Even though today’s DIY home security systems make it easier than ever to monitor your home from anywhere and at any time with a smart phone, I still see the occasional ad from companies offering home burglar alarm installation and monitoring services.
Frankly, I’m surprised these companies are still in business.
Many years ago I decided to sign up with a home security company after moving into my current home. And it did provide us with peace of mind — for a little while.
However, I eventually came to realize that the cons of company-monitored home security systems far outweighed the pros — so I discontinued my service as soon as the initial contract term expired. With that in mind, here are 14 reasons why you should think twice before signing on the dotted line:
1. They can be expensive to install. Yes, some companies will do the job for under $100, but if your home isn’t pre-wired — or you want one of the more elaborate systems — you could spend thousands of dollars in installation fees.
2. Those monthly monitoring fees add up. They can range anywhere from $25 to $100 per month — and the commitment is typically over several years. That usually exceeds the typical annual homeowner’s policy discount of 15% or 20% for having the service.
3. They’re annoying. Ask any security system owner who sets their alarm at night before going to bed how much fun it is when another family member wakes up and accidentally sets the alarm off because they failed to properly deactivate it. It isn’t. That’s one reason why:
4. They have a high false-alarm rate. Actually, ridiculously high. In fact, according to the New York Times, the central monitoring stations experience a false alarm rate of approximately 80% … so it’s no wonder that:
5. The security monitoring centers are overwhelmed. In order to reduce traffic, some monitoring companies intentionally increase the time it takes for an alarm to register at their site, which is why it can often take as long as two minutes to get a call-back. Meanwhile:
6. Your neighbors will hate you. Especially after they’ve been roused out of a sound sleep at 3 o’clock on a Monday morning by the blaring sound of your home alarm — while you’re on vacation in Maui. Needless to say:
7. Most people simply ignore them. All of those false alarms have conditioned neighbors to pay little attention to them anymore. Of course, the cops have an obligation to show up. Just in case. As a result:
8. Some police departments charge a response fee for wasting their time. Usually, you can expect a bill from city hall after the first or second false alarm. But even if it isn’t a false alarm:
9. Burglars know that police response times are slow. Even in small towns, don’t expect the cops to be at your house for at least seven minutes. That’s an eternity when you need help. And in larger cities wait times can average between 30 and 45 minutes.
10. If you’re a dog owner, they provide little added value. Man’s best friend can protect your home just as well as a modern alarm system — if not better. True, a good watchdog can’t call the police; but that rarely ever matters because they’re such a good deterrent.
11. They won’t work during an extended power outage. If you’re lucky, a 12-volt back-up battery will typically keep most home alarm systems functioning for no more than 10 to 24 hours. That’s it. Just remember, when they are working:
12. They’re fairly easy to disable. Never mind that they’re no match for professional burglars. Amateur thieves can neutralize them too if the lone connection point to the monitoring center is via a phone line that can be easily cut. And even if the bad guys can’t disable the system …
13. They’re not effective against snatch-and-grab burglaries. Most criminals strike quickly because that decreases their risk of being caught. Besides:
14. They’re not foolproof. After all, monitored home security systems only work if you remember to activate them. Then again, considering all of their drawbacks, that’s probably a good thing.
Photo Credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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(This is an updated article that was originally published on 12 August 2013.)
I agree, one more monthly fee that sucks your wealth away. Spend that money on better locks, a dog or other deterrents.
Great tip on the locks, FMM. I upgraded all my deadbolts not long after moving in to my new home.
The problem with your comment is “door locks” will not prevent someone from breaking your window, yet alone kicking your door. No door lock is going to prevent this. You’re better off replacing the wooden studs and frame around your doors with steel
That only makes them use a phone pole section in the bed of a pick-up, to back up into the door. No steel door and frame even set in brick will withstand that.
I live in a nice family neighbourhood but I live next to a drug dealer with a steady flow of customers.
I have been pricing monitored alarm systems but they won’t just arm my windows and doors. They all want a motion sensor and I know that myself or my old hard of hearing dog would set it off constantly.
I have found individual battery operated window and door alarms for $11.99 at the hardware store and that will work out great. They will be on the basement windows and both doors and make a huge noise if disturbed. That will alert the dog and I can call 911 and sleep much better at night.
In my opinion, there is nothing better than a good dog, Jane.
I’ve always owned dogs that weigh over 100 lbs but, in reality, dogs don’t have to be big — they just have to be willing to make a ruckus when it senses danger outside.
That’s usually more than enough to send a thief on to a less riskier target.
As much as we love our dogs, they are not security systems anymore. We don’t appreciate a bunch of neighbors with barking dogs that compete with one another.
My dogs are “house dogs” that live in our home; so the only time they bark is when a stranger is at the door, or they see one on our property through the windows.
