Home Security Alarms

[Joeyd6]

Wondering how many folks on here have an alarm, and some cost issue. For reasons I don't want to get into, Joeyd's wife wants an alarm system. I am in the process of "shopping" and was wondering if I was being ripped of or I need to step up the game with them.

Looking at: panel, 16 door/window sensors, 2 glass break sensors and 3 smoke alarms installed for $1200. Supposedly the panel, 3 window/door and 1 glass break are "free," a $300 value.

I priced out the same system on-line, with all the same equipment, and get $1027 at one place and $1235 at another. So much for anything being free...the mark-up on the "extras" is double and makes up for any "free" item.

Since the entire system is wireless, the install of 21 sensors, figure 10 minutes each plus one hour to program the panel is four hours at $25 an hour = $100 cost to them. I know they have overhead, but c'mon? I am not getting anything free?

I am wondering what others paid for their alarm to be installed; if it had cell back-up, and how many sensors....

[retdetsgt]

I had Monitronics put mine in after I built and moved in the house. The system and installation was free, but I had to sign a contract to pay for monitoring for three years and the system was mine. The cost was about $35 a month. After the three years was up they kept raising the monitoring fee and when I called to cancel it, they magically found a way to lower it to 20 bucks a month.

It's not wireless, but they did a good job of installing it, you don't notice it. I have three doors wired, but more importantly, a couple of motion sensors where any burglar would have to pass. It's set so my dogs don't set it off, but I have a few times......

My dumbass brother in law set it off and forgot how to reset it and met some nice policemen one day so it works.

[cntryboy0531]

I have one through ADT. When we had the house built, it was originally Brinks who installed it. I pay $37.99 a month for it. I've set it off a few times on accident, and they called just as they said they would. Not sure how much it cost to install, because it came with the house from the builder. Frankly, I love it. If someone comes into the house at night after the alarm is set, it gives me a nice warning to go grab my gun and take care of the intruder.

[shark2k]

We have Slomin's in my parents house. They didn't pay for the equipment or install (I believe) but they had to agree to 5 years of monitoring for I believe around $30 a month, so similar to retdetsgt and cntryboy. With Slomin they also have a program where after five years you get so many points. You can use those points to add more features (more motion sensors, more pads, upgrade the panel). We initialy had 2 pads installed (one upstairs and one downstairs) 1 motion detector and 3 doors (front, back and the garage). When the price for the monitoring was increasing I believe my dad called up to complain and that is when he found out about the point system. So we did that and upgraded the panel and added a pad by the door we enter and leave the house from and that used up basically all the points (if we had any left over we didn't have enough to get anything else). We then had to recommit to another 5 years of monitoring with them for it to be free.

-Shark2k

[MRBEST]

ADT here. It was a bit pricey, if I recall from two years ago, roughly just over $1000. Probably could have gotten it cheaper but its a piece of mind, especially for the wife when I'm not home. As for when I'm home, like someone else posted, its a heads up to get up and prepare to address any threat. There's a lot of competition around here but ADT seems to be one of the ones that hasn't changed names a million times or gone out of business. I've seen some of their 'response units' and was far from impressed a few times. On the other hand, I've seen two retired le who were in excellent condition, so who knows what you'll get. I'd say its worth it though, if nothing else, atleast if something happens, whenever someone does respond, they'll notify the police.

[txinvestigator1]

Joey

I would not do anything less than a full perimiter. I had a full perimiter system installed in 2007 when we bought this house. It is wireless and was just over $1,000. We have all accessable windows covered with contacts as well as glass breaks and a motion detector.

I had two keypads installed due to the design of the house. We have one at the garage door which is where we enter 95% of the time. It is within 10 feet of the front door (We have a J-entry driveway). Both the garage and front door are on "delay" when we leave the house. When we are home, we set the system on "No delay" which takes those two doors off delay.

I chose a full perimiter over partial because when my alarm goes off at 0300, I KNOW the bad guy is still outside the house, rather than entered through a non-protected opening and has now crossed the motion detector and is INSIDE my house.

We never go to bed without setting the alarm.

Do you live in a climate where you like to sleep with windows open? There is a sloution for that also.

[txinvestigator1]

During the last decade there were really two MAJOR national players in the alarm business; ADT and Brinks.

ADT was growing by new sales, but also by aquiring other, smaller more local type companies. Brinks business model did not aquire new companies, but grew through new sales and an aggressive new home buildes program.

In the past two years Brinks was aquired by Broadview security. We had Brinks, and our invoices changed to Broadview. Then, Brinks was aquired by ADT. Now we pay ADT. When we call for service (needed a battery replaced) we had to tell them which company initialy installed it, because they have different service departments now.

[cntryboy0531]

During the last decade there were really two MAJOR national players in the alarm business; ADT and Brinks.

ADT was growing by new sales, but also by aquiring other, smaller more local type companies. Brinks business model did not aquire new companies, but grew through new sales and an aggressive new home buildes program.

In the past two years Brinks was aquired by Broadview security. We had Brinks, and our invoices changed to Broadview. Then, Brinks was aquired by ADT. Now we pay ADT. When we call for service (needed a battery replaced) we had to tell them which company initialy installed it, because they have different service departments now.

We have the same thing. First brinks, then went through the changes. I have a full perimeter system. No motion or glass break though. But all doors/windows are monitored, and when we are home we set it every night to an instant setting so that if windows or doors are opened, it goes off automatically. In which case someone is going to be met with a shotgun or handgun stuck in their face.