DO NOT COME TO THIS ESTABLISHMENT! -- I am highly dissatisfied with the customer service and lack of professionalism by an employee PERRY. To begin with, I was misinformed of their return and refund policy. I was told by another employee that you could return any item within thirty days. I visited the store early in the month and called to inquire about my return. I only opened one product I purchased and could not even figure out how to use it ..the other item was brand new not opened at all. On multiple phone calls Perry claimed there were no refunds or returns at all. I immediately went to their company website and saw otherwise. It stated that you indeed could return within a 15 day window. My return/refund was within those days. He then asked me to come into the store to speak with him regarding this matter- I drove all the way just for his co workers to tell me he had just left. Perry was condescending and ignorant on our phone calls. He huffed when I asked why couldn't at least get a refund on the unopened item that was 100$. His words were - 100 dollars is a lot of money to you? As he huffed mockingly and condescendingly when I mentioned the reason for my return- a teacher who made little pay on top of managing other unexpected life events. Perry needs a customer service 101 course . I will never step foot in that store and will continue to tell everyone never to do the same. Honestly disgusted by their lack of professionalism. I can only imagine how many other customers he has done this to. read more

Their techs stole my tools when servicing my camera system. The service call was to repair 1 camera and help me unlock my NVR so I can access the content. The tech took 9 hours to run 1 80' line and get 1 camera repaired. Then at the end of the day, it was almost 8p on Friday night. The job took so long he didn't have time to help me with the NVR portion of the service call. However, he did manage to steal my Milwaukee Drill set with 2 drills, a set of bits, and a staple gun. This set was brand new, and I only used it on 1 job. When I called to discuss the issue with them. The tech that serviced my location originally answered the phone. He admitted to accidentally taking my drill set. He stated that his set is also Milwaukee and that it was an honest mistake. He also told me that he would drop off the item the next day. 2 weeks go by, and I contact the office again. And this time someone else answers the phone. He states that this is not possible and that we did not lose the drill in that fashion. I asked for him to check on it, and he told me that he would let me know. That was over a month ago now. This criminal outfit made a point to not repair my system so I can review the camera footage. This is so they can conceal the fact that they stole my tools. Moral of the story here is: Don't let a thief onto your property. read more

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I'm updating my review because the x owner refuses to take accountability. Attached is the same experience from almost 3 years ago (attached) with this company's poor customer service. The owner makes up lies about a misunderstanding. I DID NOT ASK FOR A WALL CLOCK. I would hope that this store has video footage inside their store, which would show the poor customer service which was addressed before I left the store. The U-Spy rep gave me a blank stare when expressing my concerns. Details on my initial encounter I walk into the store asking for a monitoring device to keep an eye on my teenage daughter, who's been getting into quite a bit of trouble recently. Me: Do you have anything that can help? U-Spy rep: No Me: Ok, what about clocks? (Seen online) U-Spy: we stop selling those. I began to look around the store, and in the case beneath the U-Spy rep, is a CLOCK. Me: what about this one? U-Spy rep: Oh, you need wifi and an electrical outlet. So it appears he wasn't interested in helping. Nothing about myself appears to give the impression that I don't have Wi-Fi or Electricity. I then ask him about his impression that he doesn't want to assist me. He states: U-Spy rep: That's weird, I never heard anyone asking about spying on their daughter. Me: Would you prefer my child to come up missing or me on the news crying because something has happened. I tell the rep about his poor customer service, and he said, "Is there anything else I can help you with?" Me: No but I want you to know about your poor customer service for the next person. U-Spy rep: Gives me the receipt to sign and doesn't explain any company policies or concerns. I stand by my initial review. From the review almost 3 years ago, it makes sense that he hires young college kids who still have that teenage air about themselves and no customer service experience, accountability, or training. So to the store owner: Continue to make excuses for them without addressing the issue, your business will continue to suffer. read more

