Do you use ADT?

[medicnick83]

Hi all,

I have a question.

Do you use ADT?

How is your experience with them?

Let me share something with you;

Morning 18/05/2018 Incident

Morning all,

So at 4:30am± this morning, there was a trespassing / theft from property incident.
A DPV member posted on the Zone 7 group asking for assistance and I went to assist.
Upon arriving, the lone security guy (Mondi) had secured a suspected so well done to him (He was holding him by his pants) because his handcuffs were stolen.

The issue here was, he was an ADT security guard - he said he pushed the panic button multiple times - yet, ADT never arrived (When I informed the resident who requested assistance, she called ADT but by the time I left scene, ADT hadn't arrived and this was ±20 minutes so for once, SAPS was faster than the paid private service)

I had called SAPS while I was there and thankfully, 10 minutes later, they arrived.

As for ADT - you guys pay nice amounts for that service, but I'd look into it.
Mondi (The on site security) did a great job but his backup was pathetic and if he has the problem, who else does? The suspect could've had a knife or a gun and Mondi risks his life yet there is no backup available to him should he need it.

Now as you can imagine, this post was on Facebook - but after I posted this, alot of things started to come out from residents who had used ADT in our area, panic buttons / alarms not working etc.

Here are a few other mentions of how great ADT's service is:

I've only ever needed to hit the panic button twice in my life, and both times ADT didn't respond at all. Despite repeated calls after both incidences I was never able to speak to the same person, or get any answers. I'm now with CBAR and they have never failed to answer any of my test calls.

I once pressed the panic button when someone was robbing my house. Adt never pitched and after phoning them they told me someone was there and it turned out they went to the wrong house and that person said everything is fine. I'm now with CBAR.

Remember when ADT jumped over the wall at the wrong house in Molteno and shot and killed the two Ridgebacks

Trust me, there are many many more...

• How many of you have tested your panic buttons / alarms?
• Have you tested their responses?

I had a reply from the "district manager of Fidelity-ADT" initially, but now almost a week or 2 later, when I asked for feedback, said that he is still waiting for the e-mail about this incident to be sent.
He hasn't bothered to contact me privately or the other person who lives in this block who was involved in this incident - so IMO - LAZY!

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

private security is always a mixed bag, depends who they have in the area, and how close they are,

as some places are better served by one company than another.

if ADT is slow, get another, nobody forcing you to use them.

myself I use what everybody else is using, if its mamba, then use mamba,
if its savika, use savika.

if its ADT, and they are slow, their priority is someplace else.
best find somebody else who gives better service.

 

[AchmatK]

I had Adt a long time ago.

I would suggest you go with a local company. Drive around the neighbourhood and see who has the most signs up. In the helderberg there are a few like Securite, GBSec and a few others. Pinelands and Thornton had PineWatch. They also work more closely with the neighbourhood watches in the area. Quite a few suburbs now have armed reasons companies that only operate in their areas.

 

[Pitbull]

We used Fidelity at our small holding, amazing response times and even armed with assault rifles. Last week I drove in the area again and saw Fidelity and ADT now being branded on the Bakkies. I really hope Fidelity is only assisting them with response in the rural areas, but if ADT bought out Fidelity armed reaction.... I would not even bother!

 

[Surv0]

ADT was the worst we experienced, moved to a local security provider and couldnt be happier (bike and car patrols). ADT never had active presence in our area, something which doesnt get told to you upon joining, and something you only learn when speaking to the ADT responders themselves.

In some areas ADT is probably quite good, but in others, they are non-existance, keep charging more for the same non-service and can arrive up to 45minutes late in some instances.

 

[craiglotter]

Go with whomever is local and most visible on your streets. For example, in Gordon's Bay GBSec is pretty much the standard thanks to their excellent visibility, local headquarters, and good public relations.

 

[Cius]

The more houses are with a company in an area the more likely you are to have patrol cars and rapid response in the area. Hence go with someone good who has presence in your area.

 

[rrh]

I am also one of those that left ADT years ago.

