Home security and pest control — how complaints work

In short

Professionally installed alarm monitoring and pest or termite control are usually sold on a signed contract that the company does not publish, so the first step is always to find your own copy and read the term, renewal, notice and early termination clauses. If you signed at home with a salesperson, you can cancel for any reason until midnight of the third business day under the FTC Cooling-Off Rule; mail the cancellation form and keep proof. After that, cancel by the method the contract names, confirm in writing with proof of delivery, and dispute any later charge with your card issuer. Check every door-to-door "upgrade" or "your company was bought" pitch with the company's own number or verify-rep tool before you let anyone in or sign anything.

How complaints work in this industry

• Alarm contracts run for years and then renew. ADT's 10-K for 2025 says its standard contract terms are two, three or five years "with automatic renewals for successive 30-day periods for residential security customers," and that a customer who cancels during the initial term owes a termination payment equal to "a designated percentage of all remaining monthly payments." ADT 10-K for 2025
• Many accounts are signed by independent dealers. ADT says its authorized dealers are third-party independent dealers that must offer ADT the monitored accounts they generate, and Brinks Home says independent Sales Representatives and Dealers sell its products, including door-to-door. ADT 10-K for 2025, Brinks Home: verify and report
• Cancellation methods differ by company. Vivint's Terms of Service say to cancel by calling (800) 216-5232 and that the subscription is cancelled within 30 days of the request; SimpliSafe accepts mail, a call to 1-800-548-9508 or an in-app request confirmed by a call-back. Vivint Terms of Service, SimpliSafe Terms of Service
• Pest control service contracts are not published online: Terminix says the service representative provides a copy of the Service Contract to sign. Termite work is a separate contract from general pest control at Orkin. Terminix Terms of Agreement, Orkin: termite service agreements
• Most of these companies require individual arbitration. Vivint allows an opt-out letter within 30 days of first agreeing to its terms, SimpliSafe an opt-out email to TOS@simplisafe.com within 60 days, and Brinks Home says arbitration is mandatory but allows small claims court for qualifying individual claims. Vivint Terms of Service, SimpliSafe Terms of Service, Brinks Home terms
• The FTC is the federal regulator; complaints about sales practices and contracts also go to the state attorney general. The FTC's Cooling-Off page says to report sellers that ignore the rule at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general or local consumer protection agency. FTC: Cooling-Off Rule
• State attorneys general act on service contracts: in November 2020 the Alabama Attorney General announced a $60 million settlement with Terminix over termite overcharges and service contracts it did not honor, including a $25 million consumer relief fund. Alabama Attorney General, November 5, 2020

Your leverage

• The FTC Cooling-Off Rule (rule ftc-cooling-off-rule) lets you cancel a sale made at your home ($25 or more) or at a temporary location such as a hotel room or fairground ($130 or more) until midnight of the third business day after the sale, for any reason. Saturdays count as business days; Sundays and federal holidays do not. 16 CFR 429.0, FTC: Cooling-Off Rule
• The seller must tell you about the right orally when you sign, print it near your signature in bold type, and give you two "NOTICE OF CANCELLATION" forms. After a valid cancellation it must refund all payments within 10 business days, and if it does not pick up the goods within 20 days of your notice you may keep them. 16 CFR 429.1
• To cancel, sign and date one copy of the form (or write a letter if you got no form), mail it postmarked before the deadline, and keep a copy; the FTC suggests certified mail with a return receipt. FTC: Cooling-Off Rule
• The rule does not cover sales made entirely by phone, mail or online, sales at the seller's permanent store, emergency sales with a handwritten waiver, or repair or maintenance you asked for (extra goods or services sold during that visit are still covered). Some state laws give more rights. 16 CFR 429.0, FTC: Cooling-Off Rule
• In California, a residential alarm agreement signed on or after January 1, 2017 that renews for more than one month must have a separate auto-renewal disclosure that the consumer signs or initials; without that separate acknowledgment the automatic renewal provision is void. Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 7599.54
• After the initial term, the renewal period is short: ADT's residential contracts renew in 30-day periods, and Brinks Home Plus has no termination charge during a renewal term. ADT 10-K for 2025, Brinks Home terms
• No-contract monitoring exists: SimpliSafe's terms say "There are no termination fees," and Vivint offers month-to-month service agreements when equipment is bought upfront. SimpliSafe Terms of Service, Vivint legal
• Vivint must tell you about new fees or fee increases before charging them. Vivint Terms of Service

