I am getting Brinks Home Security soon. Any good?

Question

I am getting BRINKS installed tomorrow for a one time fee of $100. The total monthly fee is $29.00. I am getting two motion detectors, three door contacts, and keypad. It's a pretty good deal. Who has it, what are some details? Can you guys give me any information if I am getting a good deal or not, and why. Thanks.

Answer 1

You may be better going a do it yourself route.  You can purchase the exact same system that they are installing for somewhere between $200 and $300 dollars.  Then, you could purchase UL listed, central station monitoring for $9 a month, without the hassle of a contract.  So, over three years, your total is going to be $624 ($300 for purchasing the system, $324 for three years at $9 per month for monitoring).  Now, remember that you don't actually have to continue your service that long, since you aren't on a contract.  You pay monthly, or prepay for the entire year.  When you want out, you're out.  The route that your taking is cheaper upfront, only $100 to install.  But then, you'll be paying $348 per year for monitoring.  That means, over the next three years (the usual contract length), you will spend $1,144 for, essentially, the same system and the same monitoring, going with Brinks.  That means you will be overspending by at least $520 over the next three years.

To offer a different perspective, I've included an article on Do It Yourself Home Security.  Good luck.