ComplaintsforLifeBeacon

• Initial Complaint

  06/02/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I serve as POA and financial manager for my 81-year-old father who suffers from stage 2 dementia and struggles to understand complicated conversations, especially via telephone. On or about 20 April 2024, my extremely agitated and distraught father called me about the phone call he had received from what I came to understand was one IBAN Global. He stated that over the course of what for him was a lengthy and confusing conversation (which I would assume the company recorded with or without his consent), he had eventually been coerced into providing the company with his debit card number, allegedly for something he only understood to be "an alert system" of some sort. I immediately checked his account and found that his bank account had in fact been charged for $39.99. I then called the bank to cancel his debit card and have a new issued. Not having access to his card for the several business days that followed was an extreme inconvenience, but I had no idea with whom or what I was dealing. Several days later, while I was out of the country on work travel, he received a Life Beacon device in the mail, along with a lease contract with confusing and onerous language that he was instructed to sign for monthly $39.99 charges. I have read all the complaints on this website and see that we are not the only victims of this company's unethical behavior. Now that I am back in town, I will return the device at my own expense this week, since other complaints suggest this company never admits fault or offers to rectify the situation. Meanwhile, he received the attached "Notice of Account Default" from the company. My request is simple: that this company stop mailing and calling my father immediately. He is no longer competent to understand or contribute to conversations. Continuing to badger him is cruel and heartless, if not borderline criminal. This company needs to be investigated for deliberately and knowingly taking advantage of the mentally incapacitated.

• Initial Complaint

  02/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  LifeBeacon service is criminally unreliable! They offer PERS service for free that just doesnt work! Peoples lives are dependent on this service, and it doesnt work! Calls are routinely dropped or disconnected! I thank God that I found out how unreliable this service/device is before I needed it for an emergency!!!

• Initial Complaint

  02/22/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  IBAN Global sent my father a medical alert device in the mail. My father has dementia and lives in a memory care unit, so it is unknown whether he actually accepted the device or if he was never contacted (he has no recollection of the phone call). Upon calling the company I was told that I had to pay for the return shipping of the equipment to them, or I would be billed $600. Given that the only way to return the device to the company is to pay to have it shipped priority mail with notification of delivery. It would seem that the company should pay for this equipment to be shipped back given that it was never rightfully ordered. Whether or not this behavior is illegal, it is certainly unethical and praying on vulnerable senior citizens.

• Initial Complaint

  08/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  Iban global claims to have sold me a life alert system. I had my son contact them and the lady told him that they had recorded the conversation where I agreed to it. I dont remember ever doing so. Id love to hear the recording. But even so, I never received a system from anyone. My son gets my Mail for me and I never get packages anymore. I know I didnt get it. Now this company sends me a bill for the system and also for service, neither of which I ever set up. Never. They claim I owe ******. I think this is a fraud or if not is predatory on seniors.

  Customer response

  09/23/2023

  Dear ******,

  Thank you for your letter.  I apologize if I gave you incorrect information.  Part of the difficulty is that I never received anything from this company other than a bill.  They claim that a life alert unit was sent to my home, but if it was, it was stolen or lost in the mail.  No matter what happened, I have very little in documentation from the company.  

  The attached is an invoice that they sent to me.  At the top it says "IBAN Global" but the email address on their invoice is ***********************************.  I'm not sure which company to use but perhaps Iban Global is the right one?

  Thank you very much.

   

• Initial Complaint

  08/02/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  This complaint is about a Medical Alert System, I received this in the mail for free. I did not order this, i never spoke with this company before, I was going to send this back to them now I'm receiving invoices charging me ***** a month for having it. I have never used this. I was told I would be sent to a credit agency if I did not return this system I no longer have. I am requesting stop payment from this business to stop charging me month fees for something i never signed up for or ordered. *Taken indication by BBB rep ****

• Initial Complaint

  06/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I am filing this. complaint for my 82 year old mother who was contacted by this company as Wireless Medical Alert and told her the alert device/service would be covered by ***************. Senior Services .She refused the delivery. but they apparently some type of watch was sent anyway. I just checked her checking account. statements. and they have been deducting $ 39,99 a month out her account. since March *******, Currently there are three withdrawals of $39,99 on March 27/ April 25/ May 25 2023 of $ *****. I called the company who rudely told me I couldn't stop the payments nor ask for a refund without my mother calling them and even with POA I would have to mail them proof of that.I would like the charges put back into her checking and all future billing stopped.

  Business response

  06/19/2023

  Thank you for reaching out. Unfortunately, as your name or phone number are not primary on your mothers account I am not able to pull up the specifics of the account.  I am going to speak to the generals of the information you provided. If your mother received a Wireless Medical Alert device there are month to month payments associated as long as device is out of our office. The device arrives active and ready to use.  Your mother can just charge and push the button to receive help. Often when customers are looking into and speaking to multiple companies offering the protection of a Medical Alert device there can be some confusion as referenced in a device that *** have been offered through ****** Services as well.  I apologize if it was implied that you could not fax *************) or email ************************************* your proof of POA to allow us to give you more specifics on your mothers account in a timelier manner.As you understand, as her POA these protocols are in place to secure your mothers private information. We will also allow a phone call with your mother giving us verbal permission to speak to you on specifics.  If your mother wishes to stop her protection from us going forward the equipment just needs to be returned.  As stated earlier the device is active and will call out for help if needed.  

