Home Security System

Mr. Tree

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I'm considering having a home security system installed and wonder if any of you have experience with and opinions about the company ADT? Thanks.
 
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I'm considering having a home security system installed and wonder if any of you have experience with and opinions about the company ADT? Thanks.
 
I have no experience with their systems but I find their commercials insulting. In one of them a teen aged girl is home alone when an intruder triggers the alarm.
1) The phone rings and SHE ANSWERS IT??
2) The caller says he's from the alarm company and asks if she is alone - AND SHE SAYS YES??

Anybody that clueless needs a keeper instead of an alarm!!
 
ADT is top of the line. You can't go wrong.
When I got burglarized the detectives told me that when they got an ADT call they took it seriously.

Don't confuse marketing with reality
 
Originally posted by News Shooter:
ADT is top of the line. You can't go wrong.

That was not my experience. Once we signed the contract, all they wanted was their monthly check.

If I had it to do again, I would lay out the cash to put in a system that I owned from day one, then have a local company, run by an ex-cop, monitor it.
 
I've had ADT for about six years, and have been very happy with them. I had two police responses - once when my wife left a front door unlocked which allowed the friendly UPS man to put a package inside, and once when our german shepherd pushed against the door from inside the garage to set off the door signal.

Both times the cops were dispatched quickly and I was notified promptly. I get a break on my insurance that covers some of the monthly cost, and the peace of mind is worth the rest.
 
I had my alarm system installed and the ex cop sales rep said they would never come through the bathroom window, which is a 42"X42" non-opening window. No sensor was ever placed on that window... Sure enough a year later a guy throws a piece of Firewood through the Window and takes jewelery... In and out in about 1 minute, which is way quicker than the cops... Next investment was a safe.
 
I have over 20 years experiance in the alarm business. ADT is a nationwide company with local district offices. The great thing about ADT is as a Tyco International owned company they have great buying power and very good training and support availabilty. The down side is that ADT is only as good as the local office, therefore making a blanket thumbs up or thumbs down statement about them would likely not be accurate. The service from the ADT operation in Birmingham, Alabama may be surpurb, whereas the performance reputation for ADT in Seattle may be very poor.

My overall experiance with ADT in the residential market has been positive. If I needed a higher end commercial system, I'd go with it's sister Tyco owned company, SimplexGrinnell.
 
Hi:
The last Bank Robbery I responded on Tuesday at 10.30 am (the bank opens at 9:30 am) the Tellers activated the silent alarm as soon as the suspects (wearing black clothing and ski mask with drawn firearms) entered the front door.
The ADT alarm company called Comm Center 11 minutes after they received the alarm.
My Home alarm system is two barking dogs and a Remington 870 with magazine extension.
Jimmy
 
I think that they are a waste of money, I had accidently set mine off about ten years ago, took the sheriff 45 minutes to get here, I canceled the service
 
Originally posted by gunsmith11:
I think that they are a waste of money, I had accidently set mine off about ten years ago, took the sheriff 45 minutes to get here, I canceled the service

I keep mine, and have it monitored locally, because the siren is loud enough the neighbors can hear it inside their houses. I have good neighbors who will be there long before the police, and likely better armed, too.
 
What Faulkner said... I'd ask for local references and see what your neighbors say about their service, which can vary widely even within the same firm. The difference between one company and another is rarely hardware, but the extent of training and professionalism of the central station operators.
 
A home security system that is difficult to use is one that won't be used correctly. Also, if designed and installed correctly for the application they will very seldom, if ever, have an equipment caused false alarm.
 
How about a dog and a Mossberg 500 full of 00 buck. Dog barks....Homeowner gets scattergun... no more problem. It does not hurt to get some of those signs that the alarm companies hand out and put them up in a very visible place.
 
15years at this house, five years at the prior
home.
great response time from local sheriff dept.
great peace of mind when not home.
Not a bad thing to say about them in twenty years.

vic
 
If I had it to do again, I would lay out the cash to put in a system that I owned from day one, then have a local company, run by an ex-cop, monitor it.
To me this is the heart of the matter. With ADT you pay a couple hundred up front and then $40-$50 a month for monitoring. You can buy your own system, lay out a couple thousand up front and pay $150 a year for monitoring. Your money your choice. I bought my own equipment and monitor through a local company (not an ex cop,but good so far) for $115 annually. If I get unhappy, I can go with someone else. You might find these guys helpful Home security system forum
 
Originally posted by News Shooter:
ADT is top of the line. You can't go wrong.
When I got burglarized the detectives told me that when they got an ADT call they took it seriously.

Don't confuse marketing with reality

Not very accurate.

ADT is a franchise operation. Some franchisees are top notch, some not so. They are average to below average across the board.

Your best bet is to get LOCAL recommendations from people that have had alarm systems for 5 or more years (and are still functional), and find out who they use.

Most independants are head and shoulders above any franchise operation, IMHO.

edit to add: you can not have anyone else monitor an ADT system, they are propriatary to ADT only.

It costs as much or more to convert an ADT system to a real system with the flexability you should have had to start with.
 
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