Life Alert
4.9
7.5
Overall Score
4.9
7.5
Overall Score
Author: Kaitlyn Short
LAST UPDATED: April 9th, 2025
Life Alert Emergency Response has been a pioneer of the medical alert system industry since its start in 1987. Popularized by its "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!" ad campaign, the Life Alert system has become a household name; the brand is so synonymous with medical alert systems, that many know the medical alert industry simply as the Life Alert industry.
Below we have provided you with the Good, Bad, and Bottom Line about Life Alert in order to give you a quick breakdown of the facts to help you decide if Life Alert is the right medical alert system for you or your loved one.
The Good
- CSAA Five Diamond Certified
- Free Shipping and Equipment Warranty
- Life Alert Monitoring Center
- Successful Services
- Family Notifications
- Multiple Emergency Services
CSAA Five Diamond Certified
Most medical alert companies should be CSAA five diamond certified if they want their monitoring center and services to be as safe and efficient as possible. The certification implies the company maintains a high-quality call center service.
It's not a requirement to obtain this certification in order to operate, so many medical alert providers aren't certified. It's comforting to know Life alert is certified and cares about taking those additional steps to ensure its medical alert services are exceeding standards.
Free Shipping and Equipment Warranty
Life Alert offers free shipping and a free equipment warranty. However, the duration of the warranty is unclear, so you may need to pay for an equipment replacement after a certain period of time.
Life Alert Monitoring Center
Being one of the largest medical alert companies in the industry, Life Alert operates its services with its own monitoring center. A significant amount of medical alert companies will contract with a third-party monitoring center. Having the response center be under Life Alert's direct attention likely makes for a more hands-on approach, which could be comforting to medical alert users and their loved ones.
Successful Services
Since 2008, Life Alert's services have helped save more than 500,000 people. Having a successful medical alert service for so long and having the live-saving statistics to prove it is comforting to potential customers looking to put their safety in Life Alert's hands.
Family Notifications
At the push of a button, the customer's emergency contact, along with an emergency dispatch unit, will be immediately notified of the problem. Your selected contact can be anyone, whether that is a family member, a caregiver, or a trusted neighbor.
Multiple Emergency Services
Life Alert also offers services for a host of situations aside from an occasional medical emergency. These include fire protection, carbon monoxide gas protection, home intrusion, mobile tracking through GPS, and a cell phone app. These services aren't just for seniors, either.
The Bad
- Three-Year Contract
- Expensive Service
- No Automatic Fall Detection
- Few Equipment Details
Three-Year Contract
With a three-year contract, Life Alert locks customers into one of the longest contracts in the industry. Top competitors offer contracts that operate from month to month, which provides consumers the peace of mind of not having to buy out of a contract.
Having such a long contract in an industry that doesn't typically require them is concerning. The company's contract is also one of the most common Life Alert complaints among the majority of its customer reviews. Overall, consumers on our site are not happy with the long-term contract, and they find it difficult — and sometimes impossible — to get out of Life Alert's contract.
Expensive Service
Because Life Alert is so well established in the industry, the company does not frequently rely on or offer discounts on its products and services. Although the company lists that it offers free equipment, shipping, and a warranty on its website, the Life Alert cost is one of the more expensive on the market.
Many medical alert companies have a similar offering of free equipment, free shipping, and a free warranty, but they also include no long-term contracts, free activation, and affordable monthly monitoring (as little as $19.95 per month). Life Alert, on the other hand, requires a three-year contract, charges upwards of $70 per month, and calls for a hefty activation fee of nearly $100.
Many Life Alert reviews also note that the company increases its prices without notice and relies on locking customers into a long-term contract of three years. We suggest making sure a long-term contract isn't something that is a deal-breaker for you if you're interested in Life Alert's services.
No Automatic Fall Detection
Many medical alert systems in the industry today offer automatic fall detection. Automatic fall detection is a medical alert capability that will immediately notify the medical alert company's monitoring center if a pendant wearer experiences a fall, even if they cannot press the button themselves. It's a way to give users peace of mind that they do not have to do anything on their part if they experience a fall; as long as you have on the wearable device, the fall will trigger help and the medical alert company will take care of contacting emergency responders.
Life Alert does not currently offer any products with fall detection capability. This is definitely a con of Life Alert, especially since most medical alert companies offer fall detection features.
Few Equipment Details
The website offers next to no information on equipment details or company policies. In comparison to other companies that offer transparent details on multiple medical alert devices, this is concerning.
According to the company's website, a Life Alert medical alert device does include the typical base station and a help button that can be worn as a pendant or a wristband, a backup battery life of 72 hours, and a U.S.-based monitoring service. It's also noted you have your choice of landline or cellular service, but no additional details are listed regarding package or equipment details.
There is no information on other medical alert service features such as two-way communication or a GPS unit built in for tracking. The website says there is on-the-go protection if you push the button on a "special cell phone button" but it's unclear what that is and if it is just referring to the Life Alert app you can navigate from your own mobile device.
To find additional information, you need to request a brochure. You can't request the brochure online or have it emailed to you; you instead have to call the company, talk to a representative, and request that a brochure be sent to you in the mail. By the time you receive the brochure, you could've already heavily researched, ordered, and received a medical alert system from another company that is more transparent about its services and has a more up-to-date process.
Most medical alert companies are upfront about their equipment and offerings online, even allowing orders to be made directly online, so it is worrying that Life Alert is selective about what little information it does share on its website and it's impossible to order unless you call the company. Unfortunately, if you're looking for convenience, that doesn't seem to be Life Alert's strong suit.
The Bottom Line
While Life Alert as a company has many positives such as the respected CSAA Five Diamond Certification, it does carry a high installation fee, hefty long-term contracts (three years), and average system features.
Life Alert's business model seems to be similar to what it was when it first began. As technology has advanced and other capabilities have surfaced with other medical alert companies, Life Alert seems to instead be keeping its medical alert services similar to what it's always been rather than trying to improve and expand its offerings. For example, other medical alert providers have things such as automatic fall detection, advanced equipment with medical reminder functionality, medical alert smartwatches, etc.
Although its services are clearly effective and get the job done, for how much the company charges, we wish the company would expand its business model to include better services for a cheaper price point, as its competitors have done.
Read Life Alert reviews below to see what customers have to say about Life Alert's medical alert systems and customer service.
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Life Alert Frequently Asked Questions
Are Life Alert's medical alert devices waterproof?
All Life Alert pendants and buttons are fully waterproof to ensure you can use them in the shower/bathtub or outdoor on a rainy day.
Life Alert also developed an exclusive Shower/Help Button for better protection in the shower, bathtubs, bathrooms, and bedrooms.
In addition, all pendants and buttons do not need to be ever charged, or plugged in, so you are safe with them in the shower.
