Find Top-Rated Waldorf Home Security Companies

Home Security System reviews in Waldorf

• F

  ADT Security Services, Inc

  My husband and I recently bought a new home that already had an ADT security system in it. Once we were settled I called to have the system reactivated. At time of scheduling an install I was quoted almost $800 for the system to be upgraded to the kind of system I wanted. I agreed and scheduled the install. As both my husband and I work I scheduled an install appointment for a Saturday since it would take a few hours for the install to be completed. As the days passed between the date of scheduling and the date of the install I was called several times during the week and was asked "we have an opening today and can get your install taken care of today. We will be there around 12 noon" well no you won't because no one will be home as we have jobs and that was the whole reason for scheduling for a Saturday.
  When the Saturday our appointment was scheduled for the technician called me at 7:15 am to let me know he was on his way and would be at my home around 8am. At 10:30am, when he still hadn't arrived he called again. This time to explain that he had to meet up with another technician to swap some parts and that he was now on his way to my home. He finally arrived around 11:45am. My appointment was scheduled for 8-12 so yes he was on time technically, but the whole idea was that this install was going to take a few hours and he was supposed to be at my home early so that we would not be stuck the entire day due to this install.  Strike 1.
  Once the technician finally arrived he began by going over the install with myself and my husband. the system we were supposed to be having installed was originally going to have a few cameras included. The first impression the technician put off did not exude confidence to say the least. It may be stereo typical but the way he was dressed and acting I would have picked him as the guy that would be breaking into my home not the guy setting it up for protection.Needless to say the least as he was going over how he was going to have to drill holes through the walls from the outside to the inside for the power cable to the camera we wanted looking out over the front and back of the home, my husband lost all confidence in him and put his foot down removing the cameras from the install. We knew full well we could get home monitoring cameras at the store that were easy install and we could put them up without having to drill holes at half the cost and monitor them ourselves.
    After we all came to an agreement on what would be installed and what wouldn't it took the technician almost another hour to get started. So it is now almost 2pm and he hasn't even started the install. He finally got started and removed the old wall panel that was in place. The power line to this panel was run inside the wall and connected directly to the back of the receptacle that is below the panel inside the wall. The technicians bright idea to get it unhooked was to yank on the wire until it broke free and pulled it out. When doing so the large plastic piece at the end of the line broke part of the drywall around the hole that was behind the panel. His response was "oh that's not a big deal the new panel will cover that up. You'll never know it's there." Strike 2.
   
  While he continued on with the install he mentioned how there are a few windows that are accessible and we should really consider adding sensors to those windows. He informed us that if we called the 800 number and scheduled someone to come out and add them to the system it would cost $80 each sensor, but if he did them that day while he was there it would only be $25 each. we agreed and told him to add them to the install. As he progressed with the install he seemed to lose even more confidence in what he was doing. He must have paired each sensor up to the panel at least ten times each. it took him almost 5 hours to install a new panel, 4 door sensors and 6 window sensors. He did not finish until almost 7pm. Once he was finished he asked me for payment. I gave a credit card payment of $443.97 that included the $300 cost of my install as well as the first 3 months of monitoring services since I was to be billed quarterly. After payment was processed he says, "oh I forgot to add the cost for the 6 window sensors" This is another $150. I try to give him my credit card again and now magically the computer used for processing credit cards is not working. He insisted I give him cash as I didn't have any checks since I don't use them. And this action alone cemented my first impression that he would be the guy robbing my home not protecting it. I'm not stupid I know full where exactly where the $150 went and it wasn't to ADT. Strike 3.
    