U-Spy Store - Security Systems Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Shaddy experience. The costs for installing cameras is ridiculous, and the service is horrible. After they installed the cameras/DVR it was nearly impossible to reach someone for assistance. I felt like I was bothering them. You can do better with another vendor. read more

I purchased a Key Fob with built in camera. When I got it home, it did not work. The store had no way of knowing it was defective because it was new in the box and needed to be charged. The following day I went back to the store and the tech tried and tired to get it to work to no avail. He must have spend a half hour, it did work one time, but subsequent efforts failed. but not for lack of him trying. He could have just taken the unit back but he wanted to make sure I had a good experience as I told him I traveled quite a ways. He offered to get me another unit, But declined as I was not sure of the quality of the unit. He did offer me a better unit, albeit a different style. He took the time to explain how it worked, and said that if I had any issues to just call them and they would try to help me out. The unit work flawlessly. I just want every know of my very positive experience from Fil, the tech. They can count on me when I need additional products. read more

Customer service and technical service is fantastic. It is so rare to find qualified experienced technicians that actually take pride in their work. Joe did a service call for me today. He arrived on time, explained everything, very efficient and thorough, cleaned up(in a city alley)and was very kind. He has worked for U Spy for 10 years, his experience and knowledge is top notch.Thank you Joe! If you want the best- use U Spy for equipment, service and expertise. Well done.. read more

Very friendly service The staff is great and the store is the best place in the city of Chicago and I hope to visit the store again soon.

FIRST I am not a "BOT or a competitor" of any kind, this is all based on my experience with my mother, whose name is on the account, so you wouldn't be able to find out the information under my name. I tried to submit my review and Mr. Perry, the store owner, accused me of being a BOT and a competitor writing a bad review rather than addressing their poor business practices. I'd like to state that I DO NOT recommend doing business with the U-Spy Stores (There are two locations; Chicago and Morton Grove). The stores' customer service is POOR, which unfortunately also did not serve my mother well, she hears and understands English well, but struggles with communicating herself in English. She spent over $5,000 with the company. In addition to the company staff, Perry also lacks customer service skills and hires what seems to be young college students who barely have any knowledge of the products and therefore cannot provide much assistance to customers when in need. From the moment they came and installed the cameras, they did not set up the cameras correctly, leaving one opened (CCTV camera) and did not give my mother any guide books of any information or how to even install the app to watch the cameras from her phone. It's the stores' responsibility as a business to provide the customer with the appropriate resources to understand, manage, and maintain a business's product. That is YOUR job as a business to your customer to make sure they have what they need and know what they need for the product. Additionally, they gave my mom a refurbished (when it was purchased as "New") NVR (recording box) it was dented and old (which other reviews also highlight this issue) and when my mom tried to contact them, whoever had answered was rude and upset my mom because she felt she was taken advantage of, they told her they couldn't help her and hung up. I was out of town when my mom had the cameras installed, so unfortunately I couldn't be there to help communicate, coordinate, understand the system, ask the appropriate questions when the item was purchased or installed, etc. When I came to the Chicago location with my mother and explained to them the situation and that we wanted an apology, Perry was sarcastic and blamed the dented NVR box on us even though it had JUST been installed and he stated that they do not give their customers any guidelines/manuals on how to use the cameras/app and he was not helpful and wanted to charge us for ANY assistance with the cameras and software, it should have been included because of how expensive they are. That is one thing they did NOT state to my mom from the beginning, she thought she would receive a manual when having her $5,000 cameras installed. Perry said No, they make their money based on repairing any technical issues. If this is their profit barer, then why are the cameras so expensive and don't come with any manuals for a customer to understand this product they are buying, nor any included maintenance visits, or anything? Additionally, they did not advise my mom that the expensive cameras did not come with audio. She had to pay an additional amount to get that installed PER camera out of four. Perry proceeded to say that it's not legal for audio to be included with the cameras. But the fact is that they NEED to advise their customers what is and isn't included when selling cameras, which again should be in manuals or info pamphlets with every product. They did not include the manual book or audio. They wanted to charge my mom to help her view her cameras via her phone. When I called both locations, they both gave me two different prices to help me install the app on my moms' phone and they told me that they needed to change the WiFi information, which would be ANOTHER 'hidden' fee. Charging another $100-200 for something that SHOULD have been provided in the manual book that SHOULD have been provided with the systems (at no cost). I spoke to Perry on the phone and explained to him the situation hoping for some empathy and solutions. I proceeded to come into the store and bring the NVR box and he ran a diagnostics test on the box and told me that it was an issue with my WiFi. I had to play phone tag with Perry and eventually, he helped me remotely from my computer with the WiFi settings. I told him that with the emotional distress and unexpected financial position these extra fees had further burdened us if he would exchange the WiFi update for not giving us a new NVR box. U-Spy Store-Chicago provided bad customer service since day one. They take no responsibility and only see customers as a transaction number, neglecting to inform customers of additional fees that accompany the product as part of their maintenance/upkeep requirements. I wish I could have helped my mom from losing over five-grand with this store. read more