That being said, I agree that incessant barking dogs are annoying. But they’re typically a problem for homeowners who keep their dogs outside most of the time, as many “outside dogs” bark out of boredom, or due to lack of attention. If you have two neighbors who keep their dogs outside the majority of the time, barking competitions are almost inevitable.
I once had a neighbor who kept their dogs outside 24/7 and it did get annoying.
Frankly, I always wonder why people bother to own dogs when they insist on keeping them outside most of the time, since dogs are social animals that prefer to live in close contact with their owners.
I had an alarm system for two, back to back, 3 year contracts. I quickly learned that:
-My cat could jump over 5 feet in the air coming down the stairs and set off the front door motion detector;
-The cops gave me two drive by “freebies”. From then on, each call was $100;
-My local city decided alarm owners must register their product with the city for another $40 per year, every year, or get fined;
-When the alarm went off, it would be at least 2 hours before the company called my cell phone, if they called it at all. Often they would call my home number, which is of no use. I could not convince the alarm company to call my cell and not my home number – no exceptions;
-My alarm company was continually getting bought out by another company and it was a headache.
-When I went to move, the termination fees were as high as if I just paid monthly. Never again…
I agree that a dog is the best idea. Or, have an acrobatic cat like I have that can jump unbelievably high in the air, in the dark, land on it’s feet, run and tear up the place in a single bound! After all, an insane feline is enough to scare any burglar right?
I cancelled my service after the first two-year contract. I don’t believe I had to pay a cancellation fee though, Spedie. Talk about adding insult to injury.
We have looked at adding all kinds of security systems to our home but I have a friend who has ADT and barely turns it on because of all the false alarms.
Came across this http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/canary-the-first-smart-home-security-device-for-everyone – and it actually looks pretty promising. Especially since you don’t have to pay a monthly fee – trying to decide if the initial large(r) startup cost is worth it – I really like that it has the fire warning on it as that is my larger concern when I’m not home – my dogs barking I feel is a better deterrent to theft.
However, I think back to years ago when a cousin of mine had their house burn down while they were away for the day – it burnt to the ground and killed all their pets which absolutely broke their heart. My husband and I consider our pets part of our family and I don’t think I could handle it if something like that happened. 🙁
Fire is a risk we all have to live with, Tara — and I completely understand where you’re coming from, as I own a pooch too.
Still, in the grand scheme of things, the risk is really quite small.
I have had ADT for several years with no problems at all. The only false alarm I have ever had is when I set it off. I love it so much in fact I went to work for ADT. I spent 20 years in law enforcement and could show you hundreds of different way people can break into your home. A home security system is not designed to keep people out if they really want to get in. But after reading what Len had to say about his 14 reasons I started laughing.
For those of you who have pets and a security sales person tells you it’s ok, ITS NOT. Cats will always set off your motion and so will dogs. But any person who knows what they are talking about should and would tell you this: Thats why there are things call glass breaks. Lets face if someone wants to come in thru a window and its locked their going to break it, a window sensor wont help you when that happens.
As far as the install price goes, I can tell you I sell hundreds of systems every year and my average install price is $99. Most people can get away with two window/door contact and one motion that comes with the system. Of course if you have a huge home and you have more area to cover, obviously your install price is going to go up. I could go on and on but trust me once you have been a victim you dont ever want to be one again.
The problem is “people” don’t know the definition of “installation”. Installation is LABOR! Installation is installing all the equipment the customer agreed too. You can be at the customers home for 12 hours and the installation fee is still $99. People don’t understand this, and it’s common sense. What these people “think” is that at $1000 system to protect your family and home cost $99. Do you actually think a time fee of $99 will protect your family from a home invasion???
We had one a long time ago. Not anymore, for the reasons you outlined. We lock the doors, put on plenty of lights and keep the brush away from our home! Some folks put the sign up as a deterrent without the actual alarm system!
I tried to find stats on the effectiveness of using a fake sign prior to posting this article, Barb. I couldn’t find any though.
I wish somebody would do a study because I am really curious as to whether they are really effective.
When we bought our house, the security guy told us, that robbers can always spot a fake.
I tend to believe him. We didnt get the security system, but the house is pre-wired.
Our dog barks at everything, so most people get scared off.
Pre-wired doesn’t mean anything but dated, since everything these days is wireless. Your dogs can bark at everything but thieves know what to feed to dogs to put them to sleep, while they invade the home
Bravo, Len! These vendors play on and work to build people’s fears. And the industry is riddled with scammers. Caveat emptor!
People in this world are paranoid as it is. Just remember, you sleep in your house, not the so called vendors. People always act like nothings going to happen, but once it does, those people get put on anxiety and panic meds, because of fear. These people call the vendors for a reason. They’re already scared before the vendor shows up. what i find funny is how people think that 2 door sensors and a motion is going to give them 100% protection, when they have 10 windows on the first floor. People are naive to think so
Nailed it.