Traps

• Early termination fees are a share of every remaining month: Brinks Home Plus charges 100 percent of the remaining payments if cancelled in its initial term, and ADT's charge is a designated percentage of all remaining monthly payments. Brinks Home terms, ADT 10-K for 2025
• Financed equipment survives cancellation: Vivint equipment financing is a separate agreement with a third-party financing partner, and Brinks Home says a customer who financed equipment owes any remaining balance under the financing contract. Vivint Terms of Service, Brinks Home FAQs
• Returning equipment or stopping AutoPay does not end the contract. Brinks Home says returning equipment "will not automatically terminate your monitoring contract," and Terminix says cancelling the AutoPay authorization "does not cancel Purchaser's obligations under this Agreement." Brinks Home return policy, Terminix Terms of Agreement
• Notice periods are built in: a Vivint cancellation can take up to 30 days to take effect, and SimpliSafe does not refund unearned charges for a partial calendar month. Vivint Terms of Service, SimpliSafe Terms of Service
• A three-day "practice mode" means no dispatch: SimpliSafe will not notify authorities about any alarm during the first three days after activation, even in an actual emergency. SimpliSafe Terms of Service
• Termite damage is often uninsured: Orkin says "Most homeowner's insurance policies do not cover termite damage," and Terminix's damage repair guarantee applies only as long as you maintain your plan and not all homes qualify. Orkin: termite service agreements, Terminix termite control

Scams to watch for

• Door-to-door "switch" pitches: competitors' reps tell alarm customers their company was bought, is going out of business or is "taking over" the account, and push a new contract the same day. Brinks Home lists pitches such as "Brinks Home is going out of business" and "Your contract is expiring—here's a new one to sign"; Vivint warns of reps who say Vivint was sold or left the area. Brinks Home: verify and report, Vivint: verify a Smart Home Pro
• Verify before you open the door or sign: ADT says to call 800-ADT-ASAP before letting an unexpected ADT or Authorized Dealer visitor in and never to sign documents without a thorough review; Vivint says a rep without a badge ID number does not work for Vivint; Brinks Home badges carry a photo, ID number and QR code. ADT newsroom, May 13, 2025, Vivint: verify a Smart Home Pro, Brinks Home: verify and report
• "Upgrade" visits: Vivint says it will never send someone from a manufacturer to inspect or upgrade your system unless it is a Smart Home Pro, and Brinks Home says it typically does not contact customers to offer equipment upgrades. Vivint: verify a Smart Home Pro, Brinks Home: verify and report
• Credit misuse at the door: in 2021 Vivint paid $20 million to settle FTC charges that commission-only door-to-door reps used other people's credit histories, or added co-signers without permission, to get financing approved. If a debt collector contacts you about a security account you never opened, report identity theft. FTC press release, April 29, 2021, Vivint contact us (links to the identity theft report at vivint.com/legal/idverify)
• The BBB reported in 2018 that thousands of consumers had complained about dishonest and misleading home security sales pitches or reported door-to-door scams in 2017. BBB release via ADT investor relations, May 18, 2018

By the numbers

• ADT reported about 6.1 million security monitoring service subscribers as of December 31, 2025. ADT 10-K for 2025
• The FTC sent nearly $500,000 to 470 consumers harmed by Vivint's misuse of credit reports in December 2024, an average of $1,056 each. FTC press release, December 5, 2024