ADT monitored house alarms. are they worth it?

[TottonSeagull]

We had a monitored alarm (not ADT) and too be fair we hardly turned it on. It was also a smoke alarm which turned out to be a bit of a nightmare when I was cooking some sausages under the grill and it all got a bit smokey. The alarm goes off, I shut it all down. Didn't get the usual phone call asking if all was ok but carried on cremating my sausages, only to look up out of the kitchen window to see a fire engine hurtling down the road with its blues and twos going!
When it pulled up outside our house my course of action was to inform the wife that someone was at the door and go back into the kitchen and close the door. I think the wife quite enjoyed it all however we didn't renew the contract and now have an alarm that still works (but we never use) but isn't connect up to the services.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Mmmm, maybe try to live in a somewhat normal area, have high quality doors, windows and locks, and decent home insurance. Job done.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Mmmm, maybe try to live in a somewhat normal area, have high quality doors, windows and locks, and decent home insurance. Job done.

Well my insurance premiums were lowered significantly when I had an alarm installed, and the risk of being burgled is reduced. I know people who have been burgled and money is not the primary issue. Having someone break in your house can be quite traumatic, and some items are irreplaceable.

 

[swindonseagull]

Sorry - full installation and monitoring - just alarm, or alarm plus cctv plus smoke detection? How many door contacts? How many IR detectors? Monitoring alerts just you and a key holder or that plus OB? If it's the full monty, that's a very good price...

From what I can remember its alarm, no cctv smoke detector ( firebrigade notified ) was £99 extra 1 door contacts 2 IR detectors, key pad and a remote keypad.
I think he said up to 8 key holders
£25.99 was for monitoring and maintenance and new batteries twice per year.

 

[swindonseagull]

Mmmm, maybe try to live in a somewhat normal area, have high quality doors, windows and locks, and decent home insurance. Job done.

My house is in a very nice area, we have good UPVC windows with high quality locks.
Insurance cannot replace everything and I just value what I have inside and worked for all my life.

 

[1901Phil]

Check with your insurance company to see how much you save on your contents insurance. I had a system installed at my previous house and my insurers gave no reduction. I took this to mean that they thought the particular system I installed did not reduce their risk

 

[SussexHoop]

My neighbour has an unmonitored alarm. Went home for lunch one day to find it had gone off. Checked over the fence and the front of the house but couldn't see any sign of a break-in. Called the non-emergency number to see if they would send someone round to do a proper check but they declined.

My brother has a monitored alarm & I'm one of the key holders. His house was broken into while he was away. I was called and attended accompanied by my trusty baseball bat, only to find I'd been beaten to it by 3 police cars. Dog unit attended some 20-30 minutes later, SOCO first thing in the morning, house to house enquiries later that day.

We had a monitored alarm installed shortly after. Sussex Alarms for us - I recommend them.

 

[Zukey Seagull]

From what I can remember its alarm, no cctv smoke detector ( firebrigade notified ) was £99 extra 1 door contacts 2 IR detectors, key pad and a remote keypad.
I think he said up to 8 key holders
£25.99 was for monitoring and maintenance and new batteries twice per year.

If you check back a few pages, I said about what you get with the alarm. I work for the company (ADT) but as you state smoke alarms are extra and yes you get fire brigade response.

Hope this doesn't read as me being rude sorry if it does

 

[Zukey Seagull]

ADT are offering full instalation for £49 then monitoring ( 36 month contract) for £25.99 per month.
are they worth it? hows reliability?

Any views.

If you have any other questions I don't mind if you wanted to Pm me.

 

[Goldstone1976]

From what I can remember its alarm, no cctv smoke detector ( firebrigade notified ) was £99 extra 1 door contacts 2 IR detectors, key pad and a remote keypad.
I think he said up to 8 key holders
£25.99 was for monitoring and maintenance and new batteries twice per year.

Thanks - that's pretty much what I was offered. Whether you think it's worth it is entirely a personal call. I need two additional door contacts and at least 7 more PIRs in order to cover the ground floor of my new place. Starts getting expensive!

 

[Zukey Seagull]

Thanks - that's pretty much what I was offered. Whether you think it's worth it is entirely a personal call. I need two additional door contacts and at least 7 more PIRs in order to cover the ground floor of my new place. Starts getting expensive!

For every device you add on its adds a montlhy cost, for example a PIR is £75 and that would add 50p per month

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

We have ADT and they've been very good and helpful. I do feel that a working alarm (or good dummy box) does deter the opportunist thief.

 

[Zukey Seagull]

We have ADT and they've been very good and helpful. I do feel that a working alarm (or good dummy box) does deter the opportunist thief.

Again very nice to here. I have worked for ADT for 9 years now, installing the alarms and CCTV. It's always nice to here people giving praise.

 

[PoG]

---

 

[tinx]

I had an ADT alarm but we cancelled the remote monitoring because each time the alarm had gone off they never actually did anything. After we complained the first time they said they had refined the alert process, it went off again and still no call to me or my key holder. Third time it happened I told them to stick it. That said we did end up with the alarm unmonitored and it all worked fine but paying the £30 ish a month for a service which never worked annoyed me.

 

[Del Boy]

Them prices seem crazy.

Personally I use Languard Alarms, local Independent family run business

 

[swindonseagull]

Them prices seem crazy.

Personally I use Languard Alarms, local Independent family run business

Crazy in what way? to low?
or to high?

 

[Fat Langers]

Are the ADT intruder alarms closed protocol like their fire alarms, or could you have it installed by ADT and then have it maintained and monitored by another firm?
Personally I've thought about getting an alarm for my house. More for peace of mind and as a deterrent. But if honest, I would probably buy and install one myself.

 

[Prince Monolulu]

Window sensors make sense

 

[Zukey Seagull]

Are the ADT intruder alarms closed protocol like their fire alarms, or could you have it installed by ADT and then have it maintained and monitored by another firm?
Personally I've thought about getting an alarm for my house. More for peace of mind and as a deterrent. But if honest, I would probably buy and install one myself.

With the alarms that we offer can only be installed and monitored by us.