Home Security?

[RooRach0906]

Yes...but after using them & referring to them as "Brinks" for almost 20 years...that's the name that's stuck in my head.

I still do it at times as well as my DH. He works for them. Thats how I know about the possible ADT merger.

 

[BrettS]

Ok, am I correct in thinking here? Could she cancel the monitoring but still use the alarm? Meaning, cancel the monitoring but still arm the alarm for vacations. The horn would still go off if the house was compromised and perhaps scare off any intruder.

Quite likely yes, but it depends on the alarm company. With most alarm companies you own the equipment and if you cancel your monitoring service then you can keep it and use it in a stand alone mode (however, if it breaks or you want to upgrade it you may have a hard time finding someone to come out for that. Most of the companies that service alarms want to have you on a monitoring contract as well).

However, with some companies you only lease the equipment and the alarm company actually owns it, so technically they could come and take it when you cancel your contract. However, particularly if you've had the alarm for a number of years, they're probably not very likely to excersize their right to take the equipment. It's just not worth it to them to pay a technician to come and uninstall an outdated alarm system.

 

[apnep]

I'm in the minority. Unless it pays for itself (via insurance discounts), it's a waste of money. I've always had systems but never hooked them up, neither has anyone else I know. Had one year that was included with a house purchase & used it exactly like the OP, only for vacations. Skip the monitoring and add the saved $$ to the Disney Fund!!

Sorry if this is dumb, but do you mean, I can cancel the account, but the alarm still works?

Ang

OK, I just read everyone's posts about the monitoring. Sorry, I am a little late getting here. Hmm, I will have to think about this. It really only boils down to $17/month which is really nothing, but I'm "frugal" (my son says "cheap" )and paying for it now when we don't really use it just seems like a waste. Plus, I still have the discount on the insurance even though it wouldn't be monitored. I have family come by and check on my house when we are gone and tell my neighbors to watch the house for us. Hmmm... and THEN there is the pest control...but that is another topic.

Ang

 

[redlawyer]

I am in court everyday and hear cases of people's houses getting broken into. I'm constantly amazed at the number of people who don't lock their doors and are shocked to find their house burglarized. I hear these stories and need the security system on at night. We pay for the monitoring with Vector, which is about $80 per quarter. We have the contract where they own the system and our payment is to "rent" the equipment and for the monitoring. We called for service on the system a few months ago and the technician said that the system was so outdated, that they just reinstalled a new system with more bells and whistles (just a little alarm humor). Seriously though, most break ins are property crimes. But once every few years there is a truly horrendous assault upon the people living there. I want the police to be on their way ASAP. And I use the door chime to let me know when the 3yr old is sneaking outside to the swingset.

 

[Melrosgirl]

The door chimes (make a beeping sound when you open and close a door) are annoying, but helpful. (You can turn it off if you want.) I like having it bc if I'm upstairs during the day and I hear the beep sound, I know someone has entered my house. If I'm not expecting dh or whoever, I get a heads up that someone has entered. Then I can hit the panic button my alarm pad (upstairs or downstairs) and the huge alarm goes off. We always turn the alarm on when we aren't home or at night, but during the day, it is rarely on.

I live in a nice neighborhood that these things "never" happen in, but it did happen to my next door neighbor once...armed robbery. Nice neighborhood or not...I like having the alarm system.

 

[ceecee]

I still do it at times as well as my DH. He works for them. Thats how I know about the possible ADT merger.

We just signed up with Broadview (Brinks) instead of ADT because we heard ADT outsourced it's emergency calls to a foreign country! I would prefer it to at least be in the US. We did get a discount on our homeowners insurance but it was only $100 a year.

 

[RooRach0906]

We just signed up with Broadview (Brinks) instead of ADT because we heard ADT outsourced it's emergency calls to a foreign country! I would prefer it to at least be in the US. We did get a discount on our homeowners insurance but it was only $100 a year.

