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PACIFIC ALARM SYSTEMS INC.

About us

Full service alarm company. Family owned and operated with our own UL listed and 5 Star monitoring center. One of the top 100 alarm companies in the US.

Business highlights

Emergency services offered
72 years of experience

Services we offer

AND MONITORING), BURGLAR ALARM SYSTEMS, CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION SYSTEMS, FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS, GUARD SERVICE, INTERCOMS, PATROL SERVICE (INSTALLATION, REMOTE MONITORING, SERVICE

Amenities

Emergency Services

Yes

Free Estimates

Yes

Accepted Payment Methods

  • CreditCard
Reviews
3.617 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
59%
4
0%
3
6%
2
12%
1
24%
Showing 1-17 of 17 reviews
KATHRYN B.
Jul 2016
1.0
$7
Not so good. I entered into a lease/purchase agreement along with a monthly monitoring agreement several years ago - the total contractual obligation is over $7,000. They have one tech guy that really knows about the system so it is difficult to get technical support. The billing system is a nightmare and the office staff are completely incompetent. They repeatedly try to bill old credit cards that have expired and then call to complain that charges have been denied. I decided to payout the lease agreement early - what a mistake! They charged the full amount for the early buyout and then allocated the buyout amount against the monthly $125 charge. When the buyout amount was depleted, they resumed billing the $125 monthly charge and cannot seem to understand that they are illegally charging my credit card and have refused to acknowledge the buyout of the lease and reimburse the illegal charges. I have asked to speak to the owners to try to resolve the issue and have been told repeatedly that the owner is out of the office, on vacation or not available by telephone. As the owner of a business, I know that responsible owners are available by telephone at all times, so what BS! I would choose another provider unless you enjoy dealing with incompetent office staff.

RICHARD S.
May 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$400
unknown

William M.
Sep 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$95
unknown

Patricia G.
Jun 2015
1.0
unknown

Lynn
Jun 2013
1.0
Let me preface my narrative by saying that I have NEVER given a bad review to anyone, anywhere before this.
Pacific Alarm installed an alarm system in my home when I was building it almost 20 years ago.  In November of 2012 I decided to update the system (which was paid for in full).  In the course of installing the additions to my system, it was discovered that the system had not been communicating with the call center for several years (I have some responsibility for this as I had not performed the check that would have exposed this problem earlier on).  It took many months and many service calls until my system was finally connected to the call center (it was eventually discovered that it was a programing problem).  After that problem was resolved, the system began shutting itself off after being set.  More time and service calls and that problem was solved (it just needed a new battery).  For the last two months I have been waiting to have someone repair or replace my "panic button".  The "panic button" is part of the additions to my system that I initiated in November.  Apparently it has never worked.  No one returns my calls.
Additionally, I requested some "goodwill" adjustment to my bill. This request was rejected out- of- hand.


Response from PACIFIC ALARM SYSTEMS INC.
"Hello, I am very sorry to hear about your troubles with the additional installation. We remind every subscriber on every statement to please test their system often and inform us if anything changes with your phone company. There was no programming issue resulting in the loss of communication, the loss was due to the phone line the alarm was using had been disconnected by you. I understand that in January 2013 we did some additional equipment add-ons to your existing outright owned system. Sometime after the installation, we were informed by you that the system was not allowing you to arm away. We came to investigate this and checked and did some reprogramming and tested the alarm. The technician noted that the panel is 30 years old and could possibly be the issue but found no other problems were found. The type of panel you have is now discontinued by the manufacturer. In April 2013, you called and informed us the alarm was disarming itself. We came out to inspect and again could not find any issue that would cause such an instance. As a courtesy, again we did not charge you for the service inspection. Our tech again, informed you that your panel is most likely the issue and we could not find any other mechanical issue. Most recently, at the end of June 2013, you contacted us and stated that your hold -up button did not work. We came out and inspected this and found it was properly functioning. I feel the issue with your system is primarily the due to the age of your panel which is over 30 years old. That is a very good life for any alarm panel There was no credit on the additional installation as you requested but you were also not charged for any of the three additional service inspections requested where no issue was found, other than the possible malfunctioning alarm panel. This is a courtesy of $200+ in charges you might otherwise had been invoiced but as a courtesy were written off. I do feel we tried our best to resolve this and again I am sorry for your dissatisfaction. If you would like to see what can be done to replace your panel please contact me. Joey Michael Poulton Customer Relations Manager Pacific Alarm Systems"

