We currently have an ADT alarm system we pay 65 bucks or so as month for (monitoring fee). We also need to keep old fashioned land line or pay even more, including 100s of $ installation of something new.
So, what do others have and what is cost like? We live in a very safe neighborhood if that helps.
We have a Maine Coon cat - scares away any interlopers.
Seriously, we live in a safe area. We use Ring video cams and monitor ourselves.
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Ring here too - like how we can monitor as needed and talk to people at our door if package delivery and we are away. We have the doorbell system plus other cameras - works well and you just need to remember to charge.
House alarms go off all the time at various neighbors - no one shows up to check and we all ignore it. Ring just seems like a better choice in our area.
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Have been using Ring for about a year now. With 8 video cams, I pay $100 a year. I think it’s one of the cheapest around. The Ring security eco system in and around my house is highly reliable thus far, and they’re customizable. For example, when I leave home for an extended period of time, I simply press “Away” button on my phone app to trigger all 8 cams to monitor. Once home, I press “Home” button to only deactivate those cams inside the house. Each cam can set off an alarm or talk two-way. The doorbell can be customized to greet and take voice messages.
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We have ADT too but no land line. Our police and fire are super responsive. We also have Arlo camera.
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If you do want to keep a security monitoring service, try calling ADT and tell them you’ll leave if they don’t reduce your monthly. $65 is way too high. They should be able to slash that in half.
Second, you can quit ADT and sign up with a lower cost monitoring service. They’ll work with your existing ADT system so there’s no need to install a new system.
Third, get rid of the landline. For a one time cost ADT can install a system that connects via your cellphone (via the Internet, so you don’t need to be home for it to work).
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I called them to see about getting rid of my land line. It would cost something close to 350 to install and 11 a month to not have a land line.
Unfortunately, in our area you need to have an in-home visit with ADT to get pricing. I don’t want to do that. I may call to see if I can get anything cheaper as is, but the lady I talked to earlier didn’t think I could
PS. ADT just raised our rate to $62/month.
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We have Simplisafe and have used it at three houses so far. The monthly fee for monitored service is <$20. The initial cost for equipment varies greatly depending on what you want, but even with multiple keypads (the more expensive piece of equipment) we spent <$500. If we had more casement and fixed pane windows here it would have been much less.
We also have a Eufy doorbell camera which has worked well for us. One appeal was that it’s supposed to do local storage only. I just saw headlines for an issue with unauthorized uploads and need to find out more before I recommend it again.
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Call them! They have automatic yearly increases, so it builds up over time. I was able to get my cost down from nearly $50 to about $30. Worth a try.
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This thread is making me think…we have ADT too, not sure about our monthly fee - we do have a landline…
To be honest, our neighbor seems pretty safe for BREAK-INS. There was a rash of them years ago which probably prompted us getting ADT. But now I don’t hear/read about break ins, it’s more outside things - car break-ins, stealing catalytic converters - outside of the house business.
Maybe we should just get a Ring system and call it a day??? (are there people who install them? H is a big “NO” for any tech set up. It would have to be me probably and ugh, I hate to have this responsiblity…)
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Living in high-price suburban county in large metro area. Plenty of well-established, reputable, local vendors outside of ADT, who handle many corporate, small business and private accounts.
Paying $20/month (plus tax) monitoring fee per line (my land line is backed up with a dedicated mobile link).
It’s monitoring basement for water, glass break (e.g. sliding glass door) and of course various entrances and motion. We live in a very safe area - but people are away at day jobs (possibly in the city), and properties are acre or more, with sight-protecting landscaping. So - bad actors have a lot of “privacy” to do their thing.
There have been two break-ins over the past 30 years (both aborted when the alarm system “talked” them out), and at least ONE attempt (aborted when the alarm system detected tempering).
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Two big dogs, security lights, and good landscaping. I have stickers on the windows and doors that security cameras are in use. Easy to install doorframe reinforcements. Make friends with your neighbors.
We had “solicitors” many years ago. They hurried away when met at the door by two large dogs.
Live in a nice neighborhood but crime is everywhere. You just don’t always hear about it.
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I guess if we make a change it will be to Simplisafe or Ring. My son just got a house and I got them a Simplisafe system at Costco. May pick up another next time they go on sale.
The sign in the yard provides most of the protection. They are a cheep one time cost (you likely already have one).
Our home insurance requires that we have an alarm system with a connection to central dispatching. The cheapest is Simplisafe. We have it. I think our monthly cost is $25.
Our building inspector requires that we have hard-wired alarms – Simplisafe is battery operated. So we left the legacy smoke alarms when we renovated but will probably need to add more. They will get us out of the house but won’t notify the fire station.
Incidentally, OP, if you call ADT and ask to cancel, they will probably offer you a lower price (maybe with a contract extension).