Re: Need Advice For Packaged Home Alarm Purchase

["mikey" <loismustdie@xxxxxxxxx>]

There is far too much being made of long-term contracts here.
Bob, have you crunched numbers? My guess is that your AVERAGE "contract"
over the last 10 years has lasted about 3 years, maybe 4
No?

"R.H.Campbell" <rh.campbell@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:QxhCf.25069$ve.546811@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Mike, I won't bother to add too much more to this thread except to advise
> you to be just as careful of this gentleman's statements as you should be
> with anyone that posts here.  He assumes far too much !! Read both sets of
> rationale, and make your own judgments. Often, those who can't justify
their
> positions, use personal attacks as their only "weapon". I stand by
> everything that is posted on my website !
>
> But for the record, I find it necessary to "correct" a few of his points.
> His statement that most alarmco's insist on long term contracts IS
accurate
> and for the reasons he states, although the equity issue is entirely blown
> out of proportion. It is only one of many things that buyers use when
> evaluating a company for purchase. However, that is no reason why you as a
> shopper should not seek the shortest term contract you can find in the
> marketplace. Just because he, and a large part of the industry feel they
> have to lock you in to a contract for their own self interests, and which
in
> most cases doesn't do a damn thing for you, doesn't mean that you as a
> consumer should accept it. In a free market, there are many ways to market
a
> product, and only those with little appreciation for marketing will insist
> on doing things one single way, and especially "because that's the way
it's
> always been done". It is my opinion that without a long term contract,
some
> of the very largest companies simply couldn't keep their attrition rates
at
> anything near normal levels (attrition means the number of accounts lost
> each year as a percentage of their installed base). Any dealer that is
> prepared to step up to the plate and provide service on a monthly basis,
> KNOWS that he has to keep you happy or see you disappear with a month's
> notice ! Ask yourself, who's really putting their money where their mouth
is
> !! You remain "in the drivers seat", and this actually can serve to help
in
> protecting you against poor service from your alarm company !! (and this
is
> certainly NOT to suggest that you can expect bad service from the majority
> of alarmcos...most know that this is very much a service busines) But you
> see my point ! Why leave yourself open if you don't have to ?
>
> If you choose to sign a long term committment for say, a cellphone, it
means
> you have been given the phone for less up front, and they recover lost
> revenue over the term of the contract. Alarms are no different except when
> you own the alarm outright, or have paid a fair market price up front,
there
> is no justification other than protecting their revenue stream, for
locking
> you into an alarm contract. Forget the industry self serving statements;
it
> IS that simple from YOUR perspective !! Pay high up front, low
> ongoing.......pay low up front, high ongoing ! The choice is yours, but
the
> point is, you should have that choice - not be forced into it because
there
> are no other choices in the market !! And you certainly shouldn't have to
> pay high at both ends as you'll soon find out dealing with the large
> conglomerates !!
>
> Even with month to month terms, I guarantee my rates in writing for five
> years as you can see on my website, and this is no big deal if you know
how
> the monitoring market works. Prices per monitored account go down at
> wholesale level the more you have monitored ! This gentleman particularily
> seems to feel that I attack other dealers in the industry; however, that
is
> simply a reflection of his oversensitivity to the way I and many others
> work. In our local area alone, there are at least five companies that I
know
> of working strictly on monthly term (one has 2000 accounts), and this
gives
> them (and me) a decided advantage over companies who insist on locking
> clients in. I hear the same "sour grapes" all the time from other
companies
> too !! Simply disagreeing with some of what our industry does, doesn't
mean
> I'm attacking anyone (except in his mind...) and least of all, the
industry
> as a whole that I've worked in for the last 12 years ! As you say,
everyone
> has their unique opinion.... AND their unique way of working. Mine happens
> to differ from the industry norm, but it works very well for me (and my
> customers) !!
>
> It's unfortunate that the local dealers didn't call you back. That is
their
> loss and may be (unfortunately) ADT's gain....
>
> RHC
>
> "Mike" <wxyz09@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:z8gCf.12509$zh2.11315@xxxxxxxxxxx
> >>
> > Jim, thanks for taking the time to post your informative reply.  My
belief
> > is everybody has their unique opinion.
> > I've contacted two independents in my area.  One had been sold twice and
> > neither one called me back.
> > So far, Brinks is out and ADT is on the list.
> >
> > Mike
> >
> >
>
>
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>