news01 said:
Just got a quote over the phone from Slomin's Shield
wireless system
Mike I'm gonna try and advise you as best as I can here.
First, I'm from your area. I know Slomins and the market and I've been
in it for over 36 years. You can take the info or leave it.
One free "basic system NAPCO" 2 door alarms, 1 standard (LED I guess)
keypad
2 motion sensors
155.00 1 smode detector
149.00 1 key fob
80.00 1 extra door alarm
86.00 three months rent up front
20.00 police alarm register
27.00 electrical permit
79.00 annual warranty
310.00 third year of three year contract otherwise I need to sign a
five year contract.
about $900.00 and I own the equipment - three year committment
The system that Slomins installs is among the cheapest systems that
Napco makes. There will be no room for expansion and it has little if
any options. The keypads are LED. The keyfob is a $40 dollar item and
takes no time to install. The police alarm register is exactly what? Is
it a annual recurring charge? If you live in Nassau county you have to
apply for a police dept alarm permit and a fire permit a $75.00 and
50.00each.ThereforeIdon′thaveacluewhatthe20.00 police
register and $27.00 electrical permit are for. If you don't live on
Long Island, I don't know what the municipal fees are. If the above
fees are ligitimate in your area, you may want to find out if you have
to pay permit fees above what they are asking for.
Why wouldn't you get at least a one year warrantee on a new
installation? Why should you have to pay for a warrantee on new
equipment that's warranteed for 18 months by the manufacturer? If the
fee is for extended coverage AFTER the initial FREE warrentee, does it
cover you for both the three year and and the addtional two year term?
Again, if you live on Long Island you can get monitoring for less than
$25.00 per month and don't forget there's tax on monitoring service in
NY. In my opinion, Slomins isn't a bargin and your dealing with a
lickum-stickum type alarm system. They're going to put your main panel
in the front closet with the keypad on the other side of the wall of
the closet. Likely no ground wire or RJ31X jack either. What about your
basement? What kind of protection do you have when you're at home,
sleeping? Do you have any animals that have run of the house when
you're not home?
Slomins is going to be in and out of your house in less than 4 hours.
and you'll only get to know how to arm and disarm the panel an told the
rest of the information is in the handbook. Anyone who will give you a
price over the telephone isn't taking the security of your home and
family seriously. I would NEVER give a client a price over the
telephone. To do so shows a decidedly unconcerned, "cookie cutter"
attitude towards security. Certainly there are end users out there who
think of it the that way, and low and behold, there's companies like
Slomins to fill the bill. So you can't take anything away from them. If
you want security that is concerned about what YOU are concerned about,
then get in a professional who will survey your home, find out what
your concerns are and provide you with an estimate that will meet those
needs. If you're going to "bargin hunt" then likewise you're STILL not
getting your moneys worth by going with Slomins. If you can negotiate
with an independent alarm installer, I'm sure you can work something
out where you can have him install security for what your concerns are
at the present, but knowing that you want to enhance it in the future,
you can make provisions to have the next level of control panel
installed now. The increase in the dealer cost for the hardware from
the lowest to the highest level panel is only about $100 to maybe
$150.00. There's a little (but not That much) more labor to install a
larger panel but not enough to break the bank and the better keypads
can get expensive. Most of the cost of a system is in the labor to
install the detection devices( if a wired system) or if wireless, the
cost of the transmitter devices. If you can go with hardwire, it's the
preferred system but keep in mind, newer systems can be wired, wireless
or both. So, for instance, if you've got a room that's on a slab with
a cathederal ceiling, with no way to get a wire to openings without
cutting sheet rock, a couple/few transmitters can be used for that area
only. So don't let anyone tell you that you only can have wired OR
wireless. Wireless is less disruptive and cleaner to install and when
installed to the best standards, there's no difference in how you will
perceive the systems operation as compared to a wired system. As far as
reliability is concerned, don't be put off by the ridiculous claims
that component failure is of any concern. Electronic components have
life expectancies ranging in the hundred year and more range, now days.
Changing the batteries every 3 to 7 years isn't that much of an
inconvenience or cost and as far as becoming obsolete, I'm still
monitoring and servicing wireless alarms systems that were installed
in the 70's and are no longer manufactured. Over 25 years. Parts are
obtained by alarm installers from their own old installations that are
replaced by newer ones and installers trade parts from old systems all
the time, in this area.
You've got to decide how much security you want and getting a number of
estimates from various sources, as well as the information you're
obtaining here is going to put you in the great spot of being an
informed consumer.
