Alarm Force

[Euro_Trash]

Does anyone have experience with these guys? Any positive or negative feedback? Are they competitive with ADT, or should we just go with ADT? We don't plan on getting a home phone line, not sure if that makes a difference

[superflychief]

I don't know about Alarm Force but we just signed up with APX. Great equipment and service so far. System is wireless and can be armed/disarmed using your smartphone so no homeline necessary at all.

[guessboi]

^ how much are you paying for your wireless system monthly? and how much for setup / installation?

[Rarasaurus]

APX is about 45 or 50 a month. If you sign up for a 5 year contract they do install for free. Many alarm companies get you on a contract and waive the fee for install or equipment.

[C_Dave45]

Im with Alarm Force. Meh...seems okay to me. I don't even bother with the entry alarms. But more for the fire alarm and drops my house insurance. Live communication when an alarm goes off...no response and they send fire or police. But does use the land line.
$30/month. Install and equipment was free.

[superflychief]

My contract with APX is for 42 mths and we haven't received our first bill but it should be $49 plus the $99 activation fee. We have a fairly large system too with the touch screen key pad, second number pad for the bedroom, 4 glass break sensors and 1 window sensor, 5 door sensors, smoke detector and 2 keychains used to arm/disarm the system from outside.

[Euro_Trash]

Originally posted by superflychief
My contract with APX is for 42 mths and we haven't received our first bill but it should be $49 plus the $99 activation fee. We have a fairly large system too with the touch screen key pad, second number pad for the bedroom, 4 glass break sensors and 1 window sensor, 5 door sensors, smoke detector and 2 keychains used to arm/disarm the system from outside.

That sounds similar to what we will end up needing. Any other fees involved with that? Free install?

[superflychief]

Originally posted by Euro_Trash


That sounds similar to what we will end up needing. Any other fees involved with that? Free install?

I had free install. He told me he was in the new neighborhood and had 4 free systems to install for advertising purposes. It's the usual gimick but it worked for us since we were looking for a system. The reviews are good and you'll probably get free install if you ask. Use me as a referal and I get a free mth :D

[bigbadboss101]

My friend has ADT with the system being able to be activiated by a smartphone. Would be interesting to hear the APX presentation.

[Uncle Flappy]

http://www.bbb.org/utah/business-reviews/burglar-alarm-systems-dealers-monitoring-and-service/apx-alarm-security-solutions-in-provo-ut-4002276

APX are a bunch of pushy sales people. Would not recommend them. Literally had to force a guy off my property. They had to change their name from APEX to APX because of all the previous complaints and poor business practices. I am sorry for anyone who got suckered in with them. Things like telling you " A special test area price", and the "free" junky equipment you get when could buy it at radio shack for 40 bucks. Many many other issues with these guys.

[superflychief]

Originally posted by bigbadboss101
My friend has ADT with the system being able to be activiated by a smartphone. Would be interesting to hear the APX presentation.

You can activate by smartphone or computer with APX as well.

[superflychief]

Originally posted by Uncle Flappy
http://www.bbb.org/utah/business-reviews/burglar-alarm-systems-dealers-monitoring-and-service/apx-alarm-security-solutions-in-provo-ut-4002276

APX are a bunch of pushy sales people. Would not recommend them. Literally had to force a guy off my property. They had to change their name from APEX to APX because of all the previous complaints and poor business practices. I am sorry for anyone who got suckered in with them. Things like telling you " A special test area price", and the "free" junky equipment you get when could buy it at radio shack for 40 bucks. Many many other issues with these guys.

You get pushy sales people in every single industry out there. Everybody tells you that this is the last TV in stock, someone else is coming to see the car right after you, etc etc. I read a lot of reviews about APX and people's complaints were about some customer service issues and sales tactics. Most reviews were verry happy with the alarm itself. My sister used to work for ADT and told me to stay away. There will always be customers unhappy regardless of where they go. Plus BBB ratings are a load of shit. The builder I just built my house with has an A rating and my experience with them was nothing but headache.

[codetrap]

$30 a month? That's about half what I pay in dog food for my 90lb dog. Added bonus that she's mobile, and guards my daughter on walks.

[superflychief]

Originally posted by codetrap
$30 a month? That's about half what I pay in dog food for my 90lb dog. Added bonus that she's mobile, and guards my daughter on walks.

Does she know how to dial the phone for the fire department if the house starts to burn? :poosie:

[codetrap]

Originally posted by superflychief


Does she know how to dial the phone for the fire department if the house starts to burn? :poosie:

Nope. That's what I'm for. :)

I've thought about the integrated fire protection, and it's a good idea. I think the rest is just a waste though. That's just my personal opinion however.

[ExtraSlow]

$20/mo with united.

As far as I'm concerned, until you are in a real $1 million+ baller home, the "quality" of the alarm isn't what matters. The thing that matters is the sign on the lawn/windows, the beep when your door opens, and the alarm going to the station/cops.

Those of you paying $30/mo more than me, what added features are you getting?

[max_boost]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
$20/mo with united.

As far as I'm concerned, until you are in a real $1 million+ baller home, the "quality" of the alarm isn't what matters. The thing that matters is the sign on the lawn/windows, the beep when your door opens, and the alarm going to the station/cops.

Those of you paying $30/mo more than me, what added features are you getting?

:werd:

or

Installing a steel screen door and the only way thieves are going to break through is if they are smashing through your front/side windows and I don't think they are going to bother with that unless it's targeted.

[Swank]

2 problems with Alarm Force that I've found, and overcome are:

1. The system is activated using your telephone, so you punch in your little code to arm it and head out for the day. Someone breaks in, hits redial on your phone and they now have the code to disarm, d'oh. Solution; either purchase a phone that has no display, or one that you can clear the redial history.

