was right…….and all I need to do is draw a chalk outline of a body outside my door….and surround it with all those religious pamphlets of theirs I usually use to line the bird cage with. Maybe throw in some stage blood splattered all over the walls of my front porch for added fun.
I can always change the pamphlets from religious ones to home security ones for the Vivint people, and maybe an empty box of Thin Mints for the girl scouts, and finally a hamburger bun for those Omaha Steaks nut jobs………….just a thought :0)
Timmy says
They came to my door about 2 weeks ago and that’s what the teenager told me, that they were putting in new lines across our lawns very soon. Then the kid went into a well rehearsed sale and showed me a 2 page list of all the people in my neighborhood that signed up. I recognized none. The teenager was aggressive and wanted to enter my house and started to come in when I said no. He had his foot on the step to my door and told him I was not interested. I literally had to tell this punk to get his foot out of my doorway and to tell him to move it a second time. I closed the door on him and when I looked out the window he was gone in a flash. I have seen him twice since and after 6PM walking the neighborhood. The City needs to screen these people better.
Palm Coast Resident says
Look at all the complaints on the Better Business Bureau site and on RipOff.com. They changed their name from APX Alarms to ViVint because of all the lawsuits from several states for their “sales tactics”.
They’re a ripoff and should not be permitted in Palm Coast. Mr. Herrick is employed to put a “positive” spin on the negative aspects of their sales force and company policies. The Vivint “sales force” will lie until you break your existing contact with another alarm company and sign up with them. Then they will totally destroy the alarm system you have in place, so it can never be used again, They will also sell smoke detectors, knowing full well they are not licensed to sell smoke detectors. They need to be kicked out of Palm Coast, period.
Steve says
I had a VIVINT at my door Saturday and he told me the same thing, that Flagler County is upgrading all the phone lines in two weeks and my current alarm system, ADT, will no longer be able to be monitored unless I install new equipment……..called ADT, they said it was a scare tactic to get people to buy there stuff that is not required since the alarm is already equip with a cellular backup
honestly says
i had a solicitor according to him, worked for At&t and that they would be working in my area and that my current company system would not be compatible to the changes and that I should talk to him about new srevices Telephone, cable and internet. I told him to leave my property and he was yelling though my door that I would not be able to contact 911 soon because of the changes. I think he was using scar tactics. He knew with the tone in my voice that he needed to step off my property. He must of convinced my 80 year neighbor because she ket him in her home.
Nancy N. says
I had the same AT&T sub-contractor’s salesperson solicit at my house. He sold me internet service promising me service speeds on their lowest level of service that I found out the day the AT&T person came to install it are higher than they offer on any level of service. I promptly pulled the plug on the install.
jimmythebull says
Palm coast needs to tell the solicitors the permit does NOT permit them to cross a NO TRESPASSING SIGN. This happens to me on all ocations.It needs to be told verbally and put in writing when the solicitor applys.
Some solicitors come from as far as Jacksonville. The solicitors passing out flyers can’t even speak english.
Last year i emailed my councilman about the problem, he didn’t have the courtesy to respond.
I guess he was to busy planning more redlight cameras, new city hall, and their own police department.
The city has no concern for our quality of life or safety.
Ryan says
It is one thing to hire solicitors, it is another to hire solicitors that portray themselves to be at someones home on behalf of the city to inform them that the lines would be outdated/replaced etc..
Solicitors themselves are commonly considered a nuisance, but I would consider a solicitor that purported to be someone who was sent by the city, and then proceeded to tell outright lies (which there is plenty of evidence of in these comments), a problem.
I had them visit me as well, they said the city sent them out to inform residents that the lines were being replaced and 911 service would no longer be available. Any company that spreads this information in an area full of elderly people, need to immediately get the boot,
Jeremy says
Their Ashok used a bait-and-switch scheme. He started by telling me that they will be using a sign in front of my house as “advertising” to entice other home owners and I pay nothing. But after a lot of talk he said I need to pay $49.99 a month for connection to .. somewhere.
That spoiled it for him and ended the discussion.
Anonymous says
STAND YOUR GROUND!
Jackie says
So now what do we do if we feel for it and bought one of these systems?