Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters)
About us
Central Security Group's products and services are available in California, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and Carolina. Additional DBAs - Central Security Group - Nationwide Inc & CSG-Nationwide, Inc. In OK: Guardian Security Systems, Inc. Social Media site: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Central-Security- Group/273960142707146.
Business highlights
Emergency services offered
52 years of experience
Services we offer
Sales, installation & monitoring alarm systems.
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
2.920 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 30% | ||
| 10% | ||
| 15% | ||
| 10% | ||
| 35% |
Showing 1-20 of 20 reviews
Amir C.
Jan 2017
He was like the quiet professional. he installed our new system, gave advice where to put some of the sensors to give full coverage of windows and doors. He was so polite and worked with us to make sure he didn't leave with out us understanding the system.
Jonathan Z.
Sep 2015
I cannot recommend a company that lies and refuses to honor an obligation. I paid these guys roughly $5000 over the years, and the first time they need to come through for me- nothing. These guys are supposed to protect to protect you from thieves - not participate in the thievery
Rollin D.
Dec 2014
Everything is okay so far.
Jean C.
Jul 2014
Contacted the customer service over 20 times to try and resolve the issue and was given the run around when I was actually able to speak to an actual person. I was in business for over 23 years and have never dealt with this kind of unprofessionalism from a business. DO NOT USE THEM. I signed the contract with Smith Monitoring and they subcontract out to this Central Security Group so be careful before you sign up for any security system monitoring that you check to make sure that they to not contract out to this company!
Response from Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters)
"CSG regrets the experience that [member name removed] had with our company. Smith Monitoring sold and installed her system, CSG purchased the monitoring agreement from Smith and provided the monitoring and repair services to the end user. When a customer signs an agreement they are agreeing to pay for a certain period of time. A large majority of that payment goes towards the alarm system and other equipment that is installed in the home or business....unfortunately, when a bussiness closes and the customer has not met the agreed upon terms of the contract they signed, CSG must collect the balance of the contract in order to break even on the costs of the physical equipment and the monitoring services. While I understand the frustration that this may cause, I hope the customer can understand the reasoning behind the policy. Virtually all alarm companies operate in this same manner, providing free or lower cost equipment and then collecting the investment back over time."
Larry V.
Apr 2014
Have been a customer for over 4+ years. we are moving so called to cancel service and he informed me I still had 8 months left on my contract. I said impossible because have been a customer for over 4 years so I have fulfilled my 2 yr agree
Response from Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters)
"Central Security Group monitoring agreements contain a renewal clause which automatically begins following the initial term. This is an industry standard practice and is actually in place to protect the customer. If a customer's contract were to expire and the customer did not realize it, then customer would be under the incorrect assumption that the home or business was protected from fire or intrusion when in fact it was not. I hope you would agree that pushing a panic button and receiving no response would be a terrible thing for all involved."
Diana E.
Jan 2014
Do NOT sign an agreement with this company. There is no way to cancel the agreement once signed. I decided to cancel my home phone (land line) and since this company cannot even provide the contracted services without my having a land line, I called to cancel my account. CSG would not release me from the agreement (four months left on the contract) and are insisting on collecting a monthly fee for services they cannot render. In addition, I have to make sure to send them a written cancellation at least 30 days prior to contract term's end or they will automatically renew the agreement.
Response from Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters)
"The CSG monitoring agreement clearly states that the end user must supply the means of communication to our monitoring center. Many of our customers are deciding the cancel their land line phones to save money and we offer options for those customers which include VoIP and cellular monitoring. While each of these options come at a cost, the end user still realizes a substantial savings over keeping the land line phone operational. Cancellation of the monitoring agreement is achieved by simply notifying us in writing no less thatn 30 days prior to the end of the initial or any renewal contract term."
Art S.
