Home Alarm Systems
Please note: this page contains reviews and opinions sent in by Berkeley Parents Net subscribers. Your
own experience may be different. Please always check references before hiring!
Berkeley Parents Network >
Reviews >
House & Garden >
Home Alarm Systems
March 2009
Anyone have ADT home alarm system? My understanding is the
central controls are not local. Does that matter? When your
alarm has gone off, whether that be a false alarm or a true
alarm due to home intrusion, were you satisfied with the speed
and service?
I would be careful about ADT.
I had a difficult time dealing with the service from ADT for my
parent's house. My father was elderly and needed the alarm
battery replaced. They came out, did not have the right parts,
charged him for the visit and never fixed the system.
a few months later when he moved to a retirement community, and
we sold the house, they would not close the account until the
bill was paid and continued to bill him monthly despite his
written letter to end service (and even though we had properly
notified them in a timely manner that he did not own or live in
the house anymore). Then they fought with me continuously.
They finally took off the service visit charge, but then wanted
to get paid for the service during the months when he had
cancelled service. It took months to finally get someone who
understood the situation and would close the account and remove
the charges.
For my own house, I went with Bay Alarm. They have been very
responsive, good service providers. I have been with them for
about 10 years and had few (and small) reasonable fee increases.
I support the local businesses.
They are good about keeping the account info up to date.
alarm experienced
March 2009
Please help! My parents-in-law would like an alarm system for
their house in San Ramon.
-Which company do you use?
-Would your recommend or not recommend them and why?
-Did you have to commit to a specific period of time (When we
signed up with Bay Alarm before, we had to commit for 3 years. Is
this still how it is?)
-What was the cost of installation and what did it cover
(windows, doors, motion detector)?
-How much do you pay monthly or quarterly? (I'm of the belief
it's negotiable. Is this true? When we signed up with Bay
Alarm, the salesman would say things like ''if you also added on
a
fire detector, we'll reduce the price of X by Y but add on Z for
the fire detector.'' Also, my mother says they have been raising
the monthly prices by a dollar here and there.)
-Did you have to have a home evaluation before they would sit
down and discuss prices or were you able to discuss prices over
the phone? (When we had an alarm system, we felt pressured by
Bay Alarm to sign right then and there, and we didn't get a 2nd
quote which we should have gotten. )
-In the future, if you want to add other services or products or
there is a problem, what do they charge? (My Mom had her front
door replaced. The Bay Alarm person we talked to on the phone
would not quote us an estimate for the actual part that needed
replacing, though she was able to quote the price of the home
visit. She kept saying only the person who did the home visit
could give us a quote on the part AND that representative had to
have a home visit to be able to give us the quote. Bay Alarm
should be able to give a price quote on a part over the phone.
What is wrong with them? Why can't they do this over the phone?
The Bay Alarm rep on the phone said she'd pass on the message
via email to her supervisor, but we never heard back.)
-Are the little ads we get in the mail actually worth anything or
do they give out discounts all the time?
As you can see from my comments, we do not like Bay Alarm much
from our own experience. Maybe if they see this post they could
pipe in.
We would really appreciate recommendations. Thanks in advance.
Wow - I must say I was surprised to learn of your terrible
experience with Bay Alarm. We just switched our alarm system
after 7 years because we had such bad experience with ADT. They also raised
their prices over the time we had them,
required a 3-year minimum, and wouldn't quote prices over the
phone. The other issues we had with ADT included: no outside
alarm (this was important to us, because our neighbors will
respond immediately and the police take 20-minutes), equipment
that stops working years before it is supposed to, high charges
for replacing batteries (Bay Alarm did this for us free when
they installed our new system using our old ADT parts), and
FREQUENT false alarms in the middle of the night (and we have 2
small children - ugh).
I called Sentry Alarm first (on advice of BPN) but the person
who came over (yes it seems they all require a visit to do a
quote) kept changing the prices on us. They also have a VERY
high monthly charge for monitoring and this person was NOT
knowledgeable about alarm systems (she couldn't find our ADT
front door monitor and was going to charge us, whereas the Bay
Alarm person found it right away). This person also changed
the price (it went up) just before she left on our estimate. I
asked why and she said there were some negligible charges she
forgot about, but she couldn't really explain them.
So - I'm sorry to say we LOVE Bay Alarm. It probably doesn't
help you, but it sounds like it really depends on who your
representative is. I'd tell you to call them directly, tell
them you had a terrible experience with your rep, and have them
send out Al (the Oakland Hills Rep) or someone different.
Best of Luck
May 2008
We are in the middle of a major remodel, and decided this would
be a good time to look into an alarm system. I've been through
the old BPN recommendations, but thought I'd put it out there
again. Sentry and Omni were two companies in particular I'd like
to hear about, but would like to hear any opinions pro or con
about other companies as well. Thanks!
