ADT

I called back and spoke to a second person and I said just because they've decided to upgrade to 5G, I shouldn't have to be responsible for replacing all of my working equipment. They said, "Well, looking at your outdoor camera, that's going to work. Oh, and looking at this, that's still going to work. And this is still going to work." So, that was how the price went down to 1,100. I got to thinking about it again before I scheduled them to come out. I thought, "You know what? This is ridiculous that I have to put out $1,100 for working equipment." So, I called and spoke to a third person and the price came to $638. A number of items still worked. I did need to get a new panel. That was outdated, and I was fine with that. My indoor cameras are plug-in, so they're not remote. I can unplug it right now and put it in a different room. Why would I have to get new indoor cameras? I had three, but I went ahead and got two.

When they came out, I had two sensors put on. So, that was beneficial to a slider and a window on my second floor, which I hadn't done just because it was on the second floor. So, that was okay and I was all right with that. As far as payments, it was supposed to be three payments of 200 and some dollars. I went into my bank account and 400 and some dollars had been taken out. So, that was quite a fiasco to try to get that resolved. That took probably several weeks. Finally, I spoke to a manager who gave me his direct phone line to call him if I had any other issues. He resolved the problem right away. When you call in, you first have to talk to the person who asked for all your security information. Then, they transfer you to another person and if that person is not the one to resolve your issue, you go to another one.

So when I finally somehow reached this person in management, that was huge. He told me to call back if I needed anything else. I did call him one other time. I gave the extension that he'd given me, and they didn't want to transfer me. There's a reason that I have this direct line and this manager told me to specifically speak with him. I guess a lot of companies can be that way. Sometimes it’s very challenging depending on who you're speaking with. It might take four people to finally get things resolved or get to the right person. So, I understand that.

The person who came out and upgraded everything was very pleasant and professional but cordial. And anyone who's come out before that, I get the same thing. Anytime someone has come out from ADT, they're all terrific. ADT is a great company. Their marketing is terrific. Their support people who come out to address issues are very good. They're very professional and timely. They call before they're going to be here. They always protect their feet. Overall, they do a very good job. I've been very happy about that.

I've had two service calls since the system was installed. With the first one, we handled it on the phone, and the person was extremely responsive and helped me solve the problem. With the second issue, I was getting a message that a battery was running low, and then I was gonna have a systems problem. It turned out that the battery that was causing the issue was welded to my door frame. I called ADT and explained the problem. The first rep had no idea what I was talking about. But she referred me to the second rep who was very helpful. We tried a couple of things and she told me that I'm gonna have to move the battery connection to an exterior box. She said, “It's fairly simple to install. I could mail that to you and then we could give you directions or I can send someone out to do it for you.” I then said, “Well, my doors are 10 feet tall and I'm 5’ 2”. I better have someone come out.”

We scheduled the appointment. The tech was terrific. But there were two issues. I did not get a notification that he was coming until after he arrived. Also, the rep never told me that there would be a charge for that when she walked me through the options. The tech said that it was a $59 service call. That's obviously a snag in the system. Other than that, the installers were excellent. ADT has responsive employees but they are less than honest about the true costs.

Clint was my sales rep and installer. He was a lovely young man. He was very patient and he explained and showed me every piece and what it did and why it did it. He was very pleasant and very knowledgeable. He went around my home and told me, "These windows don't need it because they're on the second floor. And if they can reach them, they can have it." I also have a sunroom that has windows all the way around it and he said, "We're not gonna put an alarm on each one of those windows. That's ridiculous. We'll put a glass breakage alarm in there." If any glass in that room broke, then it would set off the system. It was very smart. He was very good about spending my money wisely. I got his card.

Something else that ADT did is the next day, I opened up the door without remembering that I had it set. The alarm went off and it scared the bejesus out of me that I couldn't remember my number to turn it off. It was very loud. ADT called and asked if I was okay. I said, "I'm fine. I just don't know how to shut this off. I don't remember my number." And it was written right there. The representative said very calmly, "Look on your screen, go down to the bottom, and you see that little square around there?" I said, "Yes." And she said, "Touch that." And I did, and she said, "There's the keypad. Now, remember your number and put it in there." I did and it shut off the alarm. That representative was so pleasant that she just calmed me down enough that I could remember my number. ADT is wonderful. Call them.

People should use ADT. I only had one problem in the many years that I've been using them, which got to be at least 15 years. We couldn't get it resolved but we finally did. I have a piece of property in Florida and I use ADT to take care of everything over there. Even when I'm not there, they find ways of fixing things up remotely. The system has its bugs but everything basically works well. I just had a problem with it and I couldn't figure out what zone it was. The person spent at least 15 minutes while I was going to each zone trying to figure out which one was causing the problem. We finally found it. It wasn't signaling that the battery was low or dead, and that was the problem, and we fixed it.

What I really like the most in my ADT package is the independence of having the fob on my keychain and being able to set my alarm as I need to. I like the feeling that my home is protected from fire by the alarm system. If ADT doesn't get me immediately on the cellphone, they call the authorities who then check my house out. Also, my alarm is very easy to work with, with the caretakers who come with my animals and stuff.

Also, the response time was amazing. It's less than 10 minutes which is the difference between night and day on things. I've had nothing but good service from them. And when I've had a problem with my bill going up, I would call them and talk to them, and due to years of service and loyalty, they would work with me and try to negotiate my bill down a little bit. That means a lot to me as a consumer. They've been really good as far as making me feel like I'm a valued customer and that goes a long way. They are Johnny-on-the-spot with what I want them to do

They have lived in the same rural community for over 60 years and there is literally no crime. In addition, they have a very caring set of neighbors who watch over them. (They are the ones who call me to tell me that there are emergency vehicles there and did not know if it's my father's heart condition, my uncle falling, or my mother falling while recovering from knee surgery.) When they sold options, they referenced my fathers reduced mobility, and also the fact that they care for my 85 year old wheelchair bound uncle who has cerebral palsy. They now have more fear in using the system and triggering another false alarm. I offered to pay a fee for the installation and removal labor of the system. They could then repurpose the 4 month old hardware. It was restated that the only way out was by paying the $5000, or with 3 service calls where they cannot fix the hardware.

I told them that they took advantage of them with features and duration and they may not even be here for another 5 years. There must be some way to deal with this issue. They stated that there would be no further obligation upon their death. I asked for escalation and was told there was none. Evidently the only way out of the contract obligation is to pay it in full now or with death. I have never been more disappointed in a response as ADT put my parents into this situation and took advantage of them. Beware of a company that preys on the elderly.