Nov 2013
AVOID Central Security Group. Three weeks ago our house was broken into when we were not home, while our Central Security Group alarm was armed to “Away”. The thieves were able burglarize our house at their leisure because the motion detector installed by Central Security Group did not work and therefore our alarm did not trigger. We had absolutely no indication that the motion sensor was not functioning (there was no notification on the control panel). We had a technician come to our house the following day (at our demand, against CSG's wishes) to assess our alarm system and he confirmed that the motion detector was inoperable.
Because our alarm system did not operate, we had a substantial loss of property that could potentially have been reduced had the alarm triggered and the burglars were aware that authorities been alerted.
For the past three weeks we have been getting the runaround from Central Security Group – either they don’t return our phone calls at all or they give us the same canned script: “We are not an insurance company. We are not liable. There’s nothing we can do.” We are a good-standing customer of Central Security Group who has not only paid our bill in full, on time for 2 years but has also referred business to them. We understand they aren’t an insurance company and cannot prevent break-ins but the bottom line is that we have wasted an awful lot of money on a service (a working alarm system) that was not provided to us. We may as well have been throwing our monthly payment out with the garbage for the past 2 years.
We will be switching to a new provider as soon as our contract is up, and telling everyone we know to choose another provider ASAP as well.
Because our alarm system did not operate, we had a substantial loss of property that could potentially have been reduced had the alarm triggered and the burglars were aware that authorities been alerted.
For the past three weeks we have been getting the runaround from Central Security Group – either they don’t return our phone calls at all or they give us the same canned script: “We are not an insurance company. We are not liable. There’s nothing we can do.” We are a good-standing customer of Central Security Group who has not only paid our bill in full, on time for 2 years but has also referred business to them. We understand they aren’t an insurance company and cannot prevent break-ins but the bottom line is that we have wasted an awful lot of money on a service (a working alarm system) that was not provided to us. We may as well have been throwing our monthly payment out with the garbage for the past 2 years.
We will be switching to a new provider as soon as our contract is up, and telling everyone we know to choose another provider ASAP as well.
Martha G.
Sep 2013
Glad to have the home security but beyond disappointed by the people hired to take our calls locally. The employees need better training on the product & potential issues customers experience. Sending a customer to the store to buy batteries for constant beeping at 11 pm is not a solution when one is worried about safety.
DEANNA P.
Jun 2013
We were able to cancel, sent timely notice and checks. Agent finally gave up and did not return.
Response from Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters)
"Central Security Group is based in Tulsa, OK and has over 300 corporate employees. We monitor over 200,000 customers across the US, have an A rating with the BBB and have been in business for over 30 years."
DEANNA P.
Jun 2013
who came to our home was a very good sales person, friendly, considerate, and full of lots of information. However, when I searched the WEB to find this company, I was shocked to see the company is located in Tulsa, OK, recently founded and with only
4 people in the corporate office and only $200,000 annual income declared. I never saw the company's name until the paper work appeared. Eddie returned to our home to try to convince us not to cancel our purchase - I cancelled the purchased and put a stop
payment on the 2 checks after speaking with our local ADT cooporate representative. I was lead to believe that the caller and Eddie were ADT employees and they were not. The ADT COOPORATE REPRESENTATIVE suggested that I file a complaint with the police as our personal information such as phone number, name, address were somehow taken from ADT records. The Cooporate ADT Representative mentioned that a former employee had left ADT and perhaps took a listing of ADT local customers.
I should of called ADT before signing any agreement - my error. However, I was told that our system was outdated (True), needed to be updated (not True), that ADT was leaving this area (not True). The equipment would have been from A-PLUS Security, 2 E. Nine Mile road Suite 8, Pensacoa, FL 32534 and the security system from Central Security Group-Nationwide, Inc. Both of these companies were not orally specified but rather just on the written documents.
So, in summary, (1) I was miss lead to thinking I was dealing with ADT Security System and Honeywell equipment
(2) the caller and later representative had our personal information including names, phone number, address, and that we were
ADT customers.
I cancelled the offer, held my 2 checks and we told the representataive to not call or come by again.
