Two key elements in selecting the best Alarm System are price and effectiveness.
Without Effectiveness, the price does not matter
By Tony Navarrete
Today there are so many choices available to the consumer from the big and traditional security companies like ADT, Brinks, Alarm One, and others to the new market entrances such as Simplisafe, Ring, or Nest. To label one, as the best is not an easy task without considering other aspects such as customer service and experience. For simplicity, we will consider two key aspects; price and effectiveness. Price: The big and traditional companies have had their methods, sales, and installation setup for a long time. These methods make their product very pricey. Considering their methods, the big company buys accounts from affiliated companies. Who, then pays for the equipment and commissions or salaries to their employees or contractors including sales managers, d salespersons, installers, and other staff. And yet they still have to come up with a profit. During my years working for these companies, I have seen salespersons making up to $500.00 per sale and installers making an average of $150 per install. Who pays for all these? You! the consumer, by signing a three-year agreement at a minimum rate of $35 per month. New companies like Ring or Nest will sell you their equipment and charge you a minimal fee for the monthly monitoring. In addition, they offer DIY systems further making them a cheaper option for customers. This last option makes their product less effective. I have seen experienced installers making mistakes, I just can not imagine most inexperienced homeowners doing a perfect installation. Why go for the cheap option when security may or may not be achieved? I would suggest checking local alarm companies who will sell your account to the big companies. You might get the best of both sides.
Without effectiveness, the price does not matter, but overpricing is a big problem for most.
Effectiveness
This is a big win for ADTS of the world since their success has been based on effectiveness, pricey but effective nevertheless. In comparison, Simplisafe and Ring have introduced DIY installation kits. I can not stress the importance of a good security installation. I have seen very experienced installers make simple mistakes that compromise the installation, I can not image, the average homeowner making a clean DIY installation.
Conclusion
Without effectiveness, the price does not matter, but overpricing is a big problem for most.
There are some mid-sized companies that offer better pricing than the big ones, finding one may require some research but it is within easy reach. As for the newcomers, Nest is the only one promoting professional installation. This last issue along with the additional services such anywhere doorbells and digital cameras may make the difference but it may not be as affordable by then.