Believe me we are hoping that it doesn't happen. We dont like a lot of things ADT does even the way they pay there employees. Where DH really loves working for Broadview (Brinks), I think its a great company. I already see a lot of problems ahead if they do merge.

 

[andrews_dad]

My system has only been in 3 years and already scared off an intruder as he tried our back sliding glass doors (he hit my neighbors house first and I live in a very nice development) and caught a budding fire well before the regaulr smoke detector when a humidifier in the baby's room caught fire. With 2 kids under 2 years old, it is a great investment. I pay happily.

 

[bettymae1121]

We didn't want a monitored system, but my DH works nights and I wanted something to go off and wake me up if anyone tried to get in. So we just paid cash for a security system and hooked it up ourselves. The alarm will sound if either door is opened, eventually we'll add all the lower lever windows too. I have a land line phone next to my bed (plus my cell as a back up) so I can just lock myself in the bedroom and call 911 if it ever goes off.

 

[Melrosgirl]

We just signed up with Broadview (Brinks) instead of ADT because we heard ADT outsourced it's emergency calls to a foreign country! I would prefer it to at least be in the US. We did get a discount on our homeowners insurance but it was only $100 a year.

That's not true (outsourcing to a foreign country). Let me guess...the Brinks guy told you this? They told us that also and we researched it.

 

[EnchantedPrincess]

We have had a monitored alarm with Broadview since we moved into our house and I do use them. Our alarm is always armed whether we are home or not. I just disabled the motion sensor when we are home in the day time. I don't think I will ever not have one.

 

[kesha]

I only wish that we would of had a security system when our house was broke into. Trust me, it can happen to anyone no matter where you live. We had lived in the same place for 28 years in the country. We have a neighbor that lives accross the road down a long driveway. Our house sits in the corner of a woods. I guess you get a false sense of security after living in the same place for that long with not ever having any problems. We were gone for a couple nights on a July 4th holiday. And yes we had someone keeping an eye on the house but they weren't here at night. So sometime during the night someone broke into our house and stoled alot of valuables. They also went accross the road and got the neighbors house. We had our security system installed a week later and even though we haven't had any more problems I would never let it expire. Its hard for me to describe the feeling you have when you know someone has been in your house going through all your drawers and stealing things that you have worked hard for during your life. Its a feeling that never goes away.

 

[daisyduck123]

When I was 11yo I woke up in the middle of the night to find an intruder standing in my room.

Enough said! We have Brinks & it is worth every penny.

 

[traviesojmt]

My husband deploys for 6-7 months at a time and it gives my children a sense of security at night. It also makes my husband feel better about us being home alone during that time. We pay $51 every three months for monitoring. Our house was already wired when we moved into it. All of our doors and windows are wired along with a motion sensor in the living room. I can't imagine that we will ever not have our security system.

I will admit though.....I keep a "Do not open....Turn off alarm" note on the back door so that we remember to turn it off when the dog needs to go out in the morning. We have only managed to set it off accidentally once so far.

 

[Duckyiam71]

My DH just installed one before he was deployed for a year. I arm it when we are in the house and when we leave. It provides him a sense of security and us as well. It is worth every penny to us. Plus we get a discount on our homeowners insurance. Love USAA!

 

[The Princess]

We got ours installed last year. We pay $40. per month I honestly don't know what took us 20 years to get one!!! To me its worth every penny I would hate to have my house broken into!

 

[RooRach0906]

.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I have security and fire and I arm it nightly. Fire is always activated.

The cost of the system monitoring is negated by homeowner's insurance savings.

The peace of mind is priceless.

Our new home in Virginia will have one. No question about it.

 

[geek]

Many insurance companies require proof of monitoring before you qualify for the discount. If you file for the discount, but don't actually have the alarm monitored, I would be concerned it could impact your coverage in the event you need to file a claim.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Many insurance companies require proof of monitoring before you qualify for the discount. If you file for the discount, but don't actually have the alarm monitored, I would be concerned it could impact your coverage in the event you need to file a claim.

They can check my bank account and see that they pay ADT monthly--

But valid point!