Whaddya know about Secure Link / 2Gig / Alarm.com

A friend of mine is considering going to work for Secure Link (looks like a local outfit selling glitzy junk).

Looks cute but not professional stuff, marketed through A/V distribution.

Expensive monthlies by adding "service features" but not protection.

Monitoring with alarm.com (oye) affiliate.

Any input appreciated.

R.

Reply to
Crash
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I think you pretty well answered your own question, no?

Reply to
Frank Kurz

Actually the more I dig into this the more it looks like a shady deal....and he actually likes the deal (no ethics on him).

Reply to
webmaster

I think it's pretty considerate of him by saving everyone from having to make a response.

Reply to
Jim

Have several older residential customers glad to get rid of them went with Viavant and other summer outfits there paying $54.00 a month for

5 years they where sold on how fantastic the systems and superior they where and now they are crying and trying to get out of there contracts and want to come back. sorry stay with what you have. one customer got burned on the x10 alarm stuff how many years ago and you think they would have learned . sadly No but like I saiod glad there gone.
Reply to
nick markowitz

This deal?

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Who, and what ethics are being questioned?

Do you know of a better dealer program?

Reply to
G. Morgan

RHC: Just to add a few personal thoughts on the thread. I looked at the 2 Gig technology products carefully and IMO, they are part of a trend towards giving the customer more control over his alarm and building in more user friendly options for the sole purpose of increasing sales to the alarmco. Nothing wrong with that, except it's the wrong emphasis ! Although the equipment is oriented more to user convenience than pure security, I am told by a large alarmco that it is selling very well up here in Canada.

The system is wireless, and IMO is not the quality of conventional wireless products from major manufacturers, but obviously sufficient for the job at least on the short term. Longer term...we'll see. IMO again, it's popularity emphasizes the fact that current major manufacturers are falling down on the job by failing to address the move towards increased IP communication and more user friendly options. Conventional panels should have this feature built in to the boards themselves rather than depending upon expensive add on modules. Speaking for myself, I am losing customers by the droves as they move to VoIP, and they will not pay for any kind of cellular backup. They think that since VoIP voice services work so well, they cannot understand why their alarms don't as well. I also see more alarmco's simply hooking up the client not knowing whether services will work reliably or not, yet still locking clients into contracts they cannot get out of if the service doesn't work properly !!!!

Personally, I looked carefully at the 2Gig equipment but decided not to take it on. My emphasis is a complete security package for the client, both physical and electronic and NOT just in gaining long term contracts, so I can spend more time offering more complete solutions to clients. "Whoopyshit" convenience features, while very marketable to clients, shouldn't be the overriding emphasis in buying a security system, but for a lot of customers, this seems to be more important than less attractive, but more sensible, "low end" solutions.

Right or wrong, I'm going to stay with the tried and true !

Reply to
tourman

You say you are losing clients due to them switching to VoIP? Why?

Reply to
Jim

RHC: Because VoIP simply won't work reliably enough for alarms up here, and many customers are unwilling to purchase any kind of extra cost backup hardware. They'll gladly pay me top dollar for the best equipment I can install, but just won't or can't understand why VoIP doensn't work, so want to "mickey mouse" communications to the station. A large part of my customer base come from the far east, and VoIP offers inexpensive calling back to India and places like that. Bell Canada and Rogers land line services are just not competitive price wise.

I'm sure many of them are simply calling other local dealers who don't give a sh*t who would monitor over a barbed wire fence as long as the client signs a contract with them. Then when the panel doesn't work properly (if the customer even knows, which in most cases they don't), it's too damn late to back out because they are locked in by a long term contract (why any customer would ever agree to that knowing that things might not work out and they'd be stuck, is way beyond my comprehension !!!!!! )

Frankly, I don't mind losing these kinds of customers if I must lose any !! But what REALLY bugs me is the local scumbag companies win, and I lose because I insist on doing things right....!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reply to
tourman

In my area, VoIP is pretty reliable. Not as good as POTS, but we can up/download with very few exceptions.

I "feel" the way that you do about it but will not lose customers to other alarm companies because of it. I simply explain to the client the differences and limitations of VoIP compared to POTS. Tell them of the experiences of some VoIP users and some of the bad things that can happen. Offer them backup and .... if they choose to do it anyway, I have them sign a disclaimer stating that they have been told about the short comings and been offered a backup device. Although I agree with your principles it is the end user who makes the final "informed" decision. I know there are many alarm companies out there who don't take the time to do ..... even this.

I don't see that this is any worse than suggesting that a customer get double keyed dead bolts, bars on their basement windows, re-enforced doors, all doors and windows with wired contacts, motion detectors, glass break detectors and alarm screens and have the customer decline and just choose to get a basic perimeter alarm with motion detectors. As long as he has been informed and has weighed the possible consequences against the depth of his pockebook, he makes the final ..... informed choice.