Howard R.
May 2013
1.0
$1,000
This company Pacific Alarms is downright unethical. I am a successful entrepreneur having employed hundreds of people over the years. I utilized the services of this company from February of 2011 until early 2013 at which point I made a decision to go with an  ADT PULSE system which allows me to ARM/DISARM my home from my iPhone.
I did receive a call back in  March from them after I cancelled my service where they tried unsuccessfully to keep me as a client. I thanked them for their service for the previous two years, put down the phone and thought nothing further about it. I received no further written communication from Pacific Alarms until I opened my mail in early May only to discover a collection letter for over $300! They claimed that the contract was automatically renewable on Feb 1 and I owed them for the period until February of 2014. When I phoned they were arrogant and refused to do anything. When I asked to speak to the Branch Manger they refused simply handing back to an accounts receivable clerk.
This is one bad company without regard to ethics or the well being of their customers. I was a client of theirs for two years , paid all invoices on time over the period of the relationship. the result - they send my file to collection thus messing up my credit scores all without ever sending a single communication to me in the mail.
Bottom line - stay away from Pacific Alarms !!!
Response from PACIFIC ALARM SYSTEMS INC.
"Hello, Any customer we monitor has to have an agreement with us. When the original agreement expires, we need a new agreement from any and all subscribers. Our terms renew for a one year period on the anniversary date in which you signed. The purpose of this is so that we do not have to send out a representative for every customer that wishes to renew. This saves you and us time. You have the ability to cancel this renewal if you call or send notice of such within 30 days of the renewal date. I assure you, many companies do this in their agreements. This is done to save customer’s time renewing after every contract term ends and to make sure those who wish to continue with us have no interruption in service. There is nothing unethical about this practice. We do not hide the automatic renewal notice from anyone; it is on the first page, right under the contract length. I am very sorry you feel we were not satisfactory to you and you choose to not continue service with us. Your system was outright and owned by you. Any service calls requested by us are chargeable. You were upset with our rates (which are highly competitive) and decided to cancel with us. ADT most likely gave you a leased system and maintenance is completed by them at no additional charges. We also have lease options and also provide a service to arm/disarm and view your alarm system on any smartphone. We are working with our collection department and you to resolve this issue for you. I am sorry to hear of your dissatisfaction."

Sherry O.
Jun 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
They are very quick to respond. They are very professional and kind. I have had no issues with them at all. The system is very high-tech. The system makes me aware when a door or window is opened even when it's disarmed. They call and let me know there are any power outages. They are very prompt and punctual. They make me feel very cared for. They are very compassionate and understanding people.
Response from PACIFIC ALARM SYSTEMS INC.
"We appriciate your kind comments very much Member. We strive to offer the best customer expeirence possible and I am very happy to hear that we are taking great care of you ! Joey Michael Poulton Customer Realations Manager Pacific Alarm Systems"

MARK R.
Dec 2011
2.0
I have severed my relationship with Pacific Alarm.
Response from PACIFIC ALARM SYSTEMS INC.
"In response to this Member, I have investigated the above claims and I am not able to locate any records of service that was performed at the current address above for the member. I am also unable to verify that the member has been a subscriber or even a customer of ours. His name and address do not match any home or businesses that we monitor or have monitored. We keep accurate records on all accounts even after they are cancelled. Therefore, I am not able to validate his claims of mal service. Furthermore, if a home was purchased and existing leased alarm equipment is present, that equipment still rightfully belongs the original leaser (Pacific Alarm Systems, Inc.) or may be left for the next homeowner. In that case, a new homeowner may sign up for new monitoring service with us but if they decline, it is required that the equipment is returned to us. Leased alarm equipment is always leased. It is never owned by any homeowner unless they decide to buy their system outright from us. This is a common misconception. As for our pricing, that is set at a competitive level against other security monitoring services and businesses in the southern California area. We have been in business for over 50 years and value our good reputation as much as our subscribers. We always strive to do everything possible to work with a subscriber if a problem occurs. If there are any further questions, please contact me. Joey Michael Poulton Customer Relations Manager 310-390-6661x4006"

