Some Md. Apx customers offered refunds

HAGERSTOWN, Md.--The Maryland Attorney General's office this week sent out forms to 1,267 Western Maryland Apx Alarm customers offering them a refund on their alarm system.

The customers bought their alarm systems last summer from door-to-door Apx salespeople who were licensed in Virginia, but not Maryland.

"There may be people who are perfectly happy with their alarm systems and don't want their money back," said Raquel Guillory, public information officer for the Maryland Attorney General. "The forms were sent out this week and they have 60 days to send the form in and get their money back," she added.

News of unlicensed Apx sales people crossing the border from Virginia into Maryland surfaced last summer. At that time, Alex Dunn, Apx Alarm COO, told Security Systems News that following the complaint in Maryland, Apx implemented a new procedure in its contact management software whereby sales people could not sell systems in zip codes where they are not specifically licensed.

Asked where the complaint about the Apx sales people originated, whether it was from a consumer or another business, Guillory was not sure. "These complaints come in a variety of ways. It could be through a consumer complaint or we could have heard about it a different way." The agreement between the Maryland Attorney General's office and Apx to offer the refunds was reached in January, Guillory said. 

Apx is pleased with the agreement reached with the Maryland Attorney General, said Stuart Dean, Apx media relations. He noted that Apx  did not know that the Virginia salespeople did not have Maryland licenses, and added: "We're confident that the added safeguard [in its contact management software]  will provide a resolution for this going forward."