Looking to purchase alarm system - suggestions?

if it involves the word free. Dont bother. Monitoring for a house on average in canada is 16-20$ a month. 30$ a month sounds like a long contract to go with it i assume?

It's a 3 year contract I believe, same as Honeywell.

It's a 3 year contract I believe, same as Honeywell.

Protect America?...oh brother.

Honeywell is good, but I believe they sold to another management company (?), since buying Ademco/ADI and the rest of the world. I don't think it's really the Honeywell they used to be (I could be wrong on this).

Do some research in your area BBB, contractors board, etc...look for a company that you want a relationship with...you're not really buying equipment...you're buying a relationship - find one that suits you. Pay a fair price now, so you are not paying through the nose with a company that locks you into a 50 year contract at 50 bucks a month (exaggeration...but that's kinda what FREE translates to).

Sir, the advice given you by Frank and Crash is all very good advice and says it "like it is". You may also want to pay a visit to my website; there is a lot of information that you might well not find elsewhere, given the brutally competitive nature of this business.

Best of luck in your shopping....

R.H.Campbell Home Security Metal Products Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

And...I tried not to snicker at Pro 1 too.

| >> Protect America has a basic package on their website for a wireless | >> system with a control panel, keypad, motion detector, three sensors, | >> and siren. It's free but I have to install it myself, and the monthly | >> service fee is $30. They offer a lifetime warranty on their equipment. | >>

| >> Honeywell offered me a package for a wireless system with a control | >> panel, keypad, siren, three door sensors, four window sensors, two | >> fire/smoke alarms for $795 (they install, obviously), with a service | >> fee of $20 per month. There's a one year warranty on their equipment. | >>

| >> Obviously the initial money put down is much cheaper for Protect | >> America, but a few things I didn't like were their sales tactics and | >> that their plan wasn't really specifically tailored for my house. They | >> dealt with my strictly over the phone. Honeywell sent a rep out to my | >> house and he put a plan together after going through the house. | >>

| >> After several years I'll end up saving money with Honeywell, but money | >> isn't the sole concern obviously - I want to keep my family as safe as | >> possible. Any thoughts on these offers / companies from people | >> familiar with them? | >>

| >> Also, I'm meeting with a rep from Protection One next week, so any | >> thoughts on them as well would be most appreciated. Thanks!! | >>

| >

| > Look through your Yellow Pages for the name of a recognized "local" Dealer | > (someone's whose signs/stickers you see in a lot of places). Check them | > out through the BBB or your State/Provinicial Alarm Association (some | > would consider membership in either or both is a "plus", but that's not | > necessarily so). What you're looking for is someone with a reputation for | > quality and service (not necessarily the lowest price). Talk to your | > friends and neighbors to see who they use or recommend. Call in a couple | > of the better locals and compare what they have to offer against the | > Nationals you've already talked to. I think you'll find almost 80% of the | > time that doing business with a local Dealer is better (there are some of | > Nationals that have branch offices that are a "cut above" as well, but you | > really have to "dig" for them). | >

| > Remember to "do the math". When you look at the installed price of a | > system, make sure you own the equipment and the cost of same isn't | > factored in to the monitoring price. For instance, we're a Canadian | > company that does a lot of fire alarm system monitoring. We supply and | > install a ULC listed communicator (which the customer owns outright) and | > monitor the system for $15.00 a month. Cost for the install varies | > between $550 and $800 depending on the degree of difficulty in running the | > necessary cable. Our cost on equipment is about $450.00. Our competitors | > are charging about $1400.00 a year for monitoirng (which includes an | > equipment lease price)!! When most property managers are shown the math, | > it takes very little convincing to switch 'em from "the dark side"... | > :-)) | > | |

Look through your Yellow Pages for the name of a recognized "local" Dealer (someone's whose signs/stickers you see in a lot of places). Check them out through the BBB or your State/Provinicial Alarm Association (some would consider membership in either or both is a "plus", but that's not necessarily so). What you're looking for is someone with a reputation for quality and service (not necessarily the lowest price). Talk to your friends and neighbors to see who they use or recommend. Call in a couple of the better locals and compare what they have to offer against the Nationals you've already talked to. I think you'll find almost 80% of the time that doing business with a local Dealer is better (there are some of Nationals that have branch offices that are a "cut above" as well, but you really have to "dig" for them).

