Clark Associates Invisible Fence

I have two fences installed and there have been issues with the second fence I had placed on my fathers property. When I've called to report the issue I never received a call back. The dogs are shocked in zones they should not be and the unit itself beeps intermittently. From the get-go the system has not been right. The "manager" on duty was rude, told me I never called and hung-up on me. When I called back the women would not even tell me the name of who I spoke with. If I want my $1200 fence to work properly I need to spend over $200 plus time and material for them to come out.

I have had an invisible fence at my home for 20 years. Invisible Fence Brand by Clark Assoc. came out 14-18 months ago to move the line. Ever since then, the system has had repeated failures every other month. Half the time they find nothing; the other half of the time they find a break where the tech. moved the line. In 100% of the cases, they want to charge me as though I had something to do with the issue (price tag over $200 per visit). If the fence works, it is great, but when it doesn't (even if the issue starts as soon as they leave) you get no help from these people. I recommend other solutions as they do not stand behind their products at all and have a slew of excuses when the problem ultimately comes down to poor installation.

Technician showed up and we went directly to the transmitter. He found nothing wrong so we walked the perimeter of the electric fence wire. No break detected so we returned to the transmitter. THEN he found the surge protector was the break in the circuit. If he had found this first we would have been done in 5 minutes. He said it happens often with lightning strikes. Last year a service call was $90. This time $110 for the service call and $65 for the labor. I called to have the $175 adjudicated but none was made. Seems overly usurious to charge so much when it was his fault for not finding it in the beginning. This is a rip-off!!

Too expensive for $5 worth of flags and 20 minutes of the tech's time. We have had ongoing issues with the fence over the last several years and they never seem to know what is wrong so I am just giving up.

They were super fast and careful to put the line exactly where I wanted it. They were also able to go through the driveway by making a small groove and filling it over - which I didn't think would be possible. They also came back in a couple of weeks when my dog figured out she could stand the lowest level of shock. They always set it at the lowest setting at first which I think is good. We haven't had any escapes in three months and she had been running away almost every day before that. I don't even have her wear the collar all the time anymore because know she knows where the boundaries are and (generally) won't go anywhere.

I have repairs and replacements to my system 2 to 3 times a year. They do not guarantee the quality of their work. I paid $145 in July 2014 to fix a weak signal and they replaced the electronic board that controls the system. The system went down again the first week of Sept. 2014. I complained to the rep about how often they came out to fix the system and the hundrends dollars I have to pay just to keep the system going. They told me (and I wrote this down as they said it): and quot;There would be no charge if the problem was with the box or if the problem was with a connection they made. Anything else (like my gardening) would be charged. I scheduled an apt. The day came for the repair (they showed up late and I had to call them to see if they were still coming) The service technician was very professional, polite and proficient. He diagnosed the problem as a bad board and replaced it. I was then given a bill for the usual $145. I told him I was told there would be no charge. He said, sorry, it's not in the notes. So like paid. But I really do feel like I was lied to, or at least mislead. The tech said my only option was to complain. So I guess that's it.

They came out early (and were nice enough to call and ask if that was ok). I was pleased at that, The service they provide was marking the invisible fence for when construction starts on our deck. They did not mark the property with paint like I expected, instead marked it with their flags. Personally, I was surprised as all other utility companies use paint. We were told $90 for the service. We told them what we wanted done, and they still quoted $90. However, when they got out here they charged an additional $20 for the flags. Absolutely ridiculous! They are pieces of junk that will probably be destroyed by the upcoming weather. When I called to inquire, they said, nothing I can do about pricing. Absolutely nuts! Thus my bad review of them today. Not pleased at the price, less pleased about their horrible attitude when I inquired about it. What bums me out was until today, we were VERY pleased. $20 ruined and the guys horrible response of not giving a crap changed that. Not to mention I thought the $90 for less than 30 minutes worth of work was kind of a rip off.