Len, as a 911 dispatcher who has dealt with alarm companies for years, I can say that you are right on almost every count. But I also have an alarm for my family.
My opinion changed the day my house got broken into and someone walked away with my 47″ TV among other things. I felt that I had to do something. I did a lot of research and ended up going with a regional company. They worked with me to install an effective system to minimize false alarms. I have only had one false alarm in 3 years. We have 3 cats so we elected not to get a motion sensor. However Glass Break sensors are very effective Our system is “hardened” in that the brains of the system are hidden in the basement encased in steel. It has its own cellular connection so you cant cut the phone line.
A year later someone tried to kick in my rear door while I was sleeping. The alarm went off before they got in and scared them off (I have steel doors).
My reasoning for getting the alarm is that at least I know that my house is secure and if someone does get in again their time will be minimized, They Certainly wont have enough time to get open safes etc. And if they do get in again while I am home they will meet me and my shiny new handgun.
One thing I will say: Stay away from ADT. They are horrible. They gave me a crazy high pressure sales pitch and even started calling me at work.
Some people are starting to get systems that text them when something is wrong. Last week I had a guy call me saying he was out of town and his alarm was going off. We sent a squad to check. The alarm company called TEN MINUTES LATER to report the alarm after the squad had already arrived. I may explore this option as an alternative to having a monitored system myself.
One last thing. If you have an alarm PLEASE dont use the panic function to have help sent. Dial 911 yourself. My pet peeve are these life alert type companies that only delay the response time. Unless you are disabled and unable to get to a phone or dial you are always better off dialing 911 yourself.
Thanks for sharing your story and tips, Skolvikes.
And good for you on getting the handgun! For your safety and the safety of others, if you haven’t already, make sure you take a couple of handgun training classes to boost your confidence and proficiency with your weapon.
My entire family — including my 13 year-old daughter and 16 year-old son — have taken multiple handgun safety and training courses and know how to properly use, and care for, a handgun. I consider those classes to be among the best investments I’ve ever made.
Thanks, Len, for the reply. My wife and I took a class together and got our carry permits but are looking for some follow up classes. Now only if ammo prices/availability improve…..
Ammo prices are easing down a bit, but they are still off the hook. Fortunately, I bought a lot of it before the prices took off. They’ll come back down.
but the truth is, you’re not going to shoot anyone. I can guarantee you that. People always use the “gun” as an excuse, to avoid an alarm system. The alarm system will prevent someone from entering. You won’t be using your gun until someone is in your home. The whole idea is to prevent someone from entering your home, you agree? So what if the suspect has a gun? The suspect is a criminal, not the victim. The suspect will use his gun before you do. when you get to this point, having a shoot out in your home, or you pointing your gun, puts your whole entire family at risk. Lets say you shoot the guy. Sure you can be proud and say “self defense”, but what if you killed him? Do you actually think that you can live with the fact, you killed someone, self defense or not? What if you didn’t kill him, maybe just injured him? You ever heard of retaliation? Again, you put your family at risk on your decision. People always talk.
“but the truth is, youre not going to shoot anyone. I can guarantee you that.”
No you can’t, Joe. No, you can’t.
Joe-I have a wireless alarm system AND guns. I chose DIY monitoring because my goal is to be alerted so I get them before they get me. If their intent is to harm you, you will be dead by time any police arrive. Only a sociopath has the mentality that allows them to feel the rewards for breaking into a home are higher than the unknown risks that await them inside. Do you really think I’m going to clutch my pearls and get upset about THEIR safety when they took such risks to come into my home to do nothing but evil? Knowing this is who I would be dealing with if faced with and intruder, I would not hesitate, for even a moment, to feed a lead sandwich to whoever is dumb enough to enter my home uninvited. And if you educate yourself on firearms, ammunition types, you know that there are plenty of ways to blow an intruders face off without risking the lives of your family or neighbors. Why do you think a pump action shotgun has been the #1 home defense tool for centuries? Heck the sound of a racking shotgun alone can send some burglars packing.
As a female and military veteran who served as a first responder and seen more than my share of death, let me tell you anyone who has come into your home only intends you harm, and you have split seconds to save your own life. I have zero tolerance for intruders in my home and the only thought they will get from me is how fast I can pull the trigger. Altruism will only get you killed.
Bravo, Darla! And thank you for your service.
When I was researching alarm companies…one of the sales guys blurted out that 90% of burglaries occur during the day. I work from home. Problem solved. Also…they’ve interviewed criminals and found out they hate motion detector lights (check). Also…I am stunned to find almost every home invasion…they got in through an unlocked window. Seriously?
