ADT is the best known name in home security.
But is it the best security system for your home?
Today, we're going to break down security giant ADT
by digging into four key things:
upfront costs, mobile-app control,
monthly monitoring fees, and those pesky contracts.
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This is one area where ADT makes it really easy to say yes.
ADT rolls up your equipment costs
into your monthly monitoring fees,
so you don't have to shell out hundreds of dollars up front.
But that $0 down comes with a few strings attached.
A contract is required, and that's basically
how ADT recoups their costs for the equipment.
And, on top of that, at the end of the day,
you're not gonna own that equipment.
This is especially important
if you think you might move.
When you move, you usually have to leave
your current ADT equipment behind
and get a new system installed into your new house.
This is also kind of a sneaky way
that ADT gets new customers.
My brother bought a house
with an ADT system that was left behind by the sellers.
And, to this day, five years later,
that's still the system that they're using to
protect their home.
And make sure that you read all the fine print
before you decide to move.
Because if you've been an ADT customer
for less than two years, you might need
to pay a fee to move or even sign a new contract.
And that would start your time commitment all over again.
But, aside from those caveats,
ADT's only other up-front consideration
when it comes to cost is the installation fee.
The good news is that your system
will be professionally installed,
so you know it's going to work properly.
But the bad news is the installation fee
is gonna be due up front.
That's gonna range from $99 to $199
as the base for installation, depending on
how much equipment you have.
Things like security cameras, both inside and outside
your house, may increase that fee.
But you get a free whole home security consultation
and that will identify all
of your security vulnerabilities so
that you can make the most informed decisions when it comes
to protecting your home and loved ones.
But beware of one thing,
that in home security consultation is also a chance
for ADT to try to sell you more equipment,
to give you an extra security camera or some more sensors.
Because the more equipment you add,
the higher monthly fees are gonna go.
But to sum it all up,
you could actually get into a full ADT home security system
for as little $99 up front,
which is a pretty good deal compared
to some other companies out there.
Most DIY security systems, for example,
are gonna set you back anywhere from $200 to $500.
And that's just to get started
with their most basic security equipment.
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I'm a real stickler for mobile app control
when it comes to home security.
I want to know what's going on at my house,
whether I'm upstairs taking a nap
or across town running an errand.
When you don't have mobile app access
to your security system,
you won't know if something's been tampered with
until you get a call from the monitoring center.
And that's sort of the old-fashioned way of doing things.
And ADT has been in business for nearly 150 years.
So it's not too surprising
that they still hold on to some of these outmoded practices.
All that said, you've probably guessed it by now.
You're not gonna get the mobile app
with every ADT package.
Boo.
But if all you want is basic no-frills monitored security,
lack of a mobile app will save you a bundle.
ADT has two security system plans that use a landline to
connect your system to the monitoring center.
So that means you need to have a home phone
or at least an active home phone line.
This can be a great option
for people who live in a rural area
or any other location that has spotty cellular coverage.
ADT does have three plans that come
with the ADT Control app.
And those plans range from around $50 on up to $65 a month.
But you get one of the coolest apps out there.
And here's a few things that you can do
with the ADT control app.
Of course, you're gonna be able to remotely arm
and disarm your system.
You'll also be able to view live video feeds
from your security cameras,
and you'll be able to control all of your smart home gadgets
from door locks to lights to the thermostat.
But one of my favorite things is that you can set up scenes.
This is sort of like a remote start for your car.
You can warm up your house on your drive home
from the office.
So that means, with one tap, you can come home
to a lighted porch, a perfectly heated or cooled home,
and even have the garage door begin to open
when your wheels touch the driveway.
And ADT's control app works seamlessly
with Amazon Alexa for voice control
and Sonos smart speakers for music control.
So you can make music a part of your whole smart home setup
and those cool routines that we were talking about.
And most importantly, for security reasons,
you are going to get those instant notifications
that let you know what's going on
right when it happens.
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I already mentioned some of ADT's monthly costs,
but now we're going to dig into
what you actually get for your money.
