home security system cost
Ease of installation should be the primary focus. If it's a system that requires a lot of wiring, it's probably not the right system for a do-it-yourself job. The typical do-it-yourself system should be wireless or "RF-based", so that the transmitters and the detection devices you would place on the doors and windows would send a signal to a receiving point rather than having to be wired with a pair of wires from that location to the console.
The second thing you need to look for is how comprehensive the package is. You'll want a package that allows you to protect multiple locations. For example the front door, back door, sliding glass door and so on should have motion sensors, so if somebody gets by one of those locations, they'll be detected as they pass by the device.
Third, can you add on to the system? No system is going to be as comprehensive as you need it to be. It needs to be designed so that you have the ability to add additional devices to protect windows or additional doors. The people who live there may want to be able to add a panic switch or some other sort of emergency switch. Those can be transmitting devices that can be located in a room or actually carried by the individual at all times. If there is a situation, pushing the button will generate an alarm.
Next, can the system and instruments be monitored? Many systems (in fact almost every system that you buy at the retail level) will be local in nature, meaning that if there is an alarm, it will do nothing more than make noise. If your system is monitored, you are have 24/7/365 protection. When an alarm is generated, the system will call a central receiving station that has a plan provided by the homeowner. They will follow that plan as far as calling the neighbors, calling the police, calling the fire department, and so on.
By the way, another option available is a system that also functions with smoke detectors. Fire protection is a key scenario that is often overlooked.
Written by Chuck Stevens and Bob Patton
home security system cost
Jan 29, 2009
Jan 28, 2009
Six Common Criminal Types And How To Avoid Them (Home Security System Cost)
Home Security System Cost
Home Security System Cost
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" that saying is as true for crime, as it is for health. After taking literally thousands of reports over the years I spent as a police officer; I found that a lot of crimes that had happened could have been prevented. The easiest and most effective way of dealing with crime is not be a victim of it in the first place. This is easier said then done, and no matter how cautious you are you can still be a victim. Nothing will give you a 100% guarantee; however, there are things you can do to at least limit your odds of being a victim. But first; you have to know what you are preventing yourself from, in order to know how to prevent against it. This article will in general show you some of the common criminal types, and give some suggestions on how to avoid them. I have made up my own classifications for these people based upon my experience as a police officer.
Passive thieves:
Passive thieves are those who steal but are not aggressive towards their victims. They prefer their victims not to be around. These people usually are the ones who will break into your car, home, business etc. They are impulsive and really do not think much about the penalties they will face if they get caught. Sometimes they pre plan to do a crime, but other times they see an opportunity and go for it. For example: a thief is walking through a parking lot and sees a laptop sitting on the front seat of a unoccupied vehicle. Next thing you know the window is smashed and the laptop is gone.
Now the thief didn't preplan to take the laptop, or to target that particular vehicle. They just saw an opportunity and went for it, without even thinking for a second about who the victim is, or what will happen to them if they get caught. Some of the common items they steal are cash, checks, credit cards, purses, laptops, or if they break into your home they will also target: desktop computers, TV's, VCR's, DVD player, tools, jewelry, basically anything they think they can turn into cash. These types of criminals are some of the easiest to deal with from a preventative nature. Because they are always looking for an easy opportunity, your best defense is not to give them one. Some of the common things people (potential victims) inadvertently do which create easy opportunities are listed below.
? Leaving their keys in the car
? Leaving the house unlocked
? Leaving the car unlocked
? Making it obvious that they are gone for an extended period of time.
? Leaving valuables in the car that are in plain view
? Leaving their vehicle running while unattended
? Leaving their purse in the shopping cart while shopping
These are just a few examples to give you the general idea. In my book "Crime Awareness 101" I cover the above bulleted items in much greater detail. I also break down 11 specific crimes and give more preventive tips, and I include what to do after the fact.
Aggressive thieves:
These types of criminals are much more dangerous and much harder to prevent against. They mostly focus on doing armed robberies, and expect their victims to be there. They are violent in nature and very unpredictable. They care nothing about the victim, and lately it appears that they are more then willing to kill. The do pre plan their crimes somewhat but not usually very well, their main tool of control is their intimidation, and the weapon they carry. Even without a weapon they can be dangerous and will fight ferociously. They usually wont stay around long if they are just robbing a business, or an individual on the street. However; if they take the victim somewhere or get into get them in a insolated area, then the crime may turn to rape, aggravated assault, or murder. Here are some activities which may invite this type of problem.