4 people in the corporate office and only $200,000 annual income declared. I never saw the company's name until the paper work appeared. Eddie returned to our home to try to convince us not to cancel our purchase - I cancelled the purchased and put a stop
payment on the 2 checks after speaking with our local ADT cooporate representative. I was lead to believe that the caller and Eddie were ADT employees and they were not. The ADT COOPORATE REPRESENTATIVE suggested that I file a complaint with the police as our personal information such as phone number, name, address were somehow taken from ADT records. The Cooporate ADT Representative mentioned that a former employee had left ADT and perhaps took a listing of ADT local customers.
I should of called ADT before signing any agreement - my error. However, I was told that our system was outdated (True), needed to be updated (not True), that ADT was leaving this area (not True). The equipment would have been from A-PLUS Security, 2 E. Nine Mile road Suite 8, Pensacoa, FL 32534 and the security system from Central Security Group-Nationwide, Inc. Both of these companies were not orally specified but rather just on the written documents.
So, in summary, (1) I was miss lead to thinking I was dealing with ADT Security System and Honeywell equipment
(2) the caller and later representative had our personal information including names, phone number, address, and that we were
ADT customers.
I cancelled the offer, held my 2 checks and we told the representataive to not call or come by again.
Fran N.
Jun 2013
My mom was no longer to stay by herself any longer. My husband and I moved into her house and took responsibility for her bills. We changed our phone service on 5-22-2013 to Verizon, today 6-15-2013 we got a beep on the security pad and I called, the lady was nice and helpful, but she said mom is not on a phone service they are on. She signed a contract, which she doesn't remember what all the man said and mom lives in a community that has no soliciting and they were going door to door. Mom did this while we didn't live with her and I was still working full time. They said she was still on contract until 2-2014 and still has to pay 45.00 a month . I called back 2 more times and they couldn't do anything to help.
Response from Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters)
"The system was re-wired shortly after this review was created. System is working on VoIP phone system and customer remains with CSG."
Denese T.
May 2013
Before EVER signing with these people ASK OVER AND OVER how long your contract is because if you don't you will be very surprised if you don't read the fine print!!!. I remember very well the very pushy salesman telling us that it was a 24 month contract, well imagine my surprise when I call today (at 32 months post signing with them) that it is in fact, 36 months and the only way to cancel is to pay off the remaining balance of the contract. I would never recommend this company. I already had a system installed, just not a security company monitoring it and only needed that done. I usually never buy services from anyone that goes door to door, but we needed security monitoring and he showed up and it saved us the hassle of checking around (BIG MISTAKE ON MY PART). I would go with someone local that has a good reputation. I'm sending them the $140.45 to finish off my contract just to get away from them and be done.
MIchael B.
May 2013
It was a horrible experience. Absolutely worst experience I have ever had with a company, ever. From contacting them for technical support, to having people physically come out, it has just been awful. They condescend you on the phone when you call for support. The techs that come out are incompetent, and refuse to listen to what I have to say, and interrupt me constantly. They did everything short of calling me a liar. With over $100 in fines from San Antonio for false alarms, I am definitely not a liar. I have contacted my previous security company, and the second my contract is up, I will gladly leave them and go anywhere else.
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE !!!
So after giving Central Security Group 6 months notice that I would be canceling my account with them on November 2 I found through my bank that they had charged me for another month. The bank cancelled the payment to them. That's when the next round of fun began. I started getting bills from them for an extra month. I called them and told them that I wasn't paying another dime. Didn't phase them at all and I started getting bills with late fees added to them. After calling them again they informed me that I had agreed to pay for an extra month. What?!? I agreed to give these incompetents MORE money? Not a chance. We went round and round on the phone and also through certified letters and I let them know in no uncertain terms that I wasn't paying them ANYTHING and that all future correspondence would be through my attorney. I wasn't bluffing. I would have spent whatever it would take to NOT give these idiots another penny. After about a week I received a phone call from a customer service rep that they had decided to drop the demand for more money. As of late August 2014 I haven't heard from them again.
