the police was dispatched to ... the wrong house

Yes. This happens from time to time.

Yes. Any CS worth using will not only record the Caller ID information. Their software should alert the CS operator when a call comes in that the Caller ID does not match the data on file for the account.

Ask the CS if they can/will record and compare Caller ID data on all future signals. If they are not set up to do that, get another company to monitor the system.

There are several companies offering monitoring directly to end users at reasonable rates. Check out both

and Perhaps you can get better service and save a little $$ as well. Their fees run about $8-12 a month.

Someone programmed another account with a duplicate account number. If the alarm company itself isn't all over this, it points to a more fundamental problem. If you can't get to the bottom of this you may wish to seek service elsewhere.

prob some diyer playing with the software bass gave him illegally

No way, they'd never be able to get the downloader stuff running, more likely one of his minions got into keypad programming and can't figure out what that pesky "account number" stuff is for and felt like punching buttons anyway.

911Alarm doesn't list any employees and so, don't pay Workers Compensation premiums. They primarily "outsource" the monitoring to third parties (some of whom are UL Listed and some of whom aren't). I'd suggest using a DIFFERENT monitoring company.

and

NextAlarm *also* outsources their monitoring.

You're better off call-forwarding your alarm to Bass' number (you'd probably get the same "great" service and it won't cost you anything). :-)

Seriously, call a couple of local alarm companies. They may use the services of an independent central but at least you'll know with whom you're dealing.

If your account was properly tested when it was installed this would never happen.

It's possible they reused a dead account number (shouldn't) and the other account started sending signals again.

It's possible the installer put in the wrong account number on your system - or another system out there. (should have been picked up when he tested your system in to the CS when it was installed)

Also possible the installer put in the wrong line card telco number either at your account or another account (shouldn't happen if either system was properly tested in during install)

Many CSs have CID on the line card tel#...but dunno if there is a method of verifying the call came from the correct account- Mark would know better about this one. Technically it's possible depending on software the CS uses I suppose.

You'd best call your CS again and send a test signal from your system and see where it goes!

I tested my system and the alaram goes to the CS and is pr>If your account was properly tested when it was installed this would never >happen.

It might be time to take your business elsewhere.

Then they may never find it...have them change your account number (they'll need to reprogram your panel)

| >It's possible they reused a dead account number (shouldn't) and the other | >account started sending signals again. | >

| >It's possible the installer put in the wrong account number on your system - | >or another system out there. (should have been picked up when he tested your | >system in to the CS when it was installed) | >

| >Also possible the installer put in the wrong line card telco number either | >at your account or another account (shouldn't happen if either system was | >properly tested in during install) | >

| >Many CSs have CID on the line card tel#...but dunno if there is a method of | >verifying the call came from the correct account- Mark would know better | >about this one. Technically it's possible depending on software the CS uses | >I suppose. | >

| >You'd best call your CS again and send a test signal from your system and | >see where it goes! | >

| >

| >

| >

In that case you have two choices: (1) Change central station providers (this is the preferred option) (2) Stay with your current station but ask them to change your account number so this doesn't happen again (until the next time one of their professional installers screws up).

Thats absurd, how is the CS supposed to know some dealer didn't move that panel to a different location, they HAVE to dispatch. The only real fix is to change the account number on Leo's panel IF they can't fix the offending panel

You assume it's the central station's responsibility to reprogram someone elses installation

To a different (unknown) location??? That is indeed absurd.

Pardon me for not being specific enough. Have the alarm *installer* reprogram the panel. Better yet, get the manual and do it yourself. While you're at it, be sure to change to a better central monitoring station. Whatever you do, stay away from companies like Protection 1, ADT Authorized Dealers and Monitronics unless you want them to lock you out of your own panel.

"Whatever | you do, stay away from companies like | Protection 1, ADT Authorized Dealers and | Monitronics unless you want them to lock you | out of your own panel."

Why? This could very easily be CAUSED by fat fingered DIYer programming as well. Number one reason for locking a panel imo.

When something like that happens most alarm dealers I know drop everything and get to the bottom of the issue. It seems the homeowner is doing the leg work the alarm company and central station should be doing. That along with the no caller ID problem is the reason I suggested he take his business elsewhere.

Most companies I know have a strict protocol in place to make certain this type of thing doesn't happen. I think that is one more reason why downloading panels is better than keypad programming. The way we do it is one person is responsible for obtaining the account number, and checks for no duplicates from a master list. Another person in accounting reviews that whole process when the customer record is created in the accounting software. Then the panel is programmed and tested with that information and checked a third time. If you have guys calling on the phone for an account number and writing it on a scrap of paper, or trying to remember what the account number was while they punch it in via the keypad, then yes these kinds of things can happen.

From what I've been told by various distributors, DIY represents about 2% of the industry. That means the odds are almost 50 to 1 that the job was done by a paid installer. Paid installers make the vast majority of the mistakes and install systems which cause the vast majority of false alarms. While paid installers might like us to think otherwise, the truth (there's that word again, Leuck) is that there is no reason to believe that DIY installs are responsible for a significant portion of the problems which alarm systems create.

As to the number one reason for locking a panel, you're way off. We all know that the primary reason for locking a panel is to make it more difficult and/or costly for a consumer to switch providers. All the "liability" nonsense is just a smoke screen.

Exactly! If the dealer who bushed this up reads this newsgroup he's probably trying to find a way to blame his mistake on some "fat fingered DIYer" rather than admit he screwed up and fix the problem. This is yet another for the homeowner reason to consider DIY. At least if he makes a mistake he'll know who did it.

BTW, in the past week I sold nine Vista-128FB systems, one VISTAKEY access control system with a Vista-250, several commercial security alarms and nearly a dozen residential alarms. Every one was to a first time DIYer. Home automation sales are slower than this time last year but we're still doing a fair number of ELK-M1G Gold systems.