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1. Read your monitoring contract. TCI Security and Surveillance does month to month agreements. If you currently have a monitored system, you probably signed a contract or an agreement with the company stating that you'll stay with them for a certain length of time. You want to check that you're not under contract when you make the switch—otherwise, you may have to pay more. You may be able to buy out or pay a termination fee to end your contract and that may free you up to switch. Some states allow service contracts to auto renew for up to the length of time of the original agreement unless you cancel within a window of time. This monthly contracted payment and length of time is what allows many alarm companies to reduce the upfront charges for your equipment/system/installation and let you pay off the difference over several months as part of the alarm monitoring agreement. (A contract of somewhere between 36 – 60 months are the industry standard.) If you never got, can’t locate, don’t remember signing can’t your paperwork or contract, you can ask your alarm company to provide you a digital copy via email or a physical copy to your mailbox. When reviewing your current alarm monitoring contract, take note of the following: Termination window or expiration date Renewal (is it automatic?) Early contract termination or buyout fees, policies, or penalties 2. Find a quality alarm monitoring company. Whenever you purchase a home security system, you want the assurance that the monitoring staff customer service and that the alarm firm will be able to help you. As you search for a new alarm company, consider these three factors: How much will you have to pay per month? Are you locked into a long contract with an alarm monitoring firm? What certifications does the central station have? If you become disappointed with the service or pricing who owns the system or equipment and is it Proprietary or not? 3. Contact your new alarm company. Once you’ve found the right security monitoring provider, get in contact via phone or email. Schedule an appointment with your new provider. If you know what system you currently have installed, it’s easy for the security provider to know whether they can simply reprogram it or if it will need some new equipment.

Using your currently installed security equipment and system is the way to go if the system is modern and can communicate with your new alarm monitoring company. There are three main reasons to consider replacing equipment in order to move to a new monitoring company.