When will I receive my Life Alert system?
Life Alert offers free UPS ground shipping. The shipping can be upgraded for a fee for a 2-day or overnight delivery at customer request.
How much does Life Alert’s equipment cost?
There is no need to buy the equipment. It is given for free for the duration of the service. In addition, the UPS ground shipping is also free of charge.
How often do I need to charge the pendants and On-the-Go devices?
Life Alert is the only company that offers pendants, buttons and on-the-go devices with GPS that never need charging. They last up to 10 years. That means you are truly protected 24/7.
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Review Source
Deborah Sefcik
Forced into long term contract with the inability to cancel other than nursing home or death. Service is over priced and mediocre. I didn’t provide a pin,so they called my friend and told her I had a heart attack, which caused her husband to race over here. So now none of my friends will believe you. Your call center people are assholes to do this. Disgusting company.
I would have had immediate service if I dialed 911 myself. If I couldn’t speak they would have come anyway. With you, it appears if I can’t speak and my friends aren’t available minutes would be wasted. I just no longer trust you. I feel I have been taken advantage of at my weakest time.
7 months ago
Sonya S Liberty Hill, TX
I will never use LifeAlert after the scare tactics they tried to instill. I was considering them and called to discuss options and pricing. I spoke with George M and the told the equipment price was $268.00 and the monthly fee was $90.00. I explained that I was going to call a few other companies and he could call me back the next day. I did find a company that was no equipment fee, no activation, and free shipping along with a fall detection for over half the price of LifeAlert. When George M called me back and I explained we decided to go with another company he proceeded to tell me "Well, when your father falls and the other company doesn't respond and he lays on the floor for hours you know how to reach me" and hung up. I do not appreciate the scare tactic and in my opinion he could have maybe tried to offer a discount if he wanted my business.
1 year ago
Drew Hogan Halifax, PA
We cannot recommend this company. This company uses deceptive and dishonest practices and their salesmen are so poorly trained that they cannot be trusted to give reliable information. We tried the standard pendants and the GPS pendant in a remote area where cell service is not always reliable. We were misled by the salesman as to what the system was capable of. We were told that with the GPS unit, we would be able to locate our mother if she wandered. The salesman told us that he has personally helped family locate loved ones himself with the GPS pendant. In subsequent conversations with customer care and the billing department, this was confirmed to be completely untrue as it is not possible for Life Alert to locate the GPS pendant. It must be activated by the user in order for the pendant to be located. In the case of memory patients that wander, the promise made by the salesman is cruel and unsafe. The salesman also assured us there would be absolutely no charge if the system didn't work. We specifically asked about installation and setup charges and any "re-stocking" fees. The salesman assured us that all charges would be refunded and we would pay zero if the system did not work for us. Instead, we were charged $197 for the equipment set-up and shipping and $64.42 for the first partial month service. After we returned the unit (we tested and returned it immediately as it did not meet the promised expectations), we were told that none of that was refundable (we did end up getting this company to agree to refund all of the money, after several phone calls and discussions with higher level managers). Overall, this was a frustrating and time consuming experience and we're still searching for a solution. As others have said, Life Alert is among the most expensive services out there, with a long term contract that is very difficult to cancel.
We recommend that you stay away from this company.
1 year ago
Reply from Life Alert
Dear Drew Hogan, we can't find your account with Life Alert. You posted the same complaint under a different name before which also didn't connect to any accounts, and we tried to reach out to you in order to help. However, there was no response. We would like to investigate the issues as we strive to provide a great customer service. We have been saving lives of people since 1987 and are the only company with proven track record of saving lives every 11 minutes. Please contact us at wecare@lifealert.com. Thank you.
Sep. 6th, 2023
Bee H Barrington, NH
My mother-in-law recently fell in her home and in spite of having Life Alert was unable to call for help. When we called for a welfare check she was discovered on the floor, where she had been for some time. Unfortunately, she will be unable to return to her home and will no longer need Life Alert. When I called to let Life Alert know of the situation, the first thing that was said was, “You signed a 3-year contract.” A more appropriate response, and one that would have been far less off-putting and abrasive might have been, “I am so sorry to hear that she fell. This must be a very stressful time for you. We want to make this process as easy as possible. Though you signed a contract, all you need to do is get a note from her doctor saying she can’t return home and we’ll be able to help you make arrangements to return the equipment.” This is my first experience with Life Alert and it will most definitely be my last. I went with a competing company when we needed this type of service in the past and will be sure to go back to them should we need it again. I would not recommend this company to anyone.
1 year ago
Review Source
Natalie Porter Plant City, FL
I would put negative stars if I could!! I purchased the life alert system for my elderly mother who lives in my home. When I called to inquire about the system, I should have picked up on the sales pitch, and the persuasive/super nice lady who was providing the info about the system. The problem is my mother is hard of hearing, starting to have slight dementia and when I asked the sales lady if my mother couldn't use the system for some reason, can we return it? She danced around the question then responded with oh don't worry, that won't happen but if it does just call us. Then the sales lady asked for my moms phone number. My mom only has a cell phone and she never answers unknown numbers. I told her I need to be called on my phone for everything. Sales lady said oh yes we'll call you for everything....That was a lie! When we received the system and attempted to set up, the dispatcher doing the testing said oh no we call your moms phone number first then if she doesn't answer they call 911. So if my mom falls and its just a soft fall and isn't hurt but just needs to be lifted off the floor, 911 will have to come. I wanted them to call me and I was told I would get a call first. I also wasn't told that we have to hide a key outside or put a lockbox on my door for 911. I was completely deceived over the phone so please don't fall for the sales pitch. They will tell you anything to get you to buy the system! So when we were attempting to set up the system and test it out, I found out all of the information told over the phone was not true. I immediately told them while testing out the system, my mom can't hear the dispatcher over the small speaker on the necklace ( I was also told the system would work everywhere and that's not true either, it only works 1000 feet from the main box in your home) and that's when I said this isn't going to work for my mom, I would like to return and get a refund. I was transferred to 6 different people back and forth to the same people and no one could tell me what my refund would be. I finally was told that I would be contacted at a later time to set up a UPS pick up. I haven't received a call yet! I also noticed another charge on my account for $72 that I have no idea what that is for since I was already charged $198. Im telling you this is deception from the get go. Its very expensive but not worth it. They will tell you anything you want to hear over the phone to seal the deal, after that you're stuck. Beware! Do your homework and make sure you get a safety device that works for your elderly needs. I will just place cameras in my home to watch my mom if I have to leave her alone.
