Just had a phone call from a Polo Road resident - she's paying R450 per month to ADT........ asked me for advice
On Fri, Oct 15, 2010 at 2:53 PM, Eric van der Walt <[email protected]>wrote: > The "historic acquisitions" clause certainly didn't apply to my case > -- I originally signed up with ADT de novo back in 2006 when I bought > the house, and I ended up paying R446.31/month earlier this year > before I switched to VS. I can also confirm that (to my knowledge) > the service did not include massages, pedicures, milk delivery, > complementary newspapers, fridge magnets, nor anything else beyond > monitoring (radio and telephone) and armed response. > > VS had some difficulties getting their radio system to play nicely > with my existing alarm system, but to their credit they: > Kept coming back at my convenience until the problem was fixed > Ended up installing an entirely new alarm control system at their > expense, because they couldn't make things work with my old system, > but had to make good on our original agreement. > > So, I am now free of the Hellkom shackles that my ADT-monitoring > dictated, because my VS-monitored system is fully functional with only > a radio link, and I am saving R200/month on the monitoring/armed > response fees. That's a fillet steak, glass of fine wine, and a > dessert :-) > > Of course, as people have pointed out elsewhere, there are two > obstacles to switching over: > > i) Apathy/time > ii) Sneaky 2-year contracts in the fine-print. > > But, eventually, let's watch the "free market" take its course, in > this case at least. > > > On Oct 15, 11:32 am, Gill Gimberg <[email protected]> wrote: > > Thanks David. > > > > ADT doth protest too much, methinks. Or is it just a crafty madness? As > > Shakespeare might have said ... > > > > The explanation of the different rates is fine, although I'm pretty sure > > that, if we compare services, we'll still find that we're not getting the > > same value for money, twolley for twolley (as another eminently quotable > > person used to say). This statement: > > > > A large number of the ADT client base are through historic acquisitions. > > These previous companies had their own sales prices and clients will have > > come into the ADT client base at varied rates. The individual terms of > those > > agreement do not allow for blanket standardisation in the shorter term, > and > > this is a process that we are aware of and manage. > > > > probably comes closer to the truth. But, manage? How? When? > > > > It's also not too difficult to publish a price list that details a base > rate > > (for standard level of service), plus the extra cost for the various > > additional services offered. And – here is my main point, so I'll shout – > > MAKE THE PRICE LIST AVAILABLE TO SUBSCRIBERS. > > > > Gill > > > > On Fri, Oct 15, 2010 at 10:45 AM, David Raphael <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > *I have just received the following from ADT:* > > > > > * * > > > > > The recent discussion around pricing variations are noted and are > worthy of > > > a response, and there are a number of contributing factors that may not > be > > > immediately apparent to residents: > > > > > · A large number of the ADT client base are through historic > > > acquisitions. These previous companies had their own sales prices and > > > clients will have come into the ADT client base at varied rates. The > > > individual terms of those agreement do not allow for blanket > standardisation > > > in the shorter term, and this is a process that we are aware of and > manage. > > > > > · There are a number of different service offerings that > clients > > > may be contracted for, and therefore at different rates. The list below > > > contains some of the variances, but is not an exhaustive list: > > > > > o Domestic vs commercial service categories. There may be > occasions > > > where a small business has been categorised as a domestic premises, and > > > therefore may pay a different rate > > > > > o A number of our agreements are for leased, or rented alarms. > The > > > terms and conditions and pricing is affected in these categories, as a > > > portion of service fee funds the hardware provided. > > > > > o A large number of systems have maintenance agreements included > in > > > the fee. This too provides a pricing discrepancy to standard > non-maintenance > > > agreements > > > > > o There are a number of different service categories for > domestic > > > services, including: > > > > > § Telephone alarm monitoring only > > > > > § Radio alarm monitoring only > > > > > § Domestic telephone monitoring and armed response > > > > > § Domestic telephone and /or radio monitoring and armed > response > > > > > § Panic only service > > > > > § Additional security service such as patrols > > > > > § Any one of the above categories on a rented system basis, or > > > maintenance basis will vary, and our price list has 30 variations of > service > > > category > > > > > · ADT does offer area based sales specials from time to time > > > > > · ADT offers a number of value added services such as SMS > alerts, > > > supervised ‘opening and closing’ that all attract an additional nominal > fee. > > > > > From the above, we are aware that the pricing standardisation is not a > > > simple matter, and we do engage with clients on a case by case basis. > We > > > urge any clients with particular issues to raise them with our Customer > > > Services Department on 086 12 12 300. > > > > > Regards > > > > > *Rob Dale* > > > > > Managing Director > > > > > ADT Western Cape > > > > > *ADT Security > > > *5 Louwtjie Rothman Avenue > > > N1 City > > > Private Bag X104, N1 City, 7463 > > > > > Tel: 086 12 12 300 > > > > > Fax: +27 (0)21 508 7966 > > > > > [email protected] > > > > >www.adt.co.za > > > > > * **A Tyco International Company* > > > > > * * > > > > > *David Raphael* > > > > > * 072 065 7223* > > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups > > > "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > [email protected]<obsnw%[email protected]>< > obsnw%[email protected]<obsnw%[email protected]> > >. > > > For more options, visit this group at > > >http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en. > > > > -- > > Gill Gimberg > > Editor / Writer > > 084-683 6230 > > > > image001.gif > > 3KViewDownload > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] <obsnw%[email protected]>. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en.
