Understanding Hidden Fees in Your ADT Bill

Did you receive your monthly bill from ADT and suddenly notice hidden charges?

Maybe your last few months leave bills have had higher than normal charges and now you want to know what they are and what you can do legally if you are charged when you shouldn’t be. We go over the options you have. 

It’s important that you look over your ADT bill every month. With a subscription like ADT, you should be charged a flat, base rate every month depending on the contract you have. This should not be an amount that surprises you. However, reviewing your bill every month will help you catch hidden fees that shouldn’t be there and get compensation where it is deserved. 

Extra fees, taxes, and surcharges

There are many extra fees that usually get lumped together for every monthly bill and these include taxes and surcharges which vary based on where you live. Fees and taxes are the most common hidden fees in your ADT bill. Every month there are mandatory taxes and fees based on federal law, the state in which you live, and any local ordinance. The amount will depend on your service location. 

Hidden ADT Fees

Hidden fees in your ADT bill will show up every month so it’s important to review your statement regularly and look for errors. 

Your bill will show:

• Your previous balance, if any
• Payments and adjustments made to your account
• Current charges for your service
• Taxes and fees
• The total amount due

Billing cycle issues

Billing cycle issues can result in what looks like hidden ADT fees. For example: if you write a check at the time your system is installed for the first month of service, by the time the bill gets to you that check amount might not yet have been processed. In this case, you might see an amount due. You still have to pay that amount due (effectively paying twice in one month) but once the check is processed, then the second amount you paid gets applied toward your next bill. By the time you get your second bill it should reflect no amount owed. 

What other details do I need to consider when looking for hidden fees in my ADT bill?

When you look at your bill, remember that the biggest cause of hidden charges are billing cycle issues. There are plenty of times where you might incur a service fee for a breakin or an additional service visit to your home which took place last month, but did not get billed until the current billing cycle which means your next statement will be higher than expected. Be on the lookout for any and all services you use with ADT and check one-time issues off your list once they have been billed. This will help you predict when there is still an outstanding line item coming your way. 

What can I do if I was incorrectly charged a fee?

If ADT incorrectly charges you a service fee or any other fee, try to get them to fix it by contacting ADT customer service. If that doesn’t work, you still have two options you can pursue to get the compensation you deserve:

1. You can take ADT to small claims court, but there are limits to how much you can get in compensation and what cases qualify.
2. You can also use a faster and easier option: consumer arbitration. With consumer arbitration you have more flexibility, can usually get a faster resolution, and what’s more, we can help.

Ready to start? FairShake can help.