My husband and I were planning to buy security cameras for a new property we recently purchased. We've had problems with gang graffiti and thought that it might be a deterrent. Also, I recently bought (on-line) a cheap $20 voice recorder. I couldn't get it to work. I didn't know if it was defective or I wasn't working it properly. I'm a senior and have trouble with technology. I thought that since I was going to the Spy store anyway, I would ask them to take a look at my voice recorder. The guy behind the counter was very rude. I told him it would only take a minute or two to find out if it was broken or if I was doing it wrong. He said it would be $40 to look at it. Needless to say, he lost me at that moment and we took our security needs elsewhere. Not very good PR. read more

I would have given them 4 stars before they changed around their store, now it is 3 for their new design. This place used to be awesome. Fun little spy gadgets, cameras, stained undies with a hidden pocket! Cool! Now it is more like a security store. Its just basically cameras for the house or store or what not. There isnt many fun things here anymore and on top of it this place has always been very overpriced. Customer service is very nice though. read more

This store did nothing to curb my fear that I am constantly being watched. Apparently it is now possible to put a camera into anything, including a lighter and a set of fake car keys -- watch out! I will probably never sleep again. The atmosphere is slightly sketchy, which I suppose is to be expected. Want to test your girlfriend's underwear for semen? They've got a kit for that! Lots of the products here seem to be only a hair away from being illegal; the salesman explained that none of the badges they sell actually say "Police," so they don't fall under that pesky "Hey, you can't impersonate an officer" law. Ok, you got me there. But what else are people buying these badges for? (besides sexy time, which is okay with me.) I hope I never get to the point where I feel like it's a great idea to bug my own house, but if I do, you can be sure I'll go here first. read more

I bought several multicamera/digital video recording systems from the U Spy Store and have been very happy with all of them. Their professional and friendly installers did a great job. And the price was right too. Any time I have a security issue in the future, I'll go to U Spy for sure! IM Chicago read more

Perry your response was professional so I went from1 to 3 stars..however in accurate.. I may have been wrong about the conpetitors name because I bought the 500 foot roll after I visited your store and posted the review... You are down the street from me.. I actually only Paid 70$ for the same box of 500 ft 95 percent braid the same box your clerk showed me ( box says model w-95s).... Just letting you know there sellingit cheaper.... read more

U-Spy Store - Security Systems Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

After speaking to the owner Perry, who was very nice and professional and definitely more interested in finding a solution to the issues then the employee I previously spoke to, I'm satisfied with the resolutions. I am still happy with the equipment I have, not so much about a yearly cost I wasn't aware of at installation, but I've learned a new valuable lesson. Make sure that every item on any proposal is explained to you in detail, you ask about any reoccurring costs, and any unavoidable fees associated with the service that may show up later that are not mentioned on the proposal. read more

