Yesterday my girlfriend signed up for some home automation service that came to our door with a "promotional" price for service. They installed the system last night and the whole thing happened so quick.
After she signed the paper work the salesman asked her if she was flexible on the installation time. She said yes and within 20minutes the technician arrived to install the system. Didn't give much oppurtunity for a second thought.
Both the salesman and technician were very courteous, however, the internet has mixed reviews of the company. We are now somewhat concerned about their legitimacy. We have 10 days to cancel the service "penalty free"(except replacing the deadbolt in the door). So my question is, should she cut her losses and cancel the service for the cost of a new deadbolt? Or is this operation legitimate and worthwhile to stick with the 3 and a half year contract.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated as I have only bought cookies and chocolate from door to door saleschildren, so seeing this develop was a bit alarming.
Three and a half year contract, made in a matter of 20 minutes?
Cancel it. If you really want a home security system take the time to research what works best for you, not which company comes to your door and offers a 3 year contract.
You fool, haven't you listened to a single thing Joel Matlin has said on the radio? Not Alarm Force? You're wasting your money (and everyone you love will be murdered by armed thieves).
The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Bigtime For This Useful Post:
You fool, haven't you listened to a single thing Joel Matlin has said on the radio? Not Alarm Force? You're wasting your money (and everyone you love will be murdered by armed thieves).
Cancel it, doesn't the law give you 7 days to back out of this type of contract? A sober second thought law? EDIT: Oh I see in the OP you have 10 days to cancel.
I'm not sure if my ADT stickers have deterred any criminals, but it sure has been effective in eliminating these annoying door to door security salesmen.
Yesterday my girlfriend signed up for some home automation service that came to our door with a "promotional" price for service. They installed the system last night and the whole thing happened so quick.
After she signed the paper work the salesman asked her if she was flexible on the installation time. She said yes and within 20minutes the technician arrived to install the system. Didn't give much oppurtunity for a second thought.
Both the salesman and technician were very courteous, however, the internet has mixed reviews of the company. We are now somewhat concerned about their legitimacy. We have 10 days to cancel the service "penalty free"(except replacing the deadbolt in the door). So my question is, should she cut her losses and cancel the service for the cost of a new deadbolt? Or is this operation legitimate and worthwhile to stick with the 3 and a half year contract.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated as I have only bought cookies and chocolate from door to door saleschildren, so seeing this develop was a bit alarming.
If you want to test your system just PM me your address and the hours that you aren't home. Also if you can un plug the cables on your T.V's stereos and laptops and put your girlfriends jewelry in a open area it will make the test easier.
__________________
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to CaptainCrunch For This Useful Post:
Can't comment on the actual service, but the sales people who go door to door are scumbags. The guy asked if I knew anybody who lived on my street, told him not really(even though I do). So he started telling me how almost everyone on my street had signed up and starts listing off my "neighbors" who had signed up. He said all I had to do was put a sign up on my lawn to get the same "incredible" offer as the rest of my neighbors. I told him I wasn't interested and he started arguing, asking if he could atleast come in to see if my smoke detectors were compatible with their system. I asked him again to leave but he kept insisting, at which point I asked him if he knew a doctor that had a lot of experience in dealing with head injuries resulting from a baseball bat, he took the hint and was on his way.
Anyways that was over a year ago and I have not seen a single sign infront of any house on my street, which I knew was likely going to be the case anyways.
If a company needs to start off a business relationship with you by lying and being argumentative, odds are their service won't be that great down the road, good service sells itself. And when it comes to home security I wouldn't gamble on services that you need to be tricked into getting. Just my 2 cents
The Following User Says Thank You to iggy_oi For This Useful Post:
I hate when they ask for your neighbors names. They do that so that they can greet the next person on a first name basis and throw them off. By starting the conversation off in a really friendly way the person thinks they might already know the salesman so they can get their pitch in while you are still trying to place the face.
The last guy who asked, I told him that was the reason I couldn't give out their names. He also kept saying that Cindy a few doors down signed up and was really excited.
Can't comment on the actual service, but the sales people who go door to door are scumbags. The guy asked if I knew anybody who lived on my street, told him not really(even though I do). So he started telling me how almost everyone on my street had signed up and starts listing off my "neighbors" who had signed up. He said all I had to do was put a sign up on my lawn to get the same "incredible" offer as the rest of my neighbors. I told him I wasn't interested and he started arguing, asking if he could atleast come in to see if my smoke detectors were compatible with their system. I asked him again to leave but he kept insisting, at which point I asked him if he knew a doctor that had a lot of experience in dealing with head injuries resulting from a baseball bat, he took the hint and was on his way.
