Re: Just bought, am I getting a fair deal? Apex/Honeywell/Monitronics

[Crash Gordon® <webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I was commenting more on the little alarm panel itself...not on ADT or =
Monitronics. I've subbed for Monitronics in the past and have nothing =
bad to say about them or ADT's performance.=20

Don't expect personalized service from any of the big boys =
though!...I've taken over clients who've waited for weeks for someone to =
call them back from big companies, only to have to explain their problem =
over and over again to numerous different people - some clients find =
this exasperating and switch to smaller companies.

Make sure if you intend to cancel that you cancel in writing/fax within =
the right-of-recision time frame.

Curious; which ADT panel did they remove? Sounds as if they removed a =
better product to replace with...hmmmm?




"Danny Kewl" <bwana1SPAMMENOTREMOVE@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message =
news:dcqdnQIS0to1DA7fRVn-gg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Thanks for all the replies so far from No Wires Showing and Crash =
Gordon. I=20
> just called Monitronics and they told me to call Apex. Apex said they=20
> "couldn't come down on price for the quality equipment" they =
installed. I=20
> then re-read No Wires Showing's first reply and I called Monitronics =
back to=20
> deal directly with them, and if they'll take charge of my account =
instead of=20
> Apex (hopefully for the $29.99) and they said I have to deal with =
Apex. Then=20
> I read about the repair tickets just sitting there and that you could =
use it=20
> for a "footrest". I also scanned the Google groups archive for =
Monitronics,=20
> and there are some pretty dubious reviews of their service. I was told =
I had=20
> state of the art equipment, but what good is it if as some post said =
that=20
> Monitronics is not notifying people about alarms that go off?
>=20
> Now, I don't know about ADT or other company's track records, maybe or =
maybe=20
> not they have good or bad track records, but since I have to deal with =

> Monitronics right now, that's who I looked up. I told both Monitronics =
and=20
> Apex on the phone just now, that Apex comes to your house, tells you =
you're=20
> not going to get a better system or deal for this price, and the =
installers=20
> are already down the street, and will be at your house in an hour, =
which=20
> they were after I signed up, thinking, they need to make an =
appointment to=20
> come out and install, and in that time I could do research if that's =
the=20
> right deal for me. I told the salesperson, I'll sign up, and do my =
research,=20
> and if I don't like what I find, I call them up to tell them not to =
come out=20
> and save them from putting equipment in. But, again, after I assume =
that's=20
> the situation, she calls the installer, and it has to be "installed =
tonight"=20
> and if you want to put it off, you won't get such a good deal and will =
have=20
> to pay for equipment, etc. if done later.  I thought "fine", they're =
not=20
> giving me time to make an INFORMED decision, and if I cancel, and they =
have=20
> to take their equipment back out, that's due to their haste. Since =
it's in,=20
> and time limited, vs. making an appointment a week or so away to =
install and=20
> having time to research, it's hard to find in so little time if this =
was=20
> really the right thing for me. It's a shame some companies operate =
like=20
> this.
>=20
> So, I'm going out to fax the cancellation notice, has to be sent by=20
> midnight. That way if I fax it from Kinko's or something, hopefully I =
get a=20
> receipt that I sent it.
>=20
> Another question: Since Apex removed my old ADT control panel and the=20
> electronics box in the basement, etc., are they responsible to =
re-install=20
> that for me? I would like to see if I could get a deal from someone =
else=20
> since I'm already (or was so) wired. Again, thanks for all the help.
>=20
>=20
> "Danny Kewl" <bwana1SPAMMENOTREMOVE@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message=20
> news:Haadne4K7Yoo5Q7fRVn-jA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >
> > Hi, I just bought a Apex/Honeywell/Monitronics alarm system last =
Thursday=20
> > evening (5/19/05) from a door to door salesperson. I believe Apex is =
the=20
> > middleman selling the systems. The alarm system was installed that =
evening=20
> > also. I just bought my house about a year ago, and it already had a=20
> > control panel for an ADT system, but I never had it connected to a=20
> > monitoring service. I took them up on their offer, as I was meaning =
to get=20
> > some kind of security system going here, and kept procrastinating, =
and=20
> > felt if I didn't go for it, I'd procrastinate more and never get a =
system=20
> > going, and be unprotected in a Cleveland, Ohio neighborhood that's =
just=20
> > starting to become a little rough.
> >
> > What they said is they install free equipment, based on a point =
system,=20
> > and I'm allowed 6 points, each item chosen worth one point. I have a =
small=20
> > bungalow style house, so I got one wireless glass breakage detector =
(was=20
> > told it will detect to a 25 foot plus radius), one wireless motion=20
> > detector, one wireless smoke alarm, and there were already two door=20
> > sensors from the last system that they counted as one point each I =
believe=20
> > (front door and side door), and a key fob for a point. I was told 6 =
points=20
> > were worth about seven or eight hundred dollars of equipment that =
they=20
> > installed free, but looking at this now, I already had the two door=20
> > sensors. I was told window sensors were unnecessary as I just had =
new=20
> > vinyl replacement windows installed a month ago, and was told on the =
newer=20
> > ones, they are impossible to open from the outside without breaking =
the=20
> > glass, which the breakage detector would pick up.
> >
> > I don't have traditional wired landline phone service, I use only my =
cell=20
> > phone always. They told me I would have to use their cellular =
back-up=20
> > network in this case, which is $42.99 a month, $3 more than if I =
used=20
> > their landline service. I tried searching the Net to see if I am =
getting a=20
> > good, or at least a fair deal. My contract is for three years. I =
could not=20
> > find anything that lists what companies charge for monitoring, =
however I=20
> > know I'm probably at a disadvantage with some companies not having a =

> > landline. All the sites want you to sign up first, I'm sure that's =
the way=20
> > it would work with calling them also. I did find a site just now (=20
> > http://www.policealarm.com/ ) that says they monitor starting $2.95 =
a=20
> > month, but my old control box, etc. has been taken out and the =
Monitronics=20
> > installed, plus a new box in the basement, whatever that is, with =
all the=20
> > wires, etc.
> >
> > I signed up Thursday evening about 7 PM EST, and since the weekend =
was=20
> > coming up, the salesperson told me I had 5 days to change my mind =
and=20
> > cancel the contract instead of the usual 3 days. This is about up, =
and I=20
> > don't want to cancel a good deal if I do have one, and have to start =
from=20
> > scratch looking for a security provider, etc. and maybe, again, =
never get=20
> > it done. On the other hand, if it does not sound like a good/fair =
deal=20
> > what I got, what are my options to negotiate? Thanks much in =
advance.
> >
> >
> >
> >=20
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