A Consumer s Awareness Guide To Choosing The Right Home Security System

Transcription

1 A Consumer s Awareness Guide To Choosing The Right Home Security System Read This Short Guide To Discover What To Look For When Choosing A Security Installer 4 Misconceptions About Home Security Systems 6 Costly Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing An Alarm System Secrets Of The FREE Security System - Discover The Real Deal About Free Security Systems Cellular Or Landline Which Is Best? Why You Should Only Deal With A Company That Offers A Money-Back Satisfaction Guarantee The One Thing You Absolutely Insist On Before You Invite An Alarm Installer Into Your Home

2 Dear Homeowner, Hello. My name is Jordan Showers, Security Expert and President of Principle Northwest Security, LLC. I know that choosing a security system for your home can get a little tricky. You may be bombarded with misleading advertisements (which have confusing claims and simply bad information.) From super-low prices and high pressure sales to unqualified installers and cheap, unreliable equipment, how do you ever find a competent, professional home security company to provide you with the right system? Well, you start by reading this free consumer guide. In this fact-filled booklet, you ll discover... The importance of value versus price. Why a money-back guarantee is essential. Learn the Real Deal about free security systems. Why you should insist on a cellular based alarm system. I wrote this guide to help you better understand home security systems so you can make a well informed, intelligent decision. If you have any questions about security needs for your home, you re invited to call me at or or send me an at Support@ PrincipleNW.com. Principle Northwest Security, is an ethical, family run security business dedicated to providing high quality safety and security systems to families throughout the Northwest. I have personally met with thousands of homeowners discussing their security concerns, surveying their homes and properties, educating them about home protection options, and developing customized security plans for their homes. At PNS, we take a Total Home Security approach examining both inside and out to determine the best security protection for the homeowners needs. We have installed thousands of systems in The Northwestern Region of The United States, in every type of house imaginable. All of our technicians are licensed and factory trained and have been CORI (background) checked. Our aim is to ensure each and every client receives total piece of mind with a top quality security system designed for their specific needs, and that outstanding service and complete satisfaction is mandatory...and guaranteed! Jordan Showers, Owner Principle Northwest Security, LLC Support@PrincipleNW.com

3 What To Look For When Choosing A Security Installer Please try to consider more than just price when choosing your alarm company. (If you re only considering price, you should read the section titled: Secrets of the FREE Security System Discover the Real Deal About Free Systems.) It is one of the most important decisions you ll make in this entire process. Locally Owned And Operated Business owners who live within the same community usually have a personal desire to do an excellent job. It is important for them to protect their reputation in the community in which they live. Full Service Look for a company that operates and controls all aspects of the system... from the sale, to the installation, to the service and monitoring. When or if there is a problem, it is far easier to troubleshoot with a full service security system integrator. Letters Of Reference Any alarm company who is reputable should not hesitate to provide testimonials from satisfied customers. 24 Hour/365 Day Service Make sure that the alarm company offers 24 hour/365 day service. You wouldn t want your alarm malfunctioning on a weekend and have to wait until Monday to get it fixed. Any alarm company who is truly committed to their business will offer 24 hour/365 day service. Errors And Omissions Insurance If there are ever any errors upon installation or alarm response, it is comforting to know that your alarm company is covered. Make sure that you ask for a copy of their business liability insurance policy and, while you re at it, a copy of their worker s compensation policy.

4 4 Misconceptions About Home Security Systems Misconception 1 Security Systems Have Many False Alarms And Drive Neighbors Crazy This was true to certain extent 15 or 20 years ago because the electronics used motion sensors that were unsophisticated by today s standards. Good quality modern motion sensors are much more capable of discriminating against common false alarm sources. Provided your installer uses good quality equipment and you take some simple precautions you will never experience false alarms. Misconception 2 Alarms Are A Waste Of Money No One Takes Any Notice Of Them It s not necessarily the effect an alarm has on your neighbors or passers-by, it s the way it affects the criminal that is most important. Someone breaking into your home doesn t want to attract attention and risk being spotted. A criminal who has triggered an alarm during a break-in is less likely to stay in your home he or she will assume the alarm is monitored at a monitoring station and that the police are on the way. Misconception 3 An Alarm System Is Too Complicated To Operate This is a common misconception that I encounter almost daily. The fact is most systems on the market today are very simple to operate. The best systems use a stylish keypad mounted conveniently near your front door to operate the system. They have large, illuminated buttons and the arming and disarming procedure is extremely easy. Some systems include remote controls which make using the system fool-proof. Misconception 4 - If My Alarm Is Triggered It Will Ring For Hours Provided the alarm system has been installed correctly, the siren will ring several minutes and then stop. It will not start again unless another motion sensor has been triggered.