? Not being aware of you surroundings
? Being alone late at night, or in unsafe areas
? Displaying large amounts of cash or valuables
? Working at convenience stores, or gas stations.
? Letting people in your home that you do not know.
In my book "Crime Awareness 101" I give detailed explanations about the above bullets, and what to do about it.
Passive Assaulters:
These are your date rape type. They are not actively aggressive however they are sneakier. They preplan their attacks, or take advantage of someone who has put themselves in a vulnerable position ( for example someone who is passed out from intoxication or drug use). They will appear to be your friend and then slip something in your drink (date rape drug) to knock you out, where they can then take advantage of you. The unfaithful business traveler can also fall victim to these criminals. Only this time it will be an attractive female who acts as if she is attracted to him. When they get alone she will slip something in his drink to knock him out and then rob him. Usually the unfaithful business traveler is too embarrassed to report this type of crime so you don't hear about it much. The date rape criminal is the one you need to be concerned about. In my book "Crime Awareness 101" I give a complete explanation on date rape and what to look for including the following topics:
? Potential date rapist behavioral signs that should raise a red flag
? Circumstances that are favorable to this crime and how to avoid them
? Preventative tips for both rape and date rape
? Suggestions of what to do when confronted with a rapist
Alcohol induced troublemakers:
These types of people are normally pretty descent people, but when they drink they become a monster. We had one person who was huge, strong as an ox, and when he drank look out it was going to be fight night. We would always have to wrestle with him, once we had him cuffed and in the back seat of the car. He would sit and smash his head against the plastic divider so hard that he would cut it open, and then off to the hospital we would go. Once he got into a cell he would do the same thing against the cell wall cutting his head open and again off to the hospital we would go. Usually arresting him meant a fight, two trips to the hospital, and having at least three officers tied up for hours. Yet when he was sober he was the nicest guy, alcohol just made him extremely violent. Of course he mixed a few drugs in there too, but alcohol was the main cause for his violence. You will encounter these types at the bar, sporting events, large parties, and unfortunately sometimes weddings. The best defense against these types is just stay clear of them, and don't get into any confrontations with them.
Silent Assaulters:
These are typically your domestic violence types. They are outwardly pretty meek and mild, where most people that know them outside of the home would never think they are domestic abusers; however, inside the home structure they are very controlling, and that control is enforced through physical assaults and psychological degradation. I remember one incident where a woman was severely beaten by her live in boyfriend. She was surprised that she ever got into this situation. She stated that she was an educated professional woman, and her abuser was a well educated man making a six figure income. According to her, he is kind off a geek that nobody would give a second thought of as far as being a threat. However, he beat her so badly that she was hospitalized with a closed head injury. It's very important to really know the person you are getting involved with. Many times red flags will appear early in the relationship that are signs that the person could be a domestic abuser. I have written a complete section on domestic violence which is covered in my book "Crime Awareness 101." In that section I talk about what to look for, preventative measures to take, the cycle of violence, plus what to do when you are a victim. I also list numerous support groups and other resources.
Thinkers:
These are criminals who are better known as con artists. They pre plan their scams and are usually very good at them. They are normally non violent, very good at getting your trust, and talking their way out of situations. They offer free trips, discounted services, money, etc? whatever they offer its just front to get you interested, in the end they are going to take your money. They may also pose as your Medical Insurance carrier, Bank, Credit Card Company, etc, and con you into telling them your personal information. These con artists attempt their scams in person, over the phone, and through the internet. In my book "Crime Awareness 101" I wrote a chapter on scams which list some of the more common scams and what to look out for. In the members area of my website http://www.crimeawareness101.com I list, and consistently update even more scams.
About the author: Scott Shaper is a former police officer with over fourteen year's law enforcement experience. He is also the author of the book "Crime Awareness 101", and the operator of the website http://www.crimeawareness101.com. Visit his website for more crime prevention articles and information about his book.
