Protect America

Is Protect America the Right Home Security Provider for You?

Protect America is one more of the top home security providers available to protect your home in the U.S. At certain places like TopConsumerReviews.com, this company rates 5 stars although that website appears to have an affiliate relationship with the company meaning they make money from PA if you go through their link and purchase a system. (They also have one with ADT it appears.) However, that site could have a real appreciation of the company just as this one does of amazon.com which is what all the product pictures below have in common.

What Does Protect American Offer?

They offer five different plans where you can get the equipment for free. As the equipment is all wireless, it is easier to install and is generally installed by the homeowner. PA ships the equipment to you for the plan you have chosen. If you feel you can’t install this equipment which is relatively easy, then there are installers available to help you at a price.

What You Get

Protect America Home Security offers various levels of starter equipment packages for free starting with the copper package that contains 3 Door Sensors, 1 Motion Detector, a GE Wireless Control Panel, an Internal Siren and a Door Chime as well as 3 Window Decals and 1 Yard Sign. The platinum package offers 3 Door Sensors, 12 Window Sensors, 1 Motion Detector, an upgraded GE Wireless Control Panel, Internal Siren and Door Chime with 3 Window Decals and 1 Yard Sign.

Additional door and window sensors are $39.50 each and additional motion detectors are $99 according to prices presently available on their website.

Sensors and Motion Detectors

Don’t have three doors to your home then you can use the extra sensor elsewhere. Where? How about the liquor cabinet? Very good idea if you have teens that are left alone at times. Other places might be the gun case, a medicine cabinet or even your filing cabinet. Another good use would be on the door of a child’s bedroom or even that of an elderly family member who has Alzheimer’s and a tendency to wander at night when no one is watching.

You can get at an extra charge a special garage door sensor which might be very nice in special areas. As the door goes up and then tilts, this sets off the sensor and alerts you that the garage door has been opened.

Other sensors that are available from Protect America to add to your home security layout are a glass break sensor, a low temperature sensor and a flood sensor.

The glass breaking one recognizes the sound of breaking glass, surprise, up to 20 feet away. This would be good to put near a sliding glass door or even your front door if you have nice glass decorative panels on one or each side of it.

The other two sensors are good for specific geographical locations.

If you live in a cold climate area or one that gets cold in the winter, the low temperature sensor will alert you when your home gets below 40 degrees inside most likely meaning your furnace has stopped working or maybe the roof collapsed under the weight of snow.

The flood one should be place in a basement so it can detect when water shows up. Usually the lowest point of your home will flood first. However, when the river is rising we are not sure you would really need such a thing. Guess it depends upon the scenario you can come up with.

While the one motion detector you get may watch over an area up to 35 feet and up to 90 degrees of “sight”, depending upon how your home is arranged you will most likely want more than one motion detector. And if you have a large pet over 40 pounds, it will set off the detector. Under 40 pounds, however, the detector will ignore it.

Monitoring Services

Now to get any of the above packages for free you must sign a 36 month monitoring services contract (as shown on their website right now). Remember this is a CONTRACT which they will hold you to so forget about whatever they may say over the phone. It’s what is in the contract that holds.

However, during the time you are purchasing their monitoring services, whether the equipment works or not, you can get it replaced. Or so their free lifetime warranty on equipment as shown on their website. However, some consumers complain that they could not get working equipment. Do a search to learn more.

Protect America Home Security offers different kinds of monitoring services including cellular monitoring, two-way voice monitoring, HomePulse broadband monitoring, or standard talking command station monitoring over landline. This is different from other monitoring services in that you do not require a landline which is something more and more people are giving up. Monthly monitoring fees go from $29,99 for copper package to $42.99 for the platinum package.

There is, however, a connection fee. If the following two conditions both are met, the fee will be waived.

1. Standard monitoring agreement of 36 months is signed/agreed to and you pass a basic credit check.

2. You are also required to install and activate their alarm system within 20 days of receiving it.

Canceling Protect America Services

You appear to have 3 days upon receiving the equipment to check out the system and return and/or cancel the service. So don’t mess around.

If you decide that you do not want to continue with this service after the end of your 3 year contract then you have to cancel service in writing 60 days ahead of when you want to be done. Don’t miss getting that written cancellation to them before that 60 days is up as they will automatically roll over your contract on a yearly basis and you will be on the hook for at least another year.

And if end of contract has not been reached when you decide you want out, you will have to pay the balance of the contract. Again this is a CONTRACT. Read it and know what you are getting into so you are not like so many people complaining about Protect America because they didn’t know of this information even though it is in the contract.

Consumer Reviews and Complaints

Lastly, while there are several sites online that offer consumers a place to write about their experiences with the company, this is one such place you can read and learn more about Protect America – http://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/protect_america.html.