Verkada Sends Free Trial End Users to Collections
While Verkada sales emphasizes trying Verkada "for free" and "at no cost to you," end users have been surprised by being sent to collections for those "free" cameras.
In this report, based on material obtained via a public records request and two source interviews, IPVM examines the incidents, the company Verkada used to collect these debts, and the potential consumer protection violations for this type of unethical business practice.
Free ******
*** ** *******'* **** ****** ********* messages (******* ******** ********* **** **** *****) ** ****** *** ***** ** **** **** they **** "****"*** "** ** **** ** ***" trials. **** ** ******** *** ************ video ************ *********, *** *** **** free ** ********** ***** ********* *** nothing ***** ** *** ************** ******* does.
*** **** ****** ******** *** ** Verkada's **** ****** ************** ********—**** **** can ******* **********, **** ********* *** analytics, ** ********** ************* ** *******'* own ***** ******* ** ******* ** be ******** ********** **** *** ***** NVRs ** *****.
********, **** ****** ****** *** *********** friction ** ********* ******* ** ****** to ****** ********. ******, ******* ***** proactively ***** **** ******* ** ***** by *** ***** **** **** *******.
Paramus ****** *******
******* ****** ********* *******, **, *** ** ********** of *,*** *-** ******** ** ***** schools. *** ******** ***** ***** **** trial ** ****. ** ***** **, 2022, *** ******** ******** ** ****** form ****** ********* ** ****** ******, Network ************* ** ******* ******* (*** the ******* ******* **** *** ********). The ****** ****** **** * *********** agency *** "********* **** *******" ** collect * **** *** ******* ** $1,996.
Spezio ******** ******
**** ********* *** ****** ****** ********* his ******* **************, ***** ******, ********** that *** ******** ** ***** ***** the **** ******* *** ****** *** help **** *** *********** ******:
Bonham ********
****** *********, ******** ****** **** ** should ** **** ** "****** *** trial" *** **** ** **** ***** to *** *********** ****** "** ***** everything **."
******* *******, ******* *******, *** ***** would ******* *** ******* ****** ** the ****** ********'* ******* ** ****.
Two ***** ******* *******
*** ***** *********** *** **** *******, in ***** *** ********—***** **** ** not *********** ******* ************* **** ** background—confirmed **** ******* **** **** **** trial ******* *** **** **** **** to *********** **** **** *** *** return *** ********* ********.
Verkada: **** **** *****
*******'* ******* ** **** ******** ***** *******'* *** **** *********, ***** ******* ******** "***** ***** at *** **** *********" **** **** will ** ****** *** *** ********:
**** ****** *** * ***** *** for *********** ********* ** ********** *** benefits ** *******’* *****-******* ******** *********.
**** *********** ********* **** ** *** a **** ***** **** *******, **** must ***** **** *** ***** ** our*** **** *********. **** ********* ***** ***** ** the **** ********* **** ** *** customer **** *** ******** ** ****** our **** ***** ********, **** **** will ** ******** *** *********** *** paying *** ***** ** ***** ********:
**** *** **** ********* ** ******* into ** *** ******* ******* ***. and ***, *** *** ******** *** user ** *** ******** (** ******* below), ****** ** ********** **** * purchase ** *** ******** ** *** of *** ******** *** ********** ******** as **** ** * **** *****. Customer ** ***** ** ********** ** purchase *** ********** ******** **** ** a **** ***** *** **** **** be ******** ** ******* *** ******** not ********* ** ******** ********* *** expiration ** *** ***** ******.
******* *** **** **** ** *********** if * ******** **** *** *** an ******* ** * ****** ******. Further, ******* **** *** *** ******** and ******* *** *** **** ******.
******* *** *** ******* ** *** separate ****** ** ****** ** ********* relating ** **** ******.
Violates ******** ********** **********
*** ****-***-****** ****** **** ** *******—***** *** ******** *** ***** ******—** **** ***** *** ***** **** paying *** ********* **** *** *** want ** *********, *** *** *** state ******** ********** ******** ************** ** ***** ******.
** ****, *** *********** $*.* ******* ** **** **** 187,000 ************ ****** ** *** **** ****** and **** **** **** ***** **** be ****** ********. ***** ********* **** fraudulently ****** *** *********** ***** ** expensive ********** ******* ******** ***** ***********.
*** **** *****,*** *** ******** $*.* ******* ** consumers*** **** *** ******* ** ********* "free *****" ****** *** ******** **** as ********* *** ******* ***********, ********* an*** ****** ******* *** *******.
