I need to hear from some other families regarding home security systems. I live in the Logan Square/Bucktown area and there has been an increase in crime and break ins on my block. I am very concerned and am considering having a security system installed. I had Brinks out to the house today and was not impressed. I felt like I was buying a car. He was trying to sell me products that I did not need or want. Do any of you know of a no pressure sale/reliable security system company in the city? Any advise is greatly appreciated!
My experience is they all are selling something -- their product. I had a ton of companies out to see what they offered and how much they would charge. Brinks actually gave me the best deal so I went with them. They are not perfect, nor is ANY system you buy. The only system that is full-proof is none. Honestly, just the idea of having a system gives you serious peace of mind so in my humble opinion, everyone should have one. It is worth a good night's rest for around a dollar or two a day.
I agree with the other advice. The alarm companies will try to sell you whatever they can. Just refuse what you do not want. One thing I do suggest is that you ask for info on the monitoring service and what service you will receive if there is a problem. We had an alarm system with a company-Safety something-and it was monitored by Monitronics. We had problems with interference on our phone line. You would call our home and get a computer saying "systems, systems, systems". We also had static and other issues. Monitronics said it was a phone issue and AT&T said it was an alarm issue. No one would fix it. We ended up disconnecting and then ripping out the wire inside the keypad/control. We cannot completely disconnect from the phone becasue it cuts out the phone serivce. It was hooked up in a really weird way and we will have to pay to rewire the phone service if we want to correct it. Pay attention to the way they connect it and ask how you could disconnect if needed. A neighbor of my parents has Brinks and another has ADT. Both have had for a long time so I would guess they are happy.