Hi All,
I have no ideas or experience of home security systems, except that our home insurance would prefer us to have one, and it'll reduce our excess should we need to claim. We have nothing of value in our home, no more than the normal tv, computer etc. so have no need to protect anything special.
My wife recently got a cold call from Smart Home Protection and the next thing we know is we've inadvertantly arranged a visit. I'm not entirely comfortable with this, and I think my wife will probably cancel it when they contact her to confirm it. My discomfort mainly due to an 'odd' call from them and they got me instead of Mrs. and……can't put my finger on it, but they only wanted to talk to her not me. Most strange feeling about them…..
But also, in a way, am sort of curious as to what a system would entail, how it works and ball park cost. Still have this odd nagging about Smart Home Protection, mainly from my intercepted phone call.

So….
1. Any one had dealings/experience with them?
2. Any trustworthy companies personally recommended?
3. Anyone got a system – is it user friendly or a pain in the proverbial to use?
…or is it just an unnecessary thing stumped up by insurance companies?

any thoughts muchly appreciated
cheers
Q

If your gut feeling is telling you not to bother with them and not to let them come round to your house, then don't.

Cancel the visit ….

Don't let the salesman in …..

If you really feel you need a system get in touch with a local company through Yellow pages or similar…

Ask them for names and addresses of other customers so you can check the quality of after service and if they won't supply them don't do business with them…….

My parents were plagued after they made a vague enquiry as a result of a cold phone call and it took ages before the company got the message

If anyone contacts you to sell you something you do not want it.

I would imagine it to be a wireless PIR's monitored 24hrs(allegedly) via a call centre costing ££££ a month system. At an extortionate price.

This was what my old man almost signed up to until I read him the riot act. I called up company to cancel it (within) the 7 day cooling off period, then it got messy. GGrrrr

If you really want a system gey a few quotes from local companies.

go out or dont answer the door, turn off lights if its in the evening or let them in but say you have to go out 20 mins after they arrived

Avoid, avoid, avoid.

If anyone contacts you to sell you something you do not want it.

This is the tac I always use. I tell them that if I wanted the product / service they were selling I would have contacted them.

no no no no noooooooo

cancel the visit.

If you really feel the need for a burglar alarm, do your own research and then make your own appointments.
Cold callers should always be politely* turned away

* or not

Call a few local companies… Salesmen are crafty buggers, plus they will take a cut of any job (increasing the price), try to get you to sign up there and then, and then probably not offer such a good service as a local company.

look at ratedpeople.com for reccomendations for trades people.

How did they get by phone security anyway? If anyone calls our house in that manner they don't even get the opportunity to speak – phone just gets hung up.

As above – avoid. There was a thread somewhere on that Martin Lewis site a while back, that I picked up on when researching alarms, which mentioned a couple of companies and their hard sell tactics and extortionate rates. Think they were run by some ex footballer – dont think its the company you mention.

Local company, recomendations etc – we got the guy who did our through a local letting agent whom we know (live opposite the shop, neighbour works with them etc) – great service – not as cheap as DIY but then they did all the electrics etc (ran a spur of the main box) etc etc and got 2 years maintenance in the price – think it came in at about £100 over buying the same kit from screwfix or somewhere.

The national companies are all agents for the Group4 monitored service which means you are connected through to their call centre. That involves a monthly service charge, and usually for that they'll throw in all the equipment and installation for free. (That's their only negotiating ploy – they never discount the monthly charge) They often have teams that cover the country one town at a time, calling on houses that have accepted an appointment and they need you to sign up on the first visit and they will fit the alarm the next day.

Its up to you if you think the monthly charge is worth it – older people will pay a lot for peace of mind.

Contact your local Police Crime Prevention dept. See if they know anything about this Company. If not cancel. Also most Crime Prevention depts will gladly recommend or do a survey for you free of charge.

Do they actually offer cash off insurance for CCTV type systems? I've got a 4 channel PVR with motion sensing and all sorts that's just sat on a shelf!

I got cold called when I got my first house 17 years ago…..they knocked on everyone's door in the cul-de-sac etc….I had nothing of value cept my records, stereo and cooker…. anyway, 2 weeks later, 4 houses in the road got burgaled. No idea if it was coincidence, but several people in the area then used this firm etc….. shady I reckon. and the feckers nicked my girlfriends camcorder out of the bedroom….

I've seen that video on redtube.

Wow! thanks for such a unanimous vote! Will cancel visit immediately.
We've no idea how they caught on to our phone number, as we've asked to be on the register to avoid such things ( can't remember it's name….)
I think my wife did say it was on a 'pay for fitting, components free' service, which someone's already mentioned. Had no idea it would involve monthly fees to remain on a call out register.
If we do go down this route, we will definitely ask round for local recommended people.
Well…. thanks to all. Advice greatly appreciated.
cheers
Q

Were they offering it for "free"? There was a big scam up here in scotland last year but I can't remember the details. Basically, they preyed on older/vulnerable people and once they got in they didn't leave until they had secured an order for the "free" system plus a 10 year maintenance contract.