************, ****** ****** ************** ***** *** ******** Affairs******* * "**** *****" ** "** offer ** ********* ** ******* *********** to * ******** *** * ****** of ****without *** ***** ** **********." [emphasis added]
******'* ******** ********** ******** ******* ****** ******** *** a "****" *****:
If *** **** ** *** *** ******** ** **** ** *** **** “****” *****, **’* *** ****** ****. The offer may say you can try a product free — but you have to pay a small fee for shipping costs or something else. You may think those few dollars are no big deal, but after the trial ends, you might see higher charges than expected on your credit card — or charges for products you didn’t want or order.
*** ****** ******* ***** ***** ** pay *** ******** ******* *** **** to *** *******:
**** ***** ****. ** ********** ** companies **** ***** ********* **** *** say *** **** ** *** ** get **. *** *** ** ******* with * *******.
Altus *********** **********
*** ******* ******* *** "*********" **** to ******* ***** *****,***** *********** **********,** * *********-***** **** **** ******** debt ****** *** *******.
*** ******** ***** ********** ****** *** no ********** ** **** ** **** on *****. *** ********* ********** ** Commerce ***** *********** ********* **** ******* ***** (*** ******* is ******** ** *********) ******.
*******, ***** *** * *** ******** review ****** **** *** ****** ******** Bureau:
*** *** ******* *** ** ********** registered **** *** ****** ******** ****** over *** **** ***** *****:
Paramus *******: ** ********
**** ********* ****** *** ******* ******* twice ** ******* ******* *** ******'* account *** ***** ** *********** *** received ** ********.
******* ** **** **********, *** ************, with **** ********. ** ******* *** in *** *******, **** *** *** seed *** ****** **** **** ******, but **** ****** **** ******* ***** having *** ******** ******** *********** ***** the ** **** *** *******.... *** if ******* ********, *********** *******. ** you *** *******, **** *********** ******* involved, ** ****** ******** ******* *** prospect (*** *** ******** ** *** is ********) *** *******. ************, **** if *** *** **** ***** ******* and ******* ** ****** *** ******* solution ****** *** **********, ******* ***** expects ******* ** *** ***** ********* if *** ********.
*** * $**** ********** ****** ** be ****, **** *** *** ** abrupt ******* ** ********** * ****, that **** ***** ** $*** ** was ********* *** * **** **** or **** ******** * *** ** free ******. ****** **** **** *** school *** ****** ** **** *********. And **** *** ** **** ** extended...? ****. **** ****** **** **** repo *****.
*'* **** ** ****** ** **** included *** ******* **** ** *** hardware, ***** **.... ****.
* *********** ****** ****** * *** rating ** *** ***!?!?!?! * ** shocked! ******** ****** *** *** **** and ***** **** *********** ******** ******* they *** ** ****** *** ***********.
"*** *** **** ****** ** ***** day ** *** ** ** *** up *** **** ************. *** **** garnishment *** **** **** **** ******-**** than * ********, *** *'* ***** to ****** **** ** **** ******* is *** ******** *** ******** **'* been ** *****. */* *****, ***** use **** *********** ****** *****."
**** * ****** ** ******* ** 2021, ******* **** ** **** **** $6 ******* ** "********** ******."
***... *******, ** *** *** *****, Don ** *****. ** **** **** discussing **** *** ** *** ********* Verkada *** **** **** ********* *** doing ****.
******** * ******* *** $*,*** *** camera (**** ** ** ***** *******), that ***** ** *,*** *******.
*** *** **** *** **** **** trial ******* ******* ** ******* ***?
**** *** ** * ****** ****** but *** ** ***** ****** **** term.
********* ******* *** **** **** ********* for ***** ****.
* *** ******** *****:*******: "***** ** **********"
* **** ********** ***** *** ** accounting ******* ******** **** **** ******* metrics.
** * ****** ** *** **** because * ***** * ************* ******* being **** ******* **** ****....
*** ***** ****** *** ** **** a "**** ***** ******" **** * "send '** ** ***********" *****-****** ******?
**'* **** ** ******.
* ***** ** ****** ***** *** ratio ** **** ****** **** **** into ****** ***
******* **** ***** * ******** **** my **** ******* ** *******.
**% ** ***** *** ******** * Verkada **** ***** ***** ** ********** something ****** *** *-* **** ******* they ******** ** *** **** ** months.
**% ** ***** *** ******** * Verkada **** ***** ***** ** **********
**** ****** ***** ********** **** ** me
* **** **** ** *** ******** for ** *****. * **** ***** to *** *** **** *** ** fact ** **** ** * ****** from *******'* ************ ** *** *****. I *** ********* *********** ******* **** employment ************* *****. ***** *** *** that ***** *** *** * **** experience *** ****** ** ** **** elsewhere?
* ***** *** ******* ******* *** Verkada. ** *** **** ** ****** then ** *** **.
