Home security systems

[Inky_Wretch]

The wife wants a security system. I'm trying to figure out if we could get by with a WIFI system (Nest? Canary?) or should bite the bullet for a monthly charge system like ADT or similar.

Any suggestions?

 

[Baron Scicluna]

The wife wants a security system. I'm trying to figure out if we could get by with a WIFI system (Nest? Canary?) or should bite the bullet for a monthly charge system like ADT or similar.

Any suggestions?

Whatever you do, do NOT get Vivint.

I had signed up for them about six years ago when I was having neighbor trouble. The system itself wasn't so bad. But the customer service makes Donald Trump look honest (sorry, couldn't resist).

I had signed up for a three-year contract. Three years was up, and I kinda was thinking about getting rid of it (the ****ty neighbors moved on to annoy other people). Vivint convinced me to stay by knocking $10 a month off the price for another three-year contract.

Except, nearly every month, Vivint kept charging me the original price. I kept having to call them up, and they would reduce it back, and promise to change the price as it was supposed to be. Only, each month, I kept getting the same original price bill. It took about 2 1/2 years before a competent employee finally got it right.

Then, after the second three-year contract was up, I decided I'd had enough. I let it expire, waited a month, then called them and told them I wanted to cancel. The guy said I had to send something in writing by mail or email. I sent the email and got an acknowledgment back from them.

Except, sure enough, next month I get a bill. I call and tell them I cancelled. They said I had to give 30 days notice. I told them the previous guy didn't say that, but whatever. Sent them the check, and expected that would be it.

Except ... sure enough ... next month. Another bill. I call, tell them I had cancelled with the 30 days notice. Employee says that I actually had another year to go on the contract because I had made a verbal renewal it in 2014, one year into my second contract. I told her that I definitely did not, that it made zero sense for me to renew a contract one year into a three-year deal, that I had a screenshot of my renewed contract from 2013, and that I wanted the damn thing cancelled. She said she'd delete the charge, and send the cancellation on through.

Except ... sure enough ... another month. Another bill, for two months of service. After I had cancelled. I call AGAIN, and this employee seemed semi-competent. She said they had the acknowlegment of my cancellation, was going to delete the two charges, and email me the final cancellation.

Except ... sure enough ... I never received the email. Instead, I get a collection notice, with threat of late fees. I call AGAIN (yesterday), and the assclown on the phone claims he's an account manager, and that not only do I owe the money, but that I had made a verbal renewal of my contract in 2015, and that I was under contract until 2018. I called bull**** on him. He claimed that he would have Vivint send me the copy of the recording either yesterday or today.

So far, no phone call, and I figure for a Saturday, there won't be, so I'll give him until Monday, then they'll likely get another phone call from me.

Never again will I use Vivint.

 

[User 1019]

 

[Earthman]

 

[Earthman]

Whatever you do, do NOT get Vivint.

I had signed up for them about six years ago when I was having neighbor trouble. The system itself wasn't so bad. But the customer service makes Donald Trump look honest (sorry, couldn't resist).

I had signed up for a three-year contract. Three years was up, and I kinda was thinking about getting rid of it (the ****ty neighbors moved on to annoy other people). Vivint convinced me to stay by knocking $10 a month off the price for another three-year contract.

Except, nearly every month, Vivint kept charging me the original price. I kept having to call them up, and they would reduce it back, and promise to change the price as it was supposed to be. Only, each month, I kept getting the same original price bill. It took about 2 1/2 years before a competent employee finally got it right.

Then, after the second three-year contract was up, I decided I'd had enough. I let it expire, waited a month, then called them and told them I wanted to cancel. The guy said I had to send something in writing by mail or email. I sent the email and got an acknowledgment back from them.

Except, sure enough, next month I get a bill. I call and tell them I cancelled. They said I had to give 30 days notice. I told them the previous guy didn't say that, but whatever. Sent them the check, and expected that would be it.

Except ... sure enough ... next month. Another bill. I call, tell them I had cancelled with the 30 days notice. Employee says that I actually had another year to go on the contract because I had made a verbal renewal it in 2014, one year into my second contract. I told her that I definitely did not, that it made zero sense for me to renew a contract one year into a three-year deal, that I had a screenshot of my renewed contract from 2013, and that I wanted the damn thing cancelled. She said she'd delete the charge, and send the cancellation on through.