Steve
We have had Sentry Alert for 1.5 years and we have had a very
good experiences with them. We bought a house with an extremely
old Sentry alarm system in it. They accommodated this without
forcing us to upgrade, which I thought was very unusual
customer service. Recently we decided to upgrade afterall,
because the new alarm offered better features. During all our
interactions -- installation, training, calling to let them
know we'd be out of town, changing the code, turning it off
when we accidentally set it off, they have been incredibly
friendly and more than helpful. Go to their website for more
information: http://www.sentryalert.com/
Elisabeth
May 2007
Just had our old, ancient alarm replaced by Sentry Alert (510-
549-0306). Every dealing we have had with them has been
exceptional. Dan, the owner, came out to survey the job, and
he was very knowledgeable and practical. The installer was top
notch, on time, and left no mess. And, their after sales
support was extremely responsive when we had questions.
Nothing but a great experience!
Myla
April 2007
Sentry Alert has been wonderful. The staff is competent,
friendly, and helpful. Once, a phone company technician who
knew nothing about alarm systems deliberately snipped one of the
alarm wires and could not figure out what he had done wrong. I
called Sentry Alert, and an employee explained exactly what the
phone company needed to do to repair the damage they had done.
The careful instructions from the Sentry Alert employee (who was
actually on his day off) saved me the cost of a service call.
RB
November 2006
I need to have a very basic alarm system installed.
Any recommendations for cheap, competent service?
Thanks
Burgled
WE went with the low-cost alternative when we first moved into
our house and regretted it. As soon as we could cancel our
monitoring contract without a huge penalty, we switched over to
Bay Alarm. MUCH better customer service. Afterall, what you're
buying more than anythng else is peace of mind. Having a company
that responds intelligently when you call is most important. Bay
is by no means the cheapest, but, I think that you will find is
well-regarded and is still locally owned and operated
Bay Alarm Fan
March 2006
It's been some time since anyone posted a recommendation for an alarm system, and
we're facing a dilemma. We've had terrible service from ADT since they took over from
what was once Westec. We'd like to switch companies, but we've been told that the old
Westec system can only be handled by ADT. Are there similar experiences out there? Has
anyone paid to have a whole new system installed? If so, who would you recommnend?
db
We have had a great experience with Sentry Alert (549-0306). The woman who does the
estimate is very helpful. The techs who installed the system were great. Everyone I
have interacted with at the company has been helpful, including the call center
where we call if we accidently set off the alarm. We once had a problem late at
night and I was able to talk with a technician by phone. He helped me solve the
problem but they sent out someone the next day (for free) just to double check the
part.
I received 4 quotes before chosing Sentry Alert. Their price was very competitive
and they were the only firm I truly had confidence in after getting estimates. The
companies we did not go with were: ADT, Reed Brothers and Sentry Alarm.
Other friends of ours signed up with Sentry Alert in the last 6 months and have also
been happy.
August 2004
I am considering getting a home alarm system. I've looked
in the archives but the recommendations are fairly old.
I'm hoping to get more up-to-date information on which
companies seem to be best. Thanks!
Anna
Hi,
I use Sentry Alert: they're locally owned and very easy to
deal with. Lucky for me, I haven't tested them in a pinch,
but for day-to-day dealings, they're great. And I love
supporting a real, local business.
Nancy
2001
I'm looking for an affordable home security systems. Does anyone know of a
reasonable/reliable one, like ADT or Bay alarm?
Omni Alarm, 925-837-3961. They are located in Contra Costa County, but work in the
east bay as well. They were recommended to us by someone who knows the best and
cheapest places to get stuff like this, and we recommended them to others as well.
I had my system redone by Sentry Alert. I like them, they are local
and response has always been good from them. They did a nice job of
redoing my system - I had wireless sensors put on the windows to
replace the old wired sensors, and the main "box" replaced. What has
worked fine for me was to have all openings (doors and windows) on the
ground floor set up with sensors, and a motion detector in the living
room. The motion detector goes off if someone enters thru the upper
story (thus avoiding the downstairs sensors) and goes downstairs to
rip of the TV, stereo, etc. You can have your system set up however
you want, though.
--Nancy
We just had a security system installed by Sentry Alert, and they did a
very good job. The installers are employees, not subcontractors -- and did
an incredibly clean, unobtrusive installation. The person to contact is
Marie Hellman, who took a lot of time with us to make sure we got the
system we wanted. Their phone number is 510-549-0306. The installation
cost $1600 (which is probably more than most houses because we have a lot
of windows in our little house), and the monitoring is $30/month, I think.
