A home security system can be a good investment, offering homeowners peace of mind. But that wasn’t what Martha Bizzell and her husband received when a sales representative rung their Wilson doorbell Aug. 28.

“The guy was smooth talking ... I mean, really smooth talking. It was scary he was so smooth,” Bizzell said. “I have never met someone who was so believable and relaxed.”

The unidentified salesman from APX Alarm Security Solutions allegedly told the couple he would not only offer a free security system with free installation, but he would buy out their current contract with ADT Security Services.

“I just didn’t have a good feeling, so I was googling the company while he was talking,” she said. “They are a legitimate company, but what he was offering was not. Unfortunately, I didn’t find that out until after we signed the contract.”

She said they figured they would be able to check into the situation more before the installation since it was 8:30 on a Saturday night, but the salesman offered to install the system that night.

Once you agree, thinking maybe you can thoroughly investigate this before they install, surprisingly, an installer just happens to be nearby and is willing to install it (that night),” she said. “They even tried to take away our ADT system, but I said not to, and I am glad I did.”

She continued to have an ill feeling about the situation and eventually did an Internet search to see if it was a scam, and she found pages of complaints about the company and their sales methods.

The Better Business Bureau gave the company a C- grade, citing several actions against the business by governments around the country.

Bizzell contacted APX to discuss her situation and said she was told by company representatives that their salesmen could not buy out existing contracts, and she would be responsible for paying for both contracts.

She began the cancellation process, which took more than an hour as representatives reportedly tried to talk her out of canceling.

“Thank the Lord I fell in their three-day cancellation period, because if we didn’t, we’d be responsible for both contracts,” she said.

Representatives from the company obtained permits to solicit door-to-door alarm sales in Rocky Mount, but the police department has not investigated any local complaints.

“I think when you are lied to like we were, that is a scam,” she said. “It is just not right.”

APX director of corporate communication Stuart Dean said he was unaware of the situation.

“We are going to reach out to the customer and honor any agreements she thinks were made,” he said. “(Contract buyouts) are contrary to company policy. We will be doing our own investigation into the matter and discipline any sales representative that is engaged in that practice.”

Bizzell said she hopes others learn from her experience.

“It is true that hindsight is 20/20,” she said. “I just want to warn others.”

According to a representative of the N.C. Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, they have received 19 complaints in the past few years, many pertaining to problems canceling contracts.

To report a scam or fraud, call 1-877-5-no-scam or file a complaint form at www.ncdoj.gov.