SimpliSafe has become a nationally recognized DIY home security company. They can be considered an overnight success. In a matter of a few years, they have reached over 200,00 systems. SimpliSafe founder saw a need in the market to provide a security system for people in which cost, rather than safety, was a priority. Today’s homeowners are beginning to ask the question, do I really need a professional security company to install a system or can I work with a DIY system? Here, we will lay out the pros and cons of SimpliSafe.
The Good:
- Cost of equipment is inexpensive
- Month-to-Month contracts
- Equipment is easy to take with you if you move
At a distance, SimpliSafe seems like a great option to protect your home. With their low cost of equipment and low monthly monitoring, what could be the issue?
The Bad:
- No Professional in-home support
- Not Local Monitoring
- Equipment is Proprietary to SimpliSafe
- Testing Signal Strength
- Not Smash and Grab Technology
No Professional On-Site Support:
SimpliSafe does not have the option to have someone come and help you if you run into trouble. You must work through online support. If you can’t resolve your issues with tech support, you are stuck.
At Southern Alarm, you have free phone support, however, if the problem cannot easily be fixed, we can have a professionally trained technician at your house to fix the issue right away.
Not Local Monitoring:
SimpliSafe contracts with a third-party company with monitoring stations in Tennessee, Florida, and Maryland. When it comes to monitoring your alarm system, you want local. When you have local monitoring, you have faster response time and a monitoring station that knows your local police and fire departments. When we speak to our local departments, we have been told at times it’s tough to get the necessary information from national monitoring stations, which means a slower response time to your residence.
Proprietary Equipment:
SimpliSafe sells you proprietary equipment, which means that if you are unhappy with their service, you must replace all your equipment in order to switch to another company. While they do have month-to-month contracts, that is because you are locked in with their equipment, unless you are willing to spend the money for something new.
At Southern Alarm & Security, we use professional grade equipment that is non-proprietary. We believe that our goal is to make you happy by offering quality service and support. If for whatever reason you are unhappy, you can leave for another company without having to replace all your equipment.
Testing Signal Strength:
As anyone knows living in the mountains, cellular signal strength can vary greatly. When you buy a SimpliSafe system, nobody tests the ability for that alarm to communicate from your residence. If it doesn’t, you could waste a lot of time and money. When we install security systems, we often find that signal can be great in one part of a house but not another. That is why our trained sales consultants come to your residence and check signal strength and ensure the best communication. We use only the most up to date Verizon or AT&T LTE communication for our alarm systems.
No Smash and Grab Technology:
With a SimpliSafe System, if a burglar can destroy your system before entry delay finishes counting down, the monitoring station will never get a signal and that burglar can do what they came to do.
At Southern Alarm & Security, we work with professional grade Honeywell equipment that has “Smash and Grab Technology” or Advanced Protection Logic. In other words, as soon as an entry door is opened, your alarm system sends a signal to the monitoring station and then waits for a disarm code to be entered. If a burglar destroys the alarm panel and no disarm code has been sent, the monitoring station will dispatch.
Home automation is being integrated into security systems to create an extra layer of security and to make life easier. Currently, SimpliSafe does not have the ability to integrate home automation. With Honeywell’s integrated line of smart home products, you can add any of these features, whether its door locks, thermostats, lighting, cameras, or doorbells, at any time.
Go Local!
In today’s market, consumers are looking for a great service from a local company. With SimpliSafe, you can’t say you support a local company with employees who live in your community. When you work with us, you support the great men and women that make up the Southern Alarm & Security team, right here in western NC!
Conclusion:
You must ask yourself - what is the right situation for you and your family? If you are comfortable with a DIY system, are willing to overlook some of the aforementioned flaws, and your focus is to get the lowest price possible, SimpliSafe may be right for you.
However, if you want to work with a local professional company that has over 80 years of expertise, and makes your security needs its first priority, Southern Alarm & Security would be happy to work with you and your family.