Home Security

**Gel** · 22nd February 2003

I'm thinkiong of getting a monitored system in my house, like ADT for example. Any recommendations?

Gel

**procode** · 22nd February 2003

If you want to comply with 'Insurance Company' policy, either now or in the future, you don't have that much choice.

You HAVE to use one of the 'big four', the only companies they accept. If you are told by an insurance company to get a system or they will not insure you, they will only accept one these company's systems.

If you haven't had a problem and are free to choose, you would still be well advised to use one of these companies, because;

1) You 'may' just squeeze a discount on your insurance.
2) If you have claims in the future, you will have to change system installers, and therefore incurr all the installation charges/expenses for a second time.

The only 'against' is that these 'big four' know they have got you by the tender parts and charge accordingly.

**Gel** · 22nd February 2003

Thanks for the advice, wo are the other 3 companies?
Gel

ABCMan · 22nd February 2003

for what its worth mine is adt and tbh i wish it wasnt

after initial problems of failing to turn up to do the install, they sent one man to do a two man job which meant him having access for 3 days whilst it was wired in. once completed they cleaned up SOME of the mess they made and left.

after several calls they eventualy admitted that their system only uses a dummy box outside the house (meaning if the alarm went off the neighbours wouldnt know) so it cost extra to get a strobe and alarm box that worked.

within the first year they had to replace the front door sensor TWICE (went off when anything was posted), the rear door switch (made 57 calls to adt in the space of 2 hours), one of the control panels screwed up (still not replaced after 2 years), since it was installed i've been unable to use the grill on the cooker as it calls for the fire brigade within 5 mins of turning it on (even with no food under whilst warming up).

if someone cuts your phone wires the alarm is dead, it rings inside but that is it (unless you paid extra for the external bell) you need to add either red care (expensive) or a seperate digital cellular dialer (bloody expensive) to overcome this.

within the first year i'd had police cover withdrawn entirely due to faults on the system whilst i was out (quickly corrected once i pointed this out to adt).

for the privelige of this system i was screwed out of �1300 then there is a yearly monitoring fee of �300+ and then on top of that there is the expense of the extras.

to cap it all you dont even own it, they do, you simply lease it from them so if you decide not to pay they can come and remove it, given the mess they made putting it in i wonder how much mess they would leave removing it?

**class_A** · 23rd February 2003

ADT = bag o'shite.

Maybe look at something like Comfort which phones you if it goes off, plus other cool home automation stuff

**tbops** · 23rd February 2003

i have both Secom and adt....

ADT= proper shit

SECOM are realy realy good. realy good service loadsa helpand the alarms never coused me grief. both are redcare

**urbsy** · 23rd February 2003

I just have a picture of miss urbs on the gate , frightens burglars off straight away.

urbsy

**cosmicma** · 23rd February 2003

it's a shame about the insurance only recognising the four main groups because there's no reason why you can't fit your own and have a dialer to phone your mobile when the alarm is triggered it's about the fastest responce your gonna get

well thats what i have done anyway and if it rings me i just ring a neighbor to have a quick look for me to see if everything is ok but unfortunatly the insurance companies don't recognise the fact that you have fitted you own alarm regardless how good it is

ABCMan · 23rd February 2003

thats not entirely right, at my old place i was with legal and general and when i applied for an alarm discount they wanted to know if it was nacoss approved (which can be fitted by most alarm companies) since mine was of my own build i appealed and they sent someone out to check it out, the only problem they had was that my american 140db siren was TOO LOUD for uk law so i had to transfer it indoors from then on i got my 10% + an extra 5% as it was monitored (it autodialed myself + front, back and both side neighbours).

i have 2 alarms on this place one is a standard nacoss system the other is the adt i got no extra discount for the adt over the standard system (but i needed the alert call on the adt that the other didnt offer)