My folks got duped into an appointment but then read something in the paper and began to sh*t themselves. I called them and cancelled the appointment but they still showed up. I had to keep them out of the house.

The company was run by a major thug.

algarvebairn –> this the geezer:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2085601

same one I was thinking of earlier

Oh dear….( mops brow…)
I've passed the info on to my wife, but she doesn't have a contact no. to cancel the appointment, she has to wait until they ring back. I'm not sure if they have our address. It's not the same lot, but obviously it sounds like an area ripe for easy pickings from the less scrupulous.
I always remember a long while back, my boss's dad had a visit from the Met. Police to 'do a free security audit', desribed possible methods of entry into the house etc. then within a month or two, the person was robbed by exactly the same methods described by Mr. Plod. I remembered that and was a bit nervous about the original phone call.
I'm the opposite end of the country, but….!
thanks again folks
Q

I think if you have arranged for them to come to visit you, than you don't have the same rights as if they had just got you to sign up on the doorstep, so be careful.

(could be bollox, though …)

doc_blues, thats the boy. Right nasty piece of sh*t. Really got my mum in a state. Which is weird because the way she can go on, I'd have thought they'd give up before her. 🙂

Do not use them: cold callers are salesmen flogging the earth.
Do not use local unless you know someone who has got one of their systems,
Most locals are sparks who think they are experts.Find out if there is a alarm guy living nearby ask him if he can do it.Most natioanal com[panies have thier engineers trained and updated with current regs and upto date equipment.

BigJohn – Member
The national companies are all agents for the Group4

monitored service which means you are connected through to their call centre. That involves a monthly service charge, and usually for that they'll throw in all the equipment and installation for free. (That's their only negotiating ploy – they never discount the monthly charge) They often have teams that cover the country one town at a time, calling on houses that have accepted an appointment and they need you to sign up on the first visit and they will fit the alarm the next day.

Its up to you if you think the monthly charge is worth it – older people will pay a lot for peace of mind.

Like to know where this info came from. Must be a trade secret.
Groupo 4 dont do intruder alarms to puplic any more havent done for many years.Do a nice range in public transport if required between court and prison.

The reason they want to speak to your wife rather than you is that they use scare tactics to close the deal and they tend to work a lot better on women. Alarm salesmen = total scum.

Yale wireless alarm systems are a doddle to fit yourself

I hate the 'can we make an appointment to come and see you' type calls. Anglian windows refused to come unless we were both in. it told them to jog on.

I don't fit alarms professionally/have membership to some corporate body, I do however, have a little experience in the more extravagant/bank-level alarm systems and some noise systems/integration with other kit.

Wiring an alarm really is straight forward if you can wire a plug and set your tv up you can install an alarm system…. just takes a bit of common sense and forthought.

IMO, I wouldn't use a wireless alarm, just don't trust 'em! I know people do, but that's just my opinion.

feel free to drop me an email as i'm more than happy to run through any equipment we've used in the past. (I don't sell it btw!)

jt

My first job was selling alarms door to door. We'd generate leads and then some proper hardcore salesmen went round to scam, sorry complete the sale

Bassman – I was dealing with a company called St John Secured Homes about a year ago. They sold the G4S monitored service

I'd be concerned about them scoping out your presently unalarmed house for burglaries myself.

St John's Security are quite good actually, we use them. Or they us, depending on your point of view. When one of the builders let himself in when our house was new, they called me.

The fitters also seem to know what they are talking about. Neighbour up the road fitted his own alarm, and it's always going off because the wind rattles the garage door or something comes too close to a window etc etc.

Do they actually offer cash off insurance for CCTV type systems?

I don't know about CCTV systems, but it's really not worth installing an alarm system for the insurance 'savings'. Your insurance company will tell you there's a discount, but when you actually ask how much it's normally trivial. On top of that the alarm system will need to be 'professionally installed/maintained', and there will be a big loading on your excess if you get burgled and the insurance company think the alarm wasn't set.

As per all the advice above, if you want an alarm system don't buy it from cold-calling salesman. And even if you start surfing Yellow Pages then note that there are an awful lot of people selling/installing alarm systems that really don't have a clue.

Yeooooouchhh
a lot of things to think of there…… especially points made by footflaps and molgrips. They ring true for me.
thanks all. Just need them to ring back so's we can cancel the visit.
Again thanks all for the united front, must be a STW first!!!!
cheers
Q

Shop around-you don't to the buy the firdt one but a pro company will cost £££

Ask for a local recommendation on here.

I could give you the name of a very reasonable man if you lived in north london/home counties.