ADT Strikes Again

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What, no glassbreak on the glass door?

Anyone program their resi systems to sound a siren when the phone line fails? I used to, but stopped when I found out how common it is for a phone line to drop out for a minute or two at three o'clock in the morning. My customers were not amused.

The motions were probably programmed stay/away. The only issue I see is why the alarm didn't go off when he broke the glass door, since the article says the system included glassbreaks.

Reply to
alarman

They don't give much in the way of details about the house in question. $2400.00 seems a bit "light" considering the markup companies like ADT and Chubb have for the equipment they sell. When I worked at Chubb, the "retail" price of the equipment was 110% above cost. Salespeople could "discount" from there but were limited to 10%. The branch mananger could take it down to 15% and the regional manager could authorize 20%.

Reply to
Frank Olson

I caught an ADT (dealer-not company) guy at the parts house and asked him about this. He said they had received "more than a few" calls about it. He said it was difficult to explain to the customers just what had happened. There must be days where its really tough being part of ADT.

Reply to
Roland Moore

I used to always program to sound siren for telephone line cut. With Napco, you can delay it for a period of time. Got some complaints through the years and had to deprogram a few. Then Napco offered the option to sound siren only while in the armed condition. So I started using that with a few minutes delay. But now with VoIP, there seems to be more interruptions so when I get a complaint, I just make the keypads beep. With radio back up, they call the premise, and or contacts for line fail. Some people get annoyed with that or with the siren going off and complain. So now, in recent years, with a written notice, I'll change it to whatever they want. But I always start out with siren sounding in the armed condition.

Reply to
Jim

That is a tragic story. But "ADT Strikes Again"? Really?

No shit. I thought ADT broke in and killed the lady. Look Ive been in this industry for 12 years, Im no expert, but Ill go against thier expert witness or anyone in this newsgroup any day of the week.

The story claims : "When the phone line was cut, according to the lawsuit, a siren should have sounded. Security expert Jeff Zwirn says the alarm should have been activated instantly" Read your contract. I would love to see where ADT states to the customer that cell backup unit is provided to initiate an "Instant" alarm condition, or even a siren. That is just not what that piece of equipment is made for. Can it be done? Sure. Is it a good idea? No.

Thier so called expert makes 4 claims: The control panel failed. Did it? If so how where the police notified? The Radio failed. Again, if it did how where police dispatched when the phone lines where cut? The Glassbreak Sensor failed. I have no knowledge of the specifics of this case, but I would be willing to bet a weeks pay that this was the device that initiated the police response, probably after an entry delay. The Motion Sensors Failed. Really? If the customer was home and armed the system in stay, would a motion normally trip or not?

The later part of the story I do have a problem with. I have worked for 7 different companies in the past 12 years through aquisitions. Salesmen in the alarm industry generally are the worst of the worst. People are not paying 2,500 or 25,000 for motion detectors, keypads, keychains, or yardsigns. They are paying for something intangable, and that is peice of mind. That makes them EXTREMELY vunerable to being taken advantage of.

I tell my customers, if someone really wants to get in, they will get in. Anything you order from ADT is a deterrent. What you should do as a customer is educate yourself, by getting quotes from several (3 or more) reputable companies for THE SAME protection and make a decision yourself. And keep in the back of your mind, what you should be asking yourself is "Holy shit my husband is stalking me. Would an electronic security system make me feel better? Would a radio back up make me feel better? What about glassbreaks?" Personally I would have told her she needs to relocate if the ex husband is really a threat, she should consider getting large dogs, weapons training, mace, and maybe a basic alarm system with a remote panic button.

I will gladly go against anyone who thinks electronic security is the end all be all with this challenge. With a $2.5k budget for an alarm system, you put it in our test house. I get the address and 1 year to break in. If during that year I am able to commit a theft of property or shoot you in the face at 3am with a paintball gun I win. If your electronic security system stops me, you win. I live in the Florida area and am not willing to travel to make an ass of you, but if you live in FL and would like to take me up on this challenge feel free. I will videotape my "burglary" and/or "mock execution" and whoever wins can sell the video for profit.

Reply to
Spawnie

Me, too... every day of the week. :^)

That's nothing. Cracker changes at least once a year. Then again, you weren't fired so it's understandable he has you beat. :^)

As bad as some of the regulars here in ASA?

Reply to
Robert L Bass

Yep, We know. You will argue with mirror.

Yep. We know of at least one salesman anyway.

Reply to
Bob Worthy

Obviously his opinion. Jeff has been out of the operational end of the business for several years since he run his own secuirty business, here in Florida, into the ground. Maybe it was his mother that run him into the ground. You would have had to know the Swirn's to appreciate that comment.

I was in court, as a witness for a client, back in 1992 in a case against Jeff Zwirn and his company, when he had one in Florida. There were several difficiencies with the system that where intentionally made, twisted off loops etc. One of Mr. Zwirn's defense statements, on a disconnected leg of the phone line, which was only one pair and no RJ, was that line seizure was not invented yet. That was the statement of a self proclaimed "expert". He is a payed gun and don't forget that the term "expert" is given to these types by the attorneys and accepted as so by the courts. No one is truely an "expert" as this industry is to diverse and changes at high speed. There are those that have more qualifications than others, however reading some books or writing some articles hardly qualifies someone to hang a shingle as an "expert".

Reply to
Bob Worthy

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I brive a dus

Reply to
I brive a dus

Well, what is it fouler, you just a NG micro manager or are you just overly friendly with Zwirn, in a broke back kind of way, since he lives up your way?

Reply to
Bob Worthy

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@e39g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...

Reply to
I brive a dus

Lighten up, Fueler. How about the "I can spell, I just can't type" excuse? :-)

Reply to
Frank Olson

Reply to
I brive a dus

The spelling is only one of many indications of his lack of education. Having witnessed his idea of debating, I've come to the conclusion he's not only uneducated but really dull. He'd get a Bush appointment if he were any dumber.

Reply to
Robert L Bass

Oh noes. I made a spelling error. THE HORROR. I will sleep better tonight knowing there is some jerkface in the life safety business spell checking the internet. I feel safer already.

Spell checking NG posts isn't cool. Ever. I hope you get hit by a bus. Full of old actors on their way to a little rascals reunion play at whatever old folks home you are posting from. That would be cool.

Reply to
Spawnie

How would I know. I've quit watching sports when I figured out some Nimrod earns more per pitch than I do running a wire over the same distance (and they do it when they're whacked out on dope to boot). I figure there's better things to watch on the tube... Like Archie Bunker reruns... :-)

Reply to
Frank Olson

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I brive a dus

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@p25g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...

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I brive a dus

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