Home Security System Cost
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Alarm Controls are the Brain of your Security System, Use Yours When Choosing One (Home Security System Cost)
Home Security System Cost
Home Security System Cost
The alarm control is the brain of your security system. It is typically placed in an area that is out of the way like a basement, attic, closet or office. The motherboard and additional components such as radio receivers, backup power supply and zone expanders are inside this metal box, which is often locked. You will have little or no interface with the alarm control. Your alarm technician will need to access this unit to program it and wire it to general standards, or your custom standards.
There are many manufacturers of alarm controls. Each manufacturer will also produce several models within a particular product line. Alarm companies purchase direct from the manufacturer or more often buy their products through one of a few available alarm distributors in their area. These distributors and manufacturers do not sell product to the non- professional consumer. You can buy this equipment on line if you have the ability to install it and service it yourself.
As a general rule the controls that are most dependable and have the most programming options are more costly. I will teach you how to get the best control you can find as this will greatly affect your ease of use and your ability to have your alarm adjusted to fit your lifestyle.
In the interest of keeping this device as understandable as possible for you, I will forgo the intense and hundreds of differences among these units and I will break them into a few categories that should make more sense to you.
BASIC
There are many basic units available to the alarm dealer. They will often use these units knowing that the average consumer does not know the difference, and they will stock them at very little expense. A less qualified installer can also install these basic units, because there are few or no programming and wiring options.
(HOT TIP!)
What you should be most concerned about when it comes to these basic units is that we professionals refer to many of them as " CROWBAR SYSTEMS." These systems come as a control, keypad, siren, communicator and backup power supply all built into one unit. If a burglar breaks into your place and hears a siren coming from this unit, they are going to take the proverbial crowbar and smash it off the wall. At this time you would no longer have a control, keypad, siren, backup power supply or communicator to call for help. A lot of good that would do for you!
Now that you are educated in the pitfalls of a self contained unit I doubt that anyone will be able to sell you one, or even give you one for that matter.
AVERAGE
The majority of systems that professional alarm companies install fall into this category. They are dependable for the most part based on how long the model has been on the market. Some of these manufacturers have stuck with their dependable product lines for well over 20 years. Some of the newer models have nice new features but when it comes to mid-range units I have always avoided turning my clients into product testers. These units are comprised of any number of separate components that are wired together to make your complete system. This way if someone knocks a siren or keypad or any other component off the wall the alarm still does what it needs to do. The control panel in this range typically comes with at least eight zones. Zones give you the ability to use all or part of your system; you will also be able to pinpoint with some accuracy where a violation has taken place. An example of using part of your system would be as follows:
*You are staying home and want only your perimeter devices on and your interior devices off.
* You are lounging in the back yard and want to go in and out of the back door so you bypass that door and motion detector while protecting the remainder of the house.
* You are leaving work for the evening and your employees are staying late so you bypass the work area and arm the office so no one can enter that area.
When choosing your alarm company avoid the dealer that has many brands and models available to you in this range. That could mean that they are buying whatever is on sale that week from the distributor. The dealer that has used the same model for many years is more proficient when it comes to installing, programming options and servicing of that model.
HIGH END
If you know what you want in an alarm system and realize that these high-end systems can be programmed to do exactly what you want them to do for many different scenarios, you would settle for nothing less. All of your presets can be activated usually with the touch of one button. It is my experience that all of the many different features of these type of controls are designed for ease of use by the end user (That's You!) and not the alarm dealer. They come with many zones so you have complete control over every aspect of your protection. These units can even be serviced remotely when changes are requested saving everyone time and money.
It takes a more qualified professional to properly install, find out what your requirements are, program the alarm to fit your lifestyle, and then teach you how simple it is to operate. I would assume you are like me and want the best-qualified installer you can find to work inside your home.
(HOT TIP!)
Find the dealer that places the highest number of installs in your area. Because of the volume they buy in, they will get the high-end equipment for the same price the rest of the dealers pay for the average equipment. They should always be willing to use the high-end equipment without extra cost to you, because it sets them apart from the others and due to the quality of equipment, they don't carry the expenses of maintaining a large service team.
WHO CAN YOU CALL?
BBB, Burglar Alarm Associations (both local and national), State licensing authority or my favorite the promotions or sales manager of your potential alarm dealer, and let them know you know the difference!
Lets look at a typical zone layout for a control panel so that you can understand the way it is wired and programmed works.
