Watch Out for Free Home Security Alarm Systems in Sacramento

Those free home security alarm systems often cost more than you think.

There is a certain aggressive home security system company in Sacramento that offers free home security alarm systems in the worst way possible. The company, which I won’t name but it starts with the first letter of the alphabet, apparently encourages its sales people and managers to harangue homeowners and their Realtors. I can’t vouch for the quality of the home security system, but I can share what I discovered about their sales pitches.

For starters, just about all home security alarm systems are free. A mortgage company in Sacramento offers its clients a free home security system, and I imagine it’s because the system is free anyway, but I don’t know that for certain. It just seems that all of the advertising I’ve read for home security systems offer a free basic system. Of course if you want something more effective, with all of the bells and whistles, maybe a security camera on the premises, they will UPSELL that product.

No free lunch. No free gift with purchase.  No money trees. No something for nothing.

It used to be in the old days you either bought or leased your home security system. I’d say most of my clients tend to own their home security systems today, so getting a “free” home security alarm system appears to be a marketing ploy. Lots of sellers I know who have home security systems don’t even turn them on half the time. Yet they pay a monitoring fee.

I recommend that sellers turn off security alarms on when showing a home anyway because buyer’s agents will invariably set them off. I would bet a $100 that it happens, except that is also the fee often charged by the police department for responding to a false alarm.

The other drawback is some sales people harass Sacramento real estate agents like no tomorrow. All of a sudden, my cellphone began blowing up a few months back with sales people calling to offer my clients a so-called free home security system and trying to bribe me with a $200 referral for the introduction. Like my integrity is for sale for $200? Not for sale at any price. They can send a sales letter to the homeowner at their address, but I am not turning over my client’s private information.

One of the sales managers for a home security company in retaliation posted a mean review on my Facebook business page, forcing me to block him. Because I told this guy not to call me anymore and refused his offer. A lesser person would get him fired. What does that say about their ethics? Thank goodness the phone calls have since ceased. Unfortunately, the bad news is since cellphone privacy is about to go out the window under the Trump administration, we can probably expect more of this intrusion and invasion into our lives.