My alarm company has billed me before doing anything

Where do you people come from? js

This sounds like someone entered the contract into the alarm company's accounting system at the time the sale was made. This would be common practice. What was uncommon was your decision to provide part of the labor and materials. This was followed by a delay at your request. That's also not common. I'd be willing to bet that the alarm company doesn't have a routine method of handling this situation.

Why not just give them a call and explain what has happened? Unless something is very wrong they'll correct it right away.

Sheesh...why not over react.

Obviously, the billling department entered you as an active completed job..just call them and explain you've not even been installed yet. Once the contract is signed the salesperson probably puts in for his commission, so they think you're finished. Pretty rare for a alarm company to let the homeowner do sweat-equity anyway.

I can tell you that won't happen many places (unless you own a big chain of something and your home is a one off favor). Most companies don't do this sort of work for the practice, it is for the money after all. But you have pointed to a good lesson. Even after the alarm company bends over backwards to help you out, at the first mistake the customer is going to forget all that and grow teeth and claws.

Thanks for the feedback.

In regard to it being unusual that a company would allow the customer to either buy additional components or do the prewiring, that may be true. I did spend twenty two years as a tech agent for a Federal agency and wired everything from mail boxes to hotel rooms -- remember the great video of DC Mayor Marion Berry? I also recently worked with a corporate alarm installation team and helped install a plant security system that had about two dozen areas with over a hundred zones in each protected area. That work involved almost all DSC equipment. I also had previously explored a DIY approach to doing the whole home system myself and then contracting with a local monitor. They come in and perform a complete system check and correct any wiring or programming issues. All of this was discussed with the salesman and he suggested that I could do some of the work myself to save a few bucks on the total cost.

As far as wanted to "grow fangs" and go after my dealer, not really. I spent a few years in the installed home improvement business and I may have mislead you by not arranging the options from the most simple to the most drastic. Besides, before I contracted with the company, I had already checked them out with the state alarm company licensing office. They're okay or I would not have asked them to come out.

I will call the owner today and work it out. The plan we agreed to includes them doing the actual sensor connections and programming. As much as I think I might know, I also know it will be easier if they can come in and work without having to crawl around in my attic and run wires through walls and ceilings. I can do the electric and telephone and get it to the point where they need it.

All in all, it'll be okay. I do think the billing is an error. I still wonder why the billing is for the full amount and not the reduced amount that we agreed to.

On a related topic, I think I want to be able to "test" my system while on the phone with the monitoring point. To do that, I do not want the outside strobes and sirens to sound. Looking at the wiring diagrams for these devices, I think I can install a key switch in the box and turn them off during the test. I did ask the electronic supply house techies and they said they thought it would be okay. I asked if I would need to jump the switch with a terminating resistor (EOL) and they think not. If someone has done this on a DSC-style system, I'd appreciate the feedback.

This is a good group for getting feedback. The mix of posters runs from calm and reasoning to flaming and blaming. All of the active posters seem to know the business and usually take the time to provide good feedback or reasonable opinions. My original post was an effort to get the array of possible options. Look at the replies. I think I got what I wanted.

Thanks again.

dcalarms

I wasn't trying to imply that you were not capable of doing the job. The point was that your situation is so out of the ordinary that your alarm company's accounting office probably doesn't have a standard method of handling the situation. It is likely that they simply made a mistake. I suggest you contact them, let them know of the error and give them the opportunity to straighten it out.

FWIW, most folks in this newsgroup know that I'm not an ardent supporter of alarm companies. I just happen to feel that this was probably an innocent mistake.

That was decent of him. You've been treated well up until this accounting error.

That was someone else's characterization. I figure you're just an average consumer who's rightfully miffed at getting this bill.

Excellent. Please let us know how things get resolved. I'm betting they'll correct it right away.

That's an apt description of Usenet itself. :^)

Let's see now ........ The purpose of a test is ...... ummmmmm to test your system?

If you don't leave the outdoor siren and strobe on, how will you know if they're working? Hmmmmmmm?

Unless, of course, you intend to test every door and window, everytime you test the system. Then the keyswitch would probably be a good idea.

I usually suggest that my clients open a few different openings each time they test their system. This way the siren isn't going for longer than a few minutes, each time.

Generally I'll test a audible panic...which tells me the siren is working and tests the CS. Then I'm done making noise. I put the watchtone/chime or whatever and check all the windows/doors that way...same for the pirs and gbs (I'll break a window or two just to make sure).

