Hi everyone… I’m moving at the start of the year and was wondering if there’s a way to cancel my ADT contract without being charged. We don’t want to take ADT with us to the new house. Has anyone done this? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
I managed to cancel mine once, but only because they were breaking a county rule they couldn’t fix. I threatened to set the alarm off every day and sue them for the fines unless they removed it! They’re usually very strict. You might be able to transfer it to your new house or include it in the sale of your current place. Those are the only options I’ve heard of.
@MaryJane
Sometimes if you say you’re moving to California, they’ll let you cancel, but you’ll still have to pay off the equipment costs.
I doubt it. ADT once fought to keep a contract active even after a hurricane destroyed someone’s house, and the equipment wasn’t even installed yet. They only canceled when the news got involved.
Teresa said:
This is a forum, not ADT customer service. You might want to contact them directly.
The person who posted this actually doing that? No way.
GraceRuth said:
If you’re moving to another state, you might be able to cancel. We moved and didn’t have to keep the same contract, but it’s always best to call ADT to see what they can do for you.
That’s not always true. If you move and don’t sign a new agreement, they might charge you the remaining balance of your contract. There are exceptions for military or if you’re moving into assisted living, but you’ll need to provide proof.
GraceRuth said:
@Kinsley
We moved coast-to-coast and didn’t have to sign anything new. ADT told us to leave the equipment behind, and we never had any issues. Maybe some states have laws about this?
It could be a local law. Did you get a new alarm system at the new house? Or maybe your old contract had already ended?
GraceRuth said:
@Kinsley
We were still under contract and got a new system installed at the new place. Maybe the new owners of the old house took over our contract. That might have made a difference.
Yeah, if the new owner took over, that could explain it. Sometimes ADT agents handle those transfers, so you wouldn’t have to deal with it directly.
I don’t think they’ll waive the fees unless it’s for military deployment or something similar.
I’d suggest going with a self-setup system at your new place. You’ll probably still owe for the equipment at your old house, but with a self-setup, you can just take it with you if you move again, and you won’t need to sign new contracts.
@Kinsley
Yeah, I’m thinking of just getting a self-monitoring system instead. We don’t really use the monitoring service anyway.
Abel said:
@Kinsley
Yeah, I’m thinking of just getting a self-monitoring system instead. We don’t really use the monitoring service anyway.
That’s a good idea. Just keep in mind a few things:
- If you’re buying new equipment, you might still have to pay off the old system.
- Having a monitoring service can be helpful for emergencies like fires.
- If you switch to an ADT self-setup, they might waive your old contract’s fees. Then you’d only need to decide later if you want to keep the service or go fully self-monitored.
Hope this helps while you’re figuring out your move!
Thanks for all the advice! I’ll call them and see what my options are.
ADT’s whole business is about keeping you locked into contracts. They’ll probably push you to take your system to the new house and reinstall it at your own cost. They’re known for being tough to deal with. Sorry you ended up with them.
@Carter
Thanks… yeah, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I really regret it!
I had ADT for seven years and moved twice. Each time, they made me restart a 3-year contract. I tried everything to get out of it but couldn’t avoid paying over $1,000. It was a nightmare.
Gerald said:
I had ADT for seven years and moved twice. Each time, they made me restart a 3-year contract. I tried everything to get out of it but couldn’t avoid paying over $1,000. It was a nightmare.
That’s exactly what I’m worried about. I’ll call them and see what it’ll cost to cancel, then decide what to do from there.