Central Montoring Station Service Providers

Can anyone tell me if this is a reliable Central Monitoring Station
provider?

Alarm Relay Inc.
111 South Marshall Avenue
El Cajon, CA 92020

I'm considering them because they seem to offer a $8.95 per month plan (when
paid in advance annually) for burglary and smoke alarm detection using my GE
Simon v3 alarm. I installed this system myself, therefore I'm not tied to a
security company contract.

They have a UL seal in the advertisement and the web site says:
"Company Profile
The highly trained staff at Alarm Relay's UL listed alarm monitoring station
is dedicated to providing you the most responsive and reliable monitoring
service."

Would you trust them, and/or can you supply alternatives that are similarly
priced?

 

Why are you asking us?? Most online dealers that participate here provide
their own central station monitoring services (either under contract to a
third party agency or on their own)... Most professionals that participate
here either work or manage alarm companies in specific locations and deal in
their local communities. None of us know "Alarm Relay Inc." from Adam...

You'll be tied to a one year contract when (if) you decide to sign up.
Their website is unclear about several issues and pretty clear on others.
In one respect they say they have absolutely *no* responsibility for
ensuring your alarm's signals even reach the station and that if they
actually do they're not responsible for what happens after... Sounds to me
like that pager service might be the better way to go (in your particular
case)... Who programs the communicator? If it's the end user (you) how do
they verify that you're legit and not some crook bent on making trouble? Do
they even care? Are they properly licensed in the State in which you
reside??

Yeah... you can say anything you want in a website that you own... You can
even mislead people into thinking that you actually run an alarm company and
install security systems...

Their website says they do US Government and ATF accounts... That's pretty
impressive... What UL certification do they have??

I don't trust anyone but God, myself and people that I know... I'd suggest
you:

1. Have your system inspected by a professional alarm company;
2. Sign up for monitoring with a local company that you feel comfortable
dealing with. When it comes to monitoring "cheaper" is not necessarily
better. Drop an email to the nice folks at http://www.csaaul.org/. They
may be able to steer you to a member company that would fit your bill...

By the way the people at http://www.smarthome.com use Alarm Relay as well...
More stuff to think about...

 

Heh, heh, heh.... So now I'm trying to make it "sound like I'm in charge"??
It was a legitimate question... Read on a little further, Robert. I
explain why I've asked it...

True... but who verifies that the connection to the susbscriber's telephone
line is done correctly. The do manage to explain what an "RJ" jack is but
they don't really indicate that it's a "desireable" thing to have...

There's a huge difference between what they're hyping on their website and
what their contract says. That's what I was pointing out... Sort of like
whay you say on yours...

everything.

Seems reasonable on the surface, but let's look at the matter a little more
deeply. You're paying money to a UL listed station to provide emergency
response to your alarm system. They abrogate all responsibility for signals
generated by your "self programmed" system, indeed... Why bother using the
service and paying them anything??

Correct Robert... It's why *all* the stations that are ULC listed (the
*Canadian* certification standard) only deal with alarm companies...

I guess you would know...

Is there an echo in the room??

But not for the reason you stated... The alt-security-alarms.com website
was limited in scope because of the name... The new website's going to be
"launched" shortly... bigger and better...

I'm glad to see you *finally* admitted to that... Congratulations, Robert!!

 

They are UL listed under the parent company "Watchlight" or something like
that. Thanks!

 

Good for you... I know several online dealers in Canada... They all
provide monitoring service, but not *one* allows the end-user access to
installer level programming during the course of the agreement.

alt-security-alarms.com listed only dealers that participate in the
newsgroup. I decided to expand on that.

 

I'd consider your service as well.