Security System Monitors

[EngGirl]

Something I suggest everyone to look into is the compensation security system will provide you IF because of them you let say will be robbed. ADT is offering UP to $1500 to compensate any damage or loss... Whole $1500!!!
I am not saying other/ internet companies offer better deals, but it's something to keep in mind.
If it was not security company fault (read - security company called to the police but police showed up 10 minutes later when it was already too late) - they wont pay you a dime.

So, read every single word in find print ahead of time to avoid surprises.

[Tim Tim Tim]

The brighthouse security product is actually a VERY good and secure system. It comes with much more than most competitors for the same price or better (including the cell back up, cell phone app and touch screen unit in the home)

[Caleb Longstreet]

Avoid ADT at all costs. I worked there as a commercial sales manager in Atlanta awhile back and their ethics are beyond despicable. Here's why.

When customers contract, they usually sign up for 3-5 years. With that, there is maintenance agreement. That maintenance agreement usually has fine print that says they can raise the cost of maintenance and alarm monitoring by 5% annually. At the end of 5 years, that's 35% compounded. And it NEVER ends if you don't catch it.

When I brought up the fact that we had customers that had been around 30-40 years and could we make an adjustment out of good faith, I nearly lost my job over it. Oddly enough, this was two weeks after taking the mandatory, annual ethics course.....go figure.

No matter, some of these customers were paying 3-4K per month on their cement plant or whatnot and if they had simply called that day and became a new customer, they would have paid 80% less, ergo the ethics dilemma.

Same goes for residential. They WANT you to forget and quietly continue to raise your bill annually. They are not the only one but, they are the biggest and one would think that this type of rape on revenues would not exist. You have to do your homework but, I wanted no part of it and simply left.

The cost of their equipment is way overblown (check out the web and compare their camera costs for CCTV systems as well as the cost for equipment for Access Control (AC). If you need fire, hire an independent, save a ton. If you need simple alarm monitoring, go with a company that is truly IP based and gives you all the controls remotely with smart phone apps as well.

Do NOT get an alarm system that rides your phone line, a quick snip outside your business and it's down. Besides burglar alarms are reactive and easily defeated. All they do is tell you got robbed. Great. They don't prevent a thing unless the burglar is a complete idiot. Go wireless. They can't cut that.

No matter, when it comes to alarm companies, find one that will LOCK your annual maintenance fees for the entire duration and then renegotiate at the end of the agreement. If you don't, you deserve what you get namely, an escalating monitoring deal you can't get out of.

Tyco owns ADT and ADT is nothing more than a cash cow for them. They make their money in their plastics and medical device business. They pour next to nothing back in the security side and you suffer, as well as the employees, for the privilege.

There are a myriad of newer companies that contract their control centers and that is just fine. Same results and don't let the ADT rep fool you. If you saw how they ran their dilapidated offices you would run. It's a scam and you have been warned. Like all employers, there were some great people there but, to go against the grain on behalf of your customer can cost you your job. Who wants to work there? The pay is highly leveraged and is based on margin of the deal which is subjective so, unless you are tight with operations, expect them to pad their expenses for their inefficiencies (i.e., tech forgets a ladder and goes back, he adds it to your deal and thus reduces your pay for his ineptness. Bring it up to a ops manager, tough, period.).

Paying for ADT is like buying AT&T for your business. You are paying way, way too much for what you need. Shop better, get treated better, demand better. Use someone else and save the money.

[EngGirl]

Thanks for sharing. Too bad ADT monopolized pretty much this entire business

[Caleb Longstreet]

Originally Posted by EngGirl

Thanks for sharing. Too bad ADT monopolized pretty much this entire business

They did but, becoming too big does have it's disadvantages. Namely, no one cares if they are the biggest in the interstellar universe. You care about your business, your house. If you are a national account, it's a different story and that's where they do best.

For the other 75% of their account base, stay tuned to new developments. There is an ad floating around right now depicting an all infrared system that covers the property. Has some cartoon like figure saying something like, oh no, not another one protected by blah blah blah....no matter, you get the idea.

New technologies level playing fields. Always have, always will. You can shop/do better. It was their unethical practices in management that drove me away. All about the numbers any way you could cook them. GAP accounting is new to them.

The icing on the cake was the annual, mandatory ethics course. Go ahead. Call them on it and watch your job go away. Are they the only ones that do this? No. Comcast is very similar except they do offer some value for the money outside their abysmal support and customer care.

ADT is just a bunch of thieves paying as little as they can and screwing dormant customers forever. No need. If you have a small business or just need your home protected, try someone else and NEGOTIATE the annual escalations. 1-2% is in line with inflation.....5% is egregious and they know it. They just don't care.