Monitoring service or self monitor

[mikefamig]

That's another factor in my decision - I don't have any smoke detectors tied into my Elk. It's burgulary only... well and automation of coarse

 
I'm with you on that. I do plan to get fire and smoke detectors installed in the future and they will be monitored by a service. I suppose that at that point I will also monitor the alarm sensors.
 
Mike.

 

[LarrylLix]

Years back my insurance company stated 5% discount for an installed security system, and 30% discount if it was remotely monitored.
 
I wonder if this includes self monitoring? hmmmmm....

 

[mikefamig]

Years back my insurance company stated 5% discount for an installed security system, and 30% discount if it was remotely monitored.
 
I wonder if this includes self monitoring? hmmmmm....

 
I'd say it's worth arguing with today's technology. My Elk dials mywife's and my cell phone using pots and also sends emails and texts to us both.
 

 

 

[mikefamig]

Years back my insurance company stated 5% discount for an installed security system, and 30% discount if it was remotely monitored.
 
I wonder if this includes self monitoring? hmmmmm....

I just looked at USAA website and they make mention of a discount if you have a monitored ADT system and they link you to ADT's web site. Makes me think that USAA is getting a kickback from ADT.

 

[Del91574]

Very nice, that's a big plus for me.

With the M1 and most others, discounting a cellular connection via serial, just as easy to pull the terminal block for the telco or unplug the RJ. Also easy enough to spoof the line if you don't want to have an active telco trouble, but of course, putting the account on test via the CS would be the ideal.

 

[Del91574]

I just looked at USAA website and they make mention of a discount if you have a monitored ADT system and they link you to ADT's web site. Makes me think that USAA is getting a kickback from ADT.

That relationship has existed for over 20 years. Preferred installation pricing and preferred monitoring plans/service agreements. If you think about it, in the case of national companies with any size, ADT has really been the only one available for a national account like USAA. Sonitrol, Pro 1, Brinks and others are not in all markets or haven't been doing residential as long (or still exist).

 

[drvnbysound]

I'm with you on that. I do plan to get fire and smoke detectors installed in the future and they will be monitored by a service. I suppose that at that point I will also monitor the alarm sensors.
 
Mike.

 
That stuff will be in the next house for me... along with most likely having contacts on all doors (just in case - automation) and more motions as well (more automation).

 

[Del91574]

I'd say it's worth arguing with today's technology. My Elk dials mywife's and my cell phone using pots and also sends emails and texts to us both.

Every insurer I dealt with says no, they want professional monitoring and automatic response. Keep in mind Mike, I've had to deal with insurers in state that mandated HO's to actually install systems with fire, CO and flood/freeze simply because of the dollar value of the potential loss. Granted they didn't necessarily care about the items within the house too much (different underwriting, as anything above a "normal" home's contents is supposed to be covered under a different policy and rider) but as far as structure and complete loss or damage from preventable or monitor able items, they wanted them installed and professionally monitored otherwise they could/would deny coverage or renewal. I guess, similar to the hurricane/flood stuff that required shutters and windows/films.
 
As "good" as cells, emails and notifications are, the insurers want something as automatic as possible for a dispatch with as little human intervention as possible.

 

[drvnbysound]

I believe the INS company will require a form from a monitoring company before they will drop any rates... at least that's been my experience with those I've setup for others. YMMV

 

[pete_c]

Here provide a document / certificate of CS monitoring or receipt/invoice of billing.

 

[Del91574]

I always am asked for paperwork, HO's I've dealt with are typically asked for the same, but I'd assume if the insurance carrier asked and is never provided anything or it falls through the cracks, once the HO attempts to submit a claim, it would be the HO's burden of proof to provide monitoring invoices proving the system was active and in service.
 
I know I'm required to inform the carriers when an account cancels or is removed from service by myself.....I have had a couple of deadbeats that I couldn't track down so I cancelled, sent certified and said F-them, if they can't be reached, I have every document and the failed test reports and attempted contact documented.

 

[ano]

With Next Alarm you can just put CS in test mode for a few hours or the day if you want to tinker.
 
