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Alternatives to Life Alert

Smaller companies offer comparable service at less cost

By Joseph S. Enoch
ConsumerAffairs.com

September 4, 2007

Life Alert • Contract terms • Sales practices • Service issues • Life Alert Responds --- News • Seniors' Fear of Falling Keeps Life Alert Flush • Alternatives to Life Alert • Life Alert, Consumer Site Resolve Dispute • Life Alert Drops 2 of 3 Claims Against Consumer Site • Consumer Site Moves for Dismissal of Life Alert Suit • Life Alert Sues Consumer Site --- • Video Report

A quick Internet search yields many Life Alert clones. While Comparing the prices and terms can be a baffling task, especially for seniors who may not be incredibly Internet savvy, there's little doubt there are savings to be had.

ConsumerAffairs.com compared the prices and terms of 12 of those clones and what we discovered was that they all use similar technology, but that Life Alert is by far the most expensive.

Of those 12, the company that most impressed us was Alert One, based in Williamsport, Pa.

The company's prices were the cheapest of any we found, all their terms were listed in clear, easy-to-read language and their customer service was friendly and helpful, rather than pushy.

At $19.95 per month, paid quarterly with no contract and no activation fee or cancellation penalty, Alert One was the cheapest offer by hundreds of dollars.

With Alert One, the customer does not pay extra to lease the equipment. Rather, it is built into the low monthly payments. When the customer cancels, The company will even pay the shipping costs to return the equipment.

Alert One also occasionally sends new pendants to its customers, free of charge, to ensure every customer has a working pendant with a strong battery.

Alert One can be contacted via phone or Internet at (800) 693-5433 or www.alert-1.com.

For seniors who need daily check-ups, ResponseLINK may be a good option. It's considerably more expensive than Alert One, but offers daily prescription reminders, doctor reporting, daily wake-up and wellness checks and health test checks.

ResponseLink costs $34.95-$54.95 per month depending on the package options.

The customer pays either monthly or quarterly depending on where he or she lives and can be canceled at any time without penalty

The activation fee is $50 and includes professional installation.

ResponseLINK can be contacted via phone or Internet at (800) 894-1428 or http://www.responselink.com.

Other alternatives

Here is a partial list of other companies that provide home medical alert services, followed by the number of complaints we have received about them as of the date of this story.

Please note that this is not an endorsement of these services, simply a listing of how many complaints each has generated. Anyone shopping for a home medical alarm should ask for a list of local references and read the contract carefully.

Elderly persons should also check with their Area Agency on Aging. The AAAs are regional public or, in some cases, private not-for-profit, agencies that coordinate services and information for the elderly. A complete list of agencies is available at http://www.n4a.org/links.cfm.

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