Let's see now ........ The purpose of a test is ...... ummmmmm to test your system?

If you don't leave the outdoor siren and strobe on, how will you know if they're working? Hmmmmmmm?

Unless, of course, you intend to test every door and window, everytime you test the system. Then the keyswitch would probably be a good idea.

I usually suggest that my clients open a few different openings each time they test their system. This way the siren isn't going for longer than a few minutes, each time.

Well it can't be anything in the DSC Power Series because they only go to 64 zones so with a hundred it had to be DSC MAXSYS. That panel would be my last pick for a large system. It takes about 45 minutes for a full upload and another 45 minutes for a full download. There are many other reasons not to use it, especially if you have to use the analog loop. In our area we can't use it anyway since it isn't CP-01.

Next time look into other panels like Bosch, DMP, or last choice Vista 250. If you worked in a Federal Government agency you'll know they accept these panels I mentioned above but NOT DSC. There is a reason.

If you don't have a resistor (just open on bell circuit) you'll get a trouble LED on the keypad and a trouble signal at central station, if you have the communicator set properly (like SIA or Contact ID with automatic reporting codes). Don't take my word just try it.

Roland:

I agrre that DSC may not have panels that will control hundreds of zones. The plant was previously protected by Wells Fargo Alarm and the decision was made to use some of the old control panels and the new panels were DMP brand. The key pads were also DMP. I was referring to most of the PIR sensors being mostly DSC. They also used another brand of PIR for very long range coverage where the plant floor was really large. Those sensors were about six times as big as the DSC sensors.

Unlike my home system, where each sensor is a "home run" wire back to the control panel, the system that was installed was like a long daisy chain. The cable had five wires and all sensors were digitally addressed so that any individual sensor sent a unique signal when it was triggered.

I thought it was interesting that, except for audible alarms on the emergency exits, the alarm system had no longer announcement capability. If you were near the key pad, it would start beeping, but they were often not audible because the areas were cleared and sealed when the work day ended. Instead, the system was monitored at the corporate alarm monitoring center in Washington state. They would call the guard shack and report the area and zone and the time of the alarm. Their dispatcher would stay on the phone and update our control center until the guard reset the system. In most cases, we were on the doors of any area in less than two minutes and the plant gates gould be closed in less than a minute. We had role players do a surprise test of the system several times and we always managed to catch them before they got to a fence or vehicle.

Changing the subject slightly, my home system is going to have a mixture of wireless and hard wired sensors. My home is about 1300 square feet including a finished basement. I will use:

4 wired glass break sensors (bedroms and dining room) 1 wireless glass break sensor (enclosed porch with closed ceiling) 3

4 wired glass break sensors (bedroms and dining room) 1 wireless glass break sensor (enclosed porch with closed ceiling) 3

The "3" has me interested. I have never used a 3 before.

Roland:

I agrre that DSC may not have panels that will control hundreds of zones. The plant was previously protected by Wells Fargo Alarm and the decision was made to use some of the old control panels and the new panels were DMP brand. The key pads were also DMP. I was referring to most of the PIR sensors being mostly DSC. They also used another brand of PIR for very long range coverage where the plant floor was really large. Those sensors were about six times as big as the DSC sensors.

Unlike my home system, where each sensor is a "home run" wire back to the control panel, the system that was installed was like a long daisy chain. The cable had five wires and all sensors were digitally addressed so that any individual sensor sent a unique signal when it was triggered.

I thought it was interesting that, except for audible alarms on the emergency exits, the alarm system had no longer announcement capability. If you were near the key pad, it would start beeping, but they were often not audible because the areas were cleared and sealed when the work day ended. Instead, the system was monitored at the corporate alarm monitoring center in Washington state. They would call the guard shack and report the area and zone and the time of the alarm. Their dispatcher would stay on the phone and update our control center until the guard reset the system. In most cases, we were on the doors of any area in less than two minutes and the plant gates gould be closed in less than a minute. We had role players do a surprise test of the system several times and we always managed to catch them before they got to a fence or vehicle.

Changing the subject slightly, my home system is going to have a mixture of wireless and hard wired sensors. My home is about 1300 square feet including a finished basement. I will use:

4 wired glass break sensors (bedroms and dining room) 1 wireless glass break sensor (enclosed porch with closed ceiling) 3