ZONE 1- (DELAY) This zone is where the doors from which you most often enter and exit are. When you turn your alarm on, the exit delay will start a timer (programmed to your specifications, if requested) allowing you time to get out. Once the exit time has expired, (usually about 30-60 seconds.) the alarm will be in the on or "armed" condition.
When you return to your home or business and enter through the delay doors an entry timer begins. This timer is usually set at about 15-30 seconds. You do not want to have a long entry time as a burglar entering through a delay zone has the same amount of time in your protected area before the alarm goes off. During this time you would go to the nearest keypad and enter your code to turn your alarm off.
(IN THE KNOW!)
The delay doors have a chime feature that can easily be turned on or off. Most people elect to leave this feature on all the time, so that they can hear a tone when the alarm is off and someone enters. The high-end systems can be programmed to have a different tone for each door. If you can spare a zone have your delay doors put on separate zones as opposed to having them share one, and request that your control be programmed for different tones.
ZONE 2- (INSTANT PERIMETER) This zone would be for other than delay doors.
The back yard door and the master bedroom to deck doors are good examples of these types of doors. There is no delay timer on these doors and when the alarm is on and entry is made the alarm will go off instantly.
ZONE 3- (INTERIOR) This zone is for your motion detector on the main floor. When you enter through a delay door the motion will delay also, giving you the ability to get to the keypad to turn off or "disarm" your system. If you do not enter through a delay door first and the motion sees you it will go into an alarm condition instantly. When you are staying home or arming your business system without leaving, you can arm your system in the stay mode. This will bypass your interior zone or zones allowing you to move around without restrictions while still having your perimeter secured.
ZONE 4-(INTERIOR) This zone is for your basement motion detector. It will function the same as your main floor motion detector.
(HOT TIP!)
Most alarm technicians will put multiple motion detectors on a single interior zone. I like to be sure these are separated, so that you have the flexibility of deciding which stays on and which are bypassed, when armed in the stay mode. This would be handy if you have an unfinished basement with windows, and you have no need to access that area while armed in the stay mode. This also gives you pinpoint indications of which area has been or is being violated when the alarm sounds.
ZONE 5- (INSTANT) This zone is for basement or lower level door or window contacts.
ZONE 6- (INSTANT) This zone is for main or upper level window contacts.
ZONE 7- (INSTANT) This zone is for main floor glass break detectors.
ZONE 8- (FIRE) This zone is for smoke and heat detectors. Any zone that is designated as a fire zone is on 24 hours a day even if the alarm is not armed.
As you can see there is great flexibility in the way your alarm control gets set up for you. In all my years in the business I have rarely seen an alarm company discuss this with the customer. Typically they will create a general setup standard and tell the client this is how this works. Understanding that you should be involved in this process helps you design a system that fits into your lifestyle instead of having to adjust your lifestyle to your new alarm system.
This is yet another reason to be sure you are getting the most bang for your buck when selecting an alarm control.
(INSIDER INFO!)
The alarm installer most likely has the ability to program a lockout code into your alarm control. This code prevents a different monitoring or service company in the future from re-programming your system, rendering it useless unless you do business with the installing dealer. Insist on "NO LOCKOUT CODE" in writing from your installing dealer. This way they have to earn your future business, leaving your freedom of choice intact.
Hardwired Systems vs. Wireless- Hardwired systems are those that have the devices wired directly to the control. Wireless systems send radio signals to a receiver in the control, which processes the signals. There is nothing more dependable than a pair of copper wires to send a signal from point A to point B. I would recommend a hardwired system over a wireless system in all instances where one can be installed. However there are times when the only thing that can be installed in your place is a wireless or "radio frequency" system.
If there is no basement or a finished one, and there is no accessible attic to run wire through, you would have to go wireless to have your system installed. In the wireless world there is a great range of quality available. Wireless equipment is more costly than hardwired equipment in general because each device has a radio transmitter built into it or attached to it. If you need to go wireless make sure you are getting the highest quality radios available. Some use common frequencies like 900 megahertz and others use licensed frequencies to transmit signals. The latter is the better one because there is little that will interfere with the signal. Some of the things that could interfere with the common frequencies are airplanes, CB radios, cell towers etc.
