SimpliSafe Home Security

SimpliSafe is an online-ordering, DIY-installing security alarm company, based in Cambridge, MA. You buy the parts online, they send them to you, and you install in an hour (if you're slow, like me!) Their alarm parts are as good as any other, but cost somewhat less to purchase, and the monthly service charge is much less: $15 for basic emergency and customer support, up to $25 if you use a free phone app for remote programming and monitoring. Other companies charge $30 to $45 a month. The others often install it for you, and some visit regularly to change the batteries or make repairs. It costs more to provide these in-home services. SimpliSafe is easy to install, using double-stick tape for window and door monitors, and tape or tiny screws to the drywall for motion sensors and keypads. It is wireless, using cellphone towers, so is great for post-construction installation, with no wires for burglars to cut. You set up the monitoring parameters online, and activate it online. There is a practice time period where police will not be called after owners' mistakes. Each year you replace the AA batteries in the keypad and optional additional siren, and about every three years you replace the disc batteries in the door and window monitors and motion sensors. It is easy, with online low battery alerts. With rave reviews from Angie's List, we judged this company an easy choice because of good phone support. We are indeed pleased with them. The company cheerfully refunded us for an extra siren that we decided we didn't need. They email you a postpaid.return label while you are on the phone with them. The company also refunded a billing mistake while I was on the phone. They were extremely polite when I called them with questions on operation (I am a bit tech-challenged). So, yes, the phone support is great, which makes SimpliSafe a great value.

This was extremely easy to install. It took me 15 minutes to get the entire system up and running. Verbal instructions were given through the base station. I would recommend this as a cost-effective wireless alarm system.

I ordered the Angie's List deal and added on several additional items. I wanted the system primarily to keep the house and pets safe while we were on vacation this week. It arrived last Saturday - missing 2 items, one of which is a keypad. Crucial to us being able to use the system when we're home. They aren't open on Saturday so I had to wait until Sunday to contact them. I installed the system according to instructions provided on Saturday, using the components I had. I got everything installed in about 4 hours. On Sunday I attempted to call to get the missing parts replaced. I waited on hold for 15 minutes and nobody picked up. I gave up and came to Angie's List and wrote a message to them. Monday morning we started getting false notifications that something was triggering our motion sensors. Since I hadn't heard anything back yet regarding the missing items and we were leaving Wednesday morning, I called again. This time after waiting on hold 5 minutes, someone answered. She handled the missing items (I think) and tried to figure out what was wrong with our motion sensors. The suggestions she was making were going to take days to troubleshoot. We couldn't leave our pets alone in a house with malfunctioning motion sensors and leave the country. So we had to deactivate the motion sensors. Wednesday morning we left the country. It is now Wednesday evening and the whole Simplisafe system is offline. The website is down, nobody's alarms are working, there is nothing on the Facebook page to let anybody know what's going on. Nothing. Our house is unprotected after all that time and money invested. I still have yet to get a response to my Angie's List message. At this point I'm thinking the company has gone out of business. If they are still in business I'll be sending it all back when I get home. This system is neither "simple" nor "safe." *Update 12/11/13* We've had the system for three months now and the motion sensors are still not working which leaves the whole system very vulnerable. Their phones are extremely understaffed, hold times are very long, and their hours are very short (they close at 3pm western time.) I have yet to be able to find a time where I'm home to mess with the system and somebody answers the phone at Simplisafe. They advertise the motion sensors as being safe for pets under 50 pounds but this isn't true, cats trigger them.

SimpliSafe is self install alarm system and came with the instructions. It is fairly easy and anyone should be able to install all the alarm system and the sensors following the instructions. I also have the 24/7 interactive monitoring and alerts for $24.99 per month without any contract and can cancel anytime. You can also take the alarm system with you to diffrent house in case you move. They provide trial period for few days before fully activating 24/7 monitoring to get familiar with the alarm system and sensors so that any accidental alarm trigger will not result in police call. The 24/7 monitoring will call you before sending the police when the alarm gets trigerred. If you can not answer the call they will dispatch the police. You can turn the alarm system on and off remotely via internet.