1 year ago
Robert Lopez
Paul K, Life Alert salesperson from the New Jersey office was extremely aggressive, angry, mean, rude and disrespectful to me on the phone. I was interested in purchasing a Life Alert for my loved one. Paul K started speaking over me in an aggressive, pushy salesman tone of voice. and then when I told him that was inappropriate, he began to yell and berate me at the top of his lungs. Please listen to Paul K’s recorded Life Line phone calls. He lacks interpersonal skills, compassion, kindness and ethics. Paul K is unethical and fraudulently charged my credit card without me confirming the second call. He should be fired for screaming at clients, speaking to them in an aggressive tone of voice, talking over them and telling clients that “no one put a gun to their head.” Thanks to Paul K, we decided to go with another company. Paul K is costing life alert customers - fire him!
1 year ago
Becky Pope Chattanooga, TN
My mother fell and hit her head, knocking her unconscious. She had a severe head trauma and brain bleed and was on the floor for over 5 hours before I found her. Her Life Alert did not go off as she was not able to push the button. I called to cancel Life Alert for not alerting us and they informed me that we signed a three year contract that still has two more years at $95 a month. No way to cancel without proof of getting 24-hour licensed care. Read the fine print folks. My mom has been paying for NO HELP. She could’ve died and they said it was our fault for not realizing that fall detection is not included.
2 years ago
Reply from Life Alert
Hello, we are very sorry to hear about your Mother's fall. I tried to find your account, but do not have enough information. Can you please provide me with either the account number, your mother's phone number or full name together with the city/state so I can look into the matter. Thank you.
Feb. 22nd, 2023
Barbara Hendrix Jesup, GA
I am very frustrated with Life Alert . My mother passed away in Dec 2022. I called and cancelled the service. I was told that UPS would come on the day of my chosing and pick up the device . They gave me NO tracking number to contact UPS. And instead of providing with a return label which they have done in the past (I was able to return the device myself for my mother in law after she passed away without a return label provided by them) I have to sit at home and wait on UPS to pick up the device.
I called UPS and without a tracking number they couldnt tell me when they would be coming out to pick up the device. I will have to sit at home and wait for UPS to come to my home rather than take it to a UPS provider and mail it at my convenience. They will off course continue to bill me for the device until they receive it... Beth Gorse
2 years ago
Reply from Life Alert
Dear Beth, we are sorry for your loss and understand the difficult time the family is going through. Life Alert is the only medical alert company that pays out of pocket to have our equipment returned at no cost to you. Please note that UPS is a separate company and they do have their own schedules, as was informed to you on the day the pick-up was scheduled. UPS also makes three attempts to pick up the equipment, and we can pick it up from your work address too if needed. We can see that UPS has successfully picked up the equipment from you, and also assure you that no billing has taken place since your call to close your mother’s account.
Jan. 10th, 2023
Shannon Renee Chagrin Falls, OH
My father had life alert. Their websites boasts there is no charge for the monitoring equipment.
I April my father went on hospice and I contacted Life Alert, No one called me back.
I called again, they were suppose to send a shipping label. I never received it.
i called again, did not receive it.
I emailed, still no shipping label.
During this time my father passed away.
I had been in contact with life alert several times.
I had to pay out of pocket to ship the equiptment back to Life Alert because of their failure to provide the shipping label. This was over 32.00.
Then, Life alert took 400 additional from the bank account without any notice.
I still have not recieved April fees of 69.90 refuned.
I am waiting on 400 refunded
I now also want my shipping costs refunded to me.
Life Alert does not return the phone calls or emails.
Family members, please be aware of Life Alert, during the most difficult time in your experience of caring for your elderly parents they are vultures, thieves and have horrible customer service.
2 years ago
Reply from Life Alert
Dear Shannon,
We have already responded to your complaint on a different website, but will repost it here as well.
We extend our sincerest condolences for the passing of your father. We understand this may be an emotionally confusing and frustrating time. As all calls are monitored for quality assurance, we have looked in to the matter for you. Our equipment is free to use during the subscription, but it must be returned back when the account is about to close. We have tried to retrieve our equipment since April. We did see that we sent the shipping label to the email provided twice in late April and Early May and they are marked as delivered. It is possible they went to your spam folder and it is always advisable to check there. We were then told the equipment was sent back on the 11th, but the tracking number provided advises the equipment was not sent back until the 23rd. We did make multiple attempts to contact family and left SMS messages with information as to who to call back. We have finally received our equipment today, May 31st, and have refunded the missing equipment fee and the monthly fee as we have explained to you over the phone we would. Again, our sincerest condolences for the passing of your father.
We have already responded to your complaint on a different website, but will repost it here as well.
We extend our sincerest condolences for the passing of your father. We understand this may be an emotionally confusing and frustrating time. As all calls are monitored for quality assurance, we have looked in to the matter for you. Our equipment is free to use during the subscription, but it must be returned back when the account is about to close. We have tried to retrieve our equipment since April. We did see that we sent the shipping label to the email provided twice in late April and Early May and they are marked as delivered. It is possible they went to your spam folder and it is always advisable to check there. We were then told the equipment was sent back on the 11th, but the tracking number provided advises the equipment was not sent back until the 23rd. We did make multiple attempts to contact family and left SMS messages with information as to who to call back. We have finally received our equipment today, May 31st, and have refunded the missing equipment fee and the monthly fee as we have explained to you over the phone we would. Again, our sincerest condolences for the passing of your father.
Jun. 1st, 2022
AR Brimmer Greenwich, NY
Life Alert....Scam! My elderly loved one called for a brochure and within minutes the agent was taking their credit card info and had signed them up for 3 years without even giving my loved one or myself as Power of Attorney to review a written contract. After $197.00 later in shipping and processing fees (non refundable) and a hefty $69.99 per month for 3 years...for a product that my loved one did not care for or need, I am now faced with a legal battle to void the contract. Customer service agents in the contracts department are rude and condescending and will do just about anything to try to deter you from getting out of the contract. A report will be filed with Consumer Fraud and Protection Bureau and money spent on an attorney to get my loved one out of this mess. Life Alert scam. Buyer Beware!
3 years ago
Leticia Justice Phoenix, AZ
My mother died in November 2021 and I informed Life Alert a week of her passing. I sent to their office my Mom's Death Certificate on the 1st week of December. You think that cancelled the contract? Hell, No! The company kept charging my account for 2 more months after my Mom died. I called and complained to their manager who sounded like an Indian national and he was very rude! He refused to let me and my husband speak and air our complaint. He would not let us finish talking, he talked in a louder voice than his customer and refused to offer any solution to our complaint. All he cared about was to collect money from people in whatever circumstance the customer was in. When asked why they kept collecting the monthly fee even after the death of my Mom, the people in Life Alert said that that's what's in their contract until they received the death certificate. In our case, I sent it to them 3 weeks after my Mom died but they still charged us for the following 2 months. They even charged us for the equipment when it was not returned on time because we got busy preparing for my Mom's burial. Talking about very bad customer service!!! I will never recommend this company!!!!!