This is the worst company that I have ever dealt with. You seriously need to reconsider before you sign anything with them.
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE !!!
So after giving Central Security Group 6 months notice that I would be canceling my account with them on November 2 I found through my bank that they had charged me for another month. The bank cancelled the payment to them. That's when the next round of fun began. I started getting bills from them for an extra month. I called them and told them that I wasn't paying another dime. Didn't phase them at all and I started getting bills with late fees added to them. After calling them again they informed me that I had agreed to pay for an extra month. What?!? I agreed to give these incompetents MORE money? Not a chance. We went round and round on the phone and also through certified letters and I let them know in no uncertain terms that I wasn't paying them ANYTHING and that all future correspondence would be through my attorney. I wasn't bluffing. I would have spent whatever it would take to NOT give these idiots another penny. After about a week I received a phone call from a customer service rep that they had decided to drop the demand for more money. As of late August 2014 I haven't heard from them again.
This is the worst company that I have ever dealt with. You seriously need to reconsider before you sign anything with them.
Response from Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters)
"Since this review was first written, CSG has opened a branch location in San Antonio. Customers in that area will now be serviced by CSG employees. We regret the difficulty the customer had in cancelling his service and an investigation will be made to ensure this will not happen to others in the future."
Derek M.
May 2013
The salesman was excellent in explaining everything to me . He met my needs and gave me the system for free . I called lots of companies and they all have long contacts but I felt very comfortable knowing I was getting local monitoring by a nationwide company . Though the company was a Guardian dealer their name was AllTech they did a great job .
Jonathan B.
Apr 2013
unknown
Suzanne C.
Mar 2013
See above.
Paul T.
Nov 2012
Not good.
Alvin T.
Jun 2012
I would give them an A overall.
Alison G.
Apr 2012
Two times I have contacted central and received terrible customer service. I even had one woman get angry at me because I informed her i have never received a bill, just deductions from my account. All I wanted was an explanation of charges. I had also recently discovered, the installer never tested my system to make sure it contacted them in an emergency. When I did a system test...no response, i called them and wanted to know if they received a message from my system, they said no. For over a month I thought I was connected to them for my security, not in this case. I asked when they could hook it up properly since they did not. They said it would be over a week and I would be charged $90.00 for them to come out and correct it. My wife wants me to buy out of the contract and switch to ADT where the customer service is better.
Loretta M.
Apr 2012
I'm not real pleased with him. I really haven't called their customer service but I just don't like the theory that the alarm is connected to my telephone service and if somebody had to call me then I don't have the security service. So I'm thinking about changing to a company that doesn't access their security through a telephone line. They just came and installed, that's it and when the alarm goes up, they don't always call but they are suppose to call me and then they are suppose to call the police if I don't answer. I had an incidence where three o'clock in the morning my alarm went off and I didn't get a call from them and I'm sitting in my house at three o'clock in the morning wondering if somebody is in the other part of the house. In fact, what happened was that somebody had hit in their car to the telephone pole outside and the line went down and they didn't receive the message that my alarm was going off. So I called the police myself and they were very upset because they wanted to know, why I called them. I would not use them again in the future.
Jo L.
Jan 2012
See above. I am very pleased.
