Home security is an important investment. It’s vital you shop around and do your homework, because not all companies are created equal. What may seem like a subtle difference could end up saving you a considerable amount of time and money. Below is a comparison between home security providers Protect America and Simplisafe.
Protect America vs Simplisafe
Company Background
Protect America was founded in 1992 and was one of the first companies to offer wireless, name brand home security as opposed to the traditional hardwired variety. The company quickly became national, began to cover homes in all 50 states and Canada and has secured around half a million households to date.
Simplisafe is a younger company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company’s security systems are wireless and available to be purchased online. Simplisafe covers only areas that Verizon and T-Mobile are available.
Price
Simplisafe’s starting monitoring price is $14.99 a month. Their base package equipment fee is $229.96, and packages beyond that have equipment fees up to $539.85.
Protect America offers security packages with no equipment fees and monitoring prices beginning at $19.99 a month.
Contract & Customer Service
Protect America secures homes on a contract basis for 3 years at a time. During that time, customers have access to customer service 7 days a week, with weekday hours beginning at 7 am and lasting through 11 pm. Customers also have the option to live chat with experts.
Simplisafe does not do business on a contract basis. Their upfront equipment fees of $229.96 – $539.85 are mandatory and monthly monitoring fees of $14.99 can be canceled if a handwritten letter is sent to the company. Simplisafe customer service is available Monday through Friday and on Sunday, but not Saturday.
Warranty
Protect America packages come with a Lifetime Equipment Warranty. All equipment is replaced with no fees.
Simplisafe has a limited 3 year warranty. Within those 3 years, broken or malfunctioning equipment may be replaced with refurbished or new equipment.
Equipment
Protect America equipment is wireless, easily set up by the homeowner (while guided by a security expert) and are name brand products. Installation typically takes under an hour.
Simplisafe’s equipment is also wireless, although not name brand.
Simplisafe’s low monthly cost seems attractive, but hundreds of dollars in upfront costs actually end up costing you a considerable amount. Add only a handful of years of business experience and non-name brand equipment and you can see how Simplisafe could cause you frustration. Protect America is a national security authority with over 22 years of experience and more than half a million homes secured in all 50 states. The company’s also been a Consumer’s Digest Best Buy for 5 years in a row. Do your homework, and explore your options with real security experts!
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