Monitoring Regulations Query

[GalaxyQuest]

Hi - this is my first post and I’m hoping you guys can help shed some light on an ongoing query I have.

 

I have a Grade 2 Monitored system with a URN that was setup to send a daily test call to the ARC via a digital communicator over my telephone line, the system has been installed and maintained for over 10yrs.

 

It recently came to light that the digi was failing to communicate to the ARC each day (the ARC received the call, however no data transmitted) and therefore the panel was attempting to redial a number of times each day before giving up. 

 

This has resulted in me incurring a very hefty phone bill and baffled the alarm engineers as to what happened, so I have had the digi replaced with a new CSL digi air, to move away from the phone line.

 

The question I have is surely I should have been made aware that my system was failing to make the daily test call?

 

On discussing this with the ARC they have told me that it would be standard practice for the profile at their end to be setup with a schedule so that if the test call was not received by them within the rolling 24hr period then a fault would be raised and flagged back accordingly to me or my alarm company, however my profile was never setup in this way (either not setup properly or never asked to be setup in this way).

 

Before I follow this up further with the ARC and my security company, I just wondered if anybody could offer any guidance on what would be the ordinary protocol for such a system and how it should have been setup. I am thinking that by not setting up the system to ensure the test call was received then technically it hasn’t been compliant with the regs and therefore a fault lies with someone?

 

Any insight would be appreciated so that I can amicably resolve this with the two companies. The main thing is my system is working perfectly with the new digi and I can sleep easy!

 

Thanks in advance.

[norman]

I'd be speaking to the company you have the contract with (you say 2 companies, I guess alarm Co and arc) for a gesture of goodwill towards your phone bill. If your contract is with the alarm company (as usual) then imo they should reimburse you and persue the arc for recompense. 

Edited October 4, 2018 by norman

[GalaxyQuest]

Thanks Norman, the companies are the alarm and then monitoring firm, you are correct.

 

Interestingly the ARC says the alarm company would have needed to ask for it to be setup, where as to me the regulations state that this would be a standard requirement so am not sure who is technically at fault here, if it is indeed the regulation?

 

I have a very good relationship with the alarm company and have no qualms with their service (hence why I’m not using any names), however I want to understand the regs and who technically might be accountable here as I am not interested in mud slinging, but an amicable solution.

 

The phone bill cost me c£600 so it’s not a small amount of money either and will teach me not to look at my direct debits so regularly as I might have spotted the issue myself!

 

[james.wilson]

assuming its a 50131 system and certificated to g2 then it should of been setup for daily test calls. I'm also assuming you pay your monitoring and maintenance to your installer not the arc?

[MrHappy]

Normaly your contract would state the call charges are your responsibility.

 

There is probably a ground fault, star services or adsl on the line which interferes with the digi hearing the acknowledgment of the signal & to stop trying.

 

I'd assume the installer gets a report of sites which have't done a signal in 24hrs or report of sites with excessive signals.

 

You may ask them why they didn't act on the information... In turn they might ask why you run it up to £600.

 

I'd assume the goodwill of you telecoms provider & alarm co. would cover most of your costs

[PeterJames]

1 hour ago, GalaxyQuest said:

 

 

Interestingly the ARC says the alarm company would have needed to ask for it to be setup, where as to me the regulations state that this would be a standard requirement so am not sure who is technically at fault here, if it is indeed the regulation?

 

 

 

I would agree with you on this, I have never had to tell my ARC what to do if they do not receive a daily test signal. The whole point of sending a daily test signal is to ensure that the signalling is working properly. What other possible purpose would it be for, I cannot think of any other "set up" your alarm company could possibly request.

If I were your alarm company I would be very concerned that something that is designed to inform them that something doesnt work, failed to inform anyone. IMO from what you have said, it clearly looks like the ARC is at fault here. 

[al-yeti]

49 minutes ago, MrHappy said:

Normaly your contract would state the call charges are your responsibility.

 

There is probably a ground fault, star services or adsl on the line which interferes with the digi hearing the acknowledgment of the signal & to stop trying.

 

I'd assume the installer gets a report of sites which have't done a signal in 24hrs or report of sites with excessive signals.

 

You may ask them why they didn't act on the information... In turn they might ask why you run it up to £600.

 

I'd assume the goodwill of you telecoms provider & alarm co. would cover most of your costs

Bit silly if they asked y he run bill up, he wouldn't know 

 

Most people don't know about phone charges from what I have seen let alone daily test calls , never explained and in clear big font this is what you will pay on top of your contract 

[PeterJames]

Just one other thing is the ARC using a premium number? £600 seems a very high amount, around 3 calls every 24 hrs, to a national number, even on a quarterly bill as a conservative calculation I come out under £300.00

[james.wilson]

45 minutes ago, PeterJames said:

Just one other thing is the ARC using a premium number? £600 seems a very high amount, around 3 calls every 24 hrs, to a national number, even on a quarterly bill as a conservative calculation I come out under £300.00

runaway cos of changed provider?

this will happen a lot with bt shutting down pstn imo

[PeterJames]

8 minutes ago, james.wilson said:

 

this will happen a lot with bt shutting down pstn imo

But surely when the PSTN is shut down the digi cant make a chargeable call.

 

In the op's instance my money would be on a problem with the receiver and not the phone line, although I admit without the full facts it is difficult to surmise for sure, it could be a dodgy phoneline or a problem with the digi.