What You Should Know Before You Agree to a 'FREE' Security System

Thanks to the internet, consumers are overwhelmed with an over-abundance of information, targeted marketing, and misleading advertising trying to 'convince' you to buy a product that might not  meet your security needs and/or expectations. In an industry where the main objective is to protect a customer's most valued people and possessions there is a surprising lack of integrity for the sake of making a sale. What you should know:

Nothing in life is ever free..... All businesses have a common goal: to turn a profit. Advertising 'free' products and services is a clever marketing gimmick to make you feel as though you are receiving a great value. The truth is, you aren't. The company selling you this 'deal' is most likely disguising those hidden fees in the form of  'activation fees', long-term contracts, cheap equipment, shotty labor, and higher monthly monitoring fees.

• Do Your Math - Calculate your financial exposure to know the TRUE cost of your security system. If you are locked into a multi-year contract, your equipment fees are probably being financed over that term. Make sure to calculate the cost of your monthly fees for the term of the contract. Many times you can get a more advanced system for a lot less money.
• Free doesn't mean quality - The 'free' equipment being provided has an associated cost. The company installing that equipment is not interested in losing money. Unfortunately, many companies are willing to use a lower quality of equipment and take shortcuts on the labor in order to make money.
• Beware of Long-Term Contracts - When entering into a relationship with a Security provider, why be forced to stay in that relationship if you are dissatisfied? Many long-term contracts have excessive cancellation penalties.  If you have to sign a long-term contract, make sure to understand the renewal terms and re-negotiate your rate at the end of it.

The difference between a Salesman and a Security Professional.... The terms 'alarm system' and 'security system' are used interchangeably in the security industry. A Salesman will try to sell you an 'Alarm System' but a Security Professional will recommend a 'Security System'. We firmly believe there is an important difference.

• Alarm System - A Salesman who contacts you over the phone without ever seeing your residence, to sell a 'lick and stick' system (installed using double sided stick tape) that covers two doors and one motion in an 1800 square foot home is interested in making a sale, and not interested in your security. Though this system does a great job of being a noise maker should one of those entry points be triggered, it is completely inadequate in offering security protection. Don't pay a high monthly premium for pathetic security protection.
• Security System - A professionally installed security system will have several layers of protection that include a variety of security devices; door & window sensors, motion detectors, glass break detectors, Smoke & CO detectors, flood sensors. A Security Professional will do an onsite analysis of your home or business to identify your security needs and will recommend a Security System that offers complete protection. A Security Professional's priority is to keep your home and family safe, not to make a sale.

Do Your Research.... There are many deceptive and not-so-deceptive sales and marketing tactics that security companies use to lure you into a quick sale. If the offer is only available for a 'limited time', than it's probably an offer not worth having. At RedLight Security, we pride ourselves on being a Security company NOT a marketing company. Our business is transparent. We offer straight forward pricing, no long term contracts, and only offer solutions that protect our customers.

Do your research online (Angie's List, Community Facebook Groups, BBB Ratings and Reviews), call your friends who have security systems and most importantly buy from a local company that is licensed and has a reputation for quality and dependability.