Re: ADT Contract Language help.

["Roland Moore" <roland@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

ADT's go to market strategy has capet bombed many small dealers into dust.
The ones that have survived live nervously looking skyward at the ADT big
bucks bombers' bombay doors always dropping more money on customer
installation subsidization, thus ruining more future business for them. Some
small dealers that are on the wrong end of ADT's marketing largess post
here. You're not going to hear too many positive things from them about ADT
in this NG but I'll try to give you some. ADT is the big boy of alarm
companies. For large national customers they offer the advantage of a single
point of contact for multiple sites. ADT is in many cases one of the least
expensive systems to install (for the end user front end dollars wise). If
you want to be a customer of a company where you are always a number and
never a name, that is their forte as well. You sound proud of the choice of
a SafeWatch Pro 3000. I suspect that is some ADT OEM DSC product. There is
no way for you to know that is not at or anywhere near the top of the line.
Don't get me wrong, DSC (part of TYCO-ADT before the breakup) is a
mainstream product, but it is a Ford or Chevy, not Mercedes or Caddy. It is
not anti DSC BS I am spouting. I have spent days on end with DSC factory
(product not design) engineers on customer problems. DSC would like to be at
the top end because the margins there are so much bigger. That is ironic
because the guys at the top end would love to have the volume that DSC has
at the bottom end. Anyway, once a (your) system has been turned over from
the installation department  for service ADT dispatches technicians sort of
via the Internet. The technician that responds to your call is unlikely to
know you, or your salesman (if he is still around) or your system and will
be feeling time pressure from being managed to a fare-thee-well. He must
average 4 calls a day and is rewarded for doing more. An ADT contract seems
to be the company's weapon of choice for keeping customers. Some ADT product
like older Focus systems were completely proprietary to lock in customers,
but now it seems they have invested in lawyers instead. I know that sounds
like hyperbole, but I am being as accurate as I can. For a better look into
the belly of the beast find an ex ADT salesman. There are plenty around. Get
him drunk, buy him dinner or whatever. The stories he would tell you about
ADT would likely ruin your appetite, buzz or both. I am not being smug when
I say we literally have a company policy to get every ADT vehicle we find
broken down on the side of the road back in service. They are our best
unpaid sales force. No kidding! I can't tell you how many times I have gone
to a customer (I am mostly commercial now remeber) and only had to listen to
their 45 minute diatribe on ADT to get the business (once the ADT contract
expired that is). Since I look like Santa (in the off season) I guess I get
their trust easily (oh yes and having a page full of happy customers for
them to call as references helps too). No one here is going to generate a
profit from your business that I can tell. If you have questions about a
contract from ADT no one here (that I have heard anyway) is a memeber of the
bar, especially me, so no help is possible. Personally if I were in any way
uncomfortable with a contract I wouldn't sign it. ADT is not going to let
you modify it so it is a take it or leave it kind of thing. ADT may not be
around in its present form much longer. Sooner or later you have to make a
profit and ADT has been giving more than getting. It has broken up and the
dust has not settled on all of those changes just yet. Sorry some folk's
posts here left a bad taste in your mouth. I have found the indutry as a
whole works hard to try to take care of customers and their needs.

<canyonblue@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1161092676.179792.303180@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> secure15 wrote:
>> canyonblue@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
>> > To make a long story short (see my other recent posts) I am *likely* to
>> > go with ADT Corporate for an extensive residential system. The main
>> > reason besides overall cost is they have agreed to write in the
>> > contract that the system is NOT a lease and will be owned from DAY 1.
>> > Further they agree to write in the contract that at the end of the
>> > contract term (3 years) they will provide free of charge to appropriate
>> > master codes allowing the main Safewatch Pro 3000 box to be used by any
>> > independent installer.
>> >
>> > Since I don't know the technology lingo, how should the language read
>> > in your more professional opinions to make sure that I don't have
>> > issues 3 years from now if I want to switch to other monitoring without
>> > equipment changes? Is "master code" the appropriate term or what?
>> >
>> > Thanks, if they don't get the language right I will likely go to an
>> > independent at over a $750+ premium, but if they give the way out I
>> > don't think I can pass them up.
>> >
>> Go hire a lawyer.
>>   Perhaps an Alarm Contract expert-
>>   Maybe the Likes of Ken Kirshenbaum.
>> Or maybe you just like to troll here for "Free" info from guys who make
>> an honest living at it and CAN do some creative work by using their
>> heads, unlike your "likely" future Company whom many of us wouldn't let
>> wipe our cats litter box out, let alone do ANY work in our homes.
>>
>> BTW- How come you always come here for answers?- Doesn't your
>> "likely" Contractor make you feel absolutely comfortable with ITS
>> answers? If I had that many unanswered questions and were that
>> uncomfortable and unsure, I would be going out looking for MORE quotes.
>>
>> I'm sure you will answer by- "I'm just making sure" or "I'm comparing".
>> There are tons of us who go out and quote jobs and specs to customers
>> just like you, who DEMAND that we give you free quotes, drop the price,
>> give me something for free, throw this in, give me a detailed diagram
>> and quote, the other guy said....., - then we never here from you or you
>> jerk us around for a month- only later do we find you use EVERY DETAIL
>> of the design to let another Company "Give you a better price".
>>
>> In case you don't know- many are here to make a living and support our
>> families- we're not the "Governmemt Free Cheese Program"! I,for one am
>> HAPPY to see you go with ADT- you both are a PERFECT fit! I wouldn't
>> waste a minute with you for nickle-and-diming a $3300.00 job, when I can
>> deal with professionals in Fire Installations and make 15 Times that!
>>
>> To Quote Kenny Rodgers: "You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to
>> fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to RUN"!
>> Many here have the knowledge, experience, expertise, and common sense to
>> read a good hand and have a fast pair of legs!
>
> Let me just say sorry guys.
>
> My experience with forums in the past is *end users* trading
> information. It seems that is forum is actually *installers* trading
> information, and specifically installers that dislike ADT.
>
> I don't think I was unreasonable requesting information on how to get
> the best alarm system, contract, etc. from a group called
> "alt.security.alarms" no matter who it was from Brinks, ADT, or smaller
> independent. I am sure your reaction would have been different had I
> phrased all of this as if the company I was dealing with was not ADT.
> None of this is any different than how I have posted to a garden forum
> asking what the best self-propelled lawn mower is and how I can get the
> best deal on it including warranty service.
>
> Again sorry, I just assumed the group here was folks like me trading
> information on their systems, instead I found a group of installers who
> don't work and don't like ADT so are willing to bash the poor guy who
> dares ask a question about their services.
>
> I kindly step out, good day.
>