FTC Needs Complaints Against Simplisafe

One should not need to constantly escalate a situation. When an issue arises, it should be resolved, or else your investment in your "42-piece system" becomes futile. Indeed, I called and spoke with a technical specialist and conversed with another agent. The technician advised that I purchase a new keypad to enter my PIN. She also disabled the Base Settings feature on my husband's app and on my account when I log into the website. Unlocking the account required a PIN, which I entered, but it failed to unlock. After speaking with a third agent, my PIN, created in 2021, was suddenly accepted. I set Chrome as my default browser, and now the SimpliSafe app functions correctly. There are numerous issues with SimpliSafe, and it seems I am not alone in this. It took three attempts to address an issue at SimpliSafe. Hence, Picard, the FTC remains an option unless one prefers the stress of dealing with companies that disregard their customers and employees alike.

Oh and Picard, you have posted 399 times on the Simplisafe community. Here's one from you, " Just saw your post. 1. I am not paid to post. 2. Maybe nonsense to you, however, I have placed dozens of systems, installed many of them and I know a thing or two about Simplisafe, their products, services, policies and associates..." Oh boy aren't we pompous. 42 piece system, ok. Have a fantastic day posting.

Actually my post count since March 2012 is 6000+.  As Picard would say "engage". 😄

You must be exhausted. Even Data wouldn't post that much.

@mariabasham1967​ Lol.  After being an ADT customer for 10 years and having to be a Philadelphia attorney to get out of their contract, SS will have to be downright terrible beyond belief to be worse than them.  They are an interesting company from small start up with a husband and wife building the SS1 in their kitchen to a now international company with over 4 million customers.  IMO, again, they make some extremely bonehead things but usually try and do the right thing.  Many of their associates will go to the mat for you and, after placing over 30 systems I hear directly if they are having issues.

Your pin issue is one that if the right person is on the other end of the phone they will quickly take care of it for you. (Should be simple enough). If its the wrong person, that's why I recommend the escalation process. Hopefully, with Emily involved in that process, SS will quickly take care of your situation. Best of luck, and have a great day.

@captain11​ 

To post as much as you do means one of two things and both are deplorable.  You are either an unpaid groupie or you are a paid agent of SimpliSafe.  The SimpliSafe who I now question their business even being involved in security.  Tell me why they’re so great again………I have a litany of security based compromises.  The following was just from what I experienced today.   Read and then tell me what SimpliSafe is doing right and I must be doing wrong.  Explain to me how major reliability and functionality issues which translate to personal security breakdowns, equates to being a “bump in the road”?  You clearly do NOT know what the definition of security is.   First and foremost in the definition is one word………RELIABILITY!!!  And SimpliSafe is terribly NOT

At 8 different times, 8 different sensors went off line and lost connection randomly. What was not random was every sensor that failed (8) happened at exactly 42 minutes past every hour over 8 different hours in addition to false alarms. I spoke with support 4 times. 2 times I was abruptly hung up on with no call back. The third time a supervisor told me SimpliSafe was working through some glitches and when I asked why, she hung up as well, with no call back. The fourth time I spoke with a gentleman who was somewhat helpful but refused to answer my questions about why and how the devices randomly go out at exactly 42 minutes past the hour 8 different times. He also ordered me a new base station and 2 keypads but was secretive as to the why. I then spoke with a gracious account specialist who was sympathetic and angry regarding my issues. She then looked for the order that was supposedly just ordered by the previous gentleman and lo and behold she said he never added an hour calls worth of notes to the system nor did he place my order. She proceeded to apologize and complete the order. This is HIGHLY suspect behavior to a paying customer with a large system and regularly refers people. Had any one had a similiar situation? I need answers. I will not stop until they are provided, whatever the cost. I paid them for a large “security” system. I pay them for monitoring monthly. They are supposed to provide me with a home “security” system. It is anything but secure and definitely not reliable. I’m sure they will censure this post or discredit me but be careful, this system I believe is terribly compromised. Thank you!