  I should have known better and ended the game at this point , but I guess I am a glutton for punishment. The technician gave us the paper work, instruction manual, and quick reference guide and he finally leaves our home. That night before bed my husband (following the directions that were given to us) attempted to change the mast code on the panel to something private that we would remember. It wouldn't work as the master code that was given to us was not being accepted by the panel. the following morning we called the technician since he had left us his name and number and said if there were any issues to call him. Being Sunday we gave him the benefit of the doubt that he was off for the day so we weren't too upset when he didn't return the call. Over the next few days we called him several more times with no response. on Wednesday I finally had enough and called the 800 number tech support line. A very nice girl walked me through changing the code and our system was finally operational. However while talking with this young lady it came to light that all of the account information provided to the original sales guy, and again to the technician for the contract to be written was all incorrect in the main system. out of the 3 names provided to be called if the alarm were to go off only mine was on there. all phone numbers were incorrect, and the security word was incorrect. Had the alarm actually gone off there would have been no one for them to call, and had they managed to reach me I would not have been able to prove I was who I really am.
    
  We finally managed to get all the account details corrected and set up properly. However now starts the billing. Over the next few weeks I received 3 bills stating that I still owed $157.93 for the install. Apparently according to their records my install was $500 and I also owed extra fees for the monitoring services. I explained to them that no my contract that was signed stated that the install was $300 and that I paid the first 3 months in full, and that if they felt I owed them more they needed to collect the $150 cash I gave the technician day of install. of course they wanted more information and are now looking into that on their end. But in the mean time I was now being hounded by them that I owe them more money.  I finally after receiving yet another bill and phone call, called them back and informed them they had 24 hours to get my account straight or I would be contacting my credit card company and disputing the charge, and that the only penny they would get from me would be the cash I gave the technician. Of course they gave me some run around again that well it's really your fault you shouldn't have given him cash, and I should have known better. Even though this is true it is not my responsibility to ensure the trustworthiness of their employees. They clearly need to do better HR and background screening when hiring. In the mean time for the incompetency and disrespectful way they speak to their customers I did dispute the charge on my credit card.A few days later I got a call from the local install manager. They would like to set an appointment to come and evaluate the system installed in my home to ensure I was charged appropriately for the equipment in my home. When I informed them unless they are coming to  give me my money back it doesn't really matter as the cost was put in writing on a contract. Their response was, "well that's not really the way it works." I have to admit I took great pleasure in informing them that, "that is exactly how a contract works and every court of law will agree.however since I have disputed the charge and no longer wish to have any affiliation with ADT they are more than welcome to come out remove the system from my home but they better not leave a hole in my wall if the panel is removed they better patch the hole." so we will see what happens.
  
  - Mary C.
• C

  Power Home Technologies - Baltimore, MD

  The sales reps were great but technicians not so much had to come to my house several times because items weren't compatable with my home. When i called customer service they made promises they didnt keep when they came back to the house resulting in more money. The service is good the owner of the techs is not so customer focused be careful.
  - christopher f.
• F

  Vivint Inc

  Using door-to-door sales approach, on 23 Apr 2014 a Vivint sales representative visited my residence to sell me a home security system.  After a long discussion with the Vivint sales representative, I agreed to subscribe to the service and replace my existing service with the company that wired my original security system during the construction of my home.  The Vivint sales rep assured me that my existing wiring would be used to preclude having visible wires running along my walls. The next day the technicians arrived around 5:00 pm and proceeded to install the new system. During the installation the technicians drilled holes in walls to mount the new equipment and changed the door entry locks to support an ostensibly more advanced locking system.   By 10:00 pm the technicians completed the installation of the new system and then took about 10 minutes to explain how to setup the system for use.  While the automated thermostats and the iPad-inspired panel were impressive, I could not escape the fact that Vivint technicians completely bypassed my existing wiring in favor of wall mounted devices (e.g., camera) where the electrical cords needed to hang the height of the wall to the nearest electrical outlet.  The next morning I went to go outside and albeit the alarm was armed, the new door lock was not installed properly creating a situation where the door was locked but it could be pulled open without effort (without turning the knob).  Between the visible wires and the unsecured entry door. I decided to execute my rescission right to cancel the contract and have them restore my old system.
  
