Have a security system, but don’t love your alarm company?

Published October 4, 2022

We at Jade Alarm pride ourselves in having raving customers!

(Just look at our reviews!)

The MOST important part of your alarm or security system is the alarm company that services and monitors your system. You need a reputable, responsive company to be there when you need them the most. You need reliable equipment, both in your residence/business AND at the alarm monitoring central station.

Problems we hear about from new customers, switching alarm monitoring companies are: never being able to speak to a real person, waiting on hold for minutes that feel like hours, a long service backlog (sometimes weeks), or even broken promises/feeling lied to.

Not having an alarm monitoring company you can trust can have disastrous results. At Jade Alarm, our customers are our priority and a large percentage of new Jade Alarm customers are switching companies for the reasons mentioned above.

The good news is, switching doesn’t have to be a daunting or expensive task. A system “Takeover” is when someone agrees to switch companies and the new company is able to use the equipment already installed, saving you time and money…and stress.

The three things you need to do when considering switching alarm companies are: 

  1. Check your current alarm monitoring agreement.
    1. Know when your agreement ends 
    2. Know what notice is required to cancel (or if there are early termination fees)
      • if there are ‘termination fees’ at times we are able to ‘help’ and make the transition to Jade Alarm as painless as possible!
    3. Know if you own or lease your alarm system equipment
  1. Contact us for a FREE premises consultation with one of our knowledgeable security consultants.
    1. We will do a walkthrough of your home or business to see what equipment you already have and if any of it is proprietary to your current company. – if so, we will explain options available.
    2. We will discuss any additional coverage/equipment you may want or suggest equipment for better protection/coverage and explain how a system “Takeover” works 
    3. We will provide you with a written quote for the “Takeover” and explain that it is contingent on our installers being able to access the installers programming. If we are not able to access the programming, we will discuss options at that time
  1. Contact your current alarm monitoring company and notify them you are canceling service
    1. This will be done AFTER our Jade Alarm technician has checked to entire system to ensure we are able to properly monitor & service the system.

There are instances where an alarm system “Takeover” cannot happen, for example: 

  • The equipment is proprietary, meaning no other company can monitor/service it – we will work with you to ‘convert’ the system so we are able to monitor and service it.
  • Alarm system is outdated and may not give access to certain features like APPS and cell phone/radio communication vs. plain old telephone lines (POTS) – we will explain what changes and if there are costs to see if you wish to upgrade or just have us monitor the system ‘as is’.
  • Your current alarm company changed the installer code, locking out any NEW installer, preventing them from completing a “Takeover” of the system.
    • If this happens, you can contact them to see if they will provide it to you. If not, you’ll need to replace the equipment with the new company.
    • If they will not, we usually have replacement equipment that will allow us to replace the existing equipment and get you ‘up and going with minimal expense’.

Takeovers and even system reactivations can be extremely beneficial for real estate professionals, as well as home buyers to know about. Let’s say you move into a home or business and notice a Jade Alarm sign in the front yard and an alarm panel or keypad in the basement. You can simply contact Jade Alarm to come out to evaluate the system and re-activate it in your name, with minimal upfront cost. However, if you move into a home and notice there is an alarm system through another alarm company, you can contact Jade Alarm and ask to speak with a knowledgeable security consultant, who will be able to go through the process with you.

Reasons to choose Jade Alarm as your alarm company: 

Local business that’s been providing peace of mind, since 1969, to the Greater KC metro area

The ONLY locally owned and operated, independent, FULL-service alarm company in KC

We are a U.L. certified Central Station that provides around-the-clock monitoring, meaning we have your back anytime, day or night

When you call Jade Alarm, your call is answered by one of our professionally trained Central Station dispatchers, right here in our building at 76th and Troost

We provide same or next day service, in MOST instances

To schedule your in-home consultation, call us at (816) 333-5233 and ask to speak to one of our security consultants about a takeover or re-activation.

“Providing Your Security Since 1969”

— Joseph Pfefer

President & Founder

Published October 4, 2022