Larry … Don’t leave us in suspense, brother.
What day do 90% of all burglaries occur?
Most break ins occur during the day between 10am and 3pm. And hes right they enter through an unlocked window or door. Society is changing just watch the news and you can see that for yourself….
difference between a break in and a home invasion. My best friends wife was killed in a home invasion. The locked front door was kicked down, and 3 men entered. To this day, they have not been caught, going on 4 years.
Look up home invasion. Here you are innocent sitting at home, and a criminal is entering. Who has the advantage? Violent criminal vs a victim. You obviously didnt research home invasions enough. Call your local police department, and see the amount of kicked down doors, and busted windows
This is part of the reason that many Texans own guns, and a lot of the women can shoot. It includes society women.
A lot of houses in SE Texas have signs, “FORGET THE DOG, BEWARE OF OWNER”.
The women in my home can shoot too, Bill – yes, despite being here in the People’s Socialist Paradise of California! I taught my daughter to shoot a handgun before she was a teenager. In fact, she learned how to shoot with a .45.
Loving the comments here. I never knew this but you can “localize” your alarm system. For a small one time fee the alarm company will come out and make your alarm ring, but the monitoring will be turned off. Then you can keep an alarm that will hopefully scare away the criminal without the monthly fees.
Why go cheap on your family? That’s like saying “come on in, my family is free”..funny how people will spend thousands on a tv, a fridge, and furniture, but dont want to pay nothing to protect their loved ones LOL
People have their priorities in this world all screwed up. People put their wants in front of their needs
Joe
I have ADT and cannot afford the monitoring anymore, a wireless system. They told me if I cancel the monitoring that the alarm sound may not go off. So, I would be stuck with nothing and a useless alarm system for which I paid a lot of money. Do you know if this is true that the system alarm would not work if the monitoring is cancelled.
Peggy –
Your local siren or sounding device should still operate even if your system is not monitored.
With most modern systems, the monitoring feature would be disabled via remote access. It is possible for an alarm company to disable various features of a system remotely if your system allows remote access. If you do not want monitoring, your system should function as it does now, less any features that require remote communication. (This holds true if a technician must make a service call to disable monitoring or it is done via remote access.)
If you own the system and do not lease the alarm equipment installed in your home, disabling any feature not associated with remote monitoring would be unethical, to say the least, and possibly criminal. That would be like the cable t.v. company rendering your televison inoperative because you did not want to subscribe to a particular package.
Review the paperwork you signed when the system was installed. Determine if you own or lease the equipment. If you own the system and have fulfilled the terms of the original agreement, chances are you have no other obligation than to provide the alarm company with a 30-day notice of intent to terminate monitoring.
-Paul
Owner/GM
Southern Security Systems
If the alarm goes off, the bad guys are going to leave. So I also don’t see the point of monitoring. And if I am not home, and they ignore the alarm – how long before the alarm payments equal or exceed my insurance deductible
Jane Savers – I also have a dealer next door (at least part-time). Broken into once, and then after the second attempt got an alarm system. And they do it in broad daylight while I’m at work. I may not continue with the monitoring once the contract is up, but the stickers and signs will remain as a deterrent! It annoys me that I have to pay monthly to keep riff-raff from targeting my house, but it’s better than the alternative at present. And yes, I had to register with the local police (one-time fee), and so far I’ve had no false alarms. I grew up in a small town where we never even locked the doors, and always left the keys in the cars, etc. Not happening here or now.
So protecting your family is not worth a monthly fee. I”m sure you paid more for your TV. I bet you , your cell phone cost more, yet alone your monthly cell phone bill, and none of that protects your home or family
We have an alarm system that you can set with or without the motion detector. So, when we are home or asleep at night we don’t set the motion detector. Plus, when we had dogs, we couldn’t set it because they had free range in the house. The windows and doors are still “protected”. When we leave the house, we set the motion detector as well.. When we are on vacation, we set the whole house to the max so there is no alarm delay if a door or window is opened. We decided not to get a dog after my last 2 passed away because we are older and want to be free to travel and have less work/responsibilities since we are still employed. In addition, the security system also has the wired fired detector, which is a plus.
The reason we got a security system is that we live in the woods in an isolated area with no neighbors, etc.
Safemart has a no-contract program where you pay for the control panel, it is wireless, and uses a phone line, and monitoring is $19.99 a month. You pay for the first year in advance, and after that it is month-to-month.
Fire is a major issue, and many people are not able to hear the smoke detector with their hearing aids out, or when they are in denial about their hearing loss, or when they are drunk or medicated or ill. Ours also monitors carbon monoxide. Children, too, respond poorly to smoke detectors.
