Clark Howard’s Tips for Shopping for Home Security Systems

Are you ready to protect your home with a professional home alarm system?

Knowing what to look for is key in finding the right fit to protect your family.

At EMC Security, we’re local and know who to trust when it comes to making the best purchasing decisions: Clark Howard. Recently, Clark shared a customer experience on his blog along with his recommendations for choosing the right home monitoring system. Here are his tips. 

Clark says…

Keep these pointers in mind when you’re shopping for a traditional home alarm system

• Know how many doors and windows you need protection before you get a quote.
• A basic system hooked up to a UL-approved station should cost $15-$20 each month for monitoring. Installation of equipment will be extra, usually $600 to $800 for a typical house. Beware of supposedly “free” equipment because the costs will be built into your monthly monitoring.
• Never sign a contract. Contracts with hidden rollover provisions are particularly dangerous. If you have a rollover provision, you must contact the company in a very specific way (sometimes even on a certain day) to break your contract without being penalized. If you fail to do that, you’re automatically renewed for high-rate monthly monitoring for a period of 1, 2, or 3 years.
• Most people sign up for monitoring following a crime in their neighborhood. The perceived risk you feel skyrockets when you hear about break-ins, robberies, and smash and grabs near your home. But that’s not the time to shop for a burglar alarm. You never want to make an emotional decision.

We’re proud to provide affordable home security monitoring starting at $16.95 a month with no contract. Have a question about our security services? Please give us a call at 770.963.0305.