In 1994, you couldn’t buy a TV without visiting five stores. Too many hoops to jump through means a company is relying on coercion, rather than quality products, to retain its customers. So comb through those cancellation policies. You may find a better home security system or move to another house. A lot of things can change in four or five years. You don’t want to get stuck in a contract that spans two presidencies. Home Security Red Flags to Look Out For Mega Contracts That Are Tough to Get Out Of Is your spidey sense tingling? Mine is saying loud and clear: Find a better hardwired home security system to invest in. Did I mention that Platinum Protection doesn’t advertise its prices and its customer support is impossible to track down? The last I checked, the company had fired its entire staff and was embroiled in a $2 million federal lawsuit for defaulting on payments. Platinum Protection sounds like it could be Kim Kardashian’s security detail, but it’s a Utah-based home security company that seems to be teetering dangerously on the verge of shadiness. I wonder if you need a notary public’s signature on there too.Įgads, people! This is one star you don’t want to make a home security wish on. You have to put it in writing and send it by snail mail. Customers who have tried to extricate themselves often complain of one further hurdle: NorthStar doesn’t accept email or phone cancellations. NorthStar is also notorious for its presidential-term-spanning five-year contracts, which are virtually impossible to escape once you’ve signed. Maybe the NorthStar sales rep will mail you a PDF catalog or something, but it makes shopping for home security on a budget almost impossible. This is another hardwired home security provider with an AWOL pricing page, for both equipment and subscription fees. We just can’t recommend buying its whole home security systems. My advice? Let this bird fly far from your house.įYI: Some of Night Owl’s security cameras aren’t half bad. Those monthly fees usually cover things like storing footage in the cloud, so Night Owl boasting a no-fee service is like a car manufacturer bragging that, with its cars, you don’t have to pay for gas if you don’t want to. Night Owl also says there’s no “mandatory” monthly cloud subscription to pay for, which isn’t what it sounds like. Wired systems can get pricey, so we want to see those prices from the get-go. Even the best home security companies field their share of complaints, but Night Owl’s reviews are particularly withering.įor home security experts like us, however, the biggest red flag on Night Owl’s website is the complete lack of information about pricing. Confusing return procedures, malfunctioning products, and a subpar mobile app. Night Owl consumer complaints run the gamut. 1 Wired Security Brand,” which is an interesting claim considering its F rating with the Better Business Bureau. Night Owl boasts a pretty wide range of sophisticated wired security systems and products. I’ll also show you the red flags to look out for when shopping for a home security system and recommend a few companies worth investing in. With that in mind, here are three of the worst offenders on the market. Worse, these stinkers often go unreported, reeling in unsuspecting homeowners with slick websites and five-star Amazon ratings they may have paid for. Every so often we come across a home security system that talks the talk but utterly fails to deliver the goods - something you never want to happen with any product designed to protect your family. They may have a few kinks to iron out, but you’re guaranteed a high level of service and quality because the companies that produce them take security seriously. Is that a bear in my front yard or a fat man in a ski mask? That’s a question you never want to be asking yourself at three in the morning when an alert on your iPhone tells you there’s some commotion on your front porch.įortunately, the top-rated home security systems we’ve tested generally live up to their billing.
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