While signing up for a medical alert system is effortless, with many companies eager to take your money, the process can be much less straightforward when canceling a subscription or getting a refund.
Although these services are often vital to a user’s safety and well-being, there are many cases where canceling a medical alert system subscription is necessary. For example, the subscription may be for post-surgery monitoring, which is only required while in recovery, or because of a change in the customer’s financial situation. It could also be due to the user moving to a nursing home or passing on.
Regardless of the reason, canceling a medical alert system should be as simple as subscribing; otherwise, you may feel like you’re being taken advantage of. When choosing a medical alert system, easy access to clear instructions on how to quit the service should be part of your decision-making process.
Before canceling a medical alert system service, a few factors must be considered to guarantee a smooth termination process and avoid unpleasant surprises.
Life Alert is one of the most well-known medical alert system providers in the U.S. and earned a significant reputation in the early 90s. However, despite its popularity, it doesn’t publicly provide guidance about canceling its obligatory 3-year contracts.
Ending a Life Alert contract is only possible by contacting its customer support. To avoid paying a penalty, the user has to either have passed away at their house or been relocated to a hospital or 24-hour nursing facility and requires proof like a death certificate or other documentation.
For any other reason, the company makes customers pay a cancellation fee of up to $200, depending on the package. Life Alert doesn’t provide a free trial, and all contracts are leasing agreements, meaning you always have to return the equipment when canceling, no matter how long you’ve been with them.
Life Alert doesn’t make it easy to leave, so we recommend you do research before signing up, as there are impressive alternatives out there that offer more flexibility.
Bay Alarm Medical is a medical alert system provider with more than half a century of experience and straightforward cancellation instructions readily available on its website. All cancellations should be initiated by contacting Bay Alarm’s customer care support, with the exception being if the user passes away.
In those situations, customers can use an automated process in the company’s mobile app or online dashboard, which requires documentation of proof. Bay Alarm doesn’t have a minimum contract length, and its longest subscription is one year, with additional monthly and quarterly billing options.
While at-home system users must pay shipping fees when handing back the equipment, mobile systems only have to be returned if you cancel within the 30-day free trial. Plus, the company recommends paying for tracking when returning the equipment.
Bay Alarm cancellations may take up to three weeks to be processed, and it offers a refund for unused months of the service. Nevertheless, if you cancel at the beginning of the month, you will be charged, so ensure you get the equipment back in time.
With over ten years of expertise in the medical and security monitoring services industry, Medical Guardian is one of the best. Its cancellation policy can be found in the FAQ section of its website. However, despite providing all the relevant information, the policy itself could be more consumer friendly.
Customers can cancel the service anytime by phone. While purchased devices don’t need to be returned, leased equipment does and incurs a restocking fee of $50. Customers should also ensure they do not lose or damage any equipment, as this can result in a hefty fine of up to $350 – or more if it includes accessories. This is also the cost if you fail to return the equipment within 30 days of requesting a cancellation.
Medical Guardian has a minimum contract length of 90 days, but if you cancel after this period, any remaining prepaid months are fully refunded.
MobileHelp is another excellent medical alert system that has provided comprehensive medical alert systems for over 15 years. It’s possible to cancel MobileHelp’s services anytime by calling the number on its website.
If you have leased the equipment, it must be returned at your expense, and the contract is canceled the day MobileHelp receives it. If you purchased it, the contract is canceled the very same day. Returning damaged or defective equipment due to tampering can incur a fine of up to $650.
Furthermore, depending on the subscribed billing cycle, customers can get a prorated refund for the time that the system wasn’t used. If you want to cancel the service within its 30-day free trial, you get a full refund, no questions asked.
Medical Alert is a solution by Connect America – a leading provider of medical alert systems. While Medical Alert lets customers cancel their subscriptions at any time by email or phone and doesn’t insist on a minimum contract length, there is an unusual lack of online information about the process.
There are only two ways for customers to get a refund with Medical Alert. Either they’ve already started the process of canceling a subscription, but the monthly payment has come out already, or they’re doing it within Medical Alert’s 30-day money-back guarantee period.
Users need to pay for shipping to return all equipment to the company for refunds to be processed. Medical Alert may make it easy to cancel, but its lack of transparency makes it worth exploring other possibilities before signing up to ensure this is right for you.
With so many medical alert systems, it’s to be expected that their cancellation policies differ, but some really do make it complicated. Due to this, we advise anyone looking for a medical alert system to thoroughly research them before committing.
Most services make signing up for a new contract very straightforward, but this shouldn’t be your focus when evaluating options. What’s more important is how the company treats its customers in the event of a cancellation.
While some services offer plenty of resources with transparent and clear indications to understand how cancellations work, others seem to intentionally withhold information or make it so cryptic that people give up. Avoid these types of services and check our medical alert system alternatives to ensure you’re subscribing to the best provider.
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