Except ... sure enough ... another month. Another bill, for two months of service. After I had cancelled. I call AGAIN, and this employee seemed semi-competent. She said they had the acknowlegment of my cancellation, was going to delete the two charges, and email me the final cancellation.

Except ... sure enough ... I never received the email. Instead, I get a collection notice, with threat of late fees. I call AGAIN (yesterday), and the assclown on the phone claims he's an account manager, and that not only do I owe the money, but that I had made a verbal renewal of my contract in 2015, and that I was under contract until 2018. I called bull**** on him. He claimed that he would have Vivint send me the copy of the recording either yesterday or today.

So far, no phone call, and I figure for a Saturday, there won't be, so I'll give him until Monday, then they'll likely get another phone call from me.

Never again will I use Vivint.

This sounds more like something that would happen to small potatoes

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

We went with a local security company. He put in motion detectors, door sensors, key pad ... I'm happy with it. Pay about $150 every six months for the contract.

 

[Ace]

This sounds more like something that would happen to small potatoes

Nah. Smallp would have gone for a security upgrade and their financing.

 

[Earthman]

Nah. Smallp would have gone for a security upgrade and their financing.

And then had his house robbed by the installer

 

[Ace]

We had a security system in our first house when our kids were little. It was more of a pain in the ass -- going off a night because of a storm, etc. -- than a help.

I do think it could be good if you are away to know if the "pet sitter" spent a total of 5 minutes in the house or if your 16-year-olds sure was opening the doors a lot at 10 p.m. on a Friday.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

The wife wants a security system. I'm trying to figure out if we could get by with a WIFI system (Nest? Canary?) or should bite the bullet for a monthly charge system like ADT or similar.

Any suggestions?

Why does your wife want a security system?

 

[bigpern23]

I have an older version of the Nest cam, and it does the job fairly well, but I don't think I'd recommend it as a security system. We use it as a baby monitor and it does occasionally lose connectivity (it almost always returns on its own, but it has happened at inopportune times before, such as when I thought I heard the baby, but wasn't sure).

Realistically, if you're looking for true security - as in protection for your home from burglars/home invaders - you really need one that is wired into the local police department. Anything else will require you to waste time checking the camera and then making a call yourself. If you're worried enough that someone could break into your home to get a security system, those seconds could make a difference.

And @Earthman may have been kidding, but seriously, dogs are a damn good deterrent against break ins. I have a 20-yard driveway that leads out to the street and pretty much no living being on this planet can get within that 20 yards without setting off the dog alarm.

 

[Earthman]

I have an older version of the Nest cam, and it does the job fairly well, but I don't think I'd recommend it as a security system. We use it as a baby monitor and it does occasionally lose connectivity (it almost always returns on its own, but it has happened at inopportune times before, such as when I thought I heard the baby, but wasn't sure).

Realistically, if you're looking for true security - as in protection for your home from burglars/home invaders - you really need one that is wired into the local police department. Anything else will require you to waste time checking the camera and then making a call yourself. If you're worried enough that someone could break into your home to get a security system, those seconds could make a difference.

And @Earthman may have been kidding, but seriously, dogs are a damn good deterrent against break ins. I have a 20-yard driveway that leads out to the street and pretty much no living being on this planet can get within that 20 yards without setting off the dog alarm.

Not kidding at all. I have 2 big dogs that perform the same 20 yard warning system for me as well.

 

[Ace]

The best security is not having a damn thing worth stealing.

I always wonder about these "home invasions" in sketchy areas. Suspect many are drug invasions.

 

[JohnHammond]

Whatever you do, do NOT get Vivint.

I had signed up for them about six years ago when I was having neighbor trouble. The system itself wasn't so bad. But the customer service makes Donald Trump look honest (sorry, couldn't resist).

I had signed up for a three-year contract. Three years was up, and I kinda was thinking about getting rid of it (the ****ty neighbors moved on to annoy other people). Vivint convinced me to stay by knocking $10 a month off the price for another three-year contract.

Except, nearly every month, Vivint kept charging me the original price. I kept having to call them up, and they would reduce it back, and promise to change the price as it was supposed to be. Only, each month, I kept getting the same original price bill. It took about 2 1/2 years before a competent employee finally got it right.

Then, after the second three-year contract was up, I decided I'd had enough. I let it expire, waited a month, then called them and told them I wanted to cancel. The guy said I had to send something in writing by mail or email. I sent the email and got an acknowledgment back from them.

