ADT Security Services review: unreliable system 6

Nobody pays ADT extra to call you if your phone line gets cut. That is a lie. If your alarm is monitored by the phone line only how can it send a signal that you phone line is out? Either you people are the biggest idiots ever, or your competition. No fire department is breaking into your house if there isn't a fire...ummm last time I checked fire is visible. [censor]s!

ADT Security is a joke! And a ripoff too!
I know because I worked for them for almost 2 years as a commercial and residential service engineer in Arizona.
I designed, installed and tested technical security systems at US embassies and consulates before I retired from the USG and went to work for ADT. I am an electronic engineer and had specialized USG training in all aspects of technical security. I did military communications systems engineering for 23 years prior to working in security.
When ADT hired me, they promised 30 days of training and I got nothing! They also said I would earn $75k but it was less than half that amount. And ADT managers, who knew nothing about security, expected and demanded that service personnel do at least 7 service calls per day, regardless of the complexity of the problem. Service crews were sent out with no parts and often had to call other service personnel to see if they were nearby and had the part needed.

ADT installs alarm systems that do not work and when a burglary does happen, they tell the customer ADT is not liable since the customer did not test his alarm system monthly as they are supposed to do.
Most homeowners would not even know if their system was communicating or not with ADTs monitors (they either have a communication link over a telephone circuit or a wireless connection via a cell radio transmitter). I personally saw situations where the system was installed and not working properly and the customer had been paying for months or up to a year without knowing it.
Yet despite all the shortcomings, ADT sees fit to charge $30-40 a month for a false sense of security - it's all about profit and little to do with customer service and satisfaction.
And ADT has no installation standards, installer training, or spare parts on service trucks. I was sent to one customer’s home which was about a 1 hour ride away; when I arrived he needed a few standard 1.5 volt batteries and I had none on my truck. I had to drive to the nearest Ace hardware and buy them using my own money. At other residences, I found the heavy alarm panel mounted with only drywall screws (it was falling off the wall), exposed conductors on wires, panels installed upside down, and sensors that had been installed days ago falling off.
ADT sales reps know little about security principles and how to design a proper alarm system. They advertize the $99 special, which is OK for a studio apartment at best, and then use the bait and switch scam to get the customer to shell out $1000 or more for an “expanded” home alarm system. Sales reps are out to maximize the total sale dollar amount since they get paid on commission.
And ADT will take over any system ever installed by anyone else, as long as the customer pays the $30-40 monthly fee. Then ADT will not have trained personnel or parts to support these odd ball systems when they do fail.
Buyer beware! It is a known fact that a big guard dog is a better deterrent for burglary! And keep in mind that a critical factor for any alarm system is the time it takes for police to respond to the alarm– if you are in a remote location and it takes 30 minutes for police to get there, burglars have this much time to crash and grab.

Full Disclosure: I'm a salesman for a subcontractor of ADT alarm systems.

ADT does NOT make you pay for calling your cell when there is an emergency. That's actually part of the system, and my sales pitch. We notify you BEFORE calling police, so you can deal with any false alarms -- and not get billed by police for them. It's a major difference between us and the "deputy fife" local security services...which send robo-calls to the police, and never bother to check with you first...you find out about it when you get bill from police/fire/ambulance services. (If they even offer the latter two protection channels)

As far as your phone line being cut: how the hell is ADT supposed to monitor your phone line for service? Your phone company does that, right?

You could get the Cell Uplink (which we offer!) which protects you in this circumstance. It's a small amount extra each month.

ADT sytem has a lot of loopholes.They installed phone line connecting to my outgoing phone outlet visible and hence the burgler cut the line before entering through my sliding doors; then they smashed the Pannel board as it was alarming. I also pay ADT to call my cell when phone line is cut or tampered. nothing worked. Now they are pushing to buy Cellguard.

When you get an alarm system, always test it MONTHLY yourself especially if you have phone work done in your home.Test it by turning your system ON and opening or triggering a sensor.Let your alarm company call you.
If they dont call, you have a phone issue .Call for service!
Best solution is phone line and radio backup this way if the phone stops working, you will STILL be protected.
Oddball VOIPs do NOT carry the signal well!

unless you have a cell back up when phone line is cut you can not make a magic phone call your system becomes local you can program siren to come on but you can not shut off until phone line fixed.use your brain