Reply To: House Alarm Hi all, So, I’ve been wondering, why do house alarms charge so much for “maintenance”? I have a house alarm fitted couple of years back and it allows me to…

[kev2021]

Well, that’s the weird part – the alarm doesn’t work via a web page, it only works via there app on a mobile/tablet.  If I go to the IP of it, nothing….

So perhaps the alarm talks back to a “cloud” system and the app effectively gets its info from the cloud as opposed to directly from the alarm? Meaning I need the “middle man” so to speak…

Rather annoying tbh, I mean cost goes up ever year and for 5-10mins “maintenance” which basically involves coming in, check logs for any faults etc, then checking each sensor in the room and then leaving. That’s basically it.

It’s effectively money for nothing…. and I suspect when it does get several years old, it will no doubt be like boilers oh the system is too old now, can’t get parts, you need to upgrade to a new system which is another few hundred quid…

Wish there was a way to make the unit talk to a provider that charged a cheaper price just for the remote access cloud bit and skip the maintenance as I’d suspect would be cheaper to pay call out & repair charge than pay 5 years maintenance for nothing to be done.  Like I say, I had previous alarm system (no remote access) for 6 or 7 years and that never had anything done to it, no batteries replaced, nothing.

I don’t have the place monitored as then comes certain criteria i.e. I have to ensure I’m no more than 2hrs away incase it goes off I can get back, I’d have to provide someone’s details who could go in and turn it off on my behalf and I don’t know my neighbours that well as rarely see them.

So I skipped that part and by having the app, I can at least turn it off and then get back when I can to see what’s occurring.

I’ve had it go off couple of times and upon visiting, nothing looks to have happened so not sure what caused it, can only think maybe a fly got in and it set it off randomly as no doors unlocked/open/broken, no windows etc and nothing is out of place etc.

Kev

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