5 6 Costly Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing An Alarm System MISTAKE 1 Choosing An Alarm System Based On A Low Price Low price could be a problem in three ways: (1) Low price can be the bait that attracts your phone call. But once the sales person gets into your home, he pressures you into a much more expensive system. (2) A low price on the installation could mean that you also need to enter into a longterm monitoring contract with the company. (3) Low price means the installer has cheap equipment (perhaps even non-compliant equipment purchased on E-Bay), which cannot match the superior performance of the professional quality equipment used by reputable companies. MISTAKE 2 Choosing An Alarm Company Based Only On The Equipment They Use The alarm company you choose needs first-rate equipment. The most popular and reliable brands currently in use are GE, DSC, Napco, and Honeywell. It s important to also make sure the company uses installers who are skilled at installing the equipment and setting it up correctly. Modern security systems have many hundreds of options that can be programmed during the commissioning process. These options set how your system will perform, things like entry delays, siren times as well as more complex functions such as night-time arming. Untrained installers will sometimes leave the system with just the very basic settings that were programmed at the factory. A skilled and trained installer will know how to customize the system to suit your own requirements. Look for installers that have at least 5 years of experience, have done an electrical trade and have a security license. MISTAKE 3 Choosing An Alarm Company Based On A Single Telephone Call Some companies don t even offer to send a sales representative to your home. They try and sell the system over the phone (often telling you they specialize in selling over the phone.) The only person the customer sees is the installer who is usually too busy to spend much time surveying your home for proper placement of equipment. Because he hasn t been given any instructions from a technical service rep, then it is left to him to decide where to put the equipment. And guess what... he will install the sensors, keypad and sirens in the easiest place possible rather than the best place. And you can t blame him; he normally has to install 3 to 4 systems a day. Avoid this approach at all costs! Instead, invite the person to your home and ask for a specific written quotation. Then you ll know exactly what the company recommends and how much it will cost. Get on the internet and research the equipment they ve specified and look for favorable reviews. and you won t be the victim of high-pressure tactics and expensive up-sells when the installer steps into your home. This also allows the salesperson to do a thorough security assessment at your home to ensure all vulnerable points in your home are protected.

6 MISTAKE 4 - Choosing An Alarm Company That Doesn t Offer A Money-Back Guarantee Each and every security company should be fully accountable for its work. And if you aren t pleased with the job in every way, you shouldn t have to pay for it. Make sure that the installer you pick offers a full money-back satisfaction guarantee and you get that guarantee in writing. MISTAKE 5 - Choosing An Alarm Company Without Getting Comments From Their Other Clients Any security company can say anything about their past jobs. And, sadly, some of what they say may not be true. Make sure you ask for references or read comments from current customers so you can depend on the installers and their work. MISTAKE 6 - Believing That You Must Have Back-to-Base Monitoring Alarm monitoring is just a service, like pay TV or a lawn-mowing service - it s only useful if you need it not everyone does. Don t be fooled into thinking you have to have it. Weigh up the advantages (guaranteed response to an alarm, police attendance if you press your panic button) and disadvantages (monthly cost of the service, cost of cancelling the contract if you need to) and decide for yourself. Be wary of a company that tries to force you into a monitoring agreement. Secrets Of The FREE Security System If you honestly think you re going to get adequate security protection for free, you re going to be wildly disappointed. Let s set the record straight about the infamous free home alarm system. When you re offered a free system, it usually consists of the following: An all in one keypad, siren, control panel and dialer. One wireless door or window contact, one wireless motion sensor. Extra charges for additional contacts, motion sensors, etc. Extra charges called activation fees or police and fire registration fees. Especially sneaky: Some companies that use central monitoring stations that are out of your telephone area code will actually CHARGE you to use their number, in order for your alarm to send its signal.

7 So Why Is The System Free? Most of these free alarm companies use equipment that can be installed cheaply and quickly and they take virtually no skill to install. A lot of the programming can be done ahead of time, so the technician that installs the system can get the job done as quickly and easily as possible. Many of these employees have little to no skill, because their employers pay them as little as possible. Really talented technicians are paid well, because they are a surprisingly rare and valued commodity in the industry these days. These free alarm companies do not attract the best technicians. What s wrong with these all in one free units? They re extremely vulnerable! The best set up for your alarm is to have the keypad, control panel (the brains of the system) and siren installed in separate places. So, for example, if a thief rips the keypad off your wall, it doesn t matter. The dialer that sends your alarm system s signal to the monitoring station is located inside the control panel and is not damaged. If you have a landline based system (which communicates to the monitoring station via your telephone network interface box located conveniently on the outside of your home) the entire alarm system, can be compromised by cutting your phone line. These free types of alarm systems have grown in popularity over the last five years or so, but not because they re superior! No matter which company you go with, it is always best to have a cellular based alarm system. They are more reliable than landlines, and you don t have to worry about crooks compromising your security! They Cannot Be Monitored By Any Other Alarm Company It is important that you own your alarm equipment, so that you can switch monitoring companies if you re not happy with their service, or want to shop around for a better monitoring rate. And there are dramatically different levels of service quality and monitoring cost between the various alarm companies! With a free system, it is almost certain that it is locked out. This means that no other alarm company can monitor it. These companies may also use software that can remotely kill your alarm system, rendering it useless in a matter of minutes. They Give A False Sense Of Security Protecting your home with one motion sensor and one or two door contacts wouldn t even be adequate protection for the average homeowner. It will leave huge gaps in your security protection, allowing an intruder to easily enter your home, and stay a lot longer, before the alarm actually goes off.

8 The Free System Offer Gets Their Foot In The Door As explained above, you are definitely going to have to add more equipment to get to an acceptable level of security. Typical prices for a wireless device offered by any alarm company would be: $75-$95 for a door or window contact, $90-$130 for a wireless motion sensor, and about the same cost for a wireless smoke detector. If you decide to go with fire monitoring (highly recommended), or if you need cellular back up for your phone line, the monitoring charges will be much higher. The free offer is really a classic bait and switch tactic. The Bottom Line Is Most regular security companies will charge $300-$400 for what the free companies offer for no charge. After that, devices tend to be the same price, or slightly lower with the non- free companies. So for an extra $300-$400 upfront, you get a system that is a lot less vulnerable, is more reliable, lasts longer, is installed by the better technicians, and gives you the freedom to shop around for better service and/or a lower monitoring rate. I hope the information provided to you in this free consumer awareness guide will help you in your process of choosing the right security installer for your home security system. And, again, if you have any questions about the information contained in this guide or want to discuss your security needs and the best options available to you, please give me a call at or or send me an at Support@PrincipleNW.com. Jordan Showers, President Principle Northwest Security, LLC or PrincipleNW.com Support@PrincipleNW.com