We got our first system with our first house when I kept looking up in my office to find my husband standing behind me when he came home for lunch. I am hard of hearing, we had two dogs and hardwood flooring above my head. For my protection, we will always have an alarm system until we are in assisted living or a nursing home.
We’ve always had both dogs (as many as 5) and motion detectors. If they are set correctly, they shouldn’t be a problem. (Can’t speak to cats who fly five feet in the air, though!)
An honest appraisal of your ability to detect unwanted intruders and smoke detectors is in order before blowing off monitored alarm systems. And get that appraisal from someone else who knows you well and isn’t afraid to speak the truth. It is impossible to know what you didn’t hear. Most people with alcohol problems are in denial about how often they are drunk. Getting stoned on marijuana slows your reaction times.
And carbon monoxide will take you out of action before you are aware of the problem.
Phone line? LOL, go out to the side of your house and open up the panel that says “telephone”. Cut the blue and white wire. Your phone line alarm system is now defeated. Your family is worth $19.99 a month? No such thing as a wireless system that uses a phone line. Does your wireless cell phone use a phone line? I bet your monthly starbucks bill cost more than your $19.99. Priorities
Joe –
Wireless, in this sense, refers to the detection equipment. The door and window contacts and any other protection equipment does not have a physical wire running from the control panel to the device.
Yes, it is possible to have a wireless alarm that communicates via a standard telephone line.
And you are correct. Cutting the telephone line will disable the systems ability to communicate with the central monitoring station.
Love your title. Yes, these systems are a waste of money. 20 years I had one and it was nothing but a bother. This is before the age of getting billed for false alarms, of which I had many. It was $25 a month back then. When I moved into my current house I decided there was better things I could do with that $25 bucks.
Suzanne—I suspect you spend $25 a week at Starbucks. I have had an alarm system in place for the past 5 years and guess what? $25 a month is a very small price to pay for peace of mind. I’d rather pay for that than coffee any day…Not sure why you had many false alarms but we have not had any issues with that….
@chkm8k2 Exactly. People go cheap on their family and home protection, yet spend a fortune on their tv, furniture, vacations, and addictions. I have had ADT for 6 years without an issue. 90% of people have no idea how to use an alarm system. They blame the system vs their lack of knowledge
Agree with you Len that they can give you a false sense of security. I have a dog which is the best burglar alarm in town. In my previous home I canceled the monitoring service and kept the sign out front, not sure if that was ethical but the burglars didn’t know that!
Paul,
Having a dog is a great deterrent but being a former police officer I could tell you hundreds of ways around someone having a dog……
Damian – agreed. It’s amazing how people go cheap on family and home protection, and spend a fortune on their tv and addictions. Most people would rather buy the new iphone vs protection for their home and family
My neighbors have an alarm system that they pay for but never set because it was “too much trouble”. So when they were burglarized, no alarm was sounded and they were robbed blind. Dumb.
My mother is almost deaf and lives alone. She would never know a burglar was in the house until he was in the room with her. She has an alarm system that she does turn on. She may not hear it if it goes off, but at least she has the peace of mind of knowing that SOMEONE is aware of someone in her house.
My husband and I have an alarm system we set. If someone breaks in in the middle of the night, I want to know about it the minute they cross the threshold so I can grab my gun and call 911.
You can’t guarantee that an alarm system won’t be circumvented in some way, but I’d rather have one (and use it!) than not.
Well, installing a home security system have disadvantages but if you think about how well these systems can provide security, i think it is just okay. You can sleep well at night and you have a feeling of security every time you leave the house, so i guess it’s all worth it.
Another solution: install a motion-detected recording of a big dog barking …
Clever!
Our home was burglarized soon after we bought it by the crooks leaving newspapers in the neighborhood over the holidays to see whose didn’t get picked up. Many years later I worked for a security system co. and sold commercial alarms, so I got one installed and only had to pay the employee discount rate for monitoring. That gets us 20% off our homeowners which is more than our service costs. The alarm did offer piece of mind and I feel that is worth something and each person would have their own estimate of worth for that. That being said, yes, the can be disarmed way too easily even by dumb crooks. So, I highly recommend a cell phone call system. And if you have that, why bother with monitoring if you can have it call you and you decide who to call next. No monthly fee, but no insurance discount either. Maybe that will change. We switched to VOIP for phone calls and were slow to change because our alarm required a land line, but now the VOIP system can call through to the monitoring and the crooks can’t get at the cable. Yea! BTW Some VOIP phone services are completely free, so we have finally been able to drop AT&T and save about $35/mo.
The problem you have with that is your phone could be hacked too. Ever thought about that? I’m sure you pay more for your cell phone vs family and home protection. Priorities or just cheap? What if you have a home invasion, and they take your phone out of your hands? what if you’re at a friends house getting drunk, and you’re away from your phone for 10 minutes? Sure you can monitor it yourself, but you will fail. I would rather pay a company to monitor for me, so i don’t have to worry about it
Okay, Joe. That is your tenth comment on this topic. What is the name of your alarm company business?
