Appreciate advice on security surveillance companies

Siatros · Apr 27, 2008 9:48 pm

Hi all,

Just have had our security system configured and I am about to survey the market for security companies to sign up to surveiilance service. Any advice on people's direct experiences with them will be greatly appreciated!

(based in Melbourne bay side).

Steve

mattwalker · Apr 27, 2008 10:07 pm

Do not sign up with ADT!

The most useless company when it came to dealing with any issue we had security/installation etc and as for customer service (I cant say what I want to say) there are completely and utterly sh*te.

Find a smaller local company that offers patrols around your area as they sometimes offer monitoring too.

Failing that get your system to ring you alerting you to which zone has been activated and get your neighbours phone number closest to that window

You could also invest in a CCTV system if you have concerns... Nothing speaks louder than live footage

Arc · Apr 27, 2008 10:39 pm

A few suggestions;

1. As mentioned above, have the system ring you.
2. Be careful about telling your insurance company you have an alarm. The discount is small and if you forget to arm it they may deny your claim.
3. If you do sign up with a monitoring service, make sure they respond physically themselves. If they only call the police it's highly unlikely the police will respond within any useful timeframe.
4. Most importantly, make sure you take reasonable steps to prevent any uninvited guests getting in, in the first place.

Siatros · Apr 30, 2008 12:18 am

Thanks all - thats great advice.

What a pity about ADT - they are currently offering $26.99 per month for 3 years! Until I read your post I was seriously considering them.

I will do some more hunting around ... however the concept of a larger security firm is attractive because of their scale ... any other suggestions welcome!

Steve

Siatros · Apr 30, 2008 12:30 am

Actually I am thinking of Coast Com ... anyone heard of them?

(BTW Matt who did you go with in the end?)

mattwalker · Apr 30, 2008 12:47 am

I ended up with a local guy who only does 50 houses in a 5 klm radius

Not a bad earner for him either considering he does nothing most of the time....

Adrian B · Apr 30, 2008 9:20 am

Steve where do you live?

A colleague has installed his own system, based on the Swan cameras. He has a PC in his roof, and he can log onto it when it rings him and see whats going on. It has saved his house from being done over a few times. I will see who he has for monitoring when he is away. It will also record the footage, and the software allows you to set the sensitivities for recording, He has a couple of pets so he has the sensitivity set to allow them to run around, and not call.

Siatros · Apr 30, 2008 11:15 pm

Thanks Adrian,

I have cabled up my house to cater for Webcams which can be used for this type of config but I am not sure I need it for now. Just a simple monitoring service will probably do - even if the sticker on the window is a deterent!

Steve

Lost Dog · May 03, 2008 3:30 pm

I agree about ADT. We went with them after the "promise" of 24hr monitoring. It was OK for the first few months, then the kids would forget about the alarm and just run in after the door was unlocked. Like I wrote previously, for the first few months we would get the "are you alright" phonecall. Then it was every second time it happened then not at all. We moved out of the place and I disconnected the alarm and phone when we went. Took ADT three weeks to ring because they had not received the return pulse they send out to check the system is working. I cancelled my contract with them immediately and was threatened with court action. They were told to take me to court as it would cost them a lot of money to prove that they were in fact gining me a 24/7 monitoring service. That was five years ago and nothing heard yet. I would not have any of these so-called security companies monitoring. Get a good dog, keep the front of the house visible from the street, and get to know your neighbours. Best security you can have.
Okay off the soapbox.
Col

Siatros · May 04, 2008 9:34 pm

Lost Dog

I agree about ADT. We went with them after the "promise" of 24hr monitoring. It was OK for the first few months, then the kids would forget about the alarm and just run in after the door was unlocked. Like I wrote previously, for the first few months we would get the "are you alright" phonecall. Then it was every second time it happened then not at all. We moved out of the place and I disconnected the alarm and phone when we went. Took ADT three weeks to ring because they had not received the return pulse they send out to check the system is working. I cancelled my contract with them immediately and was threatened with court action. They were told to take me to court as it would cost them a lot of money to prove that they were in fact gining me a 24/7 monitoring service. That was five years ago and nothing heard yet. I would not have any of these so-called security companies monitoring. Get a good dog, keep the front of the house visible from the street, and get to know your neighbours. Best security you can have.
Okay off the soapbox.
Col

Wow! You guys have really made me think about ADT - and I was close to signing up with them for $26/month for 3 years (good price I have to admit). As an alternative I am thinking of Coastcom which looks 'local'ish and not a megacorp like ADT. I would appreciate any advice of anyone else of that size.

Thanks again all for the insights - keep it coming. I will post back to the forum who I choose to go with in the end to help future discussions on this topic,

Steve

birdboard · May 19, 2008 3:43 pm

Lost Dog

Then it was every second time it happened then not at all.

Of course mate, you've been labelled as a falsie. Teach your kids to respect the system. The security companies report back to the coppers and everytime you guys take the back-to-base monitoring for granted I think that's called abusing the system.

birdboard · May 30, 2008 10:36 am

Guys there's this nice free service called Quotify that helps with getting local alarm installer quotes. Google for it. Cheers

Timbacare · Aug 23, 2008 1:24 pm

Coast Com are good!!

Had a friend working with them a few years back. Well orginised & very proffesional. At that stage, they had a guy working for them who used to look after ANZ HQ security.

So, just cause their "local" dosn't mean their bad.

Good security depends on the system installed.
The actual installer.
How good the monitoring set up and response is.

Ask questions, talk to local retailers and your friends and neighbours.

Confusing but worth the time checking it out.