ARE YOU REALLY BEING MONITORED? READ THIS

["Sonicduck" <jones1019@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

One of the most interesting, yet disturbing things about monitored
security systems is their ability to tell whether your system is
actually online or not.  The method most companies do this, and most
security consultants do not bother to tell their prospects, is by an
"electronic bullet".  The electronic signal is sent from the monotoring
center and "dials into" each customer home, and waits for a signal
telling it that everything is working ok.

This activity cannot be done all the time.  Realistically, it can only
be done efficiently once a month.  First, the companies performing this
"service" have to pay for all the long distance phone charges, the
postage for letters notifying those failing, that their system needs
service, and the humans performing these tasks, usually get paid by the
hour.  I knew the receptionist in our branch (ADT) was charged with
this task.  She used to tell me it was an impossible task.

While working at ADT, I discovered through conversations with
installers and managers that they NO LONGER send this test signal.  I
had access to ADT's at home VPN, or remote access to their website and
database, through the internet.  I was shown an area on Mastermind, the
software used by most, if not all major security companies to track
everything from billing to service, to account, and alarm status
history.  The area I was shown detailed any service related issues.
One night, while learning the system, and using my town code, I
discovered about 14 of my recently installed customers were NOT being
monitored.  They had "error codes", when tested from the initial
install.  When I confronted my manager, and asked him why, he said,"ask
the install/service manager."  I asked him, and he just sighed, and
never really gave me an answer or promise to correct these issues.  I
feel like I must have opened a can of worms.  What this means to me, is
that many, many customers are out there, that are paying for moitoring,
but are not even online to the monitoring center.  They won't know
unless their alarm goes off, and no one calls.

In Bell South from Protection One's defense, and Brinks, to the best of
my knowledge, both companies are still sending the bullets monthly.
ADT is not.  It was simply too expensive for a company with 5 million
customers to do it once each month.  Is this ILLEGAL?  To NOT send a
signal and still charge you?  The short answer is no.  They covered
their butts by their agreements, or contracts.  In that little, small
type that every sales rep. tries to "blow by you", they state that "IT
IS THE CUSTOMERS RESPONSIBILITY TO CALL THE MONITORING CENTER WEEKLY"
to make sure they are active.  Most rep.'s will tell you to do whatever
is comfortable, whether a weekly call, or a monthly call.  Any SALES
REP worth his or her salt, if he/she REALLY cares about your safety,
WILL tell you to make those calls.  It is the ONLY way you will know
for sure.

If you don't do this simple task, and remind yourself to do it, you
risk having a serious emergency event, with no response, at your
residence.  Almost as bad, in the long run, short of having a non
responsive emergency event, you will be paying for a service you are
NOT receiving.

Don't be misled.  Be safe!  If you have any questions, please do not
hesitate to e-mail me.