  On 24 Apr 2014 (the next day after installation) I had the technician remove the system.  I signed and submitted a notice of cancellation to the technician and emailed the notice to a representative at Vivint Headquarters, to whom I had spoken regarding my desire to cancel. When the technicians removed the Vivint equipment, they would not restore my original security system.  In fact, their entire demeanor was adversarial.  On 24 Apr 2014, my credit card was charged $468.99. I waited until 30 Apr 2014 to follow-up with the company to check status--thinking my refund was being processed; instead, the Customer Service Rep (CSR) claimed they had just received my cancellation that day.  The CSR stated that Vivint needed to send out a technician to verify the equipment had been removed because there was no record of the equipment removal.  The CSR advised that it would be at least a week before a technician could visit. I found this unacceptable. Given that I had taken off work on 24 Apr 2014 for the technicians to remove the equipment, I was not willing to take off another day only for a technician to visit my residence to verify that a previous technician had (or had not) done his job.  I was able to convince the CSR to contact the technician or sales rep to verify the removal of the equipment from my residence.  I'm extremely disappointed to find that I'm getting the runaround as a consequence of my cancellation. I just want my refund in the amount of $468.99.  But the CSR informed me that it will take another 10 to 15 days. Coincidentally, the amount of my refund is about the same cost to have my original service provider put my home security service back into place.
  
  Now that all the Vivint equipment has been removed from my property, I have received ~30 emergency notifications that state that my house is on fire or there is an intruder in my residence.  Although I know these are false alarms, it was startling receiving the first notification while I was away from my home.  In essence, this has been a bad experience with Vivint customer relations and I cannot in good conscience recommend this company to anyone.  While the Vivint equipment may be considered acceptable quality, the business practices of this organization are not.  In my opinion, this company fails in the areas of integrity and professionalism.

  1 June 2014:

  As of May 31, 2014, I still have not received a refund from Vivint, I've called Vivint's Customer Service at least twice a week since first encountering this problem.  I've filed a complaint with the BBB, but continue to be told the check has been mailed.  First I was told that it was mailed at the end of April, but my call to their customer service proved this to be a lie.  The CSR in turn initiated the refund process and said it would take [another] 10-15 days.  After 10 days, I contacted Vivint again and the CSR stated the check was mailed on May 19, 2014.  Meanwhile, Vivint's response to the BBB stated the check was mailed on May 20, 2014.  As of today, I still have not received my refund. 
  
  

  - Charles P.
• A

  1st Security USA

  We put our information in online for a quote and received a call back in less than 2 hours.  The person we worked with was Larry, and he was super helpful and took the time to listen to our needs and tell us what would be the best fit in our security system.  He didn't try to oversell items or pressure us into items we didn't want or need.  We took an evening to think over our options and decided to go with 1st  Security.  Larry had the documents for us to e-sign quickly and we had installation scheduled within a week.
  Our installation went great.  The technician, Chris, actually showed up about 15 minutes early which was really convienient for us and it took about 2 hours to install our system.  He took the time to talk us through the entire process and gave us a tuturial on how to use our system. 
  We would highly recommend this company!
  
  - Erin M.
• A

  1st Security USA

  The one that gave me the best price, worked with me to get my business, had the most knowledge about the system, had the most customer service and the one I picked was 1st Security, LLC, 1311 Londontown Blvd Ste 120-111, Sykesville, MD 21784-6436, Phone: (410) 489-2465. It is a small family owned company that is a distributor for Guardian Alarm. They installed my system on Friday, Apruil 29th and it went great. The installer was also very knowledgeable and answered all my questions. He did not leave until he was sure I knew how to use my system. I would recommend this company to anyone in the area looking for an alarm company. I was highly impressed with this company.
  - Carmela G.
• A

  1st Security USA

  Excellent experience
  - Darlene B.
• A

  Frontpoint

  unknown
  - Pauline F.
• A

  Frontpoint

  unknown
  - William B.
• A

  Frontpoint

  how do i get my 100.00 gift card from amazon?
  
  - Lawrence J.
• A

  Guardian Protection

  Very courteous, very knowledgeable and patient with system glitches. But he stayed until system was set-up and complete.
  - Candace T.