3 years ago
Gerta Keller Princeton, NJ
I called Life Alert as an option for my ill husband in Oct. 2018, but because he didn't want to buy the contract unless I was on it also, the sales rep told me to sign up for it just for an extra $10 and when my husband dies the contract would end. My husband died in early March 2021. Life Alert refuses to cancel my contract saying that it is running till the end of October 2021 regardless of the death of my husband. They are harassing me daily for contract payment but also for replacing their useless old installation for an extra $149. I have refused this installation and still they sent it, and still they harass me.
Life alert requires auto payment from your bank account. When my bank account was compromised in 2019, the auto payment access stopped and I refused to renew their account saying I would pay by check every month. They harassed me week after week by phone calls demanding my autopay renewal, saying they do not any other billing. Eventually they would send a pink "overdue notice", but the same harassing has continued every month along with threatening my credit rating.
3 years ago
Reply from Life Alert
Dear Gerta, at Life Alert we take customer service very seriously. I searched your name in our database but was not available to find it. Can you please send me the information (account number or phone number or mailing address) so I can assist you further? Thank you.
Dec. 15th, 2021
Vasile Stelian Georgescu Bakersfield, CA
Hello, this company is scammer, the will not give you potions to terminate the agreement , unless you die, or going to a facility. they do not care about an individual, well being, they only care about their income. I offer to pay termination fee but they do not accepted, the only option is to stop payments, this means it will go to a collection agency, your credit will be affected, when I asked what happen after, they have no answer, all they care is three year contract which cannot be terminated. Speaking with a customer service supervisor, no other options were given. leasing contract can be terminated before the terms, with paneity paid. I never come across a contract/agreement , cannot be terminated before terms... till now. I will not recommend this service to anyone, no professionalism, a company structured where a supervisor is the higher authority you can talk to, I asked to talk to someone above, reply was owner is to busy, and never takes calls from customers... I wonder why? I wonder if he read his company reviews given by the customers, paying for all his life expenses. for anyone having possibility to open a business... this is a good one. I vote this company NO for support, NO for professionalism, NO for helping people in need, NO this is a scam, false advertising, once GPS has been depressed, takes long time to response, records are kept for their benefits only. I give it one star because I have no other option, but realistically, minus 5 would be appropriate. before one decide to sigh with this company, I encourage you to do your home work, others offer beater for less.
4 years ago
William Sellars Clarksville, MD
Life alert told me I could cancel anytime when I signed up. They left out the fact the my mom had to be in a nursing home or dead for me to cancel. When I signed up for this service a year ago, my mom was able to understand what it did and how it worked. Now, her dementia makes the product useless for her. She does not understand how to use it anymore. That is not a good enough reason for life alert to stop taking NINETY DOLLARS A MONTH FROM MY ELDERLY CONFUSED MOTHER. They told me another way to get out of the THREE YEAR CONTRACT was to get 24 hour a day care. I have home health care workers here 14 hours a day and I take care of my mother the other 10 hours per day, but, according to life alert, my care for my mother doesn’t count because I’m not a licensed home care worker. So my mom gets 24 hour care, but it’s not good enough for this rip-off company. They care about money ONLY. The fact that my mom is on a fixed income does not matter at all to theses greedy people, just her money.
Stay away from this terrible, greedy company that only has the well being of one thing in mind- profits.
4 years ago
Chantel Gardner Bellingham, WA
I did my research and picked a different company. Unfortunately my father saw an add in the newspaper and signed up. We tried unsuccessfully to cancel it as his metal capacities were failing. Later we tried to cancel as he had 24/7 in home care and that was also unsuccessful. When he finally was in hospice care we were told that he could cancel, with a letter from the hospice nurse. Unfortunately that was also untrue. Now that he has passed they are still charging and saying that we need to send in a death certificate. I can not believe a company like this exists. Do not use. It was a waist of thousands of dollars.
4 years ago
Cliff Bowman Stroudsburg, PA
It was not explained to me about a 3 year contract until I attempted to end our relationship in September 2018. Due to a financial hardship, I wanted to cancel my agreement.
In a conversation with their Financial Controller, I asked to end the service because of a serious change in my financial position. She reminded me we had a 3 year contract (I was not provided a copy of this contract by my sales person). She had to send me a copy of this 3 year contract for proof. This all was totally mishandled by their sales person.
The Sales Controller offered me a very small reduced monthly payment but it is still too much for me to pay on my fixed income.
Today 6/24/20, 2 months prior to the end of my contract, I asked for a 2 month early ending and LIFE ALERT REFUSED ME AGAIN despite my financial position, They wouldn't take my September 2020 relationship ending today but, are making me call them again on September 1.
I am totally dissatisfied with Life Alert and would not recommend them to anyone!
4 years ago
Gina K Welch Reedsville, WI
When my elderly friend told Matt H, a sales rep for Life Alert, that she wanted to speak to her p.o.a before finalizing a decision on a medical alert he attempted to make her second guess her choice in who she has as p.o.a. He proceeded to hard sell, use fear tactics, and continue to harass her after she told him she went with a different medical alert. I called the company and the office Matt H. works from. Both times I was told a supervisor would return my call. No one called me back. Though Life Alert is well known for their commercials they are not the best rated company. I had already felt that my friend should not choose Life Alert but after her experience with the sales rep my friend is also certain.
5 years ago
Deidre Wilson Winchester, CA
I wish that I could give them a ZERO! My mom has been paying them for service 8 months and I found her this morning on her bedroom floor, in excruciating pain. She’s been there for 45 mins!! She pressed her button when she fell and the recording came on telling her hold on. Then nothing! She kept trying to press it and nothing happened. I immediately called 911, tried pressing everything on her machine with no luck, and then went and pressed the emergency button in her shower and got a recording to hold on! That continued until the paramedics were already there! Paid $1000 for this piece of crap service over the last 9 months and it was useless when she really needed it! After all the paramedics and firefighters left, I was upset. I called Life Alert and now at the end of the day, no manager will call me back. Talked to 6 different people, including their tech support who checked it with me doing what he said, and surprise- it doesn’t work. So he suggests moving to another area of the house for my mom who’s confined to her room. Repeated calls after no call back, unplugged the machine to box it up, and surprise- a call from their emergency service to see if we have a power outage because the machines not registering!! Do not waste your money or rely on this company to protect you of your loved ones. Epic fail today!!
5 years ago
Dennis Burtick Athens, GA
*Life Alert SEEMED like a good idea 5 yrs ago but technology improves and they have not.
They call you to tell you they are testing your sensors and then note that the batteries are dead. So send me new ones...you are billing us for a service. Nope...have to go buy them yourself and they are not cheap.