ADT's monthly monitoring plans range from around
just under $30 a month on up to around $65.
That includes both your equipment costs
and your 24/7 professional monitoring
from one of ADT's nine monitoring centers.
That's more centers than any other security company.
And I'm going to tell you why that matters.
Multiple monitoring centers deliver
what we call redundant monitoring.
So that means that, if a center goes down,
let's say there's a power outage
or like a major weather event,
your monitoring will automatically be transferred
to another station.
And, if that station would go down,
you'll be transferred to the next station
and so on and so on,
so that your home will never be left
without someone keeping an eye out.
Every ADT plan comes
with professional monitoring
and you can start for under $30 a month.
But as that price climbs,
so does the number of features that you get.
Their lowest-priced package, called The Essentials,
is just under $30 a month.
You're gonna get an alarm, some door and window sensors,
a motion detector, and the 24/7 monitoring
that can call for help
if any of those sensors is triggered.
But there will be no app or smart home control available.
But this price is only available with landline monitoring.
So that means you have to have that phone line available
to be connected to the monitoring center.
If you jump up to one of ADT's
more expensive cellular plans,
you get both security and smart home extras.
My favorite, you get the Control app.
You can also get live video feed from your security cameras
and voice control with either Amazon Alexa
or Google Assistant.
And you get those smart home controls
that include the one-tap scenes
that I really dig that we talked about earlier.
These plans are gonna range from just
over $50 a month on up to around $65,
and that depends on how many bells and whistles you want.
That might sound like a big chunk of change.
But the average loss due to a burglary is about $2,800,
not to mention the side effects of trauma and fear
that people tell us they experience after a break-in.
Even at around $65 a month, the most expensive ADT plan,
you're still paying just around $800 a year
for the extra reassurance of a high-end security system.
And this one would come with all the fancy extras.
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Here's where ADT really shows its age.
We like that the company has nearly a century and a half
of experience providing security in one form or another,
but we wish ADT moved faster, especially when it comes
to adopting more modern business practices.
And you don't see this anymore apparently
than when it comes to contracts.
Your only option with ADT is a full-blown 36 month contract.
That means you're gonna be tied in for three years.
And, if you want out, you're on the hook
for 75% of the remaining time on your contract.
But if you're not quite ready to put a ring on it
when it comes to your home security system,
there is a way to get ADT protection
without the long-term commitment.
This is one of my favorite things
that ADT has done recently.
They released a DIY, no contract security system.
Finally, Blue by ADT is ADT's answer
to companies like SimpliSafe and Frontpoint.
I really like what I've seen of it so far.
It's definitely a stripped-down, entry-level version
of ADT's home security system,
but you still get all of ADT's experience.
You still get those nine monitoring centers,
and you get its burglar-stopping reputation,
all without the long contract.
In fact, it's only $20 a month to get Blue by ADT,
and you can cancel it anytime without any penalties.
But you are gonna have to buy your equipment upfront.
And that's gonna range anywhere
from just over $100 up to almost $400,
depending on all the equipment that you want to add.
So, traditional ADT home security requires
a three-year contract, but
because you have a friend on the inside, you now know
that you can get a lot of ADT perks without that contract.
And keep watching our channel for a brand new
full on review of Blue by ADT, where you'll get to
see what this DIY system really delivers.
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At the end of the day, you can't get a more experienced
or better-known home security company than ADT.
But along with that reputation comes an attachment
to the way things have always been done.
That means long contracts and higher monthly payments
for extras like the mobile app and smart home control.
But ADT does keep up-front costs
down, and you get the reassurance
of a professionally installed high-end security system.
Find out all the nitty-gritty details
about ADT Home Security in our full review on SafeWise.com.
And, before you click on the next video,
make sure you like this one
and subscribe to our channel to get all
of our new security tips, reviews, and safety news
that's posted every week.
And coming up, don't forget those two new ADT videos,
looking at their awesome new equipment
and finding out everything about Blue by ADT.
Stay safe.