Anyone have any recommendations for a Home Security System. Are they worth it?? Who are some of the better companies out there? I'm on the line with ADT right now and I'm curious if any members have them as their home security company. Thanks, I appreciate the advice.
ADT, counterforce, brinks... - if you want the security of knowing the PD will respond, then you need two things 1) make sure they're open ALL THE TIME and check the quality of their back up generator, and 2) you'll need a back up for your phone line. Once they cut the line your left with nothing more than a loud siren. - they base their monthly fees and contract length on the amount of free equipment they're giving you. If you're basically paying for your whole system upfront, don't let them fool you into signing something like a 3 yr contract for 40 bucks a month.
Look into Mace. Same equipment, you set it up. You should also reinforce your doors with a heavyduty strike plate (strikemaster II). And a grade A lock, also you could add window reinforcement which also acts as insulation. All 4 in combination is nearly full proof. I doubt an alarm would scary a robber but if the alarm goes off before they break the door because of motion detectors, it is a great way to make sure you're stuff is safe.
I think I remember this company being mentioned on here a few years back. Seems like a really good deal. https://www.smiththompson.com/
Yeah that's not bad...the difference is the monitoring cost. Usually you can get a basic system like that installed free, but you'll have to sign a 3 yr contract for like 35-40 bucks. Here, you're paying $300 up front, plus $89 for the cell transmitter, then $17 a month. However, i'm not sure how large or how good their monitoring center is. Have to make sure they are adequately staffed all year round and that they can't sell off your account. They can only monitor a limited amount of accounts, so they'll sometimes sell off existing accounts to other monitoring stations and/or security companies. I'd also check how many servicing dealers they have in the area. Some people's system will go down and they end up waiting on service too long because dealers aren't available/toor far.
I'm a happy Smith Thompson customer 3 years and counting. Their response time is ALWAYS superb, and the one time I had to ask them to get a police dispatch, the cops were at my house before I got there even though I was racing down the freeway when I called them and got to the house in less than 10 minutes. Go with them. You'll be glad you did. (Edit) One more thing Smith Thompson gives you that most other companies don't is a standard cellular connection without requiring you to pay extra. Pretty much everyone else makes you pay extra to use cellular instead of a land line. This is particularly great if you don't want to have to pay for a phone line just for your monitoring system.
http://www.mace.com/security/mace-wireless-security-system.html Here is a version of anti theft window film. It's made with uv protection. But you can find other brands as well. It's not full proof obviously but if you add motion sensors to the windows plus this it will greatly reduce smash and grab crimes. http://www.asafehome.net/more_products.html Strikemaster II is the baddest strike plate in the world. Once installed it prevents kick ins. Door bumps. However if they bring a crowbar you need to have a grade A lot to made sure that they can't get in. Once again, you add a motion detector with this product and it provides an early alert before the burglars are able to penetrate the house. http://www.amazon.com/Safe-Homes-International-55724-Reinforcer/dp/B003P5KJJO
ADT sucks balls. I am with Smith & Wesson....they installed a new alarm system that works off of cell towers, so there is no way a burglar can cut a land line to bypass your alarm system. They charge me $100 per quarter for monitoring.
$400 a year...pretty nice. Do they clearly advertise the cell tower point? It seems that it would make it more of a deterrent against professional thieves (not crackheads).
Not really. They install land line based ones too, but I wanted to get rid of my land line, so I had this one installed and then got rid of the landline. Saving myself $30 a month from AT&T so it all evens out I guess.
the sound of the alarm is disorienting, to say the least. my parents had one...someone kicked in their back door...it went off...there is zero indication the person ever stepped in the door after the alarm sounded. nothing was taken. most robbers who break into houses aren't sophisticated folks....the alarm goes off, they freak out and get away.
I kind of agree with this... though don't know any robbers, nor have reviewed the statistics. But, logic would tell you that an alarm going off would either prevent a robber from entering completely or make sure they are quick about the job. More experienced robbers... sure, they may know they have X amount of time to get the job done. But I tend to categorize those robbers as the ones likely to get what they want unless you got your place on serious lockdown... which is nice added protection, but likely too costly and burdensome to research and install for most homeowners. I've been with: http://www.centralsecuritygroup.com/ I bit the bullet and paid for my system upfront, though didn't get anything crazy. As a result, I only pay like $19.95 with the monitoring company, and it was a short contract which is now month to month. Smith Thompson similarly looks like a good deal. They are even better deals if your place already has the alarm system installed, and you are just looking to add monitoring. Also, be sure to let your insurance company know if you are monitored, as usually you will get a credit on your insurance - it's not huge, but every little bit helps. EDIT: Crazy timing. Just got a call from my company cause my alarm was going off. Nobody was home. Didn't know what it was. They said they'd send police car out. A minute later I found out my mother-in-law stopped by to pick something up (she temporarily forgot the code, which she knows). Called them back, cancelled police dispatch. All is good. So... pretty good customer service, monitoring response, etc.!
You call that good customer service?! U just missed a perfect opportunity to be rid of your mother in law for 5 to 10!
If they bump the door, that is less than a second they are in. The alarm, sure, it may deter them, but many of these smash and grabs are organized crimes in my neighborhood. Compare that to, bumping a door, the alarm goes off and they aren't in. That is real deterrent. It's about levels of security because no one thing will stop these thieves. In my neighborhood they will steal from you in the broad daylight.
I have comcast for mine I got them when they were cheap years ago so I pay like 17 bucks a month(of course I have comcast everything. I had brinks for years. I decided to cancel and they came out and removed there 8 yr out of date equipment out of spite. What a joke. I know they just threw it in the trash later. If you already have Comcast for cable or internet you can get a discount I think. I have always gotten quick response from them when someone accidentally opens my back door(I should probably rephrase that) with the alarm on. If you want to spend a bunch they have a new system that offers a touch screen and video cameras.