Thank you Emily. An email was received and a phone call.

I was able to resolve the issues this morning with an agent. He was very nice.

I decided to dl Chrome because Bing does not like the Simplisafe app, my PIN now works and all the features are unlocked except the upgrade features. An update was also made and all is well in the Simplisafe app.

Thank you again.

@jdonahue0311​ It's clear in the other many posts what's wrong.

A forced auto firmware update from 2.17 to 2.18 bricked some system functions in newer model base stations.🤷

They're supposed to be working on 2.19 to fix it. How long that takes nobody knows.

The only temporary fix seems to be base swap out, pairing all the devices again with a 2.13 base. And don't manually update.

Auto update probably broke all systems the first wave reached that were newer models.

How many are affected is unknown but there are a plethora of complaints.

My main base is 2022 and is not affected, what's different in newer bases is unknown and will probably stay that way.

The other 2nd base in my house is 2024 and is affected as in keypad drops, I have no sensors on it just 2 cameras for their weak RF signals.

So no real issue for.me, I hate the keypads and never use them unless forced to change the batteries or a setting not in the app.

Transparency isn't their thing.

@jdonahue0311 We greatly apologize to hear this, this is certainly not the experience we want you to have. 

It sounds like you might have been experiencing this known issue, which we were able to resolve in a firmware update. If you have not already, please update your system to the latest firmware. After completing the update, power cycle any sensors that display and error by removing their battery for 1-2 seconds and then put it back in.

You say an update?  Well an account specialist told me and sent me a new base station and keypads.   While SIMPLISAFE is a relatively highly rated and reviewed system, glitches and complete security failures such as what I described above are intolerable.  A complete collapse of a large home security system, in my case left my family completely unprotected and at risk.  You should not be able to put the name security in your business name without real security guarantees in place.  Expected glitches now nd again of a random camera or a few sensors, I understand comes with the technology.  I respect that.  However, random alarms, and 30 different devices going randomly and not randomly offline is something different altogether.  I hold not rely on ANY of it at that point.  It’s in your name, yet reliability is the most important word in the definition of security.   Change your name to SIMPLISAFE monitoring and we’ll do our best INC.  Some customers like myself completely rely on the security an A/V system and complete sensors suite that provides, not for myself and my property but for my family, that count on my abilities and the system I purchased to give them a peace of mind within our home.  Business is a deal between 2 parties.  I paid for my large and comprehensive system as well as pay monthly for my monitoring package.  Your end of the deal was to provide me with monitored security.  You failed in providing the security you assured your system would provide.

Finally, the icing on the cake was the customer service or lack thereof when I called to figure out what was going on.  3 times I was hung up on and never called back.  The final supervisor that helped somewhat, repeatedly refused to answer my simple questions of why and how.  He said I believe 54 times during my call that he “understands my frustration and that it could be many things that would do this”.  He was clearly reciting company lines that were prepared in advance.  At this point I should leave on principle as a result of the appalling customer service however I like the system, my family likes the user interface.  It’s easy to set up and operate for my wife and kids alike, and the monitoring is great when the camera system works.  Cut the corporate BS, stop drinking the kool aid and when something like this happens, get out in front and issue a statement to your customers so they are NOT blindsided and give us the why and the how so we can determine for ourselves if the risk of a breakdown like this is worth it.  I don’t know.  I will be going to corporate HQ in Boston to attempt to discuss my thoughts and issues and the fact that no one ever tried to make this right.  You dodged and dodged and ignored and silenced, hoping I would stand by and let it go.  WRONG!   I e done and paid my part of the deal.  Now, do yours!!

@brandibramm We first want to say that we edited your comment to remove your town of residence. The Community is a public forum, and we want to protect the security of all of our users. 

We are very happy to hear about your experience with our partners at OnTech!