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I was doing a little research at a couple of websites to see what people think of VMS Alarms (and found lots of positive reviews!) when I came across this article on alarmsystemreviews.com: Secrets of the “Free” Home Security System. The article talks about the downfalls of the free alarm offer with *most* companies. This gives me a great opportunity to debunk all these myths in the case of VMS Alarms!
- The alarm is wireless because it takes virtually no skill to install, therefore “technicians” have little to no skill.
- Wireless systems are extremely vulnerable.
- They cannot be monitored by any other company.
- They give a false sense of security.
- The free system is a “bait-and-switch” tactic to get their foot in the door.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Our technicians are highly trained, qualified professionals. Their training begins with an intensive twenty hour classroom training on the installation process. Then they train in the field with one of our veterans for a minimum of 180 hours, and only graduate the program once our trainers are confident that they’re ready. From there, the training is ongoing. We do refresher courses, new product trainings and utilize Monitronics’ in depth training programs. We are committed to providing you with the best quality service possible. The fact that the system is easy to install actually works in your favor. Trained hard wired alarm techs are hard to come by so those companies tend to take whomever they can get. The simplicity of wireless allows us to carefully select our technicians by a combination of their attitude, customer service skills and technical skills. Many of our technicians are trained by us from the very beginning, meaning that they haven’t picked up any bad habits or learned how to install the system in a sub-standard manner. So contrary to what the article says, we hire the best *all around* people, we pay our technicians very well and have a very low turnover rate. I have been with the company since they opened over seven years ago and I can certainly vouch for the quality of our technicians. In fact, most of the technicians that we started with are still with us today (shout out to Rick, John, Ryan and all of our old pros! We love you!).
Wireless and the much more expensive hard-wired systems have pretty much the same capabilities. The article above says that hard wired systems are better because you can have the keypad separate from the control unit. You can certainly do that with a wireless system as well. You can put the all-in-one control unit somewhere hidden from any potential burglars and arm and disarm your system with a key chain remote (also free with your VMS Alarms system!). As far as batteries are concerned, our main panel is hard wired with a twenty-four hour battery backup in case of a power outage. Our peripheral equipment (door contacts, motion detectors, smoke detectors) uses minimal energy so the batteries last a very long time. When it is time to change your batteries, the system will give you plenty of notice and we would be happy to assist you with that.
This myth states that with free alarm offers, you either don’t own the equipment or can’t switch monitoring companies. That is true with many free alarm offers but not with VMS Alarms. Our GE Security products are the standard in the industry and you absolutely do get full ownership of the equipment with a thirty-six month contract. Once the contract runs out, the choice of monitoring companies is yours. We do this because we are so confident that you will love our service and the above and beyond things that our technicians and customer service representatives do.
The articles says that one motion detector and one or two door contacts are not sufficient to protect your home. Our free starter kit includes: three door contacts, one motion detector, the main panel and a key chain remote. The door contacts are designed to protect exterior entrances into the home. These are the front line of defense from burglaries because according to FBI crime statistics, over 70% of break-ins are through an external entrance (NBFAA). Most homes that we protect have three or less external entrances. The motion detector is a second line of defense should the intruder enter through a window. It’s true that one motion may not be sufficient for larger homes, but we configure the motion in a zone that a burglar will surely have to pass by no matter what form of entrance they use, such as a stairwell or hallway. Furthermore, our free starter kit is designed to make home security affordable for those who truly need it. So yes, if you have a 5,000 square foot home with multiple staircases and entryways one motion will probably not be sufficient, but for the average home, it’s just right.
Probably ninety percent of the homes we protect do not need any additional equipment. As I stated above, if you have a very large home, you may need additional equipment to sufficiently protect it, but this is not a “bait-and-switch”. That’s why we call it our free starter kit. We offer additional equipment for larger homes at a very affordable price. In fact we hardly make a profit off of additional equipment sales. We would rather earn your business in the long run by fully protecting your home. Our sales team is so committed to protecting your home and earning your business that they have been known to take a cut on their commission just to get you that extra motion detector or door contact you may need.
The real bottom line here is that companies with expensive, difficult to install hard wired systems are doing themselves and their customers a disservice. GE Wireless Security is the best in the industry. Why run wires through your whole home, spend almost a full day on the installation and spend a fortune when you can get the same (and by the same, I mean way better) protection for less?
Stay Safe Security Blog by VMS Alarms offers information for homeowners on home safety tips, home security news, burglary prevention tips and home security offers. VMS Alarms offers a promotional alarm package including free alarm installation and equipment for any qualified homeowner.
