What is free or zero down security system for you? For me, there is no such thing as free lunch. In terms of alarm system in your house, free means more expensive. You pay more money for maintenance, your total cost of ownership is higher, upgrades come at high price and the level of protection is low.
I will start with the most important – the level of security. Free security systems come with one to two door contacts and one motion detector. Such security system is designed to cover the most common points of entry in an average house. Most common break in points are front door, rear door and main floor windows. The rate of entry through these points constitutes 79%. That is exactly what zero down security systems intend to cover. That means that 21% of homes with “free” security systems stay unprotected. Burglars are smart. They enter where the chance of having a security system coverage is lowest – second floor, garage doors, side doors, basement, etc. That means, with a zero down security system, your house is almost completely unprotected. Here you can find burglary entry point statistics.
What if you want to upgrade your security system to provide you with complete coverage? Complete coverage for me is protecting all points of entry, protecting rooms with the most valuables in and having cellular backup communication. The price of such upgrade with an average $0 down alarm company will be relatively high. Providing you with such upgrade, the alarm company will cover their free security system installation costs. They will also make profit on an installation. Yet, your monthly monitoring rate will stay the same.
The total cost of ownership – the cost of having and maintaining your security system – also comes in expensive with $0 down. When you think of a security system, do you also think about maintenance? One hour of a technician on residential site could cost you $120? Do you also consider that you pay at least 8% interest rate on your “free alarm system”?
According to statistics, the rate of false alarms is almost 50% of all registered alarms. One false alarm with police dispatch costs from $100 to $150. Around 30% of residences will get a false alarm in a given year. To simplify, your total cost of having a free alarm system will equal to: (monitoring rate per month x 36 months) + $150 false alarm charge + $100 technician on site fee.
Now does Alfa Security install “free security systems”? We can but we do not – nobody buys free lunch from us. Are you still interested in a $0 down security system? Consider the following:
• your house stays unprotected for just $25 a month for consecutive 36 months
• your total cost of having free security system will be higher than having a custom designed security system from us
• you pay high 8% to 12% interest on a free security system
If you really want to protect your house, do not buy a “free alarm system”. Make a wise investment – protect your home with a custom designed solution from Alfa Security.
See more detailed burglary statistics from an FBI website. Also see tips on enhancing your house security apart from having a security system at home.