I had this business out to my house and gave me a quote. I signed up and gave them a deposit. They scheduled three four hour sessions to 1) train the dog and me 2) install the fence 3) review training. For the first appointment they gave me a window of time of 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM that I needed to be home. They never showed up. After three calls to find out what had happened and they kept telling me that the tech was almost at my door and will be there in 15 minutes. After the time came and went, I got fed up and canceled my order all together. They showed very little respect for my time and were not even apologetic that they had stood me up. I ended up going with Hidden Fence, and I am so glad! It turns out that the guys that invented invisible fence sold the company and then founded Hidden Fence. It makes sense now. 1) They have a much cheaper system, for me it was a $400+ SAVINGS ! ! ! ! 2) The system is much more modern and sophisticated. I was able to get a rechargeable collar, no reoccurring $85 charges for me. The collar is also much smaller and more comfortable for my 5 lbs. dog. The control box is more versatile, allowing me to adjust the settings. They even thought me how to do it. 3) No nonsense. They came and did the install and training in one day. I was surprised how little of my time this took and how effective it has been and how quickly my dog has been able to learn this program. He is doing great! I think Invisible Fence has enjoyed a lot of brand name recognition and it's sleeping in it's laurels and has completely forgotten what customer service is all about.

All around we had a great experience. The sales and install teams were easy to work with. The job was done on time and in budget. When the tech installed the fence, he took over an hour to walk me through all of the system and even spent time helping me train my dog on the new fence, great work!

After I contacted them they arrived the next day to measure and generate a quote. They were very friendly. They came out to install the fence the following week, and had it done in a day. It looks great, and the price is great. I would highly recommend them.

They were prompt when we asked them to come out for an estimate and they were very professional when they did that. The same promptness occurred when we had the install done despite being the busy season. It was holding up fine but a line became unburied and they came out within 24 hours and fixed it for no charge.

I would use them again in the future.

I called Invisible Fence on a Thursday and managed to get a Saturday appointment for an estimate. This was perfect since I didn't want to take more time off. My appointment was at noon, and the associate came early at 11:30am. This was okay for me since I was home and had more of my Saturday left for myself. He asked me why I wanted the fence, my expectations, my dog's personality (if he was a jumper, climber, digger), etc. He gave me the history of the company and why they were the best. They are the only organization approved by the AKC, etc. He explained the warranty. I have 30 days to change my mind and get my money back. The batteries are supplied lifetime. If the collar needs to be replaced, it is free of charge. They have many employees serving the NOVA area so I'll never have a problem calling them for help and getting someone to come out. The best deal was that the fence is a lifetime guarantee for my life and not my dog's. So if we ever get another dog or even move, the fence follows me. The price a bit on the expensive side. We set a date of installation. I was able to get one in two weeks. The installation takes roughly 3 hours to install the wire. The guy arrived 30 minutes ahead of schedule. He was very polite and professional. Again, he asked me what I was expecting the perimeter to be. The guy gave me two options: to put the fence into the ground or just on the top of my fence. However, since my neighbors had tons of overgrown bushes, it was not recommended I lay the wire on top of the fence. Instead we should put it into the ground. This was perfectly fine with me. He gave me an idea of the perimeter and said that the beeping sound would warn him 2 feet in advance. He met my dog and asked a few questions to assess the shock level. He explained that there would be 3 beeps before my dog was shocked etc. All of the wiring took 3 hours without a break. Once he was done, he explained to me how I was to train our dog. We tested the beeps out for a bit until I knew what to do in the future. Training takes about 4-5 days. The shock doesn't happen until the 4th day or so. The only thing I had to ask was that he move the wire up closer to our house so our dog doesn't get too close to the sidewalk where people can easily pet him. He might be more encouraged to cross the shock in that case. After about 4 hours, I was excited to try out our fence! I did have to ask for someone to come out and alter the settings. My pittbull was still running OVER the shock. They had to come out and raise the height and width of the shock. They changed it a bit higher since my pitt tends to just run through it regardless of the pain. They also changed it from 3 beeps to 1 so he needs to retreat back faster. He'll have less time to jump it that way. I had to wait 4 business days before they could come fix it. They gave me a 2-5pm window that i had to be at the house for the serviceman. Problem is he showed up 30 min early and I wasn't home yet. The great thing is he waited until I got to the house. This was less stressful since I was afraid he'd knock, find no one and just leave. But nope, he showed up early and patiently waited. My pitt now stays within his perimeter. So it does work! Overall, very professional and informative company and employees. I can always reach someone. They come out when scheduled. Always early but they don't mind waiting if you're not there yet. Very responsive. Most importantly, the system works (so far). The only issue is now my dog won't go for a walk because he hasn't associated the shock with the collar and not just the outside. He also won't go too far out onto the grass and sticks near our door. That'll take time to adjust I guess. The product is a bit more expensive than other companies. However, for the excellent service and product they provide--I can't really complain.