I work in property management and recently was in need of major help getting my security system back up and running. I call these guys and not only were they fast but extremely knowledgeable. They solved my problem and left me happy. I notice a problem with a CPU powering on and off at another location about a week later so I thought I would give U-Spy a try again and once again they knocked it out of the park. James went above and beyond to not only make sure everything was working but also break down what caused the problem and the most economical way to fix it. And did it all in about an hour. I will be a customer until one of us drops dead. Thanks again guys. Kevin Briarwood read more

Yes, they carry cloak-and-dagger accouterments such as telephone voice changers, a tie with a camera hidden in it, semen detection kits and telephone tap deactivators. But the bulk of their business is security systems. They have an assortment of DVRs, entire systems and cameras. They are knowledgeable and the pricing is reasonable. You can install it yourself or they will do it for you (charge is $60 per hour). They now have systems that you can hook up to your internet and monitor away from home and you don't need a static IP address. read more

I went in here the other day looking for some kind of camera or alarm to monitor my apartment access when I'm not home. I think I have a nosy landlord and I want to send him a message. If you are looking for surveillance and have some money to spend, this is your place. They have all kinds of really awesome gadgets and cameras. They have a few low priced items like door alarms and this really nifty "phone" that calls you when someone has entered your place and you can listen to them while they are in there. They also have pepper spray. Ultimately I am going to go with door alarms that I found on another website but if my problem continues, I will be back. read more

GREAT store! Everyone in there was so helpful. Found some great information on security system for our business. Excellent customer service and really helpful. I will definitely be back. read more

Solid service. Great product. Competitive prices. Owner is pleasant.

Very interesting store. They have everything from nanny cameras to lock picks. The staff is very friendly and I highly recommend anyone to go check the store out. read more

We had security cameras installed by USpy and are extremely happy with their work. They were professional, courteous, and informative, explaining what they were doing and why with every step. They were very cost effective (we had two other companies quote the same job and USpy offered and delivered the best product at the best price) yet we have a high end DVR/web security system installed that I can even view on my smartphone- FANTASTIC!!!!! read more

