Last night's excitement

[legion]

Doorbell rings at 7:30 p.m. or so. My wife answers it…she's gone 5 minutes. I go upstairs to check what's going on. A guy in an ADT polo shirt is trying to talk her into letting him install a free security system…the catch is that we have to let them put a large ADT sign in the front yard presumably for advertising. As soon as I show up, he says "Is that a sliding door you have in the back of your house?" Maybe that's his lead-in to hard-sell mode. I tell him we're not interested. He leaves.

Being from the Chicago area, this is a common scam. A criminal claims to be installing free security systems…they need to examine the house (take measurements, count windows, etc.) and will come back tomorrow and do the install. What they are really doing is casing the house for a future robbery. The proud sign in the front is to mark the house…and to make the neighbors ignore when they show up in ADT uniforms moving large (empty) cases of equipment into the house and later moving those same cases (now full of your stuff) back out of the house when the install in presumably done. After you agree to having the system installed, they will tell you that they are available for an install tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. They hope your response is: "That won't work, I'll be at work until 3:00 tomorrow." (Now they have a time they know you won't be home.)

So I call the police, then I call ADT's corporate headquarters. The PD tells me they will check it out. ADT tells me that it is probably a dealer, and the "free" system usually comes with an inflated monthly fee. (Which you pay to the dealer instead of ADT. The dealer then pays your actual, lower monthly fee to ADT and keeps the difference.)

About three minutes later, a PD car drives down my street and stops the guy. They have a 30-second talk and he's back to going door-to-door. I guess he was legit. Oh well, better safe than sorry (and robbed).

[bigchillcar]

better safe than sorry. good thinkin' on your feet..but i'm sure that comes with the territory, being from chicago..
ryan

[widebody911]

Maybe a bit paranoid, but at least you're alert.

[legion]

Originally posted by widebody911
Maybe a bit paranoid, but at least you're alert.

Thom, I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me!

[Dottore]

ADT...don't get me started.

Did you know that if the bad guys cut the telephone line to your house the ADT alarm becomes useless?

So then ADT sells you a cellular back-up unit. What ADT doesn't tell you is that if the line from the main alarm panel to the cellular back-up unit is cut, the alarm will also be useless.

Complete shysters!

[pwd72s]

Hmmm, my alarm system if it's lines are cut, or the phone line cut, the current drop is measured, triggering the alarm.

[RickM]

Originally posted by legion
Thom, I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me!

Those were rather touching words on his part

[MBAtarga]

Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get you!

[tswaney]

That's actually the tactic that the Wichita serial killer BTK used to gain access to some of his victims...and he actually worked for an alarm company.

[Dottore]

Originally posted by pwd72s
Hmmm, my alarm system if it's lines are cut, or the phone line cut, the current drop is measured, triggering the alarm.

This is not the case with ADT - at least in these parts.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally posted by RickM
Those were rather touching words on his part

As long as he's not touching your part....

[bigchillcar]

[gassy]

This alarm system has no cable to be cut...unfortunately this system fails with a Porterhouse...

[bigchillcar]

a porterhouse for sure. hell, even a several days old hamburger would do the trick (no disrespect to your dog's taste intended)!

[gassy]

a several days old hamburger would be a perfect appetizer!

[bigchillcar]

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

I have a 12 gauge and two Queensland Heelers

**** ADT

[Z-man]

I had a guy call me asking if I wanted to install an alarm system. I asked him point blank: "How do I know you're NOT a thief casing my joint?" He responded, "Funny, no one's ever asked me that before..." It seems he was a legitimate alarm installer, but his reaction to my question was interesting. Too many people are too willing to give out information and/or welcome strangers into their home.

If someone contacts me (they initiate the call/contact) I will not give out information. I once had my credit card company call me on some suspicious charges on my card. I would not answer their 'verification' process questions. Gave them quite a hard time, since they would not verify my information until I verified that I was me. So I wound up calling the number on the back of my CC, and then I knew the call was legit.

What happened was that indeed my CC number was actually lifted at a shady gas station and used the night before. Within 2 hours of the first charge, the CC company already suspended my account - after 2 hours of the initial not-authorized-by-me transaction - a $700.00 charge at a K-Mart 2.5 hours away from my home. The card company: Citibank. I will be a lifetime member.

Now, have I got an alarm system for you - first you need to show me where you keep your jewlery, and your cash. Wall mounted safe? I'll need the combination in order to configure our system to integrate with it...

-Z-man.

[Dave L]

I will buy girl guide cookies, support local schools, terry fox run and other well know charities if they show up at my door. I dont buy anything from anyone selling door to door or calling me.

"Dont call me, Ill call you"

[notfarnow]

I have great neighbors... if a truck pulls up in the yard and I'm not home, he goes over to see what's up. I once let a friend use my garage when no one was home, my friend got the third degree then my neighbor called me on my cell just to be sure. Really, really great guy.