Thanks for your comments zeebee_in_bklyn and Espresso.

zeebee_in_bklyn - did you have any issues with the contract terms and conditions with Supreme? ie how long was the contract for etc etc.

Posted by: Nilso at January 8, 2008 5:28 PM in response to Alarm Company

We used Slomins Shield. They were prompt and pleasant to deal with. No complaints thus far but i have to say we have not put the system to the true test of say break in, although during installation we did do some dry runs to see if the central command center called us in the event of alert and that was fine.

Posted by: 10thStreetReno at January 8, 2008 5:39 PM in response to Alarm Company

In general, do people feel an alarm system is worth it? Dog (loved and cared for) or alarm?

Posted by: guest at January 8, 2008 8:22 PM in response to Alarm Company

We use Slomin's. We are very happy with the service. Immediate call-back on all alarms. There have been times we were away and I missed their call on my cell--they called police immediately to check on house. Getting NYPD to respond in a timely manner is another story. They finally showed up over two hours after getting the call to check on the alarm. I guess alarms get low priority.

Posted by: guest at January 9, 2008 1:24 AM in response to Alarm Company

Nilso,

Supreme's initial contract is for five years - not a problem for us because the house is a ten-year investment at least, but might not be ideal if you're not planning to be in your place for that long. They also bill quarterly for the monthly maintenance charges.

We tested Supreme's response time and it was immediate, even the time I tripped a motion detector and it chimed for less than 10 seconds before I switched it off.

Looking back at the numbers, Supreme's and ADT's quotes were closer than I thought, but we would have gotten certain charges waived from ADT because we had an alarm with them at our previous place.

Dog vs. alarm? The alarm works better for me, as my main concern is a break-in when I'm away for extended periods of time, and likely the dog would be with me anyway.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at January 9, 2008 8:11 AM in response to Alarm Company

I personally feel that an alarm is "worth it" but a more objective measure is that your insurance company will charge you a LOT more if you don't have a central station alarm.

Posted by: guest at January 9, 2008 10:55 AM in response to Alarm Company

I also hated my ADT salesperson. He was an idiot who knew less about alarms than me, who spent a couple hours on the internet for my knowledge. But I get an exceptional deal on the service (under $20/month) and install (under $1000) because I'm a customer of their partner USAA. My homeowner's insurance has dropped by more than $20 a month, so excluding the cost of installation, it's basically a wash. As stupid as it might sound, I do feel that the most important part of the system is the warning stickers you put on your ground floor or otherwise accessible windows, and you can buy real ADT ones on eBay.

Posted by: guest at January 9, 2008 2:19 PM in response to Alarm Company

Security systems are a deterent for crackhead/dope fiend break ins but won't stop "professional" burglars who now account for most break-ins. They know that even if the alarm sounds that your nighbors will not investigate - the same with loud car alarms that everyone ignores. They have timed police response times in various locales and get into you home and out before the police arrive. The reason that I even bothered with an alarm is so that the Fire & CO2 detectors would be connected to a central service. Even with that, I still have several battery operated units strategically places. I use ADT.

Posted by: guest at January 9, 2008 4:50 PM in response to Alarm Company

Ditto the ADT saleswoman that came to us. She was the worst and wouldn't even leave us the brochure when she left. We went with Slomin's. Great sales reps, good service people and quick response times when alarm trips. It's true that alarm's might not prevent all break ins, but the main reason we got the system is to have a fire alarm that gets reported if we are not home.

Posted by: guest at January 9, 2008 6:05 PM in response to Alarm Company

I used for work for an alarm company call center. We were prompt with calling homeowners when their alarms went off, however, as someone pointed out, police response is a different story. Silent, "Hold Up" and medical alarms have a much higher response rate from what I remember. Regular home alarms might not get responded to at all. That's fine if you are late coming home from work but if you're on vacation when your alarm goes off, your house could very well be empty when you get back.

If you have good neighbors, close friends or family, I wouldn't spend the money and let someone housesit. I have dogs-large ones and someone is always at my house when I'm away taking care of them so it works out.

Posted by: guest at January 10, 2008 12:51 AM in response to Alarm Company

We don't need alarms in Brooklyn Heights.

Posted by: guest at January 10, 2008 8:49 AM in response to Alarm Company