Try cancelling service and the telemarketer type "customer service" guy is RUDE. Will not talk to me because I am not authorized but was authorized from the beginning. Wanted me to send him a opy of my power of attorney. So got wife on phone and he tried strong arming her...just like they do with all seniors. Told her to just say NO...and cancel the service. Then you have to go to a tech who will then deactivate the system and will call you back after 4 mins. She eventually called my cell and said we were cancelled (she was polite). Told her that the first guy was a jerk and would result in me never recommending them again.
I imagine they get that a lot now.
Replaced this with a 5 star alert phone for the wife. The bad thing about the older Life Alert is that the button only works in the house.. I know they upgraded that to include better range but they don't replace older equipment with the new stuff but still charge you the higher fee.
Finally quit them today. They said to just throw out the old equipment. I'll check on recycling the batteries and any toxic metals in the sensors.
They are in it for the money...and seniors are an easy target. The guy I dealt with would have talked my wife into keeping it, if I was not sitting right next to her.
Pity the other seniors out there that can not stand up to people like him.
I would never recommend them.
5 yrs and no needs = $3000.
Except for one time the smoke detector wen toff because the fireplace flue was closed a little too much. I was right there. Not like we were sleeping and this could be a real emergency. When they called, I told them what happened. Would not accept my reply. Had to wake up wife and have her groggily answer their questions or they were sending a fire truck, even though another alert, responsible adult told them everything was fine.
Good riddance....
5 years ago
Andrew Spokane, WA
Scott B is one of the most disrespectful person I’ve ever talk to he called my mom that’s 78 and trued to strong arm her then when I spoke to him I Tried to explain that the service was to Expensive after I hung up the phone with him he repeatedly to call me back 5 to 6 times and he called my mother and told her that I wanted her to get the box and that she needed to order it right then even know such conversation was ever spoke about I have never experienced such a hard aggressive tactics against elderly people except for the scams you see on TV he should be ashamed of yourself by an elderly people and trying to buy your product
5 years ago
Anne Breckbill Saint Paul, MN
Please don't do it! (Wishing for a zero star option) My mother has been a long-term (over 5 years) LifeAlert customer and has thankfully never needed it. She is losing ground cognitively and is easily confused and anxious. She is moving to an assisted living center where she does not need the Life Alert service. I called to cancel the month-to-month contract and got my mother on the phone to give verbal consent. The customer service rep would not let me speak, would not let mom cancel, was fear-mongering, pressuring, badgering, and insisted that mom tell her exactly what type of alert system the new place will have - something mom can't even do about her current system with Life Alert. She then asserted that she really "must advise her" to make her own decisions about her safety (i.e. not be influenced by me and implying that she is not "safe"). In the end, we were unable to cancel for the end of the month (she is paid through the end of the month) because if we canceled today she would not be covered for the next 10 days (till I arrive there) EVEN THOUGH SHE HAS PAID FOR THEM! Having read other reviews, I suspect that once I do get there and we cancel we stand the chance of having to pay another month due to them needing a 30-day notice. I guess we'll see. The way she spoke with my mom WITH ME ON THE LINE could be used as a primer of how to take advantage of the elderly. Lord knows what would happen without a witness. In the end, we got off of the phone and mom was completely confused about the outcome and believes that the service has been canceled. It has not. This is a company that puts their resources into gaining new customers and making it hard to leave. Thankfully, I have no knowledge of how they actually do with seniors if emergencies happen, but if the interaction I just witnessed is AT ALL reflective of how interested they are in the actual well-being of seniors, run - don't walk - away from Life Alert.
5 years ago
David W Schroeder El Cajon, CA
Set up services for my 86 year old Mother. Her husband my step father is in the last stages of Alezheimers. So I paid 15 months into the plan and she has very bad arthritis in her knees and hands and is unable to use the device. So she stopped wearing it. I called the company and they reminded me of the 36 month contract which I understand. I asked if the device could be redistributed to my sister who could use it and they said unlikely and the process is complicated and specific forms would have to be submitted. Very disappointing. So I'm not paying for another 21 months with no benefit. The business practice is very non-consumer friendly and is very bottom line focused. I will never recommend Life Alert to anyone. This has been a very bad experience. They were completely inflexible.
5 years ago
Warren Solomon Bayside, NY
There are so many reputable companies providing the same type of product. No regard for the changing status of seniors. My stepdad purchased a plan following my mother’s death as we told him he could no longer be alone. With time he became increasingly less able to care for himself and we called LifeAlert to cancel or at least amend the contract as the family would now care for him. We were told by Tina M., a very smug and sarcastic women that we should prove it. We were than passed to Jasmine in the retention dept and she rudely stated that we would pay until 11/2021. And we had better not attempt to mail the button and other paraphernalia back or she would bill us when she mailed it back to us. Spoke to the bank about stopping payments and they knew LifeAlert well. Stated that LifeAlert will changes one number on the computerized request and it will go through. We have currently filed complaints with 3 govt and private agencies. We may not get anywhere but at least the name of this scamming company will be out there. Go anywhere else but this disreputable group.
5 years ago
Stefanie Revere, MA
After I called for a free brochure, I was prompted to another agent to answer my questions about the product. That agent was the rudest person I've ever talked to. He was ageist and asked if a young adult like me can afford life alert for my grandmother. Once he told me the price of my plan per month I said I would think about it IF he answered my questions on the product first. He hung up on me. He immediately called me back from a different number and told me that I was wasting his time. It's his job to answer my questions about the product; that's why I was transferred to him after signing up for a free brochure.
5 years ago
Cherilyn Schultz Butternut, WI
I actually did not go with Life Alert. I looked into a number of services, and felt this was not for me. One reason was the cost of the purchase. The rep kept calling and calling, after I declined to use them, telling them why, and that I was going with another company. She still kept calling, which I truly felt was way out of line. As a sidebar reason, she could never say my name correctly, which is something that annoys me no end. I kept telling her how, it really is simple after I tell you, but obviously too hard for her. Just like it was too hard for her to understand I did not wish to use them. I finally got a new phone, which allowed me to block numbers from calling me. Yea! No more Life Alert!!! I really dodged a big problem from everything I am reading here. I just wanted to add that if you inquire about them, they will not leave you alone.