Except, sure enough, next month I get a bill. I call and tell them I cancelled. They said I had to give 30 days notice. I told them the previous guy didn't say that, but whatever. Sent them the check, and expected that would be it.

Except ... sure enough ... next month. Another bill. I call, tell them I had cancelled with the 30 days notice. Employee says that I actually had another year to go on the contract because I had made a verbal renewal it in 2014, one year into my second contract. I told her that I definitely did not, that it made zero sense for me to renew a contract one year into a three-year deal, that I had a screenshot of my renewed contract from 2013, and that I wanted the damn thing cancelled. She said she'd delete the charge, and send the cancellation on through.

Except ... sure enough ... another month. Another bill, for two months of service. After I had cancelled. I call AGAIN, and this employee seemed semi-competent. She said they had the acknowlegment of my cancellation, was going to delete the two charges, and email me the final cancellation.

Except ... sure enough ... I never received the email. Instead, I get a collection notice, with threat of late fees. I call AGAIN (yesterday), and the assclown on the phone claims he's an account manager, and that not only do I owe the money, but that I had made a verbal renewal of my contract in 2015, and that I was under contract until 2018. I called bull**** on him. He claimed that he would have Vivint send me the copy of the recording either yesterday or today.

So far, no phone call, and I figure for a Saturday, there won't be, so I'll give him until Monday, then they'll likely get another phone call from me.

Never again will I use Vivint.

Did you actually put anything in writing that you cancelled? I'll ask Todd about your case.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

The best security is not having a damn thing worth stealing.

I always wonder about these "home invasions" in sketchy areas. Suspect many are drug invasions.

Since when did drives limit themselves to sketchy areas? Ours don't. They are equal opportunity thieves.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Did you actually put anything in writing that you cancelled? I'll ask Todd about your case.

Yes, I did. I first verbally told the Vivint rep over the phone that I wanted to cancel, then was told I had to send an email to their legal department with my name, account number, and a statement that I wished to cancel. I did so immediately after the phone call and several of their reps have subsequently confirmed that they received my cancellation notice.

Then, a month later, I got a bill, and was told I was supposed to have given 30 days notice, which, while it does sound reasonable to me, hadn't been told to me by the first rep. I grumbled a little, but paid for that month.

Then, they kept billing me, and during the calls, claimed I had renewed the deal both in 2014 and in 2015, which I knew I hadn't, since it made zero sense to renew a contract when I still had a long time on the current contract.

And today, a follow-up from my previous post on the subject.

I had been told they would let me listen in on the phone calls where I supposedly had agreed to renew it. They said they would call back. Of course, they didn't.

So today, I called again, got another rep, who repeated the contract renewal thing, but said he would message his manager and team leader about it and they would get back to me.

Surprisingly, the rep did call back a few hours later. He said he had listened to the call, and as it turned out, my wife had supposedly called to complain about a bill and had agreed to renew the contract. Which doesn't make much sense, since she's always left this bill up to me, and she denied having ever called them, but maybe she did in fact forget she did. Either way, the rep read me how they get people to renew, and it's not exactly kosher. Their statement tells the customer that they understand they're being recorded for quality assurance, then something else, then the rep mumbles how they agree to renew the contract. If someone doesn't listen closely, they're agreeing to something they may not want.

But anyhoo, they said my wife was on the account as an emergency contact, but not on the actual bill, so she wasn't authorized to renew the contract, making it invalid, and that they would refund me the money for what I had paid since the contract had expired. I got all of this info emailed to me by the rep, showing his computer screenshot of his program stopping my account and refunding me the money.

So, hopefully, after numerous months and phone calls, this finally ends up working out.

Until, of course, I get the next bill ...

 

[User 11148]

Damn ... that (the recorded customer service call) is pretty damn sketchy ...

 

[Buck]

Since when did drives limit themselves to sketchy areas? Ours don't. They are equal opportunity thieves.

I think he's wondering about the motives for home invasions and robberies in low-income and poor areas. Not that such crimes are limited to low-income and poor neighborhoods, but because there is theoretically less of value to be taken. One can easily understand why a home in a well-to-do neighborhood gets robbed, the contents of the home are presumably worth stealing.

With regard to low-income and poor neighborhoods, possible drugs are a motivation.
However, there is also an issue of opportunity. Homes in such neighborhoods are less likely to have any security, and some times, unfortunately, the perp knows the victim and has direct knowledge of the contents of the home.