What are some of these door-to-door companies saying?

It is wise business practice to know what we're up against with regards to our competitors.  Our desire is to educate and let the customer decide what is truth.  After speaking with some of our customers who have experienced the high-pressure routine, we've identified some of the most significant statements that merit some cross-examination.

• Door-to-door salesperson - "Did you know that your current alarm system can be defeated from outside your home?"
  • This is incorrect.  While your standard phone line may be accessible on the outside of the house and vulnerable to tampering or sabotage, many of our customers have installed cellular communicators that will transmit alarm signals in the absence of a working land-line.  Even without the cellular backup option, the siren(s) will still function regardless of the condition of the phone line and are typically not vulnerable to sabotage from the outside of the home.  An outside siren can be a very inexpensive form of backup protection. 
    
• Door-to-door salesperson - "Our systems are free!"
  • Tower Security provides quality 24-hour ULC monitoring for as little as $16.00 per month.  We have copies of cancelled contracts where these companies have signed up unsuspecting people for over 3 years at $45.00 per month.  Doing the math, this so-called "free" system would have cost them $1131.00 too much over the 39 month term and their contract stated that even after that the company retains title to the equipment.  Had they not cancelled they would have paid $1131.00 in rent to use this equipment for just over 3 years.  We could sell and install the exact same equipment for a fraction of that cost and you'd own it from day one.  You be the judge if this is a "good deal" for you the consumer?!?
    
• Door-to-door salesperson - "There is no risk to sign this agreement as you are able to cancel without reason and obtain a full refund within 10 days and you'll have the evening to think on it as we'll install it in the morning."
  • Part of the hard-sell routine is to convince you to sign this evening and indicate that you are under no obligation and can always cancel within 10-days.  Some companies have even indicated that they'd schedule the upgrade for the morning so that you'd have a chance to sleep on it.  Within moments of signing they have an installation crew present and they're tearing out your old equipment.  If after doing the math and further research, you have second thoughts and cancel the agreement, they will take out their hardware but you are left with a non-functioning system that will take time and labour to re-install.
  • N.B.  - If you find yourself in this situation, please call us as we will make special arrangements that can make reinstallation very affordable or even free with certain upgrades
    
• Door-to-door salesperson - "We use state of the art wireless components that aren't vulnerable to wire cutting"
  • In actual fact, the biggest advantage from using wireless equipment benefits the installing company.  "Lick and stick" is a term often used for how quickly wireless components can be installed. Little is required in the way of expertise, training or tools.  From a consumers perspective, the exact opposite is true.  Wireless equipment is more expensive, less reliable, requires more maintenance, is  bulkier and less attractive and might limit your expansion or repair options in the future as wireless components have a greater likelihood of becoming obsolete.  For more information on hard-wired vs. wireless, checkout Hardwired vs. Wireless 
    
• Door-to-door salesperson - "Our two-way audio verification system can provide verified Police and Fire response"
  • Despite it being a valuable tool in certain scenarios, there are limitations on what two-way audio verification can accomplish.  Two-way audio technology functions by way of a microphone inside the keypad that can be turned on by an operator following an alarm event.  In order to be truly effective as a listening device, you cannot use a siren as this will drown out any sounds within the room.  A siren is considered a significant deterrent as authorities will typically take some time to respond and the siren makes it very uncomfortable for anyone to stick around in the meantime.  Even without a siren blaring in the background, it is unwise to assume that even a highly trained operator could successfully identify the sound of someone rifling through drawers in your master bedroom when the keypad may be located at the other end of the house.  Medical emergencies are the most widely-acknowledged beneficial use for audio verification.  If someone has fallen and they can't reach a phone, they may be able to communicate with an operator via strategically placed keypads.  If you are interested in further information on this technology, please contact our office and we'd be glad to assist you in determining it's usefulness in your application.
    
• Door-to-door salesperson - "At the end of the term, you own the hardware"
  • While this is often communicated verbally, the contracts we have obtained clearly states the contrary that in fact "Title to all equipment installed by XYZ remains with XYZ".  Read the terms of your contract carefully!
    
• Door-to-door salesperson - "We offer a warranty for the term of the agreement."
  • If you read the fine print, the contract states that they only provide no-charge repairs for a 120  day period after which a site-visit of $35.00 per incident will be charged.  Standard alarm equipment warranties from the manufacturer are 24-months.  Why would a company that stands behind their products and installation only provide a warranty of only 3 months?  This so called repair service also excludes batteries which will represent a significant cost with a wireless system as each protection point has one or more batteries in them.  Once again, read the terms of the contract before you sign.
    
• Door-to-door salesperson - "We are only in the area this evening and this offer will not be available tomorrow"
  • There is no reputable deal that won’t be available after you’ve done your homework on the product, the company and your alternatives.  We invite you to shop around and compare apples-to-apples with the product and services we offer vs. any company out there.  We are so confident in the value of services we offer that we know you'll be back.  We will never hard-sell but prefer to treat our customers with dignity and respect and over the years have built a solid customer base based on client satisfaction, client retention and long-term relationships.

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