I had been very happy with it. The systems were great, it was easy to install, the service is relatively inexpensive compared to other monitoring, you don't have to have monitoring, but the monitoring service has been very responsive and it worked out very well. The cost depends on how many entry sensors you want to put in and have many different sensors you can add sensors as you need them. The sensors are entry sensor, motion sensor, tree sensor, water sensor, they have now have smoke and carbon monoxide sensors also. It is kind of all you kind of pick what you need and install it. I would continue to use them again.

Overall great service from SimpliSafe Home Security.Good customer service and no hassles with returning system. No problem with system but due to my time constraints I went through another company that did my install(Security Networks). They have no charges for the equipment and have a 3-year contract commitment. They also have great service and a rep.comes to your home to evaluate to see what equipment is needed. After the installation a company rep. calls to ensure everything was done correctly and to my satisfaction.

We just installed our first security system. It was very easy to install. We feel like we made a great investment to keep us and our home safe. We would highly recommend this company. No contract, cost is very reasonable and you can customize the system anytime on your own. Also has phone app that you can control the system from anywhere in the world. Operates on a cellular network, no need for a phone line.

The alarm was delivered promptly and was easy to install.

Simplisafe system was reasonably well documented. It was confirgured before receipt. Direction book and live support was qiote good. Had 2 hardware issues as received. With a bit of telephone support, problems were resolved. Although internet access or computer is not required to commission system... it sure speeds the process. Internet access is required to initiate 24/7 central station monitoring. The full systems capability associated wity internet apps was not well documented and was frustrating to understand. HOWEVER, The online monitoring and control via Smartphone, or Tablet, or Computer is outstanding once understood. The System has these wonderful attributes: 1 You own the hardware 2 3 levels of online 24/7 monitoring which maybe changed or discontinued on a month tp month basis 3 System is easily expanible. 4 System has excellent local keypad and easy to use keychain operator To commision a 2nd system would be a snap.

Easy to order, came on time as needed, cheap for the price but good quality.low monitoring rate,easy to set up, easy to call customer service.

I was very impressed with simplisafe. They are very inexpensive and the system is incredibly easy to install. I contacted customer service 3 times and each time I was able to get through to a real person without any delay. They were quick to work out any issues. The product and customer service cannot be beat. Highly recommend.

Provider did everything just as advertised. Great company and great customer service!

So far so good! I ordered a Simplisafe alarm system a month ago. It was easy to install and easy to add extra components. Everything I ordered worked and so far I have no complaints. Simplisafe isn't going to win any awards for design aesthetics, but it gets the job done.

We had used a Protect America dial up security system with a $30 per month monitoring fee for 10 years. When we dropped our land line we needed to move to a cellular system?which we felt would be more secure anyway. Protect America had a $20 dollar a month deal with cellular on line with free equipment. When we called to ?upgrade? we were told the new equipment would be $350 and our monthly rate would go to $48. We shopped and found Simply Safe at $15 a month plus $260 for equipment and 2 free months with Angies List. The other companies we called except for Simpli Safe (all online) had similar aggressive salesmen. The Simpli Safe system is similar to the Protect America (GE Simon) system with wireless door sensors and a motion detector. The door sensors are much bigger than the GE ones but still look OK on the doors and, unlike the GE sensors, you can replace the battery. The Simpli Safe set up is different than with Protect America. With Protect America we called and they guided us where to put the sensors and did all of the system set up in their office. With Simpli Safe you set up everything yourself. The sensor installation instructions are on the USB/key chain remote. The remote also has the alarm set up program which is pretty easy to use. After you program the unit from your computer you eject the USB and plug in into the base unit to finish the system. You can also link to your Simpli Safe account from you browser and see all signals being sent to the Simpli Safe?every alarm set and disarm. This gave us some security that the cell system was working properly. We liked the control you have over the delays, door chimes and some other elements with Simpli Safe, but wish we could have each door have a separate announcement like we had with GE, "sensor 2 garage door open? for example. It is easy and pretty inexpensive to add additional components. For example we use the remote to arm the system at night so we don?t have to go downstairs the entry door keypad. We can?t hear the base station announcement from our bedroom we have to walk part way downstairs when we arm the unit to make sure there are no doors open. We could add a second keypad for $70. With Protect America any change in equipment was a big expense which they use as leverage when you buy the base online deal." With Simpli Safe we got just what we wanted with no haggling. Overall we feel the equipment is adequate and we can?t beat the monthly rate.

product was easy to set up and worked as advertised. can't beat the price for a remote monitored alarm system with the optionality and adaptability of the simplisafe system.

