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Old 12-08-2008, 11:18 AM
 
84 posts, read 342,594 times
Reputation: 27

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Can you guys recommend a good affordable Alarm Monitoring System? ADT charges 33$ and I think its kind of high.

Do these Monitoring systems really help? Are they really going to keep the burglers away ?
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Old 12-08-2008, 01:59 PM
 
1,416 posts, read 4,437,184 times
Reputation: 1128
A home alarm without a monitor isn't any better than a car alarm these days. Sure the siren goes off, but who pays attention? The two big companies, Brinks and ADT, will give you a free system, but you will pay for it in higher monthly fees. If you have a pre-existing system, not linked to ADT and Brinks, you should be able to go with anyone, and there are certainly some quality providers who will charge less. There are a lot of them, and I'm sure other people will chime in with their recommendations.
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Old 04-13-2009, 12:34 PM
 
166 posts, read 899,102 times
Reputation: 118
Quote:
Originally Posted by firsthome View Post
Can you guys recommend a good affordable Alarm Monitoring System? ADT charges 33$ and I think its kind of high.

Do these Monitoring systems really help? Are they really going to keep the burglers away ?

I highly recommend smith-thompson. They're based in Plano, but provide service in/around houston as well. I paid about $17/month (prepaid for a year) for cellular monitoring. Don't need a landline for monitoring (since I use vonage IP phone service). I've had some false alarms (my mistake) when arming and leaving the house and they were quick at calling me to verify (within a minute of tripping the alarm)
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Old 04-13-2009, 03:09 PM
 
1,416 posts, read 4,437,184 times
Reputation: 1128
Quote:
Originally Posted by travelguy_73 View Post
A home alarm without a monitor isn't any better than a car alarm these days. Sure the siren goes off, but who pays attention? The two big companies, Brinks and ADT, will give you a free system, but you will pay for it in higher monthly fees. If you have a pre-existing system, not linked to ADT and Brinks, you should be able to go with anyone, and there are certainly some quality providers who will charge less. There are a lot of them, and I'm sure other people will chime in with their recommendations.
I should add that I have Brinks and just switched to their cell-based transmitter. So we were able to do away with our landline completely and save $25 a month ($35 for the phone line less $10 extra per month for monitoring). If the only reason you have a landline is for the alarm system, considering a cellular solution.
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Old 04-13-2009, 05:16 PM
 
Location: Houston, TX (Bellaire)
4,900 posts, read 13,730,475 times
Reputation: 4190
Avoid ADT like the plague.
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Old 06-01-2009, 01:42 PM
 
1 posts, read 6,060 times
Reputation: 10
SaveOnMyAlarm.com is an exceptional company with great pricing ($5.95 per month!). They are very fast when they respond to alarms, which leaves me feeling secure and safe. I was impressed with their customer care as well. After shopping around for a while, I am beyond pleased with my choice.
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Old 06-01-2009, 02:49 PM
 
Location: Spring/The Woodlands area
228 posts, read 1,000,523 times
Reputation: 146
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jackie Howe View Post
SaveOnMyAlarm.com is an exceptional company with great pricing ($5.95 per month!). They are very fast when they respond to alarms, which leaves me feeling secure and safe. I was impressed with their customer care as well. After shopping around for a while, I am beyond pleased with my choice.
My son is looking for someone to monitor his house, so I checked into this company, and they get really BAD reviews...
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Old 06-01-2009, 03:42 PM
 
Location: Houston, TX (Bellaire)
4,900 posts, read 13,730,475 times
Reputation: 4190
Quote:
Originally Posted by DotLib View Post
My son is looking for someone to monitor his house, so I checked into this company, and they get really BAD reviews...
Usually a good idea to avoid recommendations from people with no posting history. Usually just spam.
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Old 06-01-2009, 03:48 PM
 
Location: California
10,090 posts, read 42,405,672 times
Reputation: 22175
Quote:
Originally Posted by DotLib View Post
My son is looking for someone to monitor his house, so I checked into this company, and they get really BAD reviews...
I have never heard anything good about this company, as well!
I think an alarm system is a definite plus. I would not do without....but sometimes, I think, it also provides a false sense of security. Yes, I do feel safer, but also very aware of what's going on around the house and neighborhood.
Will it keep the bad guys away? Who knows, but I feel, if they have a choice on a house with a system and one without, they will choose the easier target
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Old 06-01-2009, 04:04 PM
 
Location: Spring/The Woodlands area
228 posts, read 1,000,523 times
Reputation: 146
Quote:
Originally Posted by chris_ut View Post
Usually a good idea to avoid recommendations from people with no posting history. Usually just spam.
That was my first clue!
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