guardian home security opinions?

[jonesin]

I had a guardian salesman stop at the house and offer $2000 of home security equiptment installed for free.
$35.00 a month, wireless alarms, a camera, instantly calls the police......
Yeah, right, I trust him
anybody know anything about this company? I googled it and read some stuff but thought that some of you would have an experience or two.
I live in the country and my house is protected by a dog and a beretta, but that only works when an "operator" is home.
A security system would make my wife feel safer....
Thanks ahead of time.

 

[kamikaze_bros]

I had a guardian salesman stop at the house and offer $2000 of home security equiptment installed for free.
$35.00 a month, wireless alarms, a camera, instantly calls the police......
Yeah, right, I trust him
anybody know anything about this company? I googled it and read some stuff but thought that some of you would have an experience or two.
I live in the country and my house is protected by a dog and a beretta, but that only works when an "operator" is home.
A security system would make my wife feel safer....
Thanks ahead of time.

Nothing is free. They'll attempt to get you to sign a contract, probably similar to a long term cell service contract. Most likely, they'll attempt to get as must of the contract money as possible. My guess is that this "Guardian" salesman wouldn't be able to tell you what company is actually providing the monitoring service. I'd also suspect that the installation labor would be anonymous as well.

If you're interested in Home Security Monitoring, check with the company holding you home owner insurance policy. Most Insurance companies will reduce your annual premium if your home is being monitored by a company they recognize. I've seen some home owner's policies discounted enough to cover the annual cost of monitoring. I'd also check with the local Sheriff and Fire Departments to see which systems they prefer and which one's they'd avoid. False alarms don't go over well with either of these departments and they'll start charging you after about 3rd or 4th false alarm.

 

[doogirl]

info

Great advice, I never would have thought about the insurance company, but that makes sense. I've wondered about these systems also. Thank you Jonesin for the question, and Kamikaz for your input. This is why I love this site, real people with real info.

 

[russholio]

I'd also check with the local Sheriff and Fire Departments to see which systems they prefer and which one's they'd avoid. False alarms don't go over well with either of these departments and they'll start charging you after about 3rd or 4th false alarm.

Just a bit of advice from somebody who has been on the FD for 24 years....I can't of course speak for every FD out there, but in my city we receive very few calls from monitored home systems. So few that we would have no clue as to which ones are better or worse than another. Most importantly though (and again, I can't speak for every FD), we aren't allowed to "recommend" one product/service or another over another -- at least, not on the record. of course, there are sneaky sly ways around that, but not everybody is willing to do it.

Not trying to be a smarta** or know it all, just giving another perspective from my experience.

 

[gauman2]

Ive had Guardian security and fire for the past 20 years. They are based out of Erie PA. The installers (last I asked) where company employees and not sub contractors. I would recomend them 100% It is peace of mind knowing when you come home its safe and secure and when your sleeping. Of coarse like any company where they are installing equipment your going to have to sign a contract. I beleive my first contract was three years and after that I made sure it was month to month. Never a hassle, very professional. Any specific questions let me know. Good luck.

 

[anonomoose]

My experience with this is not good. My sisters all decided that my aging parents needed this for "peace of mind" and ordered the system many years ago.

My folks live in the country on acreage and are 7 miles from a village police force.. otherwise it is the county mounties that attend to any calls.

Since I am on the -- call list -- in the event of emergency, I am a first responder.

Usually it is one of my folks "forgetting to shut the door" leaving the house, or the dog sets it off, or once a love bird got the blame, but each time this happens, it sure brings the hackles out on your neck, and the heart pounding to find out who or what happened to set it off.

Over more than a dozen years, probably 18 more accurately, they have spent a ton to have me be on edge when that phone rings and it is the alarm company on the other end. Though I live 10 miles away, I ALWAYS get there before the cops....since they are dispatched to any roaming authority that might be within an hour of the place. So speedy they are not...remember this when YOU sign on the dotted line.

Sometimes the thing goes off...for no reason....once not long ago, while both were away from home and I knew it had to be the REAL DEAL, only to find that it went off at 4am, maybe for lack of air movement in the house.

Personally I would spend the up front money on a good system that will auto dial YOU no matter where you are so YOU can turn around and call the cops after assessing or sending a neighbor over to view the surroundings. Way cheaper and you can make a far better system with camera motion lights on the house and even sirens and flashing lights that surely would frighten off the boldest thieves who would NOT be happy with the attention the place was throwing his/her way.

Also signage is 90% of the show....led lights that go red on a dummy camera when a car pulls up will do wonders to anyone who is doing a "delivery" to case the place.

When you think of the cost, and upkeep of an online system over the years, it does amount to a pile of money. And it might not do what you want it to do, since a "silent" type alarm may NOT scare off a criminal who is in and out in 7 minutes...short enough time to get away with it.

