The problem started when Ameritechs installed 10 cameras on my home camera system and did not…read morerecord the passwords or give them to me. I don't know anything about cameras and passwords so I didn't know to ask. When it came time to change the NVR, I was told they don't have the passwords and will charge me $750 to retrieve them from the cameras. I shouldn't have to pay for something they should have provided in the first place.
Chris came over for $50 and examined the cameras, the analog ones that needed to be replaced, and suggested a new NVR. I got an estimate for $3030 to replace 3 cameras and the NVR and reconnect existing cameras to NVR. Without NVR it was $2130. There were no details about specs for the cameras or NVR. That's like sending a customer an invoice for $30,000 for "a car." People generally want a little more detail about what they're getting.
I asked that they first just come out to retrieve the passwords for the 10 cameras, fix camera #7 that stopped working, and fix a screw that their tech stripped when he installed that camera. They said they wanted $750 to retrieve the passwords. They also wanted to charge $129 for someone to come out again and look at the cameras again, when I just paid $50 for Chris to look at them. And I maintain that I should not have to pay for something that they should have provided to begin with.
I asked how many TB was in the Uniview NVR as the estimate didn't specify. The first time I was told it "supported storage" of 16TB to 32TB. Next email said the NVR comes pre-installed with 4TB storage. Next email said the NVR on the estimate does not come with any storage - they planned to reuse the old hard drives from my existing NVR - but no one ever asked me about that. Those drives were at least 5 years old and at end of life. If I wanted new hard drives, it would be an extra charge.
I asked if cameras were 4K (the estimate only says 4MP). Finally, was told they would be 2K at $140 each.
I asked about the warranty for the equipment. They said it's manufacturer warranty, not theirs, but didn't know and never said what it was. Isn't that something that every buyer wants to know? What is the warranty!
Next estimate added $200 to reset the camera #7 that was not working, plus $750 to reset the other 10 cameras so I would have the passwords plus the $3030 for 3 new cameras and NVR - so $4624. And that probably didn't include any hard drive for the NVR as they were going to reuse my old ones.
I got a lot of other confusing emails from Kanani interjecting things we never discussed like suddenly asking me if I wanted a hybrid DVR. I don't need a hybrid DVR. Then Kanani thought I wanted Uniview cameras. I never said that. Every time I asked a question, I got a different answer. Every time, the price got higher or didn't include some component that would be extra.
I had another company come out to try and reset the camera passwords. He said that brand of camera TVT (Shenzhen TVT Digital Technology Co., Ltd) is difficult and takes 45 minutes to reset the password for each camera and get it onto the Avalonix XVR (which is why Ameritechs didn't want to do it either). He said it would be cheaper to replace the cameras with new 8K cameras. So, the 10 cameras that I just paid Ameritechs $4,439 to install in the past two years are now worthless. That doesn't seem like good customer service. I feel I was taken advantage of - I'm a senior citizen now and a woman alone and always a target to be ripped off because I don't know what I don't know.
I think we might end up in small claims court because I really got screwed over. I don't have energy for it but some things you can't let stand.