3 Reasons To Consider Replacing Your Security Equipment to Switch Monitoring Companies
Haley Fields • April 27, 2020
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.
1. Your alarm equipment is proprietary and or you are in contract
If your alarm system is proprietary, your system is programmed to function correctly only as long as you continue paying the original company that installed it to you.
Some companies don’t sell you alarm equipment they lease or rent it you the alarm equipment. Others apply some of your monthly monitoring payment to the cost of the equipment.
For example, some companies can only monitor their own system. These companies have designed their monitoring equipment, panel, and sensors this way to make customers stay with them longer, because when firms or home owners switch monitoring companies this may mean hundreds or thousands of dollars of lost revenues.
We know that replacing proprietary technology can be very expensive. We only sell and install panels and sensors that aren’t proprietary. If you ever want more features, you can just add on individual pieces of equipment for a relatively low price.
2. Your alarm company has changed some of the codes and won’t share them with you even though you have purchased the system.
When an alarm technician installs a system, they use the manufacturer default codes to program the system. To reprogram the equipment a technician needs to enter in an installer or master code to access the full functionality or back end of the alarm's programming options. TCI Security and Surveillance, know the manufacturer installer or default codes, but if your alarm company changed the code, it’s may not be possible for us to reprogram and take over – move your system to our monitoring.
It's possible that even if your equipment can communicate with the central station, that your previous alarm company has locked out other companies from reprogramming your existing equipment.
As the paying customer, your alarm company should be willing to provide you with the installer code. If that doesn’t work, you will need to replace some or perhaps all of the equipment in order to switch to a new monitoring company.
3. Your alarm system could be a date or an older model that may not have the features you want or may not provide the protection, ease of use, and reliability you need.
Many houses, businesses, and apartments still use systems that were manufactured years or even decades ago. This may limit your options for sensors, security cameras and smart home upgrades.
Some systems rely on land phone lines to send signals into the central monitoring station. Smart burglars may try to cut your phone land line prior to a burglary attempt. Older systems may not have cellular and/or radio back up.
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.
It’s often simple to activate, install, switch, bundle, and save on your alarm system and alarm monitoring.
