Door-to-door Sales » Home Security Blog

Wireless Home Security – Beware Summer Door Knockers Selling Home Alarms

Posted by Peter M. Rogers at 9:04 pm No Responses »

May 072012

Each May the Internet starts to light up with complaints about door-to-door alarm salespeople. Since most of these “door knockers” are in still college, and schools are getting out around now, this is when the annual cycle begins. And they knock on millions of doors every summer. Lots of people buy alarm services from these companies: after all, the script is slick and well-rehearsed, and the tactics are designed to get the sale on the spot. But increasingly it’s getting harder for these companies to sign up new customers, because the word is getting out.

Top 10 Lies Exposed

Perhaps my favorite post about door-to-door alarm sales is the one that completely exposes the door knockers for what they are: aggressive, sometimes fraudulent, and not necessarily your best source when you are shopping for peace of mind. Then again, most of the people who buy from door knockers weren’t shopping at all: they just answered the door. And that brings us to the subject of today’s post, which is a recent comment on my blog entry that addresses the door knocker phenomenon – and one company in particular. Read More »

Wireless Home Security – Blog Reader Asks about Alarm Sensor and Cellular Signal Jamming

Posted by Peter M. Rogers at 5:29 pm 4 Responses »

May 012012

One of the joys of blogging is that I get great questions from readers on alarm technology, alarm system design, and other topics. I reply individually to each of them, but it recently occurred to me that these questions and answers would make good reading for those who are getting up to speed on home security. After all, FrontPoint is all about education and transparency – that’s part of the reason we have such great reviews. So here’s an excellent question from a reader, in two parts, along with my response. And yes, I have replied directly to the person who asked!

What is FrontPoint and alarm.com doing to circumvent the use of jammers by burglars? While it is a bit more difficult and expensive to obtain a jammer (as opposed to a pair of wire cutters), one can be had with a little work and a couple hundred dollars. A burglar could enable a jammer prior to entering the premise and prevent: 1. Wireless transmissions between the sensors and the alarm panel, and 2. Cellular (GPRS) transmissions between the alarm panel and alarm.com. The Simon XT apparently has the ability to detect RF jamming from the sensors to the Panel (although I am not exactly sure what it does if it detects such jamming). Read More »

Alarm Company Reviews

Posted by Peter M. Rogers at 10:00 am 2 Responses »

Apr 182012

As more people shop for wireless home security, they use the Internet to research multiple companies for hard facts and customer experiences on product reliability and level of satisfaction. Review sites in general are flourishing, since you can learn a lot in a short time. I’ve posted on the growth and importance of alarm company review sites before – and wrote recently on an alarm company warning issued by the granddaddy of review sites – the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Today you can check online reviews for just about any company – even the ones who knock on your door, offering a deal you cannot refuse: it’s smart to do your homework, before you buy.

Share the Good News

Some of the popular sites (like yelp.com and epinions.com) have starred rating systems, and users can apply a 1-5 score along with a detailed description of their experience. Angie’s List is a membership review site, where their subscribers share detailed notes about a wide range of service providers – including alarm companies. Here are some typical examples of FrontPoint reviews: Read More »

Home Alarm Sales – BBB Reports Alarm Company Complaints: Thanks to Door Knockers, Alarm Companies Top the List for Worst Record

Posted by Peter M. Rogers at 10:08 pm No Responses »

Apr 112012

We’re approaching summer, when home alarm salespeople will be out in droves – probably in your neighborhood. These “door knockers” continue to give the alarm industry a bad rap. Ongoing reports of aggressive sales tactics, fraudulent and deceptive sales practices, and even stealing customers from other alarm companies are all too common, and come in from all across the US, often from local branches of the BBB (Better Business Bureau). I recently reviewed this report from the Utah BBB office, where many of these door knocker companies are based – and where most of the related complaints are processed. The picture is not pretty: it’s bad enough when you have to protect yourself from burglars – now you have to watch out for the alarm companies, too!

Alarm companies have earned the top spot on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Utah’s Top 10 Industries for Customer Complaints for 2011. The BBB of Utah received 17,156 complaints last year, and of those, 13,723 were in areas of consumer concern. Overall, consumer complaints were down 8.6% compared to last year, according to a press release. However, with 1,130 complaints in 2011, grievances against alarm companies increased 2.4% over 2010. Read More »

Wireless Home Security – When Tornadoes and Alarm Companies Collide

Posted by Peter M. Rogers at 4:51 pm 1 Response »

Mar 012012

Recent tornado activity, with 16 tornadoes touching down across seven Midwestern states, reminds us that natural disasters can strike with remarkable speed and severity. Even with advanced warning systems, many communities continue to experience the fatal and tragic consequences of these storms. It’s been a particularly bad tornado year so far, as this recent article indicates.

On Jan. 22 and 23, 2012, more than 37 tornadoes struck the southern USA. Ten of them tore across the Lower Mississippi Valley into Alabama. Worst hit were St. Clair and Jefferson County, Ala., where 2 people were killed, about 100 others injured, and at least $30 million in damage was done. It was a chilling reminder of the April 2011 onslaught of deadly tornadoes that took a staggering toll across southern and Midwestern states. Read More »