A good way to look at the differences in the quality of wireless equipment is to think of a wireless home telephone. The cheap $20.00 unit uses common frequencies. It works, but often has static and drops out. Sometimes you hear a neighbor with the same phone frequency talking. The range you can wander from the base is often less than desirable.
The $100.00 unit makes all the difference in the world and, although you hated spending the extra money on the replacement, you appreciate the quality gained.
I would rather not have an alarm system at all, before I would have one that I don't use because it is always going off for no apparent reason. The high- end wireless equipment is extremely dependable and you must be prepared to spend a little extra to assure you are at this end of the quality spectrum.
(FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION!)
If you have an area such as a basement or accessible attic to run wires in, and your alarm company wants to sell to you or give you a wireless system, consider not doing business with them. They are most likely going to use low quality, inexpensive wireless equipment and also save on the cost of installation. A wireless system takes less time for workers to install because they don't need to take the time or to have the skill to hide the wires.
Wireless equipment has several other shortcomings that are unavoidable no matter what the quality of equipment you get:
* The transmitters are large and having one on each of your doors is not as aesthetically pleasing as the small hardwired devices.
* The transmitters have batteries in them that have to be changed periodically.
* Many wireless systems will not tell you if a transmitter is not working, so you have a false sense of security.
* Wireless devices are frequency and brand specific so they must match the manufacturer of the control. Updating your control in the future could thus render all your devices useless or restrict your choices in control features.
Hardwired devices of any brand with a few exceptions can be wired directly to any brand control. So if you are upgrading an existing hardwired system you will most likely be able to use the old contacts, motion detectors, smoke detectors, glass break detectors, etc.
One advantage of wireless equipment is that you can place devices exactly where you want them in what would be a complicated hardwire situation. There are great high quality systems at your disposal if a wireless system is a necessity for your installation.
You can also add a wireless receiver to any hardwired control at any time, so that you can transmit one or several devices to it. We call this a hybrid system, since it is now both hardwired and wireless. Reducing the amount of wireless devices on your system will reduce your cost and increase your dependability. The same rule applies to a wireless system since you can hardwire in any device that you can get a wire to.
Be advised that even if you have a wireless system, there are still a few things that must be hardwired to it, such as the keypad, power transformer, sirens and phone line. This may restrict placement of the control panel to an area that is wire accessible to all of these devices. It is worth repeating. There is nothing more dependable than a pair of copper wires to send a signal from point A to point B. If any wire would happen to get cut, it would open the circuit causing an alarm if the system is on.
Compare Apples to Apples- As you can see there is, as with most things in life a great range of quality available to you when choosing an alarm system and its components. Taking the time needed to compare all features of each component of your proposed alarm system will always be to your advantage. Most any alarm consultant will jump to the high end of available equipment, if their potential customer is asking for the differences to be explained.
Matthew is a 22-year veteran of the alarm system industry. He now works as a consumer advocate, teaching consumers how to buy or get systems for free (without being taken).He is committed to being unbiased.
His web site is http://www.expertsknow.com
alarms@expertsknow.com
Home Security System Cost
Alarm Systems & Automobile Tires? (Home Security System Cost)
Home Security System Cost
Home Security System Cost
What do alarm systems and automobile tires have in common? This may sound like a strange question to the untrained ear, but lend me yours and I will make sense of it.
The reason I mention car tires is that they are a necessity that most all of us have some experience purchasing, at least once in a while.
Even though we need good tires to keep our cars firmly on the road, when they are wearing out we often put the purchase off for a few weeks. If we are patient, a Saturday will eventually come along that we have no plans for, and we force ourselves to go to our local tire store.
Maybe it's the one with the big giant marshmallow looking thing on the roof, or the shop down the road who seems to be giving away free franks, and has a racing car crew serving them, that gets us to stop.
If you are jumping the gun and think I'm correlating putting off the purchase of a necessity such as car tires with a necessity such as an alarm system you would be wrong. The first reason you would be wrong is because most people don't see an alarm as a necessity, but as a luxury. Only after they have been burglarized, do they see an addition of an alarm system as something they need instead of want.
Do you know why they realize after the fact that they need one? Not just because they are upset that someone took the electronics. Not just because the gun that they considered the only alarm system they would ever need is missing, and god only knows whose hands it will end up in. Not even because they are freaked out knowing that some stranger was rifling through the underwear drawer. It is because this is the first time most people start to think about how this unfortunate event could have effected the lives of their loved ones and themselves, if they had been home or walked in on a burglary in progress.
