Home Security Systems Blog

Monitronics is a relatively new player in the Home Security field, having been in business only since 1994. Based in Dallas, Texas, Monitronics now provides security alarm services to 700,000 customers nationwide.  According to the company’s website, Monitronics service and home security systems “…have consistently met or exceeded all UL, National Fire Protection Association, Central Station Alarm Association standards…[providing] reliable, uninterrupted security monitoring service.” Inc. 500 recognized Monitronics as one of “America’s Fastest Growing Companies” between 1997 and 2004, and the company’s home security monitoring stations are certified by the Central Station Alarm Association.

Monitronics’ most serious weakness is one that is shared by most large corporations today, which is a failure to take direct responsibility for delivery of services. Installation, maintenance and billing is outsourced to a network of “Authorized Dealers” - too many of whom have been the target of serious complaints. According to an Philadelphia investigator who identifies himself as “Lauver,” subcontractors in 22 states consistently failed to adhere to contracting laws, nor were the installations properly investigated. On the consumer website RipoffReport.com, there are currently no fewer than 74 reports, many of which complain about the company’s billing practices.  One Texas client filed a report on ComplaintsBoard.com stating that the company refused to honor his request that his service be discontinued and kept billing him for their service for several months.

Customers are not the only ones who report problems with Monitronics.  According to one of the company’s Authorized Dealers, the corporation failed to keep its promises, provided no technical support and uses an obsolete technology that is incompatible with current digital phones. In addition, if an Authorized Dealer is a day late with payment of a monitoring fee, Monitronics contacts the customer directly and attempts to undersell its own contractors.

Conclusion: if consumer reports are any indication, Monitronics should not be your first choice for asecurity company.

If you are a fan of Westerns, the name Brinks will not be unfamiliar to you; this home security company has furnished security services to big business (primarily banks, governments and jewelers) for 160 years. It is a relative newcomer to the home security, and in fact the corporation’s Home Security division was recently spun off and separated from the parent company and is now its own independent publicly traded entity.

Brink’s Home Security Division was formed in 1983 with corporate offices in Irving, Texas and support services based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Currently, the company provides services to 1.3 million homes in North America. Services provided include burglar/intruder alerts, smoke and fire detection and carbon monoxide monitoring; system installation starts at under $50, making it a relative bargain; the company’s top-of-the-line home security system is currently priced at $155.

There are few customer complaints about Brink’s services, and most of these are directed not at the company itself but rather locally based dealers. Unlike many home security companies, Brink’s Home Security uses its own local dealerships, all of whom are employees of - and thus accountable to - the main office in Texas. These dealers have been screened and their personnel trained by Brinks. Most local authorized dealers are conscientious and dedicated to providing the best possible service, but as with any large organization, there are invariably a few “bad apples.”  One Brinks employee recommends that prospective customers “research the local dealer to make sure they are behaving with professionalism and excellence.” If there are concerns, customers should contact the Brinks head office and inquire about the authorized dealer before committing to the purchase of a home security system.

According to independent sources, all Brinks monitoring centers are certified by Underwriter’s Laboratories and has been recognized for excellence in customer service by JD Power and Associates for the past five years.