Alysson
I have lived in Montclair for 19 years without a burglary problem but
had two break-ins in April. I got an alarm system from Bay Alarm. I
was very apprehensive about having one given 3 kids to teach to use it
and remember. I was also concerned about aesthetics. I was pleased
with the salesperson (Greg Blanc 291-2673) and the installer. The
system is wireless and includes a motion detector, glass break
detectors and door and window contacts (alarm goes off if two pieces
are separated by opening). It is not obvious (few little white boxes
on doors and windows). The whole thing came to about $1100. I did
commit to 3 years of monitoring at $29/month (if the alarm goes off
and isn't turned off right away they call to check, if no-one can give
them the family password they call the police).
I also talked to ADT - Robert Little (786-5020) and found him and ADT
and the price good too. I chose Bay Alarm since a neighbor showed me
their system and that gave me some degree of familiarity. Mary
We have been very happy with Honeywell. We had the system put in over 2.5
years ago, so I don't remember the cost, but I know it was resonable. We
pay $25 a month monitoring fee. They send the police out if the alarm goes
off and no one answers the phone with the secret code.
We use Sentry Alert, locally owned and operated. Annual fee is reasonable,
service to the system is excellent. They installed our system in 1990 and
have monitored us continuously. They were purchased by another company
about
5 years ago, but retained their name and still have a local business. We
stayed with the original and they are excellent. We have a complex system and
they did exactly what we wanted for a great price. Sentry Alert 549-0306
-Nuckypuff
I highly recommend Tom Finucane to install a burglar alarm system and
his alarm monitoring company, Goldstar Alarm Co. Tom installed alarm
systems in both our old house and our new home which we built about
half of --- so he installed the alarm wiring right into the open walls
and window frames. It has all the bell and whistles (zones that can
be turned on and off, motion sensors, etc), the price was extremely
reasonable and the job was very professionally done. He gives
personal service (such as coming on a weekend to explain how to
operate the system when we are both home), and that is much better
than dealing with a large company. Tom Finucane, 415/225-4892.
2000
At the risk of sounding like yuppy scum, I am soliciting information
regarding home alarm systems. We live right near a bustling and fairly
prosperous Oakland commercial area and I frequently read in the local
rag about property crimes and violent crimes in our neighborhood,
although we have been spared so far. Anyway, I'd like to know if people
have had any good or bad experiences with particular systems and
installation companies, and what the cost was to get a new system
installed. Our house is of an extremely modest size.
Wendy
We've had Bay Alarm service for about 4 years now. They had good ideas about
how to give us the appropriate level of protection (wouldn't foil
sophisticated thieves bent on entry, but those would be unlikely to target
our humble abode) and the installation went very smoothly. Training was
good and the system has worked well. Installation cost was about $450;
monthly fee for central station hookup is $22 (billed every 3 months).
Fran
We recently cancelled our service with a company called Protection One. Our
original
service provider was bought out by this company about a year ago.
I sent a letter requesting the service be discontinued. About 3 months
later I was
still receiving bills and I also received a rather nasty letter stating
that our contract
said we couldn't cancel our service mid-year that we would have to pay through
the end of the contract year (another 9 months). I had trouble actually
talking to
anyone that could help me. I sent another letter requesting a copy of the
so called
contract that we had signed that stated this crazy policy. After another
month I
got a 'oh never mind' response from them. They couldn't seem to find a signed
contract so they were being nice and letting us cancel our service. We had been
customers for a little over 4 years. I would be very careful about reading
all the
fine print on whatever contract you sign and make sure you understand the
cancellation
policies. We currently have service through Bay Alarm and are happy with their
neighborhood patrol service, we have not had the occasion to test the alarm
response
with them.
Kathy
We just chose Bay alarm. You can call Marcia Jones at 291-9766. She will
walk you through the various options and what she recommends for your home.
Hutcheson-Wilcox
You should not have to pay so much for an alarm system. Ours (a wireless
system with ADT) was installed for about $500 and we pay $22.50 per month
in monitoring fees. Plus we now get a discount on our homeowner's
insurance premium. They put the sign up in the yard even before the system
was installed and I immediately felt safer and happier -- though I, too,
live in a safe neighborhood. It's the deterrent effect that really counts,
so if you want to save money on installation (or do it slowly, over time)
be selective about which windows you wire up to begin with. You can still
cover your house with stickers, and intruders are more likely to pass you
by. We actually use it most when we're home, going to bed. Nothing like
feeling really locked in with your little ones at night. Worth every penny.
Diana
I started with Brink's years ago and had them install the system for $199
(including motion detection). The monthly fee was $21.95. They fell down
on the job in my opinion and I switched after a couple of years to ADT. I
like them better, but they're not ideal either.
Lisa
Our house came with an alarm system installed, so I can't help with
installation advice, but we are very happy with Morgan Alarm in Vallejo.
Their call backs are very prompt, they have a nice newsletter, and it's only
$70 per QUARTER for monitoring.