Anyways that was over a year ago and I have not seen a single sign infront of any house on my street, which I knew was likely going to be the case anyways.
If a company needs to start off a business relationship with you by lying and being argumentative, odds are their service won't be that great down the road, good service sells itself. And when it comes to home security I wouldn't gamble on services that you need to be tricked into getting. Just my 2 cents
Honestly, the best thing to do when you are harrassed by sales people is tell them you were busy cleaning your gun and dont like to be bothered. They tend to leave you alone after that.
i beleive these guys came to our house and if i also recall thier systems seemed to have some sort of apple/andriord app to control the system. it seemed cool, but i also think the fees were around the $80 mark - which was more than we pay now.
i think that our current fees with conterforce are about equal to our insurance discount.
__________________
If I do not come back avenge my death
I use vivint it works. There are certain features I like, for example I have the ability to turn my alarm off as I pull in the driveway through my cellphone, I can also monitor the motion sensors throughout the day and if say I didn't close the garage door properly and it went off my phone would ring and tell me where so that when the alarm company calls me i can tell them yay or nay. By the time they call I'd already be halfway home.
It also works off of my cell phone, not landline like my old system. I don't require a landline now so I save $30 a month there and I save prolly $10 a month on insurance. I pay same as other systems $40 a month. Threaten to cancel and get your monthly charge reduced. I'm sure they'll do it. For me it basically became a wash.
I have a young son so I feel alot safer with him when he's with me.
Yes you are tied into a 3 year contract but she probably got all the equipment plus installation for free. I'm also sure majority of people here are tied to cell phone contracts as well. Once the 3 years is up you can just do month to month or cancel it. Even when you cancel it your alarm system still works, they just won't call the cops for you but the low lifes in society don't know that, so they'll most likely a) not enter or b) just grab something quick and scatter to not risk being caught.
A dog is too much work for me being a single dad. I can't always be home for the dog, so the alarm system is the next bust thing.
Hate the sales tactics (which I'll get to momentarily).
From the product side, it's a legit company, and the actual alarm & monitoring is good. My pops has Vivant installed in his house and the one time it's been used (his fault, which I won't go into), the RCMP showed up pretty quick.
However the sales tactics are akin to timeshare presentations. I've had them show up at my door (when I had a half dozen relatives over for the weekend, so I had no time for his presentation). He went into the big shpiel about the neighbors that had it and whatnot. I said I'm interested (I was, I had actually been contemplating calling them for a while), but I didn't have the time that weekend. So surprise surprise, the 'special price' he gave me was only good for that weekend. I ended up declining, whereas had he given me the same price on Monday when I had time to sit down and look the gear/features over, they would have had one more customer.
As I mentioned already, my father has it in his house, and I'm listed as a second contact for emergencies. They then proceed to use my contact info to try to make a sale. Get a phone call one day (I assume it's an alarm at his house), and they proceed to tell me that my son (oops) has Vivant installed and he thought I'd be interested in installing it in my home. I was on my way out the door so I said, no. Called him to ask if he had given them my phone number (if it was a referral thing to get him a credit on his account, no big deal). He said no, and they had asked him if they could call me for sales purposes and he specifically said no.
So the short and skinny of it, good alarm, s****** sales tactics.
Since you already have it, if you're okay with the contract length (I don't think they wanted me to sign on for 3 years, IIRC), and you actually want the service, I'd say keep it.
If it's nothing you're interested in, I'd cancel it.
I'm using ADT also with home automation and am very happy with it so far. Similar features as what has been described here - app for the phone, website control, ability to control the furnace or door, lights, etc.
No crazy door to door sales guy, just called them and had them come, do the assessment, then install. Smooth process, reputable company.
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to old-fart For This Useful Post:
I hate those door to door salesguys for Alarm Systems. Last time, some guy came to my parent's place and basically told me I'm putting everyone in grave danger by not having an alarm system. I told him we live on the busiest street in Coventry, my dad's retired, and thus is home all day. He doesn't need an alarm system. He kept harping on and on, and finally I had to tell him no means no, and I basically shut the door on him. Man, what slimy people.
Honestly, the best thing to do when you are harrassed by sales people is tell them you were busy cleaning your gun and dont like to be bothered. They tend to leave you alone after that.
I tried out a new technique last week.
I put on the theme from Prometheus at full volume
answer the door with a bewildered look on my face and incoherently muttered to myself under my breath.
People's Experience with Vivint Canada???
. I asked him again to leave but he kept insisting, at which point I asked him if he knew a doctor that had a lot of experience in dealing with head injuries resulting from a baseball bat, he took the hint and was on his way.
