ADT Review

Look to the Number One Home Security Provider for Your Peace of Mind – ADT

ADT is now the leading home security provider in the U.S. Having bought out Broadview Security (who used to be Brinks Home Security in 2009) in 2010, they are even bigger. With the addition of Broadview, ADT now has two more monitoring centers to provide even better coverage. You just may want to check out ADT to be your home security provider.

Unlike what Protect America’s (who is reviewed in another article) literature says, ADT does offer wireless security systems in two of their home security packages. The other three are hardwired packages.

Window and Door Sensors

Each basic package come with two window/door sensors. This means you will need to add more sensors to provide overall home security. Most homes have more than two windows. This staff member’s living room has three windows alone. This will be an additional expense you must expect.

You may have to purchase more door sensors as well. As explained in another article on this site, an additional door sensor could come in handy to place on a child’s bedroom door or the door to the room of an Alzheimer’s patient if you have reason to believe either may wander in the middle of the night or other times when not under constant supervision.

Two of the packages offer additional monitoring services which include, fire, critical conditions and cellular backup. The last one will connect your system to ADT if your landline phone is out.

Medical Alert System

There is also a medical alert system available that allows you to connect over the phone or by way of a two-way voice intercom should a problem arise. This is done by wearing a pendant or a wristband which contains the button to push if there is a problem. We are sure you have seen the commercials on TV. There’s even an AARP discount that will save you a little money on this part should you be a member.

With its battery backup, the base unit will work for an additional 12 to 20 hours if the power goes out. The base unit even has a light that comes on to help remind you to test your medical alert system on a monthly basis to be sure it is all working OK. And with this system you can safely work out in the yard or garage as it will work up to 300 feet away.

On the ADT website itself there is a home alarm system touchpad demonstration that you can run to see what it is like to punch in the numbers if you so desire.

ADT offers a wide array of additional options such as the lighting solutions which allows you to turn on all the lights at once, light just an exit path or even flash the outside lights if you think there is an intruder prowling around. One additional service will let you talk to ADT personnel when an alarm sounds. This is supposed to be an additional service to the medical alert system.

Video Surveillance

Another option available through ADT is video surveillance. The company calls this Safewatch VideoView. You can add as many video cameras as you wish to the interior and outside of your home. Any triggering event will have 30 seconds recorded. Up to 30 days will be saved on a DVR. Such events can be downloaded or duplicated when needed.

Depending upon the package chosen, and there are four video surveillance packages available, you can have up to 12 indoor color cameras. Three of the packages have up to 12 cameras that can be used either indoors or outdoors, but not in addition to the above 12 indoor cameras.

All packages include the installation, the equipment and materials, a router and the remote viewing services meaning you can view what is going on at your home on an Internet connected computer, cell phone or PDA since the cameras load what they see to a remote server. You will go to a specific secure website to see what the cameras are seeing.

You can even store up to 50MB online but you will be charged monthly for this storage. If you set up a TV or monitor inside your home, you can see the view of any of the cameras while at home as well.

ADT also provides upgrades to their video surveillance service. These include a dome camera which can tilt, pan and zoom. An upgraded DVR of up to 250GB is available. A splitter that will allow you to view four cameras at once on the same screen or monitor.

If home security means more to you than just adding burglar alarms and protecting your home from intruders, then ADT can help there as well. With their ADT Pulse service they will monitor not only for burglars but also for fire and carbon monoxide. What’s more you can add water or flood sensors to your home in case you worry about something springing a leak or flooding is a problem in your area. They can even adjust your home’s lights and thermostat. Just all kinds of goodies are in this package.

Monitoring Service and Costs

In addition to all of the above home security options, ADT also offers 24/7 monitoring service from about $30 per month. As you add services above the standard installation package, your monitoring service fee will go up.

Presently you can get the ADT basic package, Safewatch QuickConnect Plus, for $299 with a $200 cash back certificate. In order to qualify for this cash back you pay the minimum of $299 upfront and sign up to a 36 month monitoring service CONTRACT at a minimum of $42.99 per month. You will have to follow specific instructions at MyADTRebate.com in order to get this cash back and be sure you know your offer code so you can do it. Make sure your phone number matches whatever number you used on your ADT bill and service agreement. It will take 4 – 6 weeks for you to get this after registering. This offer is only valid for new ADT customers through June 2011 as of now and is not valid on purchases from ADT authorized dealers which leads to another point.

There are other fine points in the “small print” available here, https://www.adt.com/legal?wgc=terms_and_conditions, such as “System with installation price of less than $600 to remain property of ADT.” so be sure you check it out before ordering either by Internet or phone. You may find some details vary by state, where you actually buy your ADT service, what offer you are trying to sign up under, and from whom you buy the package. The present offer does not include a $25 connection fee.

Authorized Dealers

We will give one last piece of advice concerning an ADT home security system or ADT monitoring services. If you are interested in an ADT system, deal with the ADT corporation and not an “authorized dealer” if you can help it. While you may do very well with an authorized dealer, many people end up having a not so happy experience. Be sure who you are dealing with even if the person who shows up at your door is wearing clothing with ADT logos.

An ADT authorized dealer will install your equipment and then is supposedly responsible for it for the first 90 days. This is when ADT is supposed to take over the servicing as well as the monitoring. However there have been reports of dealers not using official ADT equipment and that this equipment may not meet ADT specifications requiring you to buy new equipment in order to take advantage of the monitoring service you are on contract to pay for. We are sure there are dealers who do take the time to check out the background of any employees they hire and to fully train them. We are just as sure that there are others that do not. A very good site to read more about this is http://www.alarmsystemreviews.com/adt-corporate-vs-authorized-adt-dealers.html.

For more details about ADT authorized dealers, why it’s a good idea to complain about them to ADT corporate, some of the fine details about the contract you sign for ADT services as a home security provider and some information about possible equipment problems if you use VOIP check this out at http://www.alarmsystemreviews.com/adt-review-cont-153.html.

Customer Reviews

You may also wish to check out the reviews made by different customers. For positive reviews you can of course visit the ADT main website at adt.com. For some reviews by a few happy customers and miles of unhappy ones, visit http://www.alarmsystemreviews.com/unbiased-adt-alarm-reviews.html.

Conclusion

Now in reviewing those you may decide that ADT can’t do anything right except get you into a 36 month monitoring service contract. However, you will find these type of comments about any home security provider and you should realize that some of these, maybe even the majority, may actually be about the authorized dealer and not corporate ADT. ADT is the number one home security provider in the U.S. and also provides services to 90% of Fortune 500 companies.

The bottom line is read and know what is in a contract you sign and if at all possible, stay away from an authorized dealer unless you really know who you are dealing with.