Ryan
Installing an alarm system had been on our "to do" list for a few years. It
went to the top of my list after I was mugged outside my home (Montclair)
when I was 8 months pregnant. At that time I compared ADT and Bay Alarm
systems. They were pretty much comparable when it came to price and what
they had to offer. One main difference was that ADT would charge for
service calls but not add a surcharge if I wanted additional features added
on at a later date, and that Bay Alarm would not generally charge for
servicing but would charge an additional surcharge if I wanted something
like an additional motion detector added on at a later date. This might vary
by contract. Bay Alarm is also locally operated which had some appeal. I
paid in the range of $1000 for installation but I may have gotten some extra
features considering my state of mind. No system is fool-proof so remember
not to go overboard. Our main usage of the system is when we are in the
house. My husband was not really convinced that it would make a difference
but it really does provide me with peace of mind. I think there is a little
room for bargaining the price because I had gotten quotes in the past that
were a lot less than what I actually paid because they said winter was a
high demand season, so I imagine that summer is low demand?! We also got a
discount on our homeowners insurance. Good luck!
Sarah
Nov 1999
any recommendations for security systems and companies
for residential / apts ?
I'd like to recommend Sentry Alert, based in Berkeley. They provide the
security
services for my house, but I believe they also do apartments. Of the
representatives
of three companies I got quotes from when I bought my house two years ago,
Sentry's
rep, Marie Hellman, was the only one who really listened to what I wanted
from a
security system: to deter prospective intruders. The other two focused on
motion
detectors, which would be triggered if someone were in the house already,
but also
by my young daughter or a guest on the way to the bathroom. Frankly, I
want to keep
the bad guys out, not scare them away once they're inside! In two years,
I've had
only one malfunction, and Sentry sent someone out immediately. Very
pleasant to deal
with.
We priced systems and went with Westec a few years back. They came in to
install and did a poor job the first time around, for aesthetic reasons.
We called the supervisor who came right out, apologized and said it wasn't
up to their usual work, they redid the whole system for free (took them 3
additional days) and it has always worked quite well. They are very nice
to deal with by telephone. And their monitoring system worked well -- we
had no occasion to have it tested until I left the back door unlocked one
day. Two years after it was installed, I was at the market one day
shopping and received a phone call on my cell phone from them informing me
that my back door was open, the police were on their way, and would I care
to go home to check things out? We highly recommend them.
June 1999
I'd like to hear recommendations for and against alarm monitoring companies in
the Berkeley area as we would like to switch companies. We would prefer a local
company with a track record of consistent, dependable service.
We have been using Protection One which we do not recommend. For a while we had
a number of alarm set-offs for a variety of reasons and found that it often took
them 5-10 minutes to even call our house prior to calling in the alarm to the
police. Once it took them 40 minutes after the alarm was set off to call us,
and one time they never called us. It turns out that their monitoring center
monitors alarms for all of the western US so if there is an emergency in Utah
for example, there may be significant delays in reporting for Berkeley.
In addition their bookkeeping dept has made some mistakes and it is almost
impossible to get through to them by phone to correct them. On the positive
side, we have been very impressed with their repair department. Thanks for
any experience you can share.
I would highly recommend Bay Alarm.Unlike other companies like Brinks and
Protection One whose monitoring centers are located in Oregon and Utah, Bay
Alarm's monitoring center is centrally located in Walnut Creek. This is
one of the reasons why we've decided to go along with Bay Alarm. Even
though the other two major monitoring companies argued the fact that there
would be no delays in reporting from one state to the next because the
message is sent electronically, we were still apprehensive. Your
experience just confirmed our thoughts. We've been with Bay Alarm since
February and have been highly satisfied with their customer service as well
as their convenient 24-hour repair service. The monitoring fee costs us a
reasonable $26.00 a month. For two more dollars we added the security of
smoke monitoring (not to be confused with smoke alarm.) We only had a
problem once due to a super sensitive motion detector. The alarm went off,
and within minutes the company sent the police and called my husband and I
at our respective workplaces. They immediately fixed the motion detector
at our convenience.
Aileen
I've had good service with Sentry Alert, I believe they are located in
Berkeley. I had them initially 10 years ago. Then I believe that they
were bought out (or some customers sold? I forget how it went) by Protection
One, and I had the same problems with Protection One as expressed by the
person asking for the recommendation. Last year, I reconnected with Sentry
Alert, and I've been quite happy with their service since.
Nancy
Home |
Reviews |
Advice |
Members |
Post a Message
Join BPN |
Help |
What's New |
Search |
Contact Us
Last updated: Jun 26, 2009
Copyright © 1996-2009 Berkeley Parents Network
The opinions and statements expressed on this website
are those of parents who subscribe to the
Berkeley Parents Network.
Please see
Disclaimer & Usage for
information about using content on this website.