He raved about his ADT system in one of the comments. He is obviously here attempting to shame people into contracted monitoring. Very slimy used car sales tactic. He has shamelessly spammed this very good blog post.
If you own a dog AND get a security system your nuts. You just put your dog in harms way. Google it. A cop shoots a dog every 98 minutes, 87% should not have been shot as they was NOT attacking the officer. These are real stats based on real events, not debatable. So, if your alarm goes off and it ends with your death or the death of your pet(s) its on you, I warned you.
I work as a cust service rep for a home security company. I even got a system for free from work! But it’s still sitting in it’s box. The first week I started there, I thought “Maybe I’ll actually use this!” but very quickly, doing customer service, I realize that no, no I won’t.
Motions Sensors are great in *theory*. In practice they will give you innumerable false alarms. They are my company’s highest false alarm rate. Entry sensors are the least.
Security companies prey on people with paranoia. I get it. You live in an area with crime, and you want some kind of deterrant. Just pay $5 and get a yard sign and some window stickers. That’s enough of a deterrant for the average thief. Or just, close your windows/doors. Don’t leave keys outside, etc.
For the people responding here, and the people who call in talking about having their gun at the ready the moment a home-invasion happens… Seriously? Do you have any idea how rare that is? In all my time answering the phones, I have NEVER had anyone broken into while they were sleeping. I have had plenty of paranoid people who think neighbors are shuffling their papers about and stealing loose bricks, but an honest to God, “home invasion while I’m asleep” is so rare as to be unheard of. Burglars really just want your stuff. They’re not gonna steal it while you’re home!
The biggest reason that I think they’re pointless, they are of absolutely no help if you actually get broken into. Again, no one breaks in while you’re there. So they break in, and are in and out in like a min, run off, your neighbors don’t do anything (bystander effect) and make up excuses later why they didn’t do anything, you call your insurance to replace your stuff. Same scenario happens with or without a system.
You are basically paying somebody to call the police for you, maybe right when it happens. Maybe much later. Maybe the police will drive by your house. Maybe they’ll actually get out of the car. Maybe not. Think about it.
In spite of all that, i do think we are moving towards an “automated home” paradigm, where you can control executive things like temperature, lights, music, window shades, etc so I expect “home security” aka “automatic 911 machine” will be rolled into the mix. But honestly, unless no one lives at the property full-time, there’s no financially justifiable reason to have one.
To those of you out there who have been burglarized and subsequently bought a home security system. I have talked with many of you. I understand you just want to do something, in hopes that it will stem any future burglaries. I get it. That’s obviously a very emotional thing for you. But honestly, just look at the facts about home burglaries, figure out ways to secure your home that do not involve monthly fees and contracts. The false alarms are not fun. And to avoid them, you’ll probably just stop using the dang thing anyway.
Lastly, to those with paranoia. Please get help. It is a legitimate medical condition. Help is available. And I, a lowly customer service rep at a home security company, cannot adequately help you with that. If you believe people are breaking into your house and just turning on your bathroom light then leaving. You need help. If you believe someone is moving things around your house but not stealing anything, then you need help. It’s ok to ask for help.
Anyway, I could go on for days. I’m only doing this until I get further along in school, but for the average homeowner who deadbolts their doors and closes their windows, you cannot financially justify it.
Great comments, Alan! I appreciate you sharing your first-hand insight with my readers.
Your theory is debunked. Thieves can spot a fake home, and thieves have been trained to look to the interior of your windows to see if their are sensors on them. I would rather pay for the protection for my wife and kids, than be fake and Prey that nobody breaks in, because i was too cheap to pay a monthly fee. I would rather spend that money to go out and eat with friends, buy a new tv, or get a new iphone, since those are more important. Heck your monthly starbucks is more than a monitoring fee. No way in hell are you giving up that coffee. Just let someone break in your home instead
Very cold and know it all reply to people who are truly afraid and worried. Way to go to calm their fears. If you can’t say something nice…..
I’ve used a security system for years and I find it useful. I only pay about $10 a month (there are many companies all over Google that charge about this amount, you just need to have the equipment installed already) and the system only costs a couple hundred dollars upfront. I installed the system myself, so I know that the location I’ve chosen for the main panel is a secure one, and I chose to refrain from using motion detectors due to their high false alarm rate.