The final straw (for me) was - when I attempted to complain about the bad service - being told (by someone in "management") that they weren't interested in listening to complaints.

I rate the decision to switch from ADT as one of my best ever

 

[Surv0]

I am also one of those that left ADT years ago.

The final straw (for me) was - when I attempted to complain about the bad service - being told (by someone in "management") that they weren't interested in listening to complaints.

I rate the decision to switch from ADT as one of my best ever

They left their alarm equipment with me and never collected it 2 years later... ive sold it and made my money back.. they can get stuffed as im emigrating soon.

 

[neoprema]

It doesn't matter who you use, always know that;

1. They're human, and not perfect.
2. They earn a measly salary, so it doesn't take a lot for syndicates to bribe them into helping them out...

I have ADT but i will never trust them. Even if they respond to a false alarm and ask for my "safe" word I tell them i'll call the call-center and give it. At least its a recorded call then in case it mysteriously gets used.

 

[deesef]

The more houses are with a company in an area the more likely you are to have patrol cars and rapid response in the area. Hence go with someone good who has presence in your area.

Exactly! The ADT guards often park on our pavement, under the big shady tree. Don't get close than that

The response in our area has been very good with the times that we needed them. This is probably because a very large percentage of properties in the area use ADT.

 

[medicnick83]

Go with whomever is local and most visible on your streets. For example, in Gordon's Bay GBSec is pretty much the standard thanks to their excellent visibility, local headquarters, and good public relations.

Highlands and Davenport, there is like a open ground, if you want to see how VISIBLE the ADT vehicles are, you go look there, 2/3 of them standing there at any given time.

 

[R13...]

We used Fidelity at our small holding, amazing response times and even armed with assault rifles. Last week I drove in the area again and saw Fidelity and ADT now being branded on the Bakkies. I really hope Fidelity is only assisting them with response in the rural areas, but if ADT bought out Fidelity armed reaction.... I would not even bother!

Fidelity took over ADT rather than the other way round.

 

[Lupus]

I've still got their alarm equipment, told them to come collect it three months ago. Nada currently using a place that's only about three blocks down from us.

 

[Pitbull]

Fidelity took over ADT rather than the other way round.

Weird though, since they only had Fidelity branding previously, now they have ADT and Fidelity branding. I'm not in that area no more so no idea what changed if any. But thanks.

 

[Barbarian Conan]

Use smaller area specific companies.

I see 2 companies regularly patrolling my neighbourhood, so chose one of them.

 

[Marsie27]

ADT let us down badly after we had an attempted break-in. Their call showed up as 'private number' on my phone, and they didn't leave a voicemail, so I had no idea they had called, and they didn't bother to call back later. I arrived home several hours later unaware of the incident and deliberately set the alarm off again. 45 minutes later ADT still hadn't responded. When we sent in our cancellation letter then they responded. Too late, chaps. Fortunately Princeton operates in our area and shows that they care.

 

[supersunbird]

We used Fidelity at our small holding, amazing response times and even armed with assault rifles. Last week I drove in the area again and saw Fidelity and ADT now being branded on the Bakkies. I really hope Fidelity is only assisting them with response in the rural areas, but if ADT bought out Fidelity armed reaction.... I would not even bother!

Fidelity bought ADT. And the branding has been on most of the bakkies since last year.

 

[Former member 61586]

With National Fire and Security. Formerly Chubb. Not great the one time my alarm went off. I arrived at my home LONG before they did.

They do a good job of keeping the buggers who roam neighbourhoods tearing open garbage bags out of my neighbourhood though.

 

[f2wohf]

My boomed area is watched by ADT and we all have ADT.

Response time:1/2min

Experience: the officers are competent, knowledgeable, give you advice if you do something wrong, stop to watch you get in/our of your house when they're here.

Panic button tested once a year.

Alarm tested regularly since I get trees that trigger the electric fence and dogs that trigger the sensors sometimes.

I've also had CSS, Chubb and Cortac since I'm in SA. The only bad one was Chubb.