by Heidi Nestor, Writer and Editor, Life Alert
Life Alert doesn’t want you to get scammed in
the New Year.
As the industry leader in personal
protection, Life Alert takes pride in protecting you and your home,
and the first step in helping you protect yourself is by arming you
with knowledge.
It’s important to know what medical alert system is right for you
and what companies you should avoid.
Known as the “Help! I’ve Fallen and I Can’t
Get Up!” company, Life Alert’s iconic commercials have been the
staple in the medical alert industry for over 28 years and are so
well known that scammers and lesser known companies use the Life
Alert’s honorable reputation to compare or mislead the public.
So the company has released an insightful
Medical Alert Shopper’s Guide
on what to look for when shopping for personal protection so you do
get ripped off in the New Year.
Medical Alert Shopper’s Guide
“Don’t call me, I’ll call you.”
When shopping for a medical alert system -
take the stance of, “Don’t call me, I’ll call you.”
Illegal call centers have created
sophisticated ways in ripping off people by using robo-calling to
let someone know they qualify for a FREE Life Alert.
These are the same kind of scams that offer to lower your
interest rates or claim you won over $3000 dollars in grocery
coupons.
A legitimate medical alert company will not
cold call you or telemarket. So
if you or an elderly loved one gets one of these calls, just hang
up.
“Prove it!”
Almost every medical alert company you
encounter will claim that they are “America’s leading provider of
emergency medical alarm devices” or that they are the “Top Pick for
Consumers.” So how do
you know if this is true?
Have them prove it with reputation, service
and customer satisfaction.
Ask them these simple questions:
-
How
many years has the business been selling medical alert services?
-
How
many customer testimonials do they have published?
-
Do
they have an informative website with contact information?
-
Do
they have an A+ rating with the BBB?
-
Do
they own and operate their own dispatch center?
This question is
perhaps the most important one because the emergency dispatch center is the most pivotal part of the
medical alert process. Many companies outsource their dispatch
centers to a third party to answer the emergency call. This removes
the medical alert company from having control and responsibility.
A company that has their own dispatch center is personally invested
in the safety of their customers.
Moreover, a medical alert company with a dispatch center on
site means they are a strong and secure corporation that didn’t just
pop up over-night only to be gone in the morning.
On the other hand, if a company also services bugler alarms, you
should be aware that those kind of companies have a high rate of
false alarms, and mixing up those type of calls with personal
emergency calls tends to remove the urgency of helping you or your
loved in a real emergency.
“No contract to sign!”
Believe it or not,
this is a red flag.
A contract is your price guarantee and protects you against price
hikes, hidden monthly charges or implementation fees.
A medical alert device is not like a cell
phone where you shop around for the cheapest service.
Your goal is to find the most dependable service that will
save lives – not the cheapest.
More importantly, a medical alert company
that promotes “No Contract” does not have a fiduciary commitment to
help you. If they claim
you can cancel at any time it also means they can cancel
you at any time too.
“We’re less expensive.”
This is another red flag.
With so many medical alert options available now, why spend
more money on the top brand when you can get the same thing cheaper?
Because not all medical alert companies are the same.
There’s a reason why you are looking into
getting extra help and protection either for yourself or a family
member. Would you hire a
top surgeon to perform open heart surgery or a guy on the corner
that says he can do it for less in his basement?
Getting a cheap price on some things like a
household items or clothing can be great.
Getting a cheap price on a service that is meant to save your
life only means there is no guarantee the service will always be
there. Yet ironically, the cost difference between the leading,
known, reputable, brand and the unknown, cheap, guy is only a few
bucks.
Not all medical alert systems are the same,
and type of personal protection you choose could end up being a
matter of life or death.
Beware of sites that claim that an unknown company is “Top Rated” or
“Voted #1”, it simply means those positions were paid for and not
earned.
So if you were to add up all the quality,
service, and protection that is needed in a medical alert product
there is only one company that has it all, Life Alert.
Life Alert owns and operators its own emergency dispatch
center, has many protection packages to suit one’s needs, and has a
reputable history as seen with consumer testimonials.
Don’t buy cheap, buy quality protection -
because someday your life may depend on it.
To know more, Life Alert’s “Ask for a Rep” is
a complimentary service that provides consumers with FREE advice and
comprehensive counseling on understanding personal protection needs.
Call 1-800-380-0768 nationwide for a FREE brochure to be
mailed to you and then “Ask for a Rep.”
The articles on this
Life Alert website are covered by a
Creative Commons License.
You are free to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work; to make derivative works; to make commercial use of the work --
under the following conditions: Attribution --You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor. For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. Please go to the
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For more information about
Life Alert and its many services and benefits for seniors – available in
New York, California, Florida, and other states nationwide -- please visit the following websites:
http://www.lifealert.net
http://www.seniorprotection.com
http://www.lifealertnewyork.com