I purchased the big deal thinking that i would have time to decide wether or not i would go through with it, but the system was automatically sent to me. It didn't seem clear to me form Angie's list big deal that this would work this way. I was expecting to call the company to give them the go ahead. I can't comment on the system itself but it seemed like a good deal. However i decided not to keep it. Returning it to the company was a no hassle process, so I can expect them to be very professional and it certainly gave me a good impression.

After failing to get phone or internet service set up for my vacation home in time for the property closing, in desperation I purchased a SimpliSafe alarm kit from Amazon.com. I received the next day and packed it in the suitcase for my trip. Because the SimpleSafe base system uses an included cellular phone, it is a self contained system that cannot be bypassed by thieves cutting the cable or phone line. The system was as easy to install as it appears in the video on SimpliSafe's website. Because I did not have internet at the vacation home, I waited until I returned home to register the system, only to find I was supposed to put it into "test mode" to activate it. I got a prompt response when I emailed SimpliSafe about the problem and was able to work with someone on the phone to activate the system. The system was more expensive than some of the alarm system alternatives I considered, but when you figure there are no installation costs, you do not have to pay for cable or phone to use the SimpliSafe system, and the basic monitoring service is only $14.99/month, it begins to look like a good value. Plus it works perfectly out of the box.

The equipment provided is well made and fairly easy to install. The actual set-up is another story. Unless you are the inquisitive nerdy type which I am do not attempt the set-up unless you have a computer literate friend who can help you with it. The instruction manual could use some rework to make it more user friendly. The phone help line is very understanding and pleasant to use.

My best technology experience in years. Extreme value!

The system was easy to install and has worked well. I did have to replace the T-Mobile module with a Verizon module to ensure better reception at my home, but they were quick to get me the replacement module. I have since purchased an extra siren and two smoke detectors. Really simple and easy to use system with no contract. That is my favorite aspect...no contract.

Self installation was simple and quick. All sensors use an adhesive to be mounted, but also come with screws. I opted to screw them in, takes about 2-3 mins to do with a drill bit.

After I called to explain what happened, SimpliSafe figured out to keep one order and ship it immediately. They did email to see if assistance was needed for installation. Unfortunately, there is construction going on in our home right now, so, it will be several weeks out until we attempt to install and turn on.

We installed door entry alarms, motion detector alarms, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, a control panel and a panic button. The system included a water detector which worked like a charm when our hot water heater sprang a leak. I cannot say enough good things about the product. I am hoping they come out with a security camera offering. The best part is the insurance discounts we get for having a system. We chose the 29.00 monitoring option which allows me to control the system from my phone. There have been times when we left home and did not secure the system. It is a relief to be able to do so remotely. I am sure that the 14.99 monthly option will work well for most users. I guess it is the geek in me to want all the bells and whistles.

The service was great. They honored the coupon.

I plan on moving out of my house in less than a year, so putting in a traditional system was not practical with the required contracts, plus, I don't have a home phone and don't want one. A man came to the door for another company telling me there had been some break-ins in the neighborhood and wanting to provide a "free" system to increase exposure. Sounded fishy enough to me that I got online and did some research and was convinced by the positive reviews for SimpliSafe. I bought a refurbished system using my 10% Angie's List discount as well, and the equipment arrived within 4 business days with free shipping. Set up was simple - I had some issues with false alarms the first 2 days because of my cats or bird, but because they give you 72 hours to experiment with placement without calling the police, I had time to reconfigure the placement of my motion sensor, plus their Facebook page is full of suggestions from people who have walked this path before you so it was relatively easy to figure out what I needed to do (turn the sensors upside down at a height of about 5.5 feet so it doesn't see them jumping/walking along the back of the sofa), plus the company monitors questions on its Facebook page as well. I haven't had to contact customer service yet. I love the ease of having a keypad, a keychain, and being able to control the system from my smartphone. I'm now 6 days without having the motion sensor being set off by the cats, so I will be hanging up my extra loud siren this weekend, and I'm planning on adding a few more components now that I'm comfortable with the system. My only complaint so far is the lack of a glass breakage sensor - the only way the entry sensors would go off would be if someone opened the window - not if they broke it and climbed through. They would have to be seen by the motion sensor in the living room for the alarm to be triggered. For the price and convenience though, I'm very happy with my choice.