5 years ago
J Butler Houston, TX
I am dealing with trying to cancel my mother's service. She is experiencing dementia and has no ability to cope with customer service procedures. She recently moved into an assisted living facility. When I called Life Alert to cancel I was quizzed aggresdively as to whether my mother would be located in a place that had 24 hour nursing care available as well as a pendant. Then I was told that she would have to submit a letter from her new residence on their letterhead stating that she would no longer need the service. When I explained that was not possible for her to do, and that I had power of attorney over her affairs and was legally entitled to cancel her acvount, I was told to email the power of attorney documents to them and they "would then call me to discuss canceling the account". That conversation took place a couple days later. I was instructed at that point that I would have to be in front of the equipment to press some kind of button to cancel the service, and this was the only way to disable the account. This did not sit well with me, because I live 100 miles away. He cited a page on a contract I had no knoqledge of and insisted this was the only way I could cancel the account, for someone to enter my mother's former residence and press this button. Of course, she has moved and the phone line is non-active, and no family members live nearby. I expressed my frustration at these ridiculous requirements and asked why they couldn't have told me these things when I was at her home helping her move at the time I made the first call and was told to submit the POA and they would call me to "discuss" canceling. When I told the customer service person that they should have informed of the need to press the precious button when I called the first time, the response was "I'm sorry you feel that way." My response, "You're sorry I feel that way? What a ridiculous thing to say." I was fairly ticked off by now. The customer service agent then hung up on me.
I called back and was connected after a long wait to a supervisor. I explained the situation and she told me I had the option of paying $300 for the equipment now in order to cancel the service and that the $300 would be returned if I sent the equipment back within 30 days. I asked why didn't the first person I spoke with tell me that was an option, and was told they would review the recording of the phone call. That is where things stand currently.
I would imagine these kinds of situations arise often, where a family member living our of town who has no idea of a "contract" or its provisions tries to cancel an accout on behalf of someone who is no longer able to do so. Unstead of being transparent, helpful, and forthcoming with information, the Life Alert people made it as difficult, inconvenient and frustrating as possible. Instead of explaining the contract and its provisions for canceling right off the bat, they doled out information as reluctantly as possible. It leaves me feeling that instead of being helpful, this is a company that is actively trying to take advantage of those family members in the aftermath of difficult situations. They know the contract, family members who are trying to deal with the affairs of their parents very likely don't, and often may not have access to it.
That's shameful behavior. They could do much better and be far more friendly and helpful to people needing to cancel service because of changes in life situations. I would encourage any older person looking for such services to bypass Life Alert.
5 years ago
S. Fusaro East Norwich, NY
I have to give a star to write a review. Life alert is a scam. This company plays on peoples fears. They suck you into 3 year contracts that you didn't know you are even in. When you try to cancel they give you the run around and transfer you to different people and departments. They ask you to provide documentation such as a health care proxies, death certificates, doctors notes, etc the list goes on just to get more money out of people. This is the lowest of the low. They prey on senior citizens and their families. This is not a life saving device, you do not need to have a doctors note to get this device. Beware and stay away this is a money making scam. Life alert needs to be shut down, and doors closed.
5 years ago
Karen Murtaugh, ID
Don't get Life Alert! My dad has been trying to get out of his contract for 2 months now. He is now living with me and under 24 hour care. His equipment is in another state in storage. They told him he needed a letter stating he now had 24 hour care. Sent that. Then they wanted license numbers of caretaker. Sent that. Now they are saying it needs to be on a letterhead. They previously said no letterhead needed as the caretaker was his granddaughter. They are giving us the runaround just to keep getting money.
I'm all in for a class action suit. We need to stop these thieves from ripping off the elderly.
5 years ago
BHarley Bluffton, SC
If I could give zero stars, I would. They sold me on the system for my parents under the false pretense that if my parents passed away during the contract period, they would actually refund my money & end the contract. My father passed away & he was my mother’s primary caregiver. She has severe dementia. She cannot use the system - nor even understands what it’s for. It’s useless. Nevertheless, since she is being cared for by family & has not been “put in a home”, they are holding me to 2.5 more years of contract at $100 per month. This company does not care about the elderly. They care about the dollars.
5 years ago
Sylvia's Daughter Hollywood, FL
We ordered Life Alert for my mom who was living independently. When my mom could no longer care for herself, we moved her with my sister who cared for her around the clock. During the last months of my mom's life, she was kept sedated in Hospice and had no use for the Life Alert. After watching my mom suffer for months, Life Alert caused more stress and heartache. They would NOT cancel the contract. They didn't care about anything I said. Their answer was get a letter from Hospice (is that all I am thinking of while watching my mom die) OR pay and wait until I can provide a Death Certificate. UNLESS YOU KNOW FOR SURE YOU WILL USE THE SYSTEM UNTIL THE END OF THE CONTRACT, DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY......
6 years ago
Raymond Diamond Bar, CA
It is a scam. Once you sign up they use every tactic to frustrate your ability to end the service. It is so frustrating. They get you to sign up for one amount and then jack up your monthly fee unilaterally. When you are signing up, it’s all peaches until you demand to end it and then the run around starts. Usually, they’ll have a “lady” take over and she’ll use every avenue to frustrate your ability to end the contract. She would tell you it’s only the old folks covered by the account who can speak to them about cancellation. And when you argue, as I did, I was told they can only speak to my wife; even though it was I who signed up. I then got my wife on the phone and suddenly it was a statement that it would take a really long time to “discuss” the account. When my wife stated that she was busy and just wanted them to end the service, as she had requested on multiple occasions previously; the “lady” starts again with “the service isn’t ending until we discuss with you.” Meanwhile, my wife is now practically yelling at her to simply cancel the service and the lady is insisting that they must “discuss” the account. While all this is going on, they are busy debiting my account each month. I even had my bank try to stop their debit and those crooks responded to my bank with allegations of a valid contract. In short, avoid these crooks like the plague. I will surely prospect for a class action against them. They do not deserve to be in business. A bunch of crooks!
6 years ago
Dianne Hutchinson, KS
I'm ready to call the Better Business Bureau on these scoundrels... I sent back my mothers machine in April of last year and they keep sending letters and calling. They said for me to give them the tracking number that I used when sending the machine back and I did. They said thaust they couldn't find the machine. One of the people called and I told them about what we did and he said that he would take care of taking our name off the list. Well it is March of the next year and they are still hounding us. Finally they sent a bill for one whole year....my mother has dementia and has been in a living center for this whole time they have been harassing us.
Do not use them...there are other ones to try...what a bunch of losers.
6 years ago
Russ Anaconda, MT
DO NOT CALL THEM! THEY WILL HOUND YOU TO DEATH! I made the mistake of calling them and they will not stop calling me back. I blocked their number and they started texting me. I told Salesman Larry that I went with someone else and now Alex is calling me. They are high pressure sales and want to push the most expensive system on you. I simply wanted something for my mother when she is at home. Larry told me they do not have a system like this and just kept pushing me at this $99/ month system. BS!! I got what I needed from another vendor for $19.95/ month. I think Life Alert gouges it's customers.
6 years ago
Carrie V Lakewood, WA
These Lifealert people try and scare you away from other similar type products. They tell you other similar products have left people laying on floors for 30+ hours because of a dead battery. The medical alert program does not require charging a battery each night like Lifealert indicated. My grandma who had fallen twice in two weeks could not afford Lifealert expensive fees and almost quit looking for this type help which in my opinion put her at a greater risk. I am so livid wit Her lofealert for this kind of high pressure tactics on the elderly. This is a type of elder abuse and I wish I could do more about it than just a review.