2. All the brains and communication is in one device. Someone breaks in and listens for 'Armed' being announced from the system. They just follow the sound which leads them right to the brain and disconnect it. They do offer a cellular back up for more money, but if the crook did his research he brought a pail of water and drops the brain right in it, it doesn't work submerged. Now if you hide the main device way in a deep dark corner where you can't hear it the 2-way voice is useless. Solution; mount it high/out of reach and secure it tight with some metal straps. You can also change the amount of time you have to disarm it to minimize that window of opportunity.

Hope this helps, the signs are a great deterrent, but it also advertises what kind of system the theif should be ready for/research. Trade signs with a neighbor that has an alarm from another company, that'll throw them off!

[ronaldo]

Originally posted by bigbadboss101
My friend has ADT with the system being able to be activiated by a smartphone. Would be interesting to hear the APX presentation.

how much does he pay for that service?

[JAYMEZ]

I just got ADT yesterday , they are installing it this week. Seems like a good system to me ! Anyone know any good Camera companies? I want to set a front door one and a back door.

[bigbadboss101]

Originally posted by ronaldo


how much does he pay for that service?

He is an ADT agent. $45 a month for a more advance system, and $30 ish for a more basis system he said.

[codetrap]

Originally posted by Swank
2 problems with Alarm Force that I've found, and overcome are:

1. The system is activated using your telephone, so you punch in your little code to arm it and head out for the day. Someone breaks in, hits redial on your phone and they now have the code to disarm, d'oh. Solution; either purchase a phone that has no display, or one that you can clear the redial history.


That's interesting, but I doubt it's true. I have 5 extensions in my house, and you can't hit redial on ext1 and have it dial ext3's last called number. Each one is done independently. So, if your unit is tied to the phone line directly, then there's no way for your phone unit to know what the last dialed number was.

If you're in doubt, test it.

[Swank]

Extensions?!?! Do you have a PBX in your house or something? Baller! When I press redial on my phone it shows the last number dialed from that phone, tested and true.

[codetrap]

Lol. No. It's a basic wireless phone system with 4 handsets and a base. Each phone accesses the base unit from the wireless link, and dials through it. My example though is this..

9:00am
Handset one dials out 403-555.1234. So that's it's last dialed number.

9:30am
Handset two dials out 403-555.3214.

If I go to use handset one, it will remember it's last dialed number as 403-555-1234, because the last dialed number is stored in the memory of that particular phone, not by the phone company on the line. More than likely, your alarm system has a direct tie into a phone line, and doesn't route through your phone handset. That would be really dumb to do in any case, because there's no way they could know what type of phone you have, and be sure that the alarm could talk to the phone model you happen to have.

Remember, there's a difference between the phone, and the phone line. Phone is the device you pick up and talk into. The phone line is just a copper pair that goes to your phone provider's switch.

[Swank]

The alarm force system plugs into the home phone line and then you use any other handset in the house to get dial tone and then dial the activation/deactivation code. You even hear on the phone Telus' auto reply saying you've dialed an f'd up number because of the * & # in the code. So if you used handset 1 to dial the code then the redial history will have it.

[sansp]

My recent experience through APEX Direct

Recommendation: BeAware and Avoid it. Go directly thru ADT

I was unaware, but googled and found Apex Direct was giving more equipment and better pries then ADT directly. I bargained with ADT..they pretty uch dropped by their monthly prices by $10 for a simple 3 door, 2 sensor remote, fire & wireless panel install to $40 from $50, yet Apex was better.
Well...initially Apex offered a home checkup to recommend choice, but then never followed or showed up....Then the day of install, an installer showed up...He said he was from Apex direct...He was too insistence on me signing first..Verifying that he had the stuff, I asked him to proceed....

1) First, he brought very little cable with him to do the install...so instead of installing the panel at a height he went ahead and installed it at a lower level easily accessible to kids..After the install I realized that the panel had buttons which would alarm police, fire and ambulance without notification...the damn lousy people, just to save few pennies have now left my system easily accessible to my small kids...forcibly I am left to deactivate the instant alarms.

2) the installer was just running around the house to get the full thing done in an hour or two....without caring much of your household stuff

3) The equipment he installed were malfunctioning while testing and he had to reinstall few of those sensors....this makes me feel their equipment was either refurbished or used. It hard to believe a $100 sensor's fail on its first use.

4) After install once I was handed the certificate I found that the install was not through Apex direct but a small 2 man company in Calgary who were subcontracted the service....

Thus I highly recommend all Calgarians to STAY AWAY from APEX DIRECT... My Loss, your gain. Try hard..ADT does bargain and easily comes close to prices and services offered by dealer.. 2 days after install ADT called me..unaware I was already alarmed, they were ready to offer 2 to 3 months of free service.

- Jay
Calgary

[freshprince1]

I was a door-to-door security salesman before, for a company identical to APX. Feel free to ask me any questions. Of the top of my head, here are a few things to note:

- It is not a scam, it is a good deal for most day-to-day security needs.

- Most sale requirements only need you sign for 3 years. If they sign you for more, they're earning more commission. If you are signing for more than three years, you should be able to get a bunch of extra points (i.e. sensors) for free.

- The activation fee can usually be negotiated out of the equation, so push for it.

- the sales guys always have a few "Aces" in their back pockets to pull out and secure a sale. Show interest. Wait till they sweeten the deal 2-3 times. If they do not use these aces, they can get more commission, but it's still worth it to use them all to get a sale.

- Talk price before signing the contract. Ask about all fees. Monthly fee, installation fee, activation fee, etc. Some companies add in fake fees to just pocket more money (Hey Telus, sound familiar?).

Anyways, hope this helps. Let me know if you've got more questions. It's a good system at a reasonable price, but milk the sales guys for everything you can.