ADT proposed upgrade

Docsaibal

We have a monitored ADT hardwired alarm system that was installed when we moved into this property just over 23 years ago. A few months ago we underwent a compulsory upgrade to our phone lines from copper to broadband, which resulted in no end of hassle as Virgin had not accounted for our having the alarm and mum having a Telecare remote monitoring system, and there were a total of 4 call-outs with only the last engineer taking the trouble to squeeze out more than the allocated time to finally sort things out to make them compatible. 

Yesterday I received a letter asking me to upgrade my alarm system. I spoke to the sales department and was told that although the change itself would be cost-neutral to me, the new monthly charge would go from about £32 to £40, with maybe a quid or two shaved off if I spoke to his manager. I have been in poverty for 2 years and this long-term hike is currently not sustainable. I was on the point of asking to buy some time while we thought about it when I discovered during the conversation that the phone line upgrade had caused a loss of signal to their centre and consequently was currently just a bells-only alarm. This was all the more concerning as they had failed to notify me at the time, and furthermore a routine systems check by an onsite engineer a couple of weeks ago had not detected it either; in addition we are due to go abroad for a month and half in just over a fortnight and the house will be unoccupied for the first time in 2 years. It is only accidentally that I discovered this and have a chance to rectify the situation as opposed to be burgled while away and realising after the event there was no response to the alarm.

As a decision has to be made very soon in order to keep the property protected, I need to speak to the manager tomorrow about this unacceptable error and propose to use it as leverage to wangle a cost-neutral upgrade subscription, plus the loyalty factor, the amount of business they have had through our recommendations and my dire financial circumstances. It is not really an option to stay on an unmonitored system (which will cost just under £20/month with ADT) as I had been burgled in a previous property 6 times in a row and it took me 10 years to overcome the trauma.

Would this be a reasonable strategy?

rob7475

If ADT haven't had a signal from you for a while, I'd be concerned that they haven't bothered to notify you. It wouldn't give me much assurance that they'd respond well if the alarm went off. 

Do you have any local alarm companies near you who could quote for a system? It might save you some money.

hareng

The amount of calls i used to get on call when had several signal dropouts a night was unreal, i never attended the 68 mile trips in 4 years.

Was a micro dipole on eves of a low apex roof, surrounded by woodland, nearest town 18 mile away in pitch black.

Is it a deterrent nowadays, certainly less so than in the past but would argue the point at what if at all the police would eventually do and give a crime number after 3 days. Your choice same with 4k colour cameras, they wont do a thing caught in the act.

There are many local companies that do 24hr monitoring or could go the Smart home security linked to your phone, way cheaper.

Docsaibal

I’m sure we do have competitive local companies but with less than 2 weeks till departure we don’t have the time for this and given that we’ve been monitored for two and a half decades I wouldn’t want it to be Sod’s Law when something happens when there is genuinely no protection and the home insurance quibbles about the fact that a monitored alarm is stated on my policy schedule.