Home Security Systems: Scam or Not?
The advertising is misleading. Are the companies too?
Palm Coast, FL – October 21, 2009 – You’ve all seen the Brinks (now Broadview) Security Systems ad on TV. Within seconds of a break-in, the homeowner’s phone is ringing with a call from their security company. RIGHT!!! I think most of us know that’s not what happens. It’s misleading advertising and it makes me wonder just how upstanding home security companies really are.
I was selling a home a while ago. I’d done quite a bit of work on the home preparing it for sale. The security system wasn’t working properly. It wasn’t under a monitoring contract. I called the "Centex Security" number on the security control panel only to find out another company had taken over the business. They would not make a service call unless I signed a new monitoring contract. Sounded like extortion to me.
I called the company who handles my own home system to help me out. The service person was unable to get past the "lockout code" the other company used and other company would not release the code. I was selling the house (closing in about a week) and had to have a working system.
I ended up paying a couple of hundred dollars to have my company install a new panel. It’s been nearly three years and I still get mad when I think about it.
If you have had unsatisfactory (or really good) experiences with your home security system provider, please let me know. [Contact Us] Or add your comments below.
UPDATE: Be sure to read the follow up article on this topic: Home Security Systems: It’s All About the Contract
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Security Systems
I use Certified Security and haven’t been disappointed yet. I pay $80 every 3 months and that includes parts and or labor if anything goes wrong. I set the alarm off by accident this morning, and w/in l0 seconds I walked back in the house and the phone was ringing.