6 years ago
Cathy G Huntington Beach, CA
I would give negative stars if i could. DO NOT subscribe to Life Alert. They lock you into a contract and make it nearly impossible to cancel. As my dad's dementia worsened, he was no longer capable of using (he pushed the button when he didn't need help, and wouldn't understand to push it if he). My family tried to cancel and every call was a run around - "we needed a doctors note, we need power of attorney, the account holder had to make the call, etc..". This is just a a scam to try to ring as much money as possible out of elderly people on a fixed income. My friend signed her mom up to a different service with no contracts, it was just as effective in an emergency and was easy to cancel when her mom no longer needed it. It was also much cheaper. Make sure to ask about cancellation when you sign up for one of these services.
6 years ago
Pamela Pucher Skokie, IL
I am the POA for a senior citizen that was signed up for Life Alert by her caregivers who had no legal right to do so. About 18 months after starting Life Alert the senior citizen enter a residential facility. I was made POA during this time and tried to cancel the Life Alert contract to no avail. They would not accept the contract from the facility rather telling me I had to have the facility provide a written letter stating that the resident was under 24 hour care. Many months went by and all the while the monthly payments are coming out of her bank account. Finally when I contact them again several months later to cancel, after the 36 month contract, I am still told that I need a letter from the facility stating that she is staying there long term. I explained the house was sold, the phone number that they are using to monitor her has been disconnected so how can they even be monitoring her and since she has already been in the same facility now for 21 months I would say that constitutes a long term commitment. Still they want a letter before they will cancel. As far as I know, the monitors are prescribed by a doctor, they provide a service that an individual, or in this case an unauthorized individual signed up and agreed to pay for 36 months. If an authorized person asks them to stop the service why don't they do it without making everyone jump thru hoops. There policy is absolutely ridiculous!!! I still wonder why they didn't contact the person on the contract when they realized that there was no connection between the monitoring system and the phone number that had been disconnected. All of her mail was forwarded to me and not once did I get a letter questioning the connection.
6 years ago
Mike Delaware, OH
My parents got life alert in 2007. They moved into assisted living in june 2018 and did not need it as their new living quarters supplied a system as part of the rent. Called them to cancel and they said they needed a letter from the assisted living place. Faxed it to them and they continued to bill them. Called back and they said they never got the letter. Funny that the fax report said it wad sucessful. Faxed it a second time. Billed them again for a second month after disconnected service. Called them again and they said they did not get the second one either!! Put a stop payment on the auto billed card. Two months later they started harassing my dad who is in hospice . Then they called me. They, (The famed retention department)claimed there was a contract and he could not cancel it. Let me see, a three year contract turned into twelve years? Really? So they had me call their tech support to disable the 12 year old equipment. He had me destroy the land line phone jack and was instructed to recycle the unit. They did not want it back. He asked about a mobile device
Dad never had such a device. The tech support guy then said their was no balance due and it was cancelled. Five hours later , I got a call from their billing department stating there was a balance of $52 and dad owed them $95 for this supposed mobile device.
Dad has spent over $4500 in the last 12 years and used it maybe 6 times. Do the math, $750 per call! It is a total nightmare to cancel the service. Do not use this company. I have never experienced anything like this. Not paying them another dime. Guess they will have to sue the estate, which is zero.
Unbelieveable! Beware.
6 years ago
Beverly Cranston, RI
Life Alert is awful. My parents are in their 90s so we got the service for them. When they were unable to live alone, we had and have a 24 hour a day companion. Life Alert refused to cancel the contract. I disconnected the system and changed their credit card. I spoke directly with customer service who accused me of no caring about my parents! Customer service was extremely RUDE!!! Life Alert then contacted my children who are in their 30s to tell them that I was being unreasonable and could they just deal with the grandchildren?! My daughter then pointed out to the rep that I am a lawyer, etc. That's when Life Alert called me to tell me that I was a terrible lawyer and that I didn't know how to read a contract. Contract 101 - contracts are made to bind and are made to be broken. Notification was given to Life Alert per their contract. They continue to send a bill every month for $99 which goes into the circular file. Given all the complaints, I might consider passing this all on to a class action firm!!! Anyone else in??
6 years ago
Kimmy Fort Lauderdale, FL
I called to inquire about this service for my dad. I decided to go with another company
The problem is that they keep calling me. They are pushy and rude and unprofessional. They call w to 3 times a day and ask for different people each time. When I tell them I'm not interested or that they have the wrong number, they hang up on me. I can't believe they are in the service industry when they treat me like that. After requesting to be put on their do not call list numerous times, I finally had to block their number. Even if I am not satisfied with the company I chose, I would never try this one based on the sales reps behavior.
6 years ago
Dan Storey Pittsburgh, PA
If I could leave less than one star I would. It is less about the service and more about the hoops that they make you jump through when you need to cancel.
I was the account holder and paid for the service for my mother for the past 6 years. My mother's living arrangements changed and she had no need for the service anymore. After 4 phone calls and 2+ hours on the phone, they finally sent me to a tech that had me disable the unit. When I asked to be transferred back to a retention supervisor, he just transferred me to the retention department (again) and would not let me express my displeasure with the runaround and kept citing "the contract". Contract was concluded 3 years ago and it should not be this hard. On top of this, they kept offering to reduce the price if I would stay even though I told them that it was not needed.
Do not sign a contract and find the next best option for your needs as you will regret doing business with them.
6 years ago
DUFFY DEITZ Philadelphia, PA
If I could give them -10 stars, I would. This is the worst choice out there. Do NOT, I repeat do NOT go with them!!!!! I had brain surgery and a seizure 3 years ago and couldn't drive. My doctor told me I had to get an alert system if I wanted to go out alone. The only one he knew of and recommended was the "I've fallen and I can't get up" company. He even gave me a brochure about them. I should have done some research before calling and getting roped into an unbreakable contract. Aside from their 3-year, $70/month, $2,520 total commitment, Life Alert also charges for installation, even if you can do it yourself. At the end of the 3-year contract term, when I called to verify that I was done paying, I found out that I also had to cancel my contract so it wouldn't automatically renew. They don't bother to point that out in the beginning. Their customer service department blows! My experience couldn't have been worse. They're departments are in no way connected, so I couldn't give my change of address to the customer service idiot I had to deal with - it's a separate department!!! There's a whole laundry list of complaints that I could enumerate here, but suffice it to say that just because they spend a lot on marketing and advertising, Life Alert SUCKS!!!
6 years ago
Mena Ft. Washington, MD
Look at the rating and considered yourself warned!