I appreciate the comfort of knowing I have monitored smoke alarms connected to the system. Many people close to me have had homes burn down, and I do live in a somewhat secluded location so I know that if there were a fire then by the time someone notices it’ll be way too late to save anything. I am a deep sleeper, and if there is a fire or another issue then at least I know someone is there to contact the fire department or police. My system does not have a dialer delay programmed, but I’ve heard of some companies programming delays of up to 2 minutes before the system even contacts the monitoring station. One of the many reasons I chose to install it myself.
Another thing I like is the comfort of being able to look at the keypad to see if I left a door or a window open. It just makes it easier to keep track of everything.
There have been a few home invasions in my area in the past year (actual home invasion, where people are home when the intruders enter). My system has a “duress code,” when it’s entered into the keypad the system acts normally as if the regular code was entered, but it contacts the monitoring station and they send the police without calling the home. This way, if an intruder breaks in and forces me to disarm the system, I am able to have a connection with help without the intruders being aware of it.
Yet another reason I have for keeping a monitored system is because I run a home based business. My liability insurance company offers a discount for having monitored smoke detectors. Between the discounts on my business liability insurance and homeowner’s insurance the $10/month monitoring charge more than pays for itself.
My system currently dials out with a VOIP system, so it goes through the internet. My modem and VOIP adapter are both plugged into an uninterruptible power supply, so even if I lose power I will still have a system that’s able to call out. One thing that I cannot justify the price for at this time is to have the system call out through a cell module. It would add at least another $10 to my monthly price, and I do not get the best cell signal in my area so it may not even do any good.
False alarms rarely happen for me, and every time I do have a false alarm it is due to my error. Either I left a door or window open when I armed the system, or I opened a door or window and forgot to disarm the system. These two scenarios happen very infrequently.
My county does not require an alarm permit, however, it does require a license/permit to have dogs if you have a certain number of them.
I’m not worried about stuff, if someone breaks in during the day and nabs my TV, oh well. The TV store down the street has tons of them.
I worry about home invasion and someone getting into the home when I’m asleep. So, I use $10 door alarms, I have a dog that barks when she hears anything strange at night. One alarm is on a hallway door that leads to the bedrooms in the house. You can’t get to my bedroom without opening the hallway door. Open it and a $10 door alarm triggers a 120 db alarm.
Now I’m awake and now I have a .357 that sits on my nightstand in hand. My dog barking like crazy now, the door alarm going off and I’ve already dialed 911 while the intruder is wondering what he should do next. My advice, run away dude.
The intruder doesn’t know it but my bedroom door also has a key lock on it. Police are notified now they may be here in 10 minutes or so. I’m not worried about average response times. I’m crouched behind a dresser now in a dark room with my .357, aimed at my bedroom door, waiting.
Now if all that noise doesn’t deter this intruder and he decides he’s going to continue intruding, he’ll have to kick my bedroom door to get to where I’m at. If he makes that choice, sucks to be him.
I sleep like a baby at night and I don’t give $600 to $1200 a year to ADT or place my hopes in a police officer arriving in minutes when seconds count.
Good for you, Paul. I essentially use the same system.
My dog is 120 lbs, barks at any disturbance around my immediate property, and doesn’t take kindly to strangers; even the burglars with double-digit IQs — that is, 99.9% of them — know that it’s smarter to move on to an easier target. Those who choose to press their luck will get a quick reminder that the 2nd Amendment is alive and well in my neck of the woods. In fact, if the Honeybee and I are both home, they’ll get two reminders.
You’re not going to shoot anyone. I think it’s funny how people talk about guns by my bed LOL. Yeah, go ahead and have a shootout in your home, putting your wife and kids at risk due to a poor decision made by you. Suspect vs victim. My money is on the suspect when who pulls the trigger first
Joe, you don’t know jack.
Nobody wants a shootout in their home, but if you think everybody who owns a firearm will be afraid to use it when the lives of them or their family is on the line, you are badly mistaken.
To GET to my house, you’d have to hike a 1/2 mile up a driveway from the end of the road where I have a gate.
You’ll pass several different motion detector and metal detector type wireless driveway alarms, get past 2 large dogs, before you ever get to my front door…..which by the way, is never locked.
IF you come in my house uninvited, I have a couple Glock 19’s in different parts of the house, and a 12ga pump Mossberg in a cabinet next to my bed.
Anyone in my house after dark uninvited I assume is crazy as can be and I will shoot Joe…..you can count on it.
I love the Glock 19, Andy. So much so that I have three of them. The family and I just got back from the range today. We fired them as well as my .45 Glock 36. A good time was had by all!
Nice post! Installing a home security system has disadvantages but if you think about how well these systems can provide security, I think it is just okay. You can sleep well at night. Thanks for the post!
Lamest compendium of excuses I’ve ever seen. But I will say this for you: you listed more of them than I’ve ever seen!
I want to go to my municipality and tell them to open a two man task force to give serious fines to alarm companies for each false alarm.