What if my wife came home for lunch and walked in on them?
What if I came home from work and had my own gun pointed at me when I came in?
What if we were asleep while they entered, and how would that traumatize the family?
After asking ourselves these types of questions is when an alarm system becomes a necessity.
Assuming you do know that you need and want a system as part of your preventative security plan, and you do have researching one on your to do list, let's consider how else an alarm system might have something in common with automobile tires.
When we go to buy our tires we often tell the salesman what size tire we need or what make and model our car is. They go to the computer screen and tell you "we have the Big Brand XTC 10's for $45.00 each plus mounting and balancing" or " The Joe Blows are really made by the same company and they are $5.00 less each" (Sound familiar?)
How often does the salesperson, take the time to explain things that are so important to your decision such as Load Range, Tread Wear, Rubber Composites, Tread Patterns and the Elements, Sidewall Strength, Speed Ratings, etc. If they did, you would not only know much more than you already do about tires, but you would most likely justify your choices and the expense with life- safety, as you should. You will also most likely buy your tires at that store the next time you need them, no matter what they are giving away down the street.
Would you believe that alarm systems are often sold the same way tires are." We have, this one or that one, which do you prefer?" When making an important decision such as how a security system will fit into your lifestyle, please take the time to understand all of your options. The available differences in quality of all the devices you are considering for purchase is astounding, and will make a big difference in how happy you are with your choices. If you can't find someone to explain all of these things to you, then you have not found the proverbial "perfect tire store"
Matthew is a 22-year veteran of the alarm system industry. He now works as a consumer advocate, teaching consumers how to buy or get systems for free (without being taken). He is committed to being unbiased. His web site is http://www.expertsknow.com
Home Security System Cost
Alarm Systems: Not Just For The Wealthy Anymore! (Home Security System Cost)
Home Security System Cost
Home Security System Cost
Over the last 22 years that I have been involved in the security alarm industry, I have seen quite an evolution. Changes have not only taken place in what type of equipment is available, but also in how the consumer buys and use's the equipment.
When I first started in the business, alarms where used mostly for commercial applications. Businesses had to have them to watch over their product while they were closed. Insurance companies made sure their clients had one installed.
Residential alarm systems were owned mostly by well to do professionals who could afford such a luxury. As the years progressed people in or near big cities were getting burglarized and wanted to send future burglars to the neighbor's house by installing a system in their home.
In the nineties large alarm companies speculated that the potential of the residential market was not being realized. Homeowners were not willing to layout thousands of dollars to protect their color televisions and stereos because that would be like buying them again anyway. Homeowners would rather gamble on the hope that they would not be victimized anytime soon.
As crime increased almost daily and alarm companies made purchasing a system affordable, the residential market grew considerably. Many more homeowners were realizing the peace of mind they could have by protecting their things while they were out. Many that didn't purchase a system were getting burglarized and would then of course pay for a high cost system without hesitation, so that they could prevent the inevitable return.
What happened next in my opinion is the biggest change the industry has undergone. As more homes were being burglarized and changes in lifestyles allowed people to come home at different hours of the day, the terrifying prospect of walking in on a burglary in progress became all too possible. Burglars also became so desperate and brazen that they started to invade homes while they were occupied. These types of burglars started to commit crimes of a much worse nature against the homeowners that confronted them. In reaction, alarm consultants began to change their focus: alarm systems should be designed and utilized to protect people first and property second.
These days most anyone can afford an alarm system. Arm yourself with the knowledge of how to get the best deal and most protection for your money. There should be no reason that you allow yourself to become a statistic if you don't want to be one. The hardest thing you may have to overcome is the feeling that you live in a safe neighborhood. What does a safe neighborhood look like? Is it possible you may be confusing a nice neighborhood with a safe one?
Do you need a system? - Very few people that I have met in my many years of security consulting knew before they were burglarized that they needed a system. For those that did have the unfortunate experience of being victimized, I would actually have to talk them out of buying more than they needed. I took great pride in my ability to calm down the customers enough to learn how to properly protect their family and home from future invasion. This approach always made my clients very appreciative of my services and would generally result in a long term- user of our monitoring service and in many referrals.