1) Vague information given about pricing.
2) They will take your credit card info and send you a device PLUS a three year contract
3) The contract was for 3 years and the only way to get out of contract is if your loved one dies or goes into a nursing home; even then it is hard to cancel
4) Contract will have state that giving them your credit card info means you agree for Life Alert to bill you monthly for 3 years even though you did not agree to it.
5) I immediately cancelled my credit card and returned device at my own expense and wrote on the contract " I do not agree to terms"
6) Please for the love of God, find another company. There are several that allow you to pay monthly and cancel at anytime.
7) Several people have had their credit ruined because they could not keep up with the 3 year terms and tried to cancel.
8) The device is also very ancient. It looks like a device from the 80's
9) Please do not get screwed find a different company that is month to month
5
6 years ago
Patti Loverink Chandler, AZ
When my mom fell and broke her leg, a Life Alert rep did not pick up the phone for about 1 min. and 38 sec. They will say that they have amazing response time, but to me, that was too long for someone on the floor with a broken leg, especially given the price of their service. She was in the hospital for 2 months, ended up going into cardiac arrest and then on life support, and two months later went to a rehab facility. Life Alert would only suspend her service for 2 months, even though she literally still can't stand! What a horrible company! I can't wait until this service expires because we will find another option moving forward. BEWARE of their contract terms! This company lacks compassion in situations like this. Crappy customer service!
6 years ago
cyndi Mechanicsville, VA
Cannot believe such a well known company has gotten away with being so dishonest for so long. I wish I had read these review before having my mother call. They took advantage of her. She said she would think about it after finding out it would be 200.00 for set up and 90/month, They tricked her by saying they would wait until she decided but to go ahead and give them her card number. She refused the package but was billed. She called and they told her the charge was legit because she had used their service? The man brought her to tears because she is disabled and lives on a fixed income. SheShe is now going through her bank in hopes that they will dispute on her behalf. It never crossed my mind that they would take advantage since they are supposed to be around to HELP elderly people not take advantage. I am outraged that they treat people this way.
6 years ago
marilyn brandi Laguna Hills, CA
I called to cancel my service when the "contract"I never knew I had was up and got transferred 3 times and finally reached the proper person.This woman was so nasty I could hardly believe it.She actually yelled at me when I said I never received neither smoke detector nor a carbon monoxide detector which I did not and don't have.She informed me I would be charged 95$ each if I did not return them which I cannot so I expect a hassle over that.I did return their equipment though.I even took the precaution of canceling my credit card so they cannot charge me anymore.
I wish I had checked the reviews prior to ordering their service.
I most definitely do not recommend Life Alert.
7 years ago
Wolf Boynton Beach, FL
Rating for this company is negative 10!!!!!!
While helping my neighbor with researching health alert companies, we called Life Alert after reading an aid in AARP magazine. We asked for a brochure however was transfer to a salesman named Roger V in Miami. He has hard core sales my neighbor's aide and my neighbor who is hard of hearing. He continues to call and harass her about signing up. I walked in her house today only to hear her on the phone with Roger V. who was asking for her credit card information. Thank goodness she could not locate her credit card. Roger V. was once again told we would call him if she wanted the system and to stop calling. He continued to call through the day. It got to the point that my neighbor no longer would answer the phone.
Now that is elderly abuse and fraud. This company needs to be stopped with their sales tactics. Someone in the company needs to be sued and maybe they will wake up.
7 years ago
carla Watertown, NY
Life Alert is purposely difficult to cancel. I'm in rural NYS but the department that cancels contracts is in California. I left a message several times. No return call, but the last time I called and actually connected with someone I spent a lot of time trying to tell them that no, I will not continue to pay them $49.99 for something that is offered less expensively locally. Have a local company provide this service that better understands your area's emergency providers and logistics. For example, a local security company provides the same service here for $29.99 and if you income qualify (we do) then it is free through the Office for the Aging. I still haven't been able to cancel this because I need to be on site to de-program the device. I don't think it's even plugged in, truthfully, as my mother was irritated with the NYC people I had her speak with to originally set it up. I'm not giving those strangers my personal information, she said.
Believe me, if you are an adult who recently lost a parent and is dealing with being insanely and irrationally worried about the remaining parent alone in their home-- you, like me, are easy pickings. Take the time to do your research. This is 3 years (36 month contracts) of nothing I just paid for and I still can't easily get out of the contract. Also, Mom never wore the cheapo necklace or wanted to call them even though we had a few events because she was not absolutely sure that they wouldn't unnecessarily send emergency services to her door. AARP has an excellent nurse 800 line, don't waste your time calling Life Alert for advice.
Anyway, I've been hassled so much about canceling this. Please don't make the same mistake I did. Go local with this service and check your options. I know Life Alert didn't begin as a scam, but they sure do act like it now. This company had better diversify if they can't compete with lower cost services.
7 years ago
Bryna Kneapler Miami, FL
Please do not let your elderly relative sign up with this company. It is a 3 year contract and, obviously, circumstances change for very elderly people and they usually are not aware that they are signing up for such a long time. My 100 year old mother now has 24 hour care, no longer has a telephone where she can be reached and therefore, has no device to attach her life alert modem. Even after the 3 years, they keep automatically renewing unless you notify them exactly at the termination date. Of course, she didn't even recall that she had Life Alert and I wouldn't have known either until I checked her credit card bill. I am surprised that they are allowed to enter into a contract with such a person. They are very uncooperative and abrupt when you tell them you wish to cancel, even if you are willing tocancel at the end of the contract period. They won't even let me return the modem until then.
7 years ago
Mimi Grand Junction, CO
I contacted Life Alert for our 92 year old next door neighbor because she fell and could not get to the phone for 4 hours and we had no idea. We are in our 40’s so we could help. I called for a brochure and this telemarketer named Eddie has been calling over and over even when I asked him to stop. Today when I hung up on him he called back and threatened me saying he knew “where I lived and everything about me”. When I called Life Alert to complain they were not nice, kept putting me on hold and finally after 5 calls I got a manager who told me they tell their people that even if someone says no to keep calling till they sign up!
7 years ago
Mike McDavitt Sanford, ME
My elderly father called when my Mom had fallen. They asked a million questions. My father had to hang up and dial 911 himself. Now my Mom has passed and he has no use for the system. We want to buy out the contract but try to get a straight answer. My Dad spoke to them yesterday and they said 1/2 price $35 a month. Today I was quoted both $49 and $59. they want a pay off figure of $1618.55. Another rep said we could have the trial period pricing for the rest of the contract and they would want $719.40 to buy out the contract. These people prey on the elderly. I have never seen my Father so angry and upset in 89 years. We are going to a lawyer tomorrow. Rather give the money to a lawyer than these scam artists.
7 years ago