There are some fine systems out there that will autodial you, run flood lights that flash, and makes enough noise to wake the dead...and I would think that this would make the "wife" feel better, and would not send false alarms to the cop shop, or other heat failure measures to anyone who has to respond....while save a major chuck of change in the long run.

Jist my two cents....tho

 

[jonesin]

Thanks for the input, the salesman never came back the next day.
I talked to a guy at work who has had Gaurdian for 5 years and has no complaints but he paid for the equiptment/installation and has a $25/mo payment. Same as mentioned above, a call list with priority ratings before the calvary is called.
I was just curious, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
Thanks again!

 

[lofsfire]

Just a bit of advice from somebody who has been on the FD for 24 years....I can't of course speak for every FD out there, but in my city we receive very few calls from monitored home systems. So few that we would have no clue as to which ones are better or worse than another. Most importantly though (and again, I can't speak for every FD), we aren't allowed to "recommend" one product/service or another over another -- at least, not on the record. of course, there are sneaky sly ways around that, but not everybody is willing to do it.

Not trying to be a smarta** or know it all, just giving another perspective from my experience.

This is the same thing I have experienced in my 17yrs on my fire department.

 

[russholio]

For what it's worth, I'll add this too....most of the few calls that we do receive from home monitored systems are false alarms -- a mix of some system malfunctions and some careless cooking (i.e., pot left on the stove or something in the oven, etc., in which case the system is doing exactly what it's supposed to do). I don't know if I've ever responded to one that actually was a fire. Then again....it seems most of the homes with systems are usually well-kept homes, the opposite of the type in which most of our fires occur.

Not taking a stand for or against these systems -- just sharing my experience.

 

[kap]

I have 29 plus years in Police work, they are a good company, most of the time the problem is operator error. The sign is the key, most burglars will by pass a home with a sign, why take a chance, then there's the dumber ones.........

 

[jonesin]

They came back last night and I do believe they are on the level. Its Allied protection pre-selling for Guardian, 39$/mo for 3 years
It does include a sound alarm, 2 motion sensors, all 2 doors and 2 sliders on main floor, a camera.
I still don't know what to do, I'll probably pass.
I'm not worried about stuff being stolen, don't have much worth worrying about and insurance would replace it, but I will probably check into sound/light alarms which would make the wife feel better, at least then she would have time to arm herself.

 

[elr]

Wife with a gun, now that's a security system!!! Make a sign that says wife is armed !!
Many years ago, my dad was working out of town, came home expected at 1 in the morning, leaned REAL Fast he didn't need to worry about the home front. Mom caught him in the bathroom loaded 0-6 pointed "freeze you S O B"
Never came home without calling ahead again!

 

[jonesin]

Wife with a gun, now that's a security system!!! Make a sign that says wife is armed !!
Many years ago, my dad was working out of town, came home expected at 1 in the morning, leaned REAL Fast he didn't need to worry about the home front. Mom caught him in the bathroom loaded 0-6 pointed "freeze you S O B"
Never came home without calling ahead again!

Now that is funny, I like your mom already!

 

[ezra]

you could just get what I have a 98yr old woman who calls me any time I am not home or some times home to tell me some one is at my house or some one just dropped off a package I forgot to turn off my sprinkler when I left for work ect.can be a pita but I just laugh it up and say she is just a board old lady and some times it can be nice

 

[Cat Woman]

When we lived in town we had salesman stopping by all the time. One night we had a knock on the door at 9pm! It was a guy selling security systems! 9 o'clock at night, are you friggen kidding me! So he started his speal with my husband and the guy said "you know, dogs don't scare away all criminals, you should think about getting a security system" refering to our two dogs in our house. My husband said "well maybe not but we have guns and ammo". You should have seen the look on the guys face, he left seconds later. We were pretty skeptical, he didn't even have any brochures to give out. In hindsite we should have called the cops but never had any problems.

 

[kaboolie]

I have a Brinks (now Broadview security system) I love the system and have had problems in the past with leaving a window open in the basement, had a sensor put on that window and I can't set the alarm until it's close. Guess i'm paying for my own stupidity there!! Also I had a water sensor put in the basement because we are on well and septic, god forbid that thing ever back up in my basement!! Well to my surprise they called me one day when I was at home and said that my water alarm was going off, I was sitting not more than 5 feet from the basement door. Well sure enough the pump had stopped working and my water from the washing machine was backing up on the basement floor. With out that call i'm sure the basement would have flooded before I noticed. Didn't even know that worked with out the alarm being set!!
The only false alarms i've had are the one's i've set off myself and when they call i give the pass code.
It's a great piece of mind when i'm out of town or even just at night when sleeping.
If you get a system I would suggest a second key pad in your bedroom, that way you don't have to go all the way back down stairs to set the alarm when your in bed and have forgotten too. It was well worth the $100.00 it cost me.

 

[skidoolouie]

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[pistons]

Most common low-life thieves will run when sirens blow and lights come on. Professional thieves on the other hand, will have cased the joint, have police scanners, and will get in and out before a first responder can get there.