This review is for a security camera surveillance system which U-Spy installed for my business. As a Chicago business owner with 2 stores that have been in business for 10 years, this is the first negative review I have ever posted on the internet. As a small local business owner, I know things can happen and so can mistakes. The most important part is how a company deals with and rectifies an unhappy customer experience. I chose U-Spy store to install a HD surveillance system for one of my shops, about 8 months ago. They were NOT the most affordable by any means, I spent over one thousand more with them than the other estimates I received. However, I chose U-Spy because they are a small and local business, rather than hiring a large corporate commercial security service. 2-3 months after install, 1 camera stopped working (the most important camera by the cash register) and shortly after, none worked anymore (I had 4 HD cameras installed). I had already called about camera footage issues (freezing images) and was told that was my internet speeds fault. So, I called again about the cameras not working and was told on the phone this was under my warranty and they'd come fix it. (I paid for brand new cameras, brand new everything: for things to begin having problems within 2 months of purchase is already a red flag) They came the next day, fixed everything but the register camera, and left. They called me to tell me they were coming back to fix the register camera. 1 week goes by and the register camera still isn't working..so I call again. Almost 3 weeks later the register camera is finally working again (took almost 1 month to fix the register camera and I had to remind them about it still not working- red flag #2) and I receive a bill in the mail for hundreds of dollars. I figured this was a mistake until I got a call a week later from the accounting department of a third party company who works with U-Spy, asking why I hadn't paid my bill. I immedietly called the U-Spy store and after many, many, rude employees, the owner calls me back. He apologizes deeply about the bill, says it was a mistake and that it would be taken care of, that I was indeed under warranty. I expressed to him everything that had happened and why I have been very frustrated: he understood and apologized. Fine. (red flag #3- billing problem) 3 months later- I call to request the link for the security system app to download for a new phone. Instead, I'm told my cameras have been shut off for 2 months for a bill that was never paid. No one bothered to let me know they were cutting off the service by an email or phone call. I have autopay set up to pay the monthly cost of the services, so I was very confused. The VERY rude employee told me he'd have someone call me back (I'm left to wonder if there is any customer service training in this company- but after I spoke to the owner for the 2nd time, I realized quickly where that problem stems from). How the owner treated me on the phone next, is really why I'm taking the time and energy to post this review: The owner called me back and (very long story short) told me he forgot to put the bill mistake in my "company notes" when we had spoken 3 months ago and that indeed no one called me to let me know about the cut-off by mistake. He then said my account was active and that the employee gave me the wrong information, that he was new employee who just started. HOWEVER, he then proceeds to inform me all of my cameras were indeed turned off. I'm very confused at this point. He did nothing to explain it properly because his new employee actually wasn't incorrect- my cameras were turned off because of a billing mistake HE made, for a bill I should have never received to begin with, one which should have been voided months prior. Instead of apologizing or offering solutions, he offers no apology, no solution, a lot of confusion, and a ton of attitude with me. This is how the conversation ended: Me: "So, the cameras are not working? I thought you just said my account was active and your employee informed me incorrectly...." Him: "HELLLLOOOO?!!!!! They're not working, I just told you all of that!!" I hung up after that. I refuse to deal with multiple horrible customer service experiences or the serious equipment and billing problems (less than 1 year with the system). I am left no choice but to incur legal fees and handle this with my company lawyer now to get the entire security system taken down and a 100% refund. As a small business this is not an easy thing to have to go through and always the very last resort. End Result: A lot of money & time wasted, tons of extra costs incurred, cameras not working properly, cameras breaking, billing issues, and a whole lot of attitude not just from the staff, but from the owner as well. read more

You guy should not go this place because this place is rip me off big time.I bought USP COBRA was not working from this place .They said that you can exchange or fix it for you but it's not true.I can not even get credit score or exchange after I bought it for couple day.It really piss me off .I learned my lesson that i would never buy any things from this store.Hope you guy dont get my mistake. read more

Small, clean, friendly store. It took a few minutes to be greeted. But o CD greeted the staff where friendly and helpful. Great store!

I was overall impressed with the customer service the the U-Spy Store. All of the employees there were very friendly and knowledgeable. Pedro was the first person who helped me. He gave me all the information and tools that I needed to find the products I was looking for. Then there was Erika who once I had the product I needed helped me get through the issues I was having until they were solved. She even hand wrote instructions for me and went over things with me until I understood. Elaine also was very kind and directed me appropriately. They all were so awesome and friendly! I would recommend this store to any person who needs personal or professional security or surveillance help. The products there are top of the line and user friendly. I can be very inquisitive and they all remained professional and polite. Thank you very much to the staff at U Spy! I am impressed! read more

I have had nothing but problems with this company. I ordered a hidden clock camera which arrived defective as it was missing the on/off switch. I requested a return however wanted a better model which the company suggested per request. When I received the suggested model the camera was not hidden at all, so the item suggested was not comparable and was more expensive. They allowed me to return this item in exchange for the original model however I had to pay return freight, which I did. When I received the replacement of the original item I ordered it was completely refurbished (was actually the original defective item I returned). The item was missing a screw, none of the items were in bags as the original item received in new condition and there were QC stickers all over including a red QC label on the outside of the box. I sent photos to the company advising they sent me a refurbished item and was accused of tampering with the item stating they had "video" of them packaging and sending my specific item. Then after responding they advised it must have been damaged in transit however there was absolutely no damage to the carton. Screws do not loosen, rip through QC stickers and fall out of 2 completely sealed boxes. The screw wasn't even in the box. They refuse to resolve this issue in any way. All I want is the item I ordered in brand new condition and they refuse. This has been the worst customer service I have ever experienced. read more