Smart Alarm: Home Secure

Rooster86 · 25-11-2019 11:57pm #1

Hi
Anyone have experience with this company called Home Secure ?
They are offering 99 for install and 35 for monthly monitoring which feels like a solid deal
Thanks for any experience shared

peteb2 · 26-11-2019 12:02am

Alarm panel made in Eastern Europe owned by a venture capital company. Outsource their monitoring to Chubb. Will take your old sensors off but if you have an old alarm they wont want to take out the control panel (not the keypad).

I nearly went with them but they wouldn't take the alarm out. The one thing that I didn't like was the lack of screen on the keypad as they look to drive you via the app.

bk · 26-11-2019 1:15am

High monthly monitoring cost will add up quickly.

You are looking at a cost of €8,000 €4200 over 10 years, assuming no price increases in the monitoring.

And what happens if you stop paying the monitoring cost? Will it continue to work as a basic alarm? Is it your property, will they want it back?

Having said that, it does look like a very cool system, that almost ticks all my boxes, shock sensors, glass break detectors, curtain pirs, outdoor pirs, etc. Very cool looking on paper. Here is the system they seem to be using:

https://ajax.systems/

And if you search around, it looks like you could buy it standalone from abroad without the monitoring costs, but you should double check that.

stuchyg · 27-11-2019 4:47pm

We have this the last three years at 30 per month. The monitoring is rapid response in all fairness and we had two sensors fail which were replaced within 3 days for no cost only 2 months ago so I'd assume the monthly cost includes both monitoring and maintenance fees.

peteb2 · 27-11-2019 4:51pm

bk wrote: »

High monthly monitoring cost will add up quickly.

You are looking at a cost of €8,000 over 10 years, assuming no price increases in the monitoring.

Where did you get the €8,000 from? €35 x 12 = €420 annually. = €4,200 over 10 years!

It's connected to your wifi router so and reliant on the alarm.com app. I'm not sure you still get to use the alarm.com app when you pull the monitoring.

With them you only own the system after 5 years. But can buy yourself out after 3 if i recall.

peteb2 · 27-11-2019 4:59pm

Plus to be fair again to thes places, your maintenance is also covered in that 35 euro. Otherwise you'd be paying, what, €100 maybe for an enginer visit by an independent?

I know everyone here is quick to knock these options. But its the most cost effective way to get an alarm when you dont have 1,000 to drop in one gone but can afford 30 a month over a few years.

I got 3 quotes from various independents. All very helpful and responsive. In the main it was about 1,100 for 10 sensors and a dialler to self monitor. I ended up going with Action 24. I had dealt with them in my first house when I got an independent alarm in. But now they have their own system using 2gig GC panels. It was wireless which suited my needs as i had an old Astec system and who knows when the wiring was going to go. Again it was 199 installation and then 30 a month to monitor. But i have sensors on every window and 2 PIRs and i didnt have 4 figures to drop on the alarm......but i could afford it this way.

After the 3 years monitoring i can get an independent (I've checked) and do what i need to do in terms of a dialle.

bk · 27-11-2019 7:23pm

peteb2 wrote: »

Where did you get the €8,000 from? €35 x 12 = €420 annually. = €4,200 over 10 years!

You are right, I don't know where I got that from, apologies.

But I'd say even €4,000 is WAY too much for this IMO.

Looking online, it looks like you can buy this system yourself for about €400 and that comes with the ajax app with notifications and self monitoring.

As for maintenance included, fair enough, but a system like this really shouldn't require much maintenance, replace batteries every few years and if a device fails, order a new one online and replace it yourself. The whole point of these sort of wireless only system's is that they require feck all maintenance and are quick and easy to install.

BTW I will say this looks like a cool system that looks like it ticks almost all of my boxes, so when I get a chance I'll look into it more. But I'd be looking at DIY.

Ethereal Cereal · 19-08-2020 12:22pm

bk wrote: »

You are right, I don't know where I got that from, apologies.

But I'd say even €4,000 is WAY too much for this IMO.

Looking online, it looks like you can buy this system yourself for about €400 and that comes with the ajax app with notifications and self monitoring.