Why? The level of noise pollution and stress they cause to the general population is a public health risk. Fines must be serious and repeat offenders with shitty systems must be shut down.
I have been in the electronic security industry for over 35 years. During this time I have seen a myriad of changes in detection devices, control panels, and central station (monitoring station) equipment.
Many of your statements are based on valid points and made me smile.
One thing to remember is that no system is fool-proof. A well-designed system will alert you to an emergency situation and hopefully scare away an intruder in the process.
Another important fact to remember is that a properly designed and installed security system should always include fire and carbon monoxide detection. Most fire victims perish from smoke inhalation long before the fire reaches them. The dangers of carbon monoxide cannot be ignored. I have seen too many instances of a family being overcome by this poisonous gas when a security system would have alerted them and even summoned help long before levels reached a critical stage.
If you do not want or cannot afford a professionally installed and monitored security system, at least purchase a stand-alone smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector from your local home improvement or hardware store. And remember, not all fires occur when you are at home. A dog, no matter how well trained, will be able to summon help as your home fills with smoke from the spreading fire or fills with carbon monoxide from a malfunctioning gas appliance. And remember – your indoor pet is susceptible to the same dangers that intruders, smoke, and carbon monoxide present to you.
If you are looking for a good bargain on home security, look for a smaller, locally based security company. You may not receive a $99 installation promotion but, customer service, the lack of a contract, and monitoring and service rates that can be quite a bit below what the larger national companies will charge can often make a world of difference in your experience as an alarm owner.
Hey! Usually, you can expect a bill from city hall after the first or second false alarm.
Thnx for sharing. Good Info. A carbon monoxide gas alarm, is another kind of small gas safety product suitable for family use.
Burglars know that police respond relatively slowly. Having a good home security system can help change that thought because it allows for a much faster response time.
Great article! I regret getting mine.
Thnx for sharing. Good Info. A carbon monoxide gas alarm, is another kind of small gas safety product suitable for family use.
I think they are worth it. Don’t forget, many also monitor fire and some even water leakage. If a window is compromised it also goes off. Not everyone has a dog either. Ours works off cell towers. Plus we have a whole house generator in case of a power outage. The homes in our neighborhood are so close together that there’s also a good chance neighbors will hear the alarm, especially in summer when windows might be open.
Yeah- it was expensive to have it installed but the peace of mind is worth it. I also think good alternatives are the do it yourself ones like simply safe.
What we don’t have is that darn ring doorbell thing. No way do I want to constantly be having my cell phone go off every time the ups driver drops off a package or a neighbor walks by my house. I don’t care who comes to my front door as long as he doesn’t break into my house.
My brother mentioned to me last night that they are planning to have a home alarm system installed in their home for safety purposes. I sent him this article. I hope he learns from it!
I too finally realized that the disadvantages of company-monitored home security systems significantly exceeded the benefits, so I terminated my service when my contract term finished. I used to think differently until you explained it and it really got my attention.
Thank you for sharing your eye-opening tips. I definitely might reconsider getting a home security system!
Jeez Len, forget finance, blog on security issues. Apparently a much hotter topic!!!
I have no idea how old this article or the comments are, but I thought I’d weigh in. I’ve read the article and all the comments, which made me think about our home security system. We have a wireless one from ADT, one that uses a cellular signal instead of land lines. We had it installed 17 years ago, after an elderly couple on our street experienced a home invasion. I’m disabled and home alone with my kids during the day (we homeschool), so a home invasion isn’t high on my list of things I’d like to experience. That being said, nothing of that sort has happened in our neighborhood since.
It doesn’t make sense for us to have a dog. I’d really like one, but I hate ankle biters, and we live in the suburbs. The size dog I’d like to own would need more exercise than it could get in our present abode. In the 17 years that we’ve had an alarm, we’ve only had 2 false alarms, both of which can be attributed to user error. It sets automatically at midnight and turns off automatically before my husband leaves for work. He then resets the alarm using his cell phone. It’s quite unlikely that we’ll ever need it, but it’s saved us so much money, we’d be fools to stop using it. Our home insurance would be $3,000 a year without it, but we save 20% ($600) with it. The alarm monitoring costs $480 a year, so it saves us $120 annually. Not a huge savings, but it pays for my homebrewed coffee. 😉
For us, it currently makes more financial sense to have an alarm than not to. Circumstances may change when my husband retires and we finally get to move to the country. Or they may not. We’ll see what happens, but you’re right that it’s always smart to look at whether something is costing you money . If it is, it’s certainly worth assessing whether that money is well spent or not.
As an owner of big dogs for more than 30 years (including two Great Danes), I can tell you that they require a lot less space than you probably imagine. (Oh … and the date of the article is on the green bar at the bottom of the article.)