In the United States, a home is broken into approximately every 13 seconds. And while even the appearance of a home security system on the property can deter up to 60 percent of would-be burglars from breaking in, that still puts homeowners at the mercy of the remaining 40 percent.
The question is, is your home security system enough to keep out that remaining 40 percent?
To help answer that question, we've put together a list of the 5 worst home security companies we've ever reviewed.
First though, take a look at the best home security system we've reviewed:
Pros
- No Contract Option
- No Upfront Fee Option
- Excellent Customer Reviews
Score
9.9
Price
$29.99/mo
Cons
- No DIY Option
Expert Take
Vivint Smart Home is ranked #1 for three very good reasons: excellent customer service, outstanding reviews, and the very convenient option to choose between no upfront fees or no contracts. Vivint provides unparalleled service and security systems that provide peace of mind — it's own customers say so.
A home security system can offer professional monitoring that offers homeowners peace of mind. Home security providers install equipment, like motion detectors, entry sensors, and cameras.
These home security companies also provide monitoring services, so they keep track of what's going on at your home when you're not there. When a monitoring center receives notification of a breach, it contacts you and notifies the local authorities.
Some companies even offer monitoring access to clients through a mobile app or through other devices.
As you can imagine, not all home security systems are created equal. And some companies are so poor at home security, that we here at BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com would go so far as to advise you against doing business with them. That being said, we've identified the five worst home security systems of all time.
To help explain why these companies are the absolute worst alarm companies, we've assigned two scores to each company - our score, and the user score.
What Is "Overall Score"?
Here at BestHomeSecurityCompanys.com, we rank based off of 5 other review sites' scores from across the web — that's how we know our ratings are faired and unbiased. Companies are evaluated on price, contract length, technology, and more.
What Is the "Expert Score"?
No "expert" opinion of any company can provide as complete a picture of a company as the actual customer experience can.
This is why we also take the customer reviews into consideration. Our expert evaluates the customer reviews and adds points to each company based on his opinion of the company and the customer reviews each company has received.
5. Triad Security Systems
Our Score
First up on the list is Triad Security Systems, with a whopping 4.2 out of 10. According to our research, most of Triad's poor score can be attributed to its pricing.
Not only were the monthly costs and upfront fees nowhere to be found on the Triad site, and incredibly difficult to pry out of the Triad sales representative, but they're also considerably high (which explains why this information isn't readily available to the consumer).
User Score
Unfortunately for Triad Security Systems, its customers don't have much to say about it - literally! We have no customer reviews for Triad Security Systems.
4. Select Security
Our Score
Select Security loses points with us because of its poor grade with the Better Business Bureau. According to the BBB report, many customers claimed they were dealt with unfairly, and that Select Security withheld information from them at the time of installation.
User Score
Unlike Triad Security Systems, Select Security does have several user scores posted on our site; however, the reviews aren't great. In fact, the highest score a customer gave Select Security was a 2/10, and this is what he had to say:
3. U.S. Alarm
Our Score
Going on down the list, we come to U.S. Alarm as the third-worst home security company of all time. U.S. Alarm is a bit more expensive than the competition, and it only provides customers with a leasing option on its equipment, meaning that customers wishing to purchase a home security system outright will have to look elsewhere.
User Score
And, just like Triad Security Systems, there are no customer reviews on U.S. Alarm to be heard of. The company is not even reviewed by the Better Business Bureau, which can be (pardon the pun) cause for alarm.
2. Maximum Security Systems
Our Score
In case you thought the scores couldn't get any worse, allow us to introduce you to Maximum Security Systems. The 3.9 is due to the company's incredibly poor customer service. Not only is getting in touch with a customer service representative next to impossible, but the technicians are also slow to respond.
User Score
Again, no user score here (we're starting to notice a trend).
1. Platinum Protection
Our Score
At the bottom of our list is Platinum Protection with a score of 2.8. And you're about to learn why. Not only does Platinum Protection offer zero transparency about its pricing and policies, but it also laid off nearly all of its employees in one fell swoop. Platinum is also facing a federal lawsuit, and has over 100 complaints on file with the BBB along with a failing grade.
User Score
Platinum Protection has six reviews with us, all averaging a 0/10.