Remember to "do the math". When you look at the installed price of a system, make sure you own the equipment and the cost of same isn't factored in to the monitoring price. For instance, we're a Canadian company that does a lot of fire alarm system monitoring. We supply and install a ULC listed communicator (which the customer owns outright) and monitor the system for $15.00 a month. Cost for the install varies between $550 and $800 depending on the degree of difficulty in running the necessary cable. Our cost on equipment is about $450.00. Our competitors are charging about $1400.00 a year for monitoirng (which includes an equipment lease price)!! When most property managers are shown the math, it takes very little convincing to switch 'em from "the dark side"... :-))

I guess you know more than anyone what your service is worth

Doug L

Does anyone know the percentage of false alarms calls for DIY installs vs professional installs?

Bob

Some facts they may not tell you...

Almost all alarm calls are for false alarms - well over 90% of the time the police get a call for a residential burglar alarm it turns out to be false. Because of this, many police departments have stopped responding to non-verified alarm calls. Those agencies who do respond, assume that the alarm call will be a false and it gets lowest priority. Most of the alarms are caused by users failing to turn the system off in time, faulty equipment, bad installations, power surges etc.

Poilce departments have started charging false alarm fees, sometimes running hundreds of dollars.

Typical police response time is 30 minutes or more in many locations - if they come at all.

If you want a system, get three quotes from reputable companies in your area. Who's stickers and signs do you see a lot of? Talk to your neighbors. Who do they use?

That might be hard to determine since I suspect most DIY systems are non monitored ones. Of the few that I have put on line, most have been over engineered to the extreme, and it's hard to tell whether this would contribute to any false alarm rate. However, I suspect not.....

RHC

What they don't know is beside the hundreds of dollars they are saving every year, they also lost their high security line and ULC certification.

Nope. Those who only sell installed systems like to believe that DIY alarms false more than professionally installed systems. Those of us who cater to DIYers like to believe the opposite is true. In all probability there's little or no difference either way.

And as long as you give free service, you always will be.

Is basic economics not taught in Canada? Jeez. js

Must be nice, but how do you run your wires? js

"In all probability there's little or no difference either way".

Mr. Bass...I'm shocked.....You're taking the middle road..... You will argue the "chicken or the egg issue" until the 12th of never....

So if I read your comment right......

More customers install professional alarms. (at a rate of almost a hundred pro installs to one DIY install). And you write that the DIY's cause the same amount of false alarms as all the Pro installations. Your DIY "friends" should be more careful to avoid false alarms, at that rate.

Norm Mugford

As do I Frank... all the time. Most dealer charge more because...1- that's what they feel the market will bear...and 2- that's what everyone else is doing. Actually, $15 is exactly where it should be from a marketing perspective given the rise in the "direct to end user" monitoring for $10 (great for DIY customers or others who want to take a chance they'll not need any service, but not a very good bet !) Our price gives a fair market profit, plus reflects the fact we don't have the overheads of the large conglomerates. The only real difference at that rate is how much service and warranty you build in, or not !

I have been told that ADT has just changed their policy for renewals. No matter what the customer has been promised, their renewals won't ever go lower than $29.95. It should take a few years before the increased attrition rates catch the attention of the upper brass. In the meantime, hold on to your hat....you and I will get takeovers like crazy from ADT.

In my business, my son does all the installs; I do all the takeovers. We share the service calls. And I'm just as busy unfortunately as I was before...

RHC

Dream on lad...:) I'm coming up 61 and wish to retire from this business sometime soon, and will do so shortly once I am convinced that my son is competent in ALL aspects of the business. Then I intend to ride my motorcycle where ever the road leads to, plus hit the Florida snowbird scene ( with bike in tow), plus start to slow down a little.

BTW, we don't "do attics" at all, in any way shape or form....they need that, they go elsewhere.

PS: When you find out how to beam yourself to service calls let me know. Gas IS expensive....:))

RHC