Spectrum Cable is getting out of the home security business, leaving thousands of customers scrambling this month to find a new home monitoring company.
But that's just part of the problem, as one unhappy customer found out.
Steve Rotinghouse has a house filled with Spectrum Security equipment.
“Uh, this is the door sensor,” he says.
It all works seamlessly with a smart phone and tablet app.
“I can control the thermostat to raise and lower temperature,” he says.
Only problem? As of mid-February, he can't use it anymore!
Rotinghouse, along with thousands of other customers nationwide, received this letter explaining that Spectrum is getting out of the home security business that they inherited from Time Warner Cable.
Only problem: he has spent hundreds of dollars adding sensors and cameras.
He spent almost $900 on equipment, including cameras, motion sensors, door sensors and window sensors.
The problem Rotinghouse says is that once the service is discontinued, he'll no longer be able to access his cameras or his door chimes from his tablet or his phone.
Spectrum confirms to us their equipment will not work with any other home security company.
And spectrum is not offering refunds.
“I called and asked,” Rotinghouse said. “I said can I get a credit toward my phone bill or cable bill I still have with you? And they said no.”
However, a Spectrum spokesman tells us the company is offering existing subscribers a special deal from Ring Home Security, including $200 of free Ring equipment.
But Rotinghouse says that is a fraction of the setup he has here in his house.
Equipment that in a few weeks will become useless.
Spectrum is also offering a discount plan from Abode Home Security.
So you may want to deal with Ring or Abode if you want any chance of a good deal with some free equipment.
That way you don’t waste your money.