* **************** * ******* ***** **** ******* to *********** **** * **** *****, despite ******* *** *** **** ********. ChatGPT3 ***** *** *********** * ******* is ****** ** ** ********* ** predatory ******:
*** ***** ***** ******* **** ** that * ******* ****** **, ** Verkada's *********, ******* ******* ********** ** Verkada's ***** *******, ** ** ******* does *** ****** *** ***** ******, they *** ********* *** ******* *** benefits *** ** ** (****** * paperweight ** *****). ******* *** ** know * ** ******* ********* ****, but **** ******* ***** ** ********** strange *** *******.
**** ** *** ** *** *** of *** ***** *** ****** ****** be ***********. *** **** *****'* **** good ** **** *** ** ** monitoring ** ******'* **** ********. ** they **** ******* ** *** ***** the ******** **** ***** ** *** pays ** ** ******** ** ** a ****.
*** ********* ****** **************** **** ** ***** *****:
**** **** * "****** *********" **** shames ****** **** ****** **** **** calls ********** *** **** *** *** some ******* ****** ** ****** *********** tied ** "******" ***** *** **** trial ******* **** ****** *** ** needing ** **** *** ****** ** look **** *** * ******** ********** team.
*******'* ****** *** ******** ** ******* to * ****'* ***** ******** ****** of ******* ********* **'* *** * penny, *** **** ****** **** ***** to ****** ********* ** **** *****. This ***** ********:
*******, **** ** ****** *******'* **** trial, ******* ** * ******** **** out ****** ****** * **** ***** purchase, *** **** **'* ******** ****** value / *** ** **** (******* Verkada's ******* *** *******).
* *** * **** ***** **** Verkada ******* **** ****. ** *** pretty *** *** ***. * ********* the ******* *** **** ***** ****** pane ** ***** *******. **** ** 30 **** **** **, * ****** to ** *** *** *** ******* about ******* ** * ***** ** cameras. **** ****'* ***** ** ****** so * ***** ** *** ******* and **** **** **** ** * didn't *** **** *** ****** **** a ********** ******. *'* **** ** test ***** **** ****** ****** ** some ***** *** ***'* **** *** time ***** ***.
**** ****, * ****'* **** *******, I **** ** ******** *** *** systems ***** ****** ********* **** * single *********** **** *******'* ***** ****. What * ****'* **** *** *** financial ***** **** ***** **** *******. With ******** *** ***, * *** for ******** ** ****** *** * don't **** ** ****** ****** ** cash. ****, ** * ***'* ******** support, ** ***** ***** ** *******.
** ***** ***** ** ****** **** my ******. *****, * ******* ** integrator, **** **** ** * *****, and **** ** *** *** *******, terminating, *** **********. * **** *** throat ** ***** **** ********* *****'* work *****. **** *******, ***** ** always ***** ** ** * ***** party ** **'* **** ** ** all *** ******* *** ************, ***** wouldn't **** **** **** **** *** IT ****** ** ****. *'* **** expect * *** ** ****** ******** if ****** *****'* ******* *****.
*** ******** **** ** **** ***** I *** *** **** *** ****'* buy ******** * ******* ******* ***** from * *** ***** ****** *** it ** **** ** *** ******** out *** **** ***** **** ****** one. ** *** **** * *** never ****** ** *** ******* ******, kind ** *****. **** *** **********, I'll **** **** ****.
** *** **** * ******* ******** them ** **** ******** ** *******, it ** *** *******.
** ********** *** ******* * "**** sample" ** *******'* ****** ****** (********** detects *******, ******, ***). * ****** it **, ****** ** *** *********, and ********* **. *** ******* ****** about ** **** **** ****** ** from ******* ***** * *** * similar *********** ****** ********* ********* *******.. sent *** ****** ****, *** ******* collections ****** * *** ***** *****. had ** **** **** *** *** 3rd ***** ****** ** *** ** cleared. ****. ****'* ***** **** ** start ******* ****** ** *** *** of ** ******* **************..
****. ****'* ***** **** ** ***** writing ****** ** *** ***
****'* *** **** * ***** ***'* understand. ** ** ****** ***** ** for ******* ** ****** **** ** unpleasant *******? ** ******* ****** ***** to *** *** ** ****** **** you * **** ** * *** years **** *** **** **** ******* them **** "**** ***** *** *** guys *** **** ** ** ***********" a **** ******** *** ****?
***. *** ******. *** ***** ***** that *** ****** ***** ***** ** days **** *********** (*****), *** * guess **** *****'* ****** * **** message. ******** ******* ** **** **** the ******** ******* ******** ******* **** was * **** **** ** ****** dumb.