Reply to
Jim

RHC: No, I don't see it quite that simply. Although the consumer always has the last choice in the matter, in my opinion, if we as professionals allow or provide a communication service that simply DOESN'T WORK (which is the case at least here in my area of Canada), or even if it has a known major reliability problem, and we install the system regardless just to make money, then that is a clearly negligent act. Anyone who KNOWINGLY sells a product or service that doesn't work is misrepresenting the truth, and besides it being illegal in most places, this leaves themselves open to liability claims.

You situation may be quite different since you say VoIP actually does work in your area. It does NOT work up here at all. I've tested it extensively, from many suppliers, and even when it works to begin with, it doesn't work over time, to the point where even the client asks about the sense of keeping things going. I cannot in good conscience provide service under those conditions. However, a lot of dealers install a keypad where the client can view the event log and tell him to just watch things.But when things do go sour, what's the client supposed to do about it (except keep paying of course....:((

We may simply have to agree to disagree on this point (but our situations ARE different) . I won't lower my professional standards just to make money no matter how many of these other scumbag companies will !!!

Reply to
tourman

Well, if it's as bad as Vonage is down here, then I would tell the customer that it just doesn't work ..... also. And ..... obviously couldn't/wouldn't represent that the system would communicate with central. However, (I think contrary to you), I would install a non monitored system if the client wanted it. There are some people who just don't want to be monitored for whatever .... reason, regardless of what I think or what we know in our experience. Again, as long as it is stated in the paperwork and monitoring is declined by the client .... that's his choice.

The most we can do is convey the knowledge of our years of experience and try to advise/convince the client to the limits of our consciousness. As long as I'm convinced that the client is in full understanding and (as initialed and pointed out on paper) accepts the responsibility for his decisions ..........

Reply to
Jim

RHC: Yes, a non-monitored system would be one thing to do. However, I do not install non-monitored systems for two reasons - first, I am far too busy (overloaded actually) installing monitored systems that as we both know, are the only professional solution, and the only one that contributes to my business's long term financial health (RMR). Secondly, IMO, they don't work for their intended purpose - to get response to an alarm. People have all sorts of reasons for installing local systems, most of which come down to they are simply too cheap to finish the system. Or they are worried about false alarms costing them money. Or they don't believe police response is worth the cost. Or big company pricing has scared them off. Whatever the reasons, I am in the business to help people, and to make money. Encouraging them to short change their system just to make a few bucks on the system itself is not in the cards for me.

The closer I get to my second "glass ceiling" of 1200 accounts, the fussier I get on things like takeovers and some types of installations. VoIP communication solutions is just another of the many things I have to avoid in this business.

Reply to
tourman

Don't forget the guy who intends to use the premises for nefarious purposes (grow-op, meth lab, dungeon for his victims) and doesn't want the authorities showing up... ever.

He wants it programmed to call his cell phone - so when he gets a call from that number he knows (since there are NO actual telephones on site, only the alarm panel) his site has been compromised and he should never go back...

At least that's what I think every time someone comes here and wants DIY a system that calls their cellphone...

I have been known to take a ball and run with it on occasion...

As an extension of my delusions - have any of you ever put in a system for someone who seemed a bit shady?

I did a small, but nice, house on a river once that I pretty sure was for a pot dealer, he didn't get monitoring but had me program the panel (FA168) to call his pager. The pager worked good, I had my home system programmed to do the same thing - AFTER it called the CS. The page shows the partition, 911 or 411 for alarm or trouble and the zone. It also pages whenever someone arms or disarms and shows the user #.

Another place I did, though they DID get monitoring, had a room in the basement full of drugs and money that was on a separate partition. Okay

- it was the HQ for the sheriff's undercover narcotics team - but they all seemed pretty shady to me.

Reply to
JoeRaisin

Shady yes ........ but nobody can do anything about it.

Reply to
Jim

Its funny, this guy is selling it through Mormon missionary kids as they travel through neighborhoods.

What's unethical...interfering with people that are under contract with an existing company, selling 2 door transmitters and 1 motion detector as "All you need" etc etc..

Reply to
webmaster

Are you serious? Do you have evidence of that?

A door-knock on a house with a sign in the yard are the best ones to knock on. Often the sign is old, and the system is idle.

Agreed. If I decide to use them it would be for apartment rentals.

Reply to
G. Morgan

No evidence yet other than him telling me that the group he is going to lead is doing this and that he intends to carry on with it.

I'm not sure he had teamed up with them yet as he is still being monitored by me...which I expect will end if he teams up with them.

All this guy cares about is the money..doesn't give a crap about what he's selling as protection/detection...no matter what I said to him didn't matter.

Reply to
webmaster

It's true, there's a ton companies like that based in the Utah/Provo area

Reply to
mleuck

To both you and Rob...

If this is true, there are some major problems. Most importantly the Mormon 'Church' having tax-exempt status, and using 'missionaries' as a guise to sell things (other than joining a cult of course).

Reply to
G. Morgan

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