For those that had not yet been burglarized, I found that the consultations started with their feeling that security was just a luxury they were considering as a tool to protect their things. I then would show them exactly what was going on in their neighborhoods in the way of burglaries and the always-unexpected number of sexual predators. This would always surprise the homeowners, unless they already knew that they had moved into an area that was not so safe.
Most people believe that the lovely neighborhood they chose to live in is safe. Think about it. If a burglar is going to break into a house, don't they want to steal the most valuables they can on each invasion? Doesn't the perpetrator of more violent crimes want to prey on an unsuspecting victim? Please don't be so naive as to confuse your nice neighborhood with a safe one. Many people in your neighborhood fall into a false sense of security and don't even lock the front door while they are home during the day. How easy is that for someone to enter through?
After showing a potential client how a home security system would protect their family and themselves from several different types of crimes as well as assisting them in emergency situations, the necessity of having a system would become obvious to them.
If you can afford to install a security system before something happens to you or your loved ones, or before you have to find out what it's like for some creep to rifle through your personal belongings, do it now! You will get much more out of your system if it prevents these crimes because you are likely to spend whatever you have to after the fact.
Does a free security system really exist? - "YES" there are such things as a free security system on the market these days and they can even be of the highest quality if you know what to ask for. The largest security firms own their own monitoring stations and are looking for the monitoring revenues as their major source of income. The Corporation will usually run the commercial side of the security business and use "Authorized Dealers" to take care of the residential side of the business.
The authorized dealers are independently owned companies that must meet the standards of the main dealership. Many of these authorized dealers are big enough residential security companies to do systems solely for the main corporation. The authorized dealer will purchase the equipment they like to work with and install it for you to their quality standards. After the install is complete the authorized dealer will submit your paperwork and a request for funding to the main corporation. The main corporation applies a sliding pay scale to your installation based on your credit score and your happiness over the install when they call you for a quality assurance call. The best install coupled with the good credit rated customers is funded at the highest dollar amount because the monitoring corporation knows you're likely to stay with them for many years. The dealer makes plenty of money for the install and the corporation goes to work on keeping you happy so that they can earn your monitoring business well past the agreement period. They are also happy to have their warning sign in your yard, as this is the best kind of advertising.
Because everybody wins when this type of system is offered, the authorized dealer is willing to give you most or all of the equipment you need at no cost to you. And I do mean give it to you because you own the system, it is usually not a lease. You will have to sign up for a period of monitoring to get these free systems, but the monitoring is something that you need and would be paying for even if you already had a system. So the system really is free.
It is with this type of program that the opportunity to work with the best performing dealer in a given authorized dealer program plays to your advantage. The dealers already get a deep discount on the systems they buy because of the volume of business the manufacturers get from the main corporation. The ones that place the most systems will get additional savings on the higher quality systems and components. This means that if you search out the best performing authorized dealer in your area you will have saved hundreds or even thousands of dollars, if you obtain knowledge of how the security industry works.
I have been going off on the benefits and exciting offerings of the large promotional dealer programs. In all fairness to the independent mom and pop companies, I would like you to know there are some benefits to dealing with them if you have a quality company in your town.
For some consumers it is much more important to support their community businesses than saving a buck by dealing with the large corporations. Although I doubt a small Alarm Company will be able to give you a free security system and stay in business very long. I do believe a smart company can make you a great offer by adjusting in different areas. Some of these benefits are as follows:
They can offer you a lower monitoring rate and still use the services of the large UL listed monitoring companies.
They will be more likely to respond rapidly to your future needs as they are relying on local reputation for future business.
They will monitor your alarm on a month to month basis without a long term monitoring agreement.
They will be able to support you and your business, as they will be more likely to spend the money they made in their own community.
All of the things you need to learn about quality of equipment, how the device's work and agreement negotiations apply to the small mom and pop alarm companies as well as the large security firms. Take time to learn these things, by accessing consumer advocate information sources. Your newly acquired knowledge will go a long way with the local company and the largest dealerships, who if they want to earn your business, will offer you the best quality they have on their shelves.
Matthew Francis,
Matthew is a 22-year veteran of the alarm system industry. He now works as a consumer advocate, teaching consumers how to buy or get systems for free (without being taken). He is committed to being unbiased. His web site is http://www.expertsknow.com
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