Elderly mom paying $90/month for ADT. Better bang for the buck?

[FIREin2018]

When my dad was alive, they got adt home security for like $20/month.
a decade later, i found out she's paying $90/month for her house. :(

Any better bang for the buck? Simplisafe???

[Sibley]

Better question: does she need home security or does she need personal security? It's far more likely that she's going to fall and need assistance. Life alert or similar might be a better fit.

[cannotWAIT]

I got my elderly mom some Echo Dots and got her subscribed to their emergency assist service ($5/mo). Now she can just yell for whatever help she needs. Is your mom likely to be burgled when she's not home? Mine isn't, plus she's almost never not home.

[Kris]

The signs they give you are the biggest deterrent. Cancel the service but keep the signs out.

[hdatontodo]

Simplisafe worked for me.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using Tapatalk

[Omy]

We're happy with simplisafe. The basic plan has gone up to $21.95/mo.

[Drink Coffee And Stack Money]

 i found out she's paying $90/month for her house. :(

That seems wildly expensive for a home. I pay ADT $122 a month for service on a 50,000 sq. ft. commercial building with two key pads, two zones, and 14 users with key code access.

[Sibley]

 i found out she's paying $90/month for her house. :(

That seems wildly expensive for a home. I pay ADT $122 a month for service on a 50,000 sq. ft. commercial building with two key pads, two zones, and 14 users with key code access.

Residential and commercial are not comparable. They are completely different markets. All you're doing is highlighting how much of a rip off home alarms really are.

[Drink Coffee And Stack Money]

 i found out she's paying $90/month for her house. :(

That seems wildly expensive for a home. I pay ADT $122 a month for service on a 50,000 sq. ft. commercial building with two key pads, two zones, and 14 users with key code access.

Residential and commercial are not comparable. They are completely different markets. All you're doing is highlighting how much of a rip off home alarms really are.

If $90 for home ADT is accurate then it is quite a rip off.

[Just Joe]

The signs they give you are the biggest deterrent. Cancel the service but keep the signs out.

Did exactly that when we bought our current house. PO was a subscriber to some security service. We did not continue the service but did not remove the stickers. No problems in 4-5 years. 

Some things live outside like our grill and my shed is unlocked. If anything ever disappears, we'll get tight on security.

The stickers can be bought online too. Fictional companies.

[ChpBstrd]

Dang.

How much theft is prevented by giving ADT $1,080 per year. Over a decade it might be more economical to lose a used car, or suffer 3 or 4 burglaries.

[Dicey]

Wow! Good on you for looking after mom. I wonder what other subscription bombshells might be lurking. Keep looking!

[Morning Glory]

Does she like dogs (and is she physically able to care for one)? I would argue that most people get more value from them than you would from a burglar alarm, although they are likely more expensive (and not for everyone).

[Just Joe]

Not all dogs though. Mine would show you around the house. Especially where the best treats are stored.

[use2betrix]

Not all dogs though. Mine would show you around the house. Especially where the best treats are stored.

My previous dog, a chocolate lab, would do the same.

Now we have a big German shepherd. He would absolutely tear anyone up who tried to break into our house, or approach my wife while she’s walking him.

We moved last week and ADT has been a HUGE pain. Have had one sales person call, and 2 separate show up at my door. The information between all three was wildly inconsistent and lacking. None could give me prices of equipment and said I’d have to work that out with the installer. The ‘reasonable’ monthly service with features I’d want was $65. We would’ve pulled the trigger if they weren’t such stereotypically terrible sales people.

We had a basic ring system at our last home. We’ll do the same at this home now. With my dog, the only time anyone is breaking in is when we’re on vacation. That’s also basically the only time we arm it.

You may consider setting her up with a simple ring system or similar.

[Morning Glory]

Not all dogs though. Mine would show you around the house. Especially where the best treats are stored.

My previous dog, a chocolate lab, would do the same.

No we have a big German shepherd. He would absolutely tear anyone up who tried to break into our house, or approach my wife while she’s walking him.

We moved last week and ADT has been a HUGE pain. Have had one sales person call, and 2 separate show up at my door. The information between all three was wildly inconsistent and lacking. None could give me prices of equipment and said I’d have to work that out with the installer. The ‘reasonable’ monthly service with features I’d want was $65. We would’ve pulled the trigger if they weren’t such stereotypically terrible sales people.

We had a basic ring system at our last home. We’ll do the same at this home now. With my dog, the only time anyone is breaking in is when we’re on vacation. That’s also basically the only time we arm it.

You may consider setting her up with a simple ring system or similar.

I've got a loud and obnoxious beagle mix who is an absolute sweetie but sounds scary enough if you don't know him. Downside is all the false alarms lol.

The burglar alarm sales people scare me a little because that would be the perfect cover to get information about a house.

[ludak75]

Call ADT and say you are canceling.. could get a better rate

we have had ADT for many years and locked it at $42/mo

if you get another company, they will have to come out and replace the brain of it with their own.

also, see what all it monitors, fire alarms, carbon monoxide, etc..

$90/mo seems really high.

[Unionville]

alfred app about $5 a month, they save the videos and you can use multiple cameras/cell phones.

[GilesMM]

I use a professional local guy (in business 30 years) at $35/mo for a system that monitors more than 30 sensors (doors, windows, motion, heat, smoke) and records a dozen cameras.  He lives 10 minutes away and responds instantly to texts or emails to issues or questions.  ADT is a ripoff.   


But generally all burglar alarm systems are not money well spent as they are too often either (1) setting off false alarms, (2) not set properly to catch the thief, (3) bypassed by the thief, or (4) ignored by the thief and neighbors and police who take ages to respond if they show up at all.  In most jurisdictions, police do not respond to burglar alarms without confirmation.


Smoke/fire alarms are a different matter and can be the difference between a $10,000 fire and a total loss.