As for maintenance included, fair enough, but a system like this really shouldn't require much maintenance, replace batteries every few years and if a device fails, order a new one online and replace it yourself. The whole point of these sort of wireless only system's is that they require feck all maintenance and are quick and easy to install.

BTW I will say this looks like a cool system that looks like it ticks almost all of my boxes, so when I get a chance I'll look into it more. But I'd be looking at DIY.

But its a 3 year contract with Home Secure, not 10 year. So the total cost is closer to €1,200 which includes actual monitoring for 3 years, and a professional installation (for €99)

Does anoyone know the exact details after 3 years contract is finished? I have ordered this, really like the https://ajax.systems alarms.

At the end of the contract, can I keep the equipment?
If so does this include the bell box at the front of the house?
Will I easily enough be able to use this alarm unmonitored?

thomasoreilly · 18-09-2020 5:21pm

peteb2 wrote: »

Plus to be fair again to thes places, your maintenance is also covered in that 35 euro. Otherwise you'd be paying, what, €100 maybe for an enginer visit by an independent?

I know everyone here is quick to knock these options. But its the most cost effective way to get an alarm when you dont have 1,000 to drop in one gone but can afford 30 a month over a few years.

I got 3 quotes from various independents. All very helpful and responsive. In the main it was about 1,100 for 10 sensors and a dialler to self monitor. I ended up going with Action 24. I had dealt with them in my first house when I got an independent alarm in. But now they have their own system using 2gig GC panels. It was wireless which suited my needs as i had an old Astec system and who knows when the wiring was going to go. Again it was 199 installation and then 30 a month to monitor. But i have sensors on every window and 2 PIRs and i didnt have 4 figures to drop on the alarm......but i could afford it this way.

After the 3 years monitoring i can get an independent (I've checked) and do what i need to do in terms of a dialle.

what did you end up getting installed?

peteb2 · 20-09-2020 10:27am

Action 24 system.

Bluefoam · 27-09-2020 11:08pm

Ethereal Cereal wrote: »

But its a 3 year contract with Home Secure, not 10 year. So the total cost is closer to €1,200 which includes actual monitoring for 3 years, and a professional installation (for €99)

Does anoyone know the exact details after 3 years contract is finished? I have ordered this, really like the https://ajax.systems alarms.

At the end of the contract, can I keep the equipment?
If so does this include the bell box at the front of the house?
Will I easily enough be able to use this alarm unmonitored?

I've ordered this alarm too... Home Secure allow you to opt out of the monitoring after 3 years. All the equipment is yours and you can continue to use it via the Ajax app. They confirmed all this to me before I signed up.

Dr4gul4 · 10-08-2021 3:18pm

4k for monitoring, madness, what are you looking for armed response ?

I think it cost me 1200 to get my wireless alarm installed and certified, sim card cost me 30 a year comes with it's own app, I can add user's exclude sensor's etc , integrated with Home assistant so i can enable and disable it when we arrive home, I can even exclude sensor's and set the alarm based on actionssuch as when the Robo vac heads off to hover when we're not there.

4K. bananas imo.

11-08-2021 11:32am

+1

A ridiculous amount of money for that.

bk · 12-08-2021 2:59pm

@Dr4gul4 what alarm system have you gotten?

Dr4gul4 · 12-08-2021 3:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117743032#Comment_117743032

Risco agility

bk · 12-08-2021 3:43pm

Thanks, that is a very nice looking system. I like the way that some of these more dern systems have much better outdoor and permiter options, like outdoor motion sensors and curtain beams and PIRs. I think it really adds to the level of protection we have traditionally been used to here in Ireland.

The app looks great , the way you can have extra zones grouped, like a backyard sensor, separate from the normal home arm modes. Makes a lot of sense with these sort of outdoor sensors.

Do you mind me asking where did you get it? And did you go pro install or DIY?

Dr4gul4 · 12-08-2021 4:01pm

At the time Local installer, but they have closed up shop now :( for home insurance purposes you need to get it signed off by an " authorized installed" I'm not even sure if you can purchase the kit as a consumer. but i'd be interested if it was possible.

bk · 12-08-2021 7:55pm

I'd note you normally have to get your alarm serviced once a year for it to be included in the insurance, so you might want to double check that with your insurance company.

