Joe P. from La Cañada Flintridge, CA

Why did you pick Alarm Grid over other monitoring companies?

When researching alarm systems, I surveyed quite a few and went as far as getting detailed estimates from three vendors: (1) a major nationwide service (you know the one); (2) the most popular local service in my neighborhood; (3) Alarm Grid. The national company had a low upfront installation cost, but their multi-year service commitment and high monthly service fee negated this advantage. The local company was over three times the cost of Alarm Grid for installation and also had a higher monthly service fee, so it was never cost-competitive. The other companies were also inferior to Alarm Grid in these other areas: (1) contract term commitment/portability, (2) overall level of control of my system, and (3) commitment to customer service.

How Much Mondy Did We Save You?

I made a spreadsheet that compared total costs (purchase/installation/monthly service) for scenarios of one, two, and three years for my three candidate vendors (national company, local company, Alarm Grid). The local alarm company was so expensive for installation that their one-year cost exceeded Alarm Grid's three-year cost! And because of their contract commitment term, the national company exceeded Alarm Grid for all time scenarios. I plan to keep my system for more than three years, so I will save more than $500 vs. the national company and over $2500 vs. the local company!

Which Alarm Grid Provided Resources Did You Use?

I previewed the installations for my base station and sensors using the YouTube videos, and then referred back to them during installation for a few challenging situations. The Alarm Grid YouTube channel is one of the major things that distinguishes Alarm Grid from the other security system vendors. I also applaud Alarm Grid's decision to make these videos available without restriction, thereby aiding the entire DIY community, rather than putting them behind a paywall or restricting access to customers only. I also like the overall atmosphere and production quality of the videos, which I think reflect those of Alarm Grid as a whole: very personable, friendly, and customer-oriented, yet totally professional and knowledgeable about the product.

What Do You Think Other People Should Know About Alarm Grid's Service?

I really appreciate Alarm Grid's commitment to customer service. It's not easy to provide support for something as complex as a monitored alarm system, with several different types of base stations, keyboard panels, and an infinite variety of sensor configurations. Yet Alarm Grid manages to provide a level of individualized service that I would only expect from a local company. For example, Alarm Grid always schedules a phone appointment during installation to walk through the setup of the alarm monitoring service and also to address any customer-specific questions. I was really impressed. And I've had occasion to return a few items (e.g., keyfobs that would go unused) and this is always handled quickly and easily.

How Do You Use Total Connect?

I have Total Connect and use it many several per day to monitor my system status, arm/disarm the alarm system, and remotely operate things like lights, garage door, driveway gate, and door locks. I cannot tell you how many times this has saved me and my family from returning to a dark house at night. It's also wonderful to be able to drive right into my driveway and garage, having opened the gate and garage door while coming up the street. And I really like having the log of events by user code, so I know when service personnel were in my home.