I will use them again in the future.

They don't charge me anything for coming over, like when my cat escaped; it is a courtesy call and part of my contract with them. They are great. I would recommend that if people want to keep their pets within the perimeter of their property, this would be the way to go because we are not allowed to have fences that are more than 4 feet high. Any cat that I know can jump more than 4 feet. As a result, I had to do an invisible fence. It keeps my cats contained within my property. They are able to go outside and enjoy the environment, trees, flowers, grass and everything else and stay put. Overall, my experience with them has been excellent. The price is fine, and I have had no problem at all; however, I do not have anything to compare it to. In terms of their responsiveness and punctuality, they are right there right away. They are very professional. I would rate them highly and would use them again in the future.

We purchased a new home and new sod had been laid 1 week prior. They were concerned about ruining the lawn, but after I insisted they proceeded. Did an amazing job and didn't harm the lawn! They do a really neat job from laying the wire to drilling into the interior of your garage. All wires are tucked away and look neat. The only complaint I have is the box plugged into the wall where the wires come in has one bad connector. When I called they said I had to drive to Chantilly for a replacement? I currently have it shoved in place, but it can't be bumped or moved. Overall, I can't recommend this service high enough!

The job was okay. What wasn't okay was that they did not dig the lines deep enough. They broke a couple of sprinkler heads and we had marked everything out for them. They didn't bury a lot of the line; they did it very quickly and didn't bury it. We had to make them come back out once to rebury some other line and then within a couple of months lines were coming up that they didn't bury. It was a very easy job; they just went a little too quick on it and they didn't go too deep because it took more time. They kept sending me batteries that I didn't request and charging me for them. I finally told them I would come and get the batteries when I needed them. I don't know if I would use them in the future.

The pet consultant arrived on time and was able to answer all my questions. Informed me of a soon to expire discount and we put a deposit down for future installation in January. Was able to schedule the installation on a date that was convenient to me.

Estimator was friendly and knowledgeable. Service was performed on time and as requested, the system was thoroughly explained as was the training process. Price was reasonable. No problems. Very Happy.

They have a whole host of products to help train my dogs to stay out of places where they do not belong. I have gotten a lot of value from the product. They have always been responsible and flexible to my needs. They really know dogs and they really know what they are doing. I would highly recommend them.

They gave me an estimate first and explained the system, which was fantastic. They gave me instructions and also trained my dog about how to use the fence. The other fencing companies don’t train the pets. They just put the fence and go. They showed up on time and the quality of work was excellent. They did a very good job.

They were very good at making sure I was happy, good follow up.

John showed up for the sales call on time. Things went quite professionally. We contracted with Clarke, and the two man install time showed up right on time. Our land is heavily wooded, and much of the properlty line is inaccessible, yet they still managed to get the wire installed. Everyone was friendly and professional. Two days later, lightning took out the transmitter, disabling the system. That day, someone from Clarke came out and replaced the board, $0. We have called them several times for help training our dogs, and they've always been helpful, explaining things clearly and taking time to make sure we're satisfied. Twice, Derek actually came out to the house (showing up on time both times) to help with traning when we were unsure. Both training visits were complimentary.

INVISIBLE FENCE WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND DID A GOOD JOB OF INSTALLING THE FENCE WITH MINIMAL DISTURBANCE TO THE DRIVEWAY AND LANDSCAPE AREAS. THE TRAINING PROVIDED TO OUR DOG WAS VERY EFFECTIVE AND THEY MAIL OUT YOUR NEW BATTERIES FOR DOG COLLAR BEFORE THEY EXPIRE.

OUR OVERALL EXPERIENCE WITH INVISIBLE FENCE BY CLARK ASSOCIATES INC. HAS BEEN VERY POSITIVE, THEY RESPOND QUICKLY ANYTIME THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE DOG COLLAR OR FENCE AND WORK DILIGENTLY TO REMEDY TEH SITUATION.