Personally I just don't bother putting my alarm on the insurance, the discount isn't worth the trouble of the maintaince fees and risk of them using it as an excuse not to pay out if there was a burglary and you forgot to arm it.

When I decided to take my alarm off the insurance, they said to me that they would have to take off the alarm discount, I said of course, no problem, but that I'd be looking for quotes from other insurance companies so, they said hold on and came back to me saying given that I was such a good customer, they would keep the cost the same while taking if off, lol

17-08-2021 1:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117744395#Comment_117744395

Agree 100%. The "discount" ends up as a net cost to the end user!

It can also provide the insurance company with an opportunity not to pay out in the event of a claim.

sharkman · 16-09-2021 4:50pm

Anyone know if you can add on sensors to an alarm fitted by HomeSecure if you buy direct ?

Pete123456 · 16-09-2021 9:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117900386#Comment_117900386

My guess would be you’d need homesecures code to be able to add it to the app? Do you see an option to add a device in the app?

sharkman · 20-09-2021 3:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117901585#Comment_117901585

Not yet , getting it fitted today .

Pete123456 · 20-09-2021 3:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117915676#Comment_117915676

You could ask the installer nicely what would be required but he may well refer you back to home secure - my guess would be they would prefer that you pay them the monthly fee, but having said that I hope it works out for you - they have loads of useful kit you could add as you go

TOMIEuk · 17-01-2022 5:02pm

HomeSecure in general have been great until you try to cancel your contract once the contract term expires. According to the terms and conditions Clause 14 on there website, the Customer must notify HomeSecure a minimum of 30 (thirty) days prior to the expiry of the contract. However, during the day of sign up off two years, I believe no mention of ‘rollover contracts’ had ever been read out or explained. This clause is simply hidden within the terms and conditions set out on the website only and not explained during the signup process.

I strongly believe that such details of rollover contracts should be clearly explained verbally and understood, then agreed by the consumer at the time the agreement is being made. I find there current practice very misleading and amoral. I've noticed that other peoples comments on Boards.ie refer to three year contracts. Could this be because the same had happened to them unknowingly as mine was only ever two.

My contract with HomeSecure ended in Dec 2021. However, due to this current practice, I now find myself locked into another twelve month contract, bringing it also to three years. So I see a Patten here. This seems more like a penalty than an agreement.

When I challenged this, I was told that in Nov 2021 I was sent an email titled ‘Its time to renew’ and that no response was given. So an auto renewal for 12 months was given. Again, something that was never explained at the beginning. I confirmed with HomeSecure that no email was ever received and I've requested a timestamped copy of the original email addressed to me to be resent. I received a copy of a generic templated version not addressed to me (attached below). I still wait the original email as an attachment from HomeSecure outlining the date it was sent and whom it was addressed.

I’ve also formally request under the Freedom of Information Act 2014, a copy of the original transcript of when I first signed up with HomeSecure back in Dec 2019, detailing our conversation and any information given at the time. I understand this is in motion and I can expect this within the next 14 days. As im currently in talks with the CCPC (Competition and Consumer Protection Commission) and Citizen Advice. They will review this transcript and advise me further.

I don't seem to be alone regarding this issue, as people have previously posted on social media of having the same problems. So if you do signup for HomeSecure. Make sure you understand the terms first and that rollover contacts are mentioned.

HomeSecure Renewal.docx

bk · 18-01-2022 9:20pm

HomeSecure got taken over by the parent company of Phonewatch, mid last year. So don’t be surprised if you experience the same “business practices” that phonewatch are famous for.

poker--addict · 12-07-2022 5:57pm

For those advocating the DIY approach, is there a way to get such a system monitored subsequently?

i do find peace of mind in the idea that 2 sensors triggered and no phone pick up triggers police called at my last property.

poker--addict · 05-08-2022 2:24pm

Nobody?

i see home secure offering free install today.

homingbird · 17-09-2022 6:00pm

I use this camera Saved my life more than once & will work off mobile wifi setup like i have is one reason i got it also it does human detection aswel as motion.https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000218689393.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.0.0.5c211802ooEQCm

Gaurds caught a couple of travellers trying to break into my shed with footage from this camera.

Smart Alarm: Home Secure

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