Why Are Those $99.00 Systems
More Alarming Than you Want Them To Be?
By: Vince Nigro
vince@biznetonline.com

You have heard or seen those ads for the $99.00 low cost alarms. Sounds good -- protection and peace of mind with a security system for only $99.00. It sounds so good that the companies offering those systems know it is one way to get into your home or business to sell you more.

The basic system most often consists of 2 door contacts and one motion detector. How many homes or businesses only have two doors and no windows? Will the motion detector work? Will your pets set it off? What about hanging advertising displays? What about the quality and reliability of the equipment? How good are the technicians?

Now your getting the idea! In most cases to get the protection you really need there will be additional costs for that protection.

Would you trust your home or business to a door lock that looks great and only costs the builder $2.00?, or do you want a real lock protecting your investment? In the alarm industry most parts look the same. A contact switch can cost $0.99 or $10.00. They look the same. The $10.00 switch will protect your property, the $0.99 switch will give you a cheap alarm system and expensive false alarm fees.

If you were the company installing the $99.00 alarm would you install the $10.00 switch or the $0.99 switch? Would you send over your best trained and skilled technicians or the guys you pay minimum wage? Unfortunately, for companies to make money on the $99.00 alarm sale they have to cut costs. Many times the parts and labor used are not the caliber they should be. An Alarm system should be reliable. A poorly designed and installed "cheap" alarm will not be reliable. You will get tired of the false alarms and stop using the system. As for the money you saved on the low cost, that too will be gone.

Many cities are now charging a fine for false alarms. In Los Angeles, for example, the fine is $80.00 per call after 2 in a 12 month period. If your $99.00 alarm produces only three false alarms in a twelve month period your total cost has now risen to $179.00.

Another concern is the contract you signed for your $99.00 alarm system. Did it call for a long term monitoring contract? One, two or even five years? How much per month? What if you don’t trust the system and stop using it? Do you still have to pay for monitoring? Who is doing the monitoring? Is it a local company or is the monitoring contract being sold to an out-of-state servicing company?

So just what should an alarm system cost?

This is a question that has no good answer. The level of security needed is very different for everyone. For example, a home owner that likes to leave windows open at night would need security screens, or if the phone lines can be cut easily, then a radio back up may be needed. If the home or business has guns or safes, additional protection is needed for those areas as well. If you need to track when someone turns the system on or off or if you have an area with restricted access, both require a different type of protection. There are thousands of options, parts and things a security system can do to give you the peace of mind you need.

Only you can pick the level of security to meet your needs. It is our opinion that a package system will, in the long run, cost more and will not give you the level of security you need.

There is an old saying when it comes to buying diamonds. If you do not know diamonds then you should know your jeweler. Any time your buying goods or services that you do not have a working knowledge of, you need to know who your buying from. For more information please visit the LABFAA at www.labfaa.com

For Further Information E-mail Mr. Vince Nigro At: vitalservice@earthlink.net


Editors note: Mr. Nigro, with over 26 years of experience, is the treasurer and past president of the Los Angeles Burglar and Fire Alarm Association. The LABFAA is an industry trade group and one of their missions is to keep member companies up to date on changes in the law and technology. Mr. Nigro is the only fully certified instructor in the LA School District. He teaches on the subject of alarm installation. Mr. Nigro has also assisted the LABFAA, in cooperation with the City of Los Angeles, in setting up a series of "false alarm schools" to help teach home owners how to use their alarm systems. For more information on the LABFAA go to www.labfaa.com.


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Last modified: November 08, 2002