  Customer response

  06/19/2023

   
  Complaint: 20185957
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I told my mother to  call while my cousin was at her house to confirm that she did not request this service and she told  ****** Services she did not want it .The equipment was not installed because my cousin confirmed on Friday June 16th that it was still in the box  and not active.Please have a return shopping slip sent to her address for return of equipment and all charges deducted out of her checking account be refunded.Because my mother has mild dementia, you can also send info to me as well at ******************* to resolve this issue

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

  Customer response

  06/29/2023

  The product in the original packaging ( unused and never activated) has been sent back to the company with the return label the company sent directly to my mother's address in  *********** **** after I had her call them from her phone number

   

  Business response

  07/11/2023

  With information provided through emails with Recinda we were able to locate her mother's account. ******* understands that the device itself was not included in package returned to us and is willing to keep an eye out and return if found in mother's home.  With regard to mother's memory and misunderstanding with our company and offer made from the local senior center we are waving typical lost device fee and have refunded 3 months of payments to her mother's account. 

  Customer response

  07/11/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *******************************

• Initial Complaint

  01/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Life Beacon or one of their dealers sent a device to my 87 year old uncle that was not ordered with instructions for activating the device. If not illegal it is unethical and certainly taking advantage of the elderly. It a practice that must be discontinued.

  Business response

  01/11/2023

  Thank you for reaching out in regards to wanting to cancel your Uncles' Lifebeacon which is a Mobile Medical Alert unit.  Unfortunately with the information provided I was not able to locate your Uncle's account to further assist in closing. With shipped equipment; which is only sent after an order was placed for an indevidual, you should find a customer service number for the company that sent him the unit. Most companies request that product is returned to them to stop emergency monitoring services. Please reach out to this number to receive insturctions on how to close Uncles account with the company that sent him the product. We are hopeful that your 87 year old uncle has another type of medical alert device set up for his needs. We understand our mobile, gps, fall detection unit is not always the best fit.  

  Customer response

  01/11/2023

   
  Complaint: 18709396
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the device was not ordered it was simply shipped with instructions to activate. From my perspective it is predatory sells. The device was never activated, it has since been disposed of. The complaint was not ask to cancel the order, it was an ask for you as the parent company and your resellers to discontinue the predatory practice. At a minimum now they it is documented on BBB consumers can be forewarned. 
  
  Sincerely
  
  ***************************************

• Initial Complaint

  12/01/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Several months ago (August) I was sent in the mail a monitoring device which I did not order or want. I called them and told them that this was sent to me by mistake and I was going to send it back. They said that my daughter, ***** ordered it. She was with me at the time and stated that she did not order it. No one ordered it and it was apparently sent to me by mistake. They charged my credit card *****. I do not know how they got my credit card number. I called them and they said they did receive the device but still were going to charge me for one month since "no one else could use it" while it was being mailed to me and back to them. I told them I did not want to be charged for something that I did not want or order. This week I received a **** for ******. for the device and additional months. I do not have the device, never took it out of the box and never activated it. I called them and they said they did not receive the device back and will continue to charge me. (Even though they previously stated that it had been returned)

  Business response

  12/07/2021

  Response to BBB complaint number ********. ******* - HEWLETT F **** (user) spoke with a Smart Monitoring Representative on 8/9/2021 and ordered the Lifebeacon Monitoring Device for himself. ************ provided his daughters information as who he would like listed as an emergency contact. At no point was *********************** told that his daughter order this equipment for him. On 8/19/2021 equipment was shipped to the address that ************ provided and was delivered on 8/23/2021 at 1:15 pm. With the device that arrived was an agreement stating that device needs to be returned to cancel and that if device is lost there would be a lost device fee of $199 to close account. On 9/16/2021 *********************** spoke to a representative expressing his desire to discontinue his service. He was instructed to return our equipment and confirmed that he had our address and that we would like him to get a tracking number and call back in with it so we would honor if equipment was lost in the mail. On 9/17/2021 Hewlett called in with a tracking number that was not address to our company. On 11/1/2021 as we had not received equipment back, we moved the device to Lost and applied $199 lost device fee. On 11/24/2021 at 2:49 pm mnt. one of our representatives spoke with ************ who was speaking about bills and orders placed with multiple companies, not ours. With this in mind our representative offered to apply his first payment to get the equipment to the lost device fee to lower the payment to $159.01. *********************** agreed to this offer and asked that we send him an invoice stating this. *********************** understood that if equipment arrives back in our office the owing with us will be cleared without payment or if received within 30 days of lost device fee being paid, payment would be refunded.

  Customer response

  12/08/2021

   
  Complaint: 16180427
  
  I am rejecting this response because: their response is totally false.  *********************** did not order this.  It came unsolicited.  When we called let them know it was never ordered, they told us that his daughter, ***** had ordered it.  She was present during the phone call and let them know that neither she nor he did not order it.  It was returned to the correct location (never removed from the box, the original address was still on the box).  They confirmed they received it when we gave them the tracking number.  This device was never ordered, never removed from the box, never activated and promptly returned.  It was confirmed by phone call that they received it.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************

  Business response

  12/13/2021

  BBB complaint 16180427
  We understand that it may be difficult to recall all the details from conversations that resulted in an order being placed by this client four months ago. We have nine recorded calls with this client. We show that our device, tracking number **********************, arrived at the clients address on 8/23/2021 at 1:15pm. Our equipment is sent out active and ready to use from the time it arrives in the clients home. We show that the tracking number ********************** that the client gave to our representative on 9/17/2021 was delivered to the clients home on 9/17/2021 by another company. We acknowledge that the second tracking number was scanned return to sender, but was not from our company, did not contain our device, and was not received by our company. In the clients latest response, it appears that he is now claiming that he does not remember the details of our conversation that took place just three weeks ago on 11/24/2021. During this call our rep did express concern that the client needed to be reminded multiple times that he was speaking to our company and not another. With these things in mind, we do not feel it is in our companys or the clients best interest to pursue outstanding balance and have therefore cleared clients outstanding balance with our company. We would still appreciate our equipment returned if the client is able to locate in home. It may be of no perceived value to him, but it is to our company.

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