Last week due to some disturbances in the neighborhood, we have finally started arming the system. I am new to this so I called the call center and Antoine patiently (and repeatedly) walked me through several processes in arming, disarming, and other setting variations until he and I were sure I was confient to use the system. UPDATE MAY 2013 We added a room (Oct 2012) and decided to arm due to several home invasions in area. The alarm system has not functioned correctly since. MULTIPLE technicians and days off work, etc etc etc and to date still not fixed. I called corporate today and after requesting a supervisor and pretty much throwing a fit got them to agree to replace the motherboard. Also supervisor gave me 3 month credit. Apparently even when you pay your bills, if system NOT working (and we are under warranty) they WILL NOT AGREE TO RELEASE YOU FROM CONTRACT. We shall see if they do right and get system working. I will update either way. JUNE 2013 technician came and rewired several elements of system that were done incorrectly. Changed location of some wires saying "stray voltage" was likely setting system off at random times. We shall see if this helps and I will update later. Motherboard NOT replaced. JULY 2013 So far security system working well. This is good due to ongoing home invasion problems in our far north Dallas area. Fingers crossed but seems system problems are fixed. Thanks CSS for sending your best guy Brandon!!!!!!!( which was at my request)
Last week due to some disturbances in the neighborhood, we have finally started arming the system. I am new to this so I called the call center and Antoine patiently (and repeatedly) walked me through several processes in arming, disarming, and other setting variations until he and I were sure I was confient to use the system. UPDATE MAY 2013 We added a room (Oct 2012) and decided to arm due to several home invasions in area. The alarm system has not functioned correctly since. MULTIPLE technicians and days off work, etc etc etc and to date still not fixed. I called corporate today and after requesting a supervisor and pretty much throwing a fit got them to agree to replace the motherboard. Also supervisor gave me 3 month credit. Apparently even when you pay your bills, if system NOT working (and we are under warranty) they WILL NOT AGREE TO RELEASE YOU FROM CONTRACT. We shall see if they do right and get system working. I will update either way. JUNE 2013 technician came and rewired several elements of system that were done incorrectly. Changed location of some wires saying "stray voltage" was likely setting system off at random times. We shall see if this helps and I will update later. Motherboard NOT replaced. JULY 2013 So far security system working well. This is good due to ongoing home invasion problems in our far north Dallas area. Fingers crossed but seems system problems are fixed. Thanks CSS for sending your best guy Brandon!!!!!!!( which was at my request)
JUSTIN W.
Dec 2011
Central Security Group appears to be a reputable company who uses an extremely disreputable dealer in San Antonio. A monitoring contract for CSG was sold to me with alarm system monitoring by CSG by a company Digital Security Enterprises (DSE) - Mr James Lara. CSG's services were not misrepresented, but the "free installation" certainly was. The system never worked, despite a technician coming to my home on five separate occasions. Finally, after becoming fed up, I requested that my contract be cancelled, and CSG did so without penalty. Regardless, the dealer was extremely disreputable, and I have filed a separate report on DSE's behavior and actions. I asked to speak with the dealer rep in San Antonio from CSG, and was promised a call back, but none ever came. With many better options out there - I would steer clear of this company, and completely avoid their agent in San Antonio - DSE.
Response from Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters)
"Since this review was posted, CSG has added a branch location for sales and service in San Antonio. We regret the experience the customer had with the dealer in that area and we will be discussing the matter with him asap."
Carol K.
Oct 2011
The security system and equipment have worked very well for us for many years. They are professional and responsive. Anytime we ever have a problem, they are quick to get back to us. When we have had problems with our phone which is through our cable service, they have worked hard dot make sure that we are protected.
Response from Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters)
"Thanks for your many years of being our customer. We pride ourselves on the fastest alarm response in the industry and are glad that you appreciate the service we provide."
Jason L.
Sep 2010
See above.
Response from Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters)
"We regret the customer's experience however CSG does not 'door knock'. CSG sales reps will always set appointments, have proper ID and will be on time to discuss your needs. There are many high pressure tactic operators in the business....if you encounter one representing himself as a CSG employee, please notify us immeduiately."
Homeowner
May 2004
LAKE MARTIN WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL. HE SOLD ME THE SYSTEM AND OVERSAW THE INSTALLATION. EVERYTHING WAS DONE EXPERTLY AND ON TIME.
Licensing
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FAQ
Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters) is currently rated 2.9 overall out of 5.
Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters) accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
No, Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters) does not offer free project estimates.
No, Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters) does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters) does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters) offers emergency services.
No, Central Security Group - Nationwide (Headquarters) does not offer warranties.