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GoKonnect - any advice / experiences?

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  • 16-02-2019 11:30am
    #1
    Gforcemurphy
    Registered Users Posts: 99 ✭✭


    Hi all.

    (I posted this recently in the HKC/Siemens sticky but seems like a bit of a topic diversion, hence new post.)

    I’ve been looking at a smart security system recently from a crowd called GoKonnect. We got a brochure from them in the post the other day, and we’re looking to finally sort out a home alarm for our newly built house.

    The sales guy called out to the house the other day, nice guy and the product looks good, but I think the whole pricing strategy is a bit off-putting. €700 extra upfront payment if you go for the self-monitored option (with €120 per year for the GSM backup sim).

    The monitored option is less upfront but €30 pm to monitor on a 3-year contract. Upfront payment is however comparable to what I might pay for a total non-monitored solution with HKC / Siemens etc.

    Also, the contacts are all wireless, which feels like a waste of economy since my house is pre-wired. They don’t do shock sensors (and I’m told the contact sensors will go off if a window pane is smashed in, which makes no sense and goes against everything I’ve read).

    The solution would incorporate 11 contacts downstairs (all doors and windows), 3 PIRs (one upstairs) and no contacts upstairs. I wouldn’t call the upstairs windows accessible, in fairness.

    The whole system seems neat and pretty intuitive, but it feels like a hefty premium in exchange for this. I could link the system into smart locks, video doorbell, cameras, lighting and heating in time - that’s part of the sales spiel. (Except apparently the thermostat linking wouldn’t work for us as we’ve underfloor heating downstairs).

    Plus it’s impossible to avoid the feeling that they’ve just jacked up the self-monitored price in order to make it seem like the monitored is a comparably more favourable option.

    The sales guy was pretty keen to listen to my misgivings when I told him, and to do something on the price, but presumably his remit only goes so far on that front.

    Any thoughts / experiences with this company? Thanks in advance!


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    #2
    altor
    Registered Users Posts: 11,643 ✭✭✭✭altor


    Gforcemurphy wrote: »
    Hi all.

    (I posted this recently in the HKC/Siemens sticky but seems like a bit of a topic diversion, hence new post.)

    I’ve been looking at a smart security system recently from a crowd called GoKonnect. We got a brochure from them in the post the other day, and we’re looking to finally sort out a home alarm for our newly built house.

    The sales guy called out to the house the other day, nice guy and the product looks good, but I think the whole pricing strategy is a bit off-putting. €700 extra upfront payment if you go for the self-monitored option (with €120 per year for the GSM backup sim).

    The monitored option is less upfront but €30 pm to monitor on a 3-year contract. Upfront payment is however comparable to what I might pay for a total non-monitored solution with HKC / Siemens etc.

    Also, the contacts are all wireless, which feels like a waste of economy since my house is pre-wired. They don’t do shock sensors (and I’m told the contact sensors will go off if a window pane is smashed in, which makes no sense and goes against everything I’ve read).

    The solution would incorporate 11 contacts downstairs (all doors and windows), 3 PIRs (one upstairs) and no contacts upstairs. I wouldn’t call the upstairs windows accessible, in fairness.

    The whole system seems neat and pretty intuitive, but it feels like a hefty premium in exchange for this. I could link the system into smart locks, video doorbell, cameras, lighting and heating in time - that’s part of the sales spiel. (Except apparently the thermostat linking wouldn’t work for us as we’ve underfloor heating downstairs).

    Plus it’s impossible to avoid the feeling that they’ve just jacked up the self-monitored price in order to make it seem like the monitored is a comparably more favourable option.

    The sales guy was pretty keen to listen to my misgivings when I told him, and to do something on the price, but presumably his remit only goes so far on that front.

    Any thoughts / experiences with this company? Thanks in advance!

    That thread is not just for the 2 systems mentioned above, its a comparison thread.

    www.altor.ie



  • Options
    #3
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,495 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    I've no experience of this particular system, but some general advice.

    For professionally installed systems, if it is cheap up front, that normally means that it involves very expensive monthly monitoring fees to operate it. It also means you normally don't own the alarm and if you stop paying, it ends up a useless paperweight.

    Always check the T&C's and get any claims in writing.

    From what I've seen, say over ten years, you'll often end up paying in the region of 2 to 3 times more then you would for a regular self monitored system. And of course you can always stop monitoring and still use it as a basic alarm.
    The whole system seems neat and pretty intuitive, but it feels like a hefty premium in exchange for this. I could link the system into smart locks, video doorbell, cameras, lighting and heating in time - that’s part of the sales spiel. (Except apparently the thermostat linking wouldn’t work for us as we’ve underfloor heating downstairs).

    I'm not a big fan of locking yourself into one company and ongoing expensive subs forever. Most of these smart devices don't require subs, so why lock yourself into hundreds more per year. All you mostly benefit from it is having just one app on your phone rather then 2 or 3, not really worth it IMO, but of course that is up to yourself.


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