Nobody likes hidden extras and extra expense so at GuardHome we make a point of being very up-front about what it will cost to own one of our alarms and we also don’t have hidden extra costs or other nasty surprises. Unfortunately, that cannot be said for some other suppliers so let’s just highlight the issues so you are better informed.

1. Some alarm companies perform the initial installation at less than cost price because they know they can more than make up for it by locking the customer into a long term agreement that can prove very expensive. The unwary customer ends up paying for…
•  A maintenance agreement that starts high enough and goes on rising year on year becoming more and more expensive – but there is no let out.
• Call out charges on top of the fixed maintenance charge.
• Charges for any extra that need fixing including the replacement of batteries.
• Premium rate lines for used by the alarm and for service calls.
2. And that’s not all.   Many customers are talked into having Police response service or other call-centre type services  when they might not need them.   The fact is that modern alarms, like those provided by GuardHome, can call the property owner directly – on their mobile phone say – thus saving considerable expense on the response service that would in most cases merely call the property owner anyway.  Also, the fact is that, with the best will in the world, the Police often have far higher priorities to deal with than alarms going off so really need evidence that something is really wrong before coming out.  In other word, Police response may not really give the protection the buyer expects.

There is an alternative approach and that’s what we offer at GuardHome…

• Fixed annual maintenace fees – no escalating charge rates year on year.
• No lock-in agreements.
• No callout charges.
• No hidden extra costs e.g replacement batteries are included in the maintenance.
• Each alarm is programmed with the numbers to be called  if the alarm goes off – and we will re-program the nunbers for free if you need to change them – even temporarily say when going on holiday. (You can also make the changes yourself if you’d rather).

Of course our maintenance agreement has a cost attached to it that is in additional to the cost of the alarm but think about what you get for it..

• Preventative maintenance. We do an annual inspection when we test everything and check all batteries – replacing any that need replacing.
• Telephone support.  If you have questions or problems just call – for free.
• 24-7 emergency cover. Yes, twenty four  hours a day seven days a week if you have an emergency you can call us on our emergency help line and we’ll be available to deal with the problem – and come out if something needs to be handled on site.

Lastly,  there is another cost we ought to mention.  That is the cost of not having an alarm.   Without an alarm your chances of being burgled are many times higher than if you do have an alarm.  Professionally installed alarms are great deterrents. According to official estimates, the typical cost of a burglary for an average home, quite apart from all the emotional stress and inconvenience, normally includes at least £5,000 of uninsured losses.   Some of the things that may be lost or damaged (like photographs of loved ones) can be priceless.

Buy wisely (from GuardHome of course!) and you’ll have protection, peace of mind, help at hand if there is a problems and a bill that is predictable and fair.