Vivint rep accused of verbally abusing pregnant woman outside home

A Conception Bay South man is warning others about the aggressive tactics of a salesperson who has since parted ways with a national security company.

Ken Power told CBC News that his sister was verbally abused by an employee of Vivint Home Security last Friday. 

Power said his pregnant sister was returning from a walk with her 17-month-old son, and found the salesperson waiting on her steps.

She asked what he was doing there, and without identifying himself, the man started aggressively lecturing her about leaving her wallet and keys on the front step.

Power said there was then a verbal altercation between the salesperson and his sister.

"He said something to the effect that she was hormonal because she was pregnant," he said.

"He stated that now he knew where she lived, and he knew nothing about her, so there was nothing really she could do about it."

Power said it's unacceptable that his sister could be harassed like that outside of her own home.

"She was floored by it. She's never seen anything like that before," he said.  

"Especially someone coming to your door and verbally abusing you and trying to make you feel uncomfortable on your own property."

Company apologizes

A spokesperson for Vivint said the company has since apologized to Power, and that the salesperson is no longer employed there.      

Power suspects that Vivint employees are told to use those types of tactics as a sales gimmick, to make people feel like they need a security system.

"There's been [at] least a half dozen reports of the same guy, involved in similar behaviour," he said.

"Not to the extreme of threatening, but being very aggressive and not taking no for an answer."

Company given low rating from consumer protection group

The Better Business Bureau of Canada has given Vivint a D rating, and has listed dozens of negative reviews related to customer service, billing and the product itself.

The agency has logged 283 complaints about the company in the last three years, many concerning "aggressive and misleading sales techniques."

Last summer, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary issued a public advisory about Vivint's door-to-door salespeople being "incredibly aggressive" and "providing false information" to homeowners.

A spokesperson for Vivint says those complaints are the exception, and the vast majority of sales calls go smoothly. For those who have complaints, the company said it will address them directly.