I am not one to tear down a company on my page as I don’t feel this is an appropriate venue for that. But I can tell you my story surrounding my experience with a national security company and how it affected me as a consumer and a widow.

A year ago, I was heading into my first winter without Mr. Virgo. One Saturday, a lovely little gal came to my door selling security systems. The month before, a young man had come and I was totally put off by his smarmy approach, but this little gal was warm and caring. She found out I am a widow and she used this to her advantage as a sales tactic. She kept saying things like “Well, it’s really dark up here on this hill. I’ll bet you would feel much safer being up here alone if you have a security system installed.” I don’t feel bad about saying I fell for it, because those of you who are widowed will understand how easy it is to be manipulated and taken advantage of when you are grieving. I will have to say, this company offers a superior product and the service itself is not necessarily overly expensive. I went with the smart home package because I could operate the system from my phone and the electronic, programmable thermostat did indeed save me at least $20-25 per month on my utility bill. This, in addition to the insurance discount for having a security system, cut my actual out of pocket expenses in half. My problems started when I decided to sell my house.

It took six months, innumerable phone calls, explanation after explanation, tears, frustration, a potty mouth, error after error on the company’s part, and finally…a visit to the farm by a lovely young man who confirmed we, indeed, have no cell service and our landline is unpredictable. Thank God the landline phone dropped three calls when the technician was trying to phone in to report his recommendation that they cancel my contract without penalty. And that penalty? It would have cost me $2000 to cancel! It’s a shame, really. This is a good company, with a good product, but their treatment bordered on bullying and their sales people can be compared to the worst stereotype of the snake oil salesman and that is not acceptable. Their “claim to fame” is their “Award Winning” customer service. Right.

I guess the bottom line lesson that I learned is this. When they say don’t make any major decisions for the first year after a major loss like the death of a spouse, that should include “Don’t enter into any contracts unless you seek counsel from family or friends.” Also, don’t let a salesperson intimidate you by using your fears to manipulate you into something you wouldn’t necessarily have done before your loss. When I went to look at trucks before I left Colorado, I was at a large dealership in Denver and they tried the hard sell tactic. I stood up and thanked them for their time and told them I needed to talk to my financial advisor and my kids before I could make any big decisions because I am a widow and I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing. When they kept hounding me, using that “But…you’re my best buddy!” tactic, I became more and more firm. I listened twice then just said “Thank you.” And left. Period.

We, as women, have often deferred to our husbands to deal with difficult sales people and to make the big financial transactions. We, as widows, are often taken advantage of, manipulated, and even abused by sales people and companies. Don’t let yourselves fall victim to unscrupulous sales and business practices. Stand up for yourself even if you just say you have to ask your kids in order to get away from an uncomfortable situation. There’s no shame in that. An honorable business will understand that and not try to make you feel bad for taking the time to think and make the decision that’s right for you. <3