Ronald A.
Jul 2010
2.0
$500
company has very poor interoffice (service, central station, custiomer service, product info) communication skills as well as customer communication skills. Although thier price was competitive, they have zero follow through and are very weak at delivery of on site or remote service. Before sale promised next day service , after the sale... reality is 10 to 14 days...... not acceptable for a security company... they are still not sure if my system is being monitored efficiently.....in additon, a one hour initial pre existing alarm hookup ended up taking 4 hours due to lack of proper tools and inadiquite personel training....
Response from PACIFIC ALARM SYSTEMS INC.
"Customer did not want to pay for additional work need to repair existing alarm system. Customer told us that the other company that installed the system will fix problems. He is being monitored and his system is working."

ERICK B.
Oct 2009
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$500
Overall, I feel like I paid a bit more than one of the big companies, but it was well worth it and the level of service.

Connie S.
Jul 2009
3.0
$250
They made a very stupid mistake that made it so no could call my phone line and didn't return my calls so I ended up disconnecting the alarm myself . It took 3 calls and 3 days to get someone to return my call and then they did send a guy out right away to do a fix that took a total of 10 minutes! I have only had the alarm a few days and there have been some bugs and I am afraid to call them.
Response from PACIFIC ALARM SYSTEMS INC.
"Many times when using existing equiptment we run into problems that take time and many times money to repair. We try our best to save the customer money so we sometimes spend man hours that are NOT charged to the customer so we can save them money. In many cases our techs will try different things until the system works so I can see why someone would consider the tech "stupid". I do not agree with this customers assesment of our techs but it is her opinion."

BARBARA H.
Sep 2008
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
They responded within a couple of hours. The man was very helpful and took the time to listen to me and my particular problem and then offered some suggestions which probably saved me from having to have them come out and made comments, which I really appreciated.

KELLY C.
Aug 2007
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$100
I first heard of them at a neighborhood watch meeting. I have had them for the last three years now when I changed from the previous system. I had which I didn't like that much. Among other things I liked the fact that they allowed me to keep the equipment I already had and hire them just for the service. The only thing I don't like is that if something goes wrong with the equipment, like if you have a problem with a sensor, the service is very expensive. It cost like $100 an hour. They charge quarterly for alarm monitoring.

Joan H.
Aug 2007
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$100
Very good customer service all the way around.

DANIEL M.
Oct 2006
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$78
We like the fact that they are a local company and not a huge national chain. The system itself involves entry sensors, glass break sensors, motion sensors and smoke alarms. We had a problem once, but they came out to fix it without much hassle. Whenever we have accidentally set off the alarm, they always have responded within a minute so it appears that the system works, from both a physical and people standpoint.

BRIAN I.
Sep 2005
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$40
I HAVE HAD THESE SERVICES FOR A LENGTH OF TIME. THEY ARE VERY TRUSTWORTHY. I DEPEND ON THE SYSTEM WORKING. WHEN ALARMS HAVE WENT OFF IN THE PAST, THEY RESPONDED VERY QUICKLY.

ELOUISE D.
Nov 2004
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$150
MONTHLY SERVICE AGREEMENT OF $25 BEAT THE COMPETITION FOR COMPARABLE SERVICES. TECHNICIANS ALWAYS AVAILABLE BY PHONE. PROMPT IN HOME SERVICE CALLS.

Licensing

State Contractor License Requirements

All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our Find Licensing Requirements page.

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FAQ

PACIFIC ALARM SYSTEMS INC. is currently rated 3.6 overall out of 5.

PACIFIC ALARM SYSTEMS INC. accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard

Yes, PACIFIC ALARM SYSTEMS INC. offers free project estimates.

No, PACIFIC ALARM SYSTEMS INC. does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.

No, PACIFIC ALARM SYSTEMS INC. does not offer a senior discount.

Yes, PACIFIC ALARM SYSTEMS INC. offers emergency services.

No, PACIFIC ALARM SYSTEMS INC. does not offer warranties.