We just bought a house and had someone from Safe Haven (through ADT) come to our door. The guy gave off weird vibes—he kept talking about hacking into things while trying to sell us cameras. That didn’t sit right with us, so we passed. Now I’m wondering, what’s the best home security company? Would ADT be better if we went through them directly? Is Vivint worth it? Are there better options? Looking for advice!
You should report that guy to ADT. If he’s an authorized dealer, they need to know. That’s really sketchy.
As for ADT, I have them and like their response time, but be ready to handle basic maintenance yourself—things like changing batteries or replacing sensors. A lot of people complain about that, but honestly, it’s not a big deal. The service plan also has a deductible, which some folks don’t like.
@Miles
My sister has ADT, and my dad used them for years, so I figured we’d at least check them out. But after that experience, I wasn’t so sure. Maybe dealing directly with ADT instead of a third-party dealer would be different?
@Miles
Yeah, I did report it. When they called to follow up, I told them the guy made us uncomfortable and lied about not having battery-operated doorbell cameras. The whole thing felt off.
Sarahkey said:
@Miles
Yeah, I did report it. When they called to follow up, I told them the guy made us uncomfortable and lied about not having battery-operated doorbell cameras. The whole thing felt off.
Good call. ADT actually does have a hybrid Google Nest doorbell that can be battery-powered or hardwired. I went through Safe Streets for some free equipment, but I’ve heard that going directly through ADT is smoother, especially if any installation issues come up.
We had a similar experience. A guy showed up saying they were supposed to come during closing (which was a lie), then asked to come inside. We said no. He started talking about how easy it would be to break in, trying to scare us into signing up.
We called the company, and they had no way to verify if he was legit or take a complaint. Strangely, our WiFi cameras stopped working while his car was parked outside. Probably a signal jammer. Took photos of his license plate just in case. Very shady.
Now we use Reolink, Blink, and Wyze cameras. Reolink doesn’t need internet for person detection and recording. Also got a 90lb Doberman. No complaints.
I went with SimpliSafe after ADT kept dodging straight-up pricing and insisted on pulling my credit before giving a quote. Way too many promos and gimmicks instead of just focusing on security.
Vivint took nearly a week to respond to me, so I ruled them out too. SimpliSafe has been solid—whenever I call, I get a real person within minutes. No issues so far.
@Ismael
Just looked them up. Wish they had a battery-powered doorbell camera!
ADT is known for using closing data to push sales, and their equipment isn’t great. If you want solid security, look for a local installer who can set up a wired Honeywell Vista panel with wired sensors and a battery backup. You can get professional monitoring from different companies, not just ADT or Vivint.
ADT and Vivint are aggressive with their sales tactics. If you want a system that just works, check out the Honeywell Vista 20P or 15P. They’ve been around forever and are super reliable.
@Ken
That’s good to know! I just removed an old Brinks system that was completely dead but still wired in. We live in the Midwest, and most of the local security companies seem to be tied to ADT or Vivint.
I’d go with Ring.
Myron said:
I’d go with Ring.
Do they have more than just doorbell cameras?