 

nextalarm.jpg

I have some Next Alarm stories to share.  The first was about two years ago when I set off my alarm by mistake.  So alarm goes off and I quickly cancel it. Next alarm never calls, so I figured they realized the problem.  About 4 hours later the police show up and say they are just checking that everything is O.K. I repeat 4 hours. I said it went off hours ago, and they said they knew, but happened to be "in the area." O.K.  Anyway, several days later I get a letter from the city saying I had a false alarm against my false alarm limit.  I also got a email from Next Alarm saying that since I cancelled the alarm they had cancelled it. 
 
Then yesterday I set my alarm off by mistake.  Again quickly turned it off, but i figured that I should call Next Alarm to make sure its cancelled.  So I call. I'm put on hold for almost two minutes.  Then lady comes on the line and I say I want to make sure fire department wasn't sent.   "What is your phone number?"  So I give her my phone number, which was the phone I was calling from.  "No, we don't seem to have that one." I say I can giver her my account number because I'm on their web page now and its on top of the page.  So account number is xxxxx "No we don't seem to have that either. What is your address?"  So I giver her my address and she finds it.  "It looks like here we tried to call you at (xxx) xxx-xxxx but it said the number was disconnected."  It was the SAME number that she just said they didn't have, the one I'm calling from NOW!!!  So next day i get an email from them saying the number is bad so I need to update my phone number.  I have Ooma so check the phone log, there is the call I called them, but NO call from them. 
 
So i am wondering if Next Alarm is even worth trusting my house to anymore.  The thing about alarm companies is you never know how good or bad their service is until you have to actually use them.
 
It seems like it would be so much better if your alarm could notify the police or fire department directly?

 

[Del91574]

Put it this way, Next Alarm isn't a CS. Never has been, never will be. As they said in the Wizard of Oz "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" They were the first to put the ATA out there and offer "specialized web services" but if you really dug deeper the truth is completely out in the open as to who they are, what they offer and what standards they truly meet. The main reason why they became popular is they cater to the DIY market and they offered "the" solution for TCP/IP monitoring (with a whole host of issues to go with it) but they packaged it into a slick bundle and GUI that was accessible.
 
They're one of the few companies I wouldn't let watch a pet goldfish, let alone a house. My former employer would be another one.
 
As far as notifying the municipalities directly, there are areas that do exactly that and have their own CS receivers, but few and far between and/or they usually use them to monitor the municipalities own properties and buildings. The largest item that gets discussed is always going to be liability.

 

[mikefamig]

ano - thanks for sharing your experience and
 
DEL - who would you choose as an online/IP CS if any?
 
Mike.

 

[Del91574]

Because I'm in the trade, I'm exceptionally wary as to who I would pick and trust. The biggest issues are UL listing and to what extent (I prefer mercantile safe and vault/UUVX or CPVX) and CSAA 5 diamond.
 
In my case, my vendor is within the state, has a backup CS within an hour or so drive and another that is in another time zone. I can call and directly get a live person to answer any time of day or night, short of if there is a major event occurring (hurricane, storms, etc.) and I get faxed/emailed anything abnormal with any account, can login remotely and see what's going on and any data changes are done immediately. If I didn't use them, I would've gone to HSMC or a few others nearby.
 
For those that deal with end users, I'm not too impressed. Alarm Relay refused to answer me if they were UL and to what extent, so much so that they stopped replying to any further queries from me about their service. I don't think too highly of their setup and can't seem to find their UL certificate or to what extent, so that's a red flag, same with their CSAA listing. They also market under their "hidden" company to dealers and the like....why wouldn't they provide their certificate information? Every other CS does upon request.
 
Who else does that leave, Next Alarm? The third tier, AlarmGrid or others I'm sure I can turn up?
 
While it's not what most would like to hear, but if any local dealer can't monitor a traditional system for $20/month or less, there's an issue. Only exception is if there's an alternate path or third party charges (cellular is usually the largest). It may change the outward appearance of "freedom" to a consumer, but if the other items are met (UL and CSAA) it's a pretty level playing field.