Intruder Alert Systems
About us
Security systems integrator for security alarm, fire alarm, CCTV and access control systems for over 30 years in San Antonio.
Business highlights
Emergency services offered
41 years of experience
Services we offer
Alarms, design, install and monitor security and access control & fire alarm systems., residential & commercial security
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
3.910 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 70% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 10% | ||
| 20% |
Showing 1-10 of 10 reviews
Barbara P.
Sep 2014
Do not trust this company. Their sales representative misrepresented to me what I was getting. I paid a lot of money up front for them to install sensors and keypads. I did not realize that I was getting into a three year monitoring contract, and that I would have to give up all of the equipment after the contract expired. They came and stripped away all of my equipment -- even sensors in the windows and doors. They even took the smoke detectors. I was under the impression that I had purchased those with an up front fee, and the monthly fee was just for monitoring. I should have read the fine print, but instead I trusted what the salesperson told me. My mistake.
When I questioned an earlier miscommunication regarding being continually charged by them for monitoring at another home after I had moved and informed them that I no longer needed monitoring at that house, they were extremely rude. Their idea of customer satisfaction and my idea of customer satisfaction were very different. So, I asked to discontinue all service, and the customer service representative said that they would not release me from my contract. It didn't matter that the salesperson who had been misleading no longer worked for the company. It didn't matter that I had been their customer for several years. And it didn't matter that I had paid them quite a lot of money. I was stuck and that was too bad. So I had to keep paying them, and they still came and took away all of the equipment.
I would never recommend this company. They do not care about maintaining a relationship with their longstanding customers. I'm glad to be done with them.
When I questioned an earlier miscommunication regarding being continually charged by them for monitoring at another home after I had moved and informed them that I no longer needed monitoring at that house, they were extremely rude. Their idea of customer satisfaction and my idea of customer satisfaction were very different. So, I asked to discontinue all service, and the customer service representative said that they would not release me from my contract. It didn't matter that the salesperson who had been misleading no longer worked for the company. It didn't matter that I had been their customer for several years. And it didn't matter that I had paid them quite a lot of money. I was stuck and that was too bad. So I had to keep paying them, and they still came and took away all of the equipment.
I would never recommend this company. They do not care about maintaining a relationship with their longstanding customers. I'm glad to be done with them.
Response from Intruder Alert Systems
"Actually, [member name removed] is incorrect. The installation fee for her system was $289, not $2500. At a later date [member name removed] did add more equipment to the LEASED SYSTEM in the amount of $485, thus creating a total of $774 in installation fees - again NOT $2500. The contract that SHE signed clearly stated that the system was leased and the equipment remained the property of Intruder Alert System s. Additionally the term (length) of the contract is in BOLD TYPE in the body of the contract and is clearly visible. [member name removed] did NOT complete the initial term of the contract that she signed. We always leave a copy of the contract with the customer at the time of installation, and we will always provide a copy of the signed contract upon request from the customer. [member name removed] simply needed to complete the terms of her contract that she signed. We are truly sorry that [member name removed] did not remember the terms of her contract, but must take issue with the false statements that she has made in this forum."
Charles I.
Nov 2013
The initial alarm installation was very professional and the technician was very knowledgeable. There were a few quirks in the system that needed to be worked out, however Intruder Alert came out and took appropriate action. The very few times we have had to call Intruder Alert for problems over the past 20 years they have responded well. We help out by notifying the monitoring company when taking a trip and making sure backups are in place with their own distinct passwords. The last thing you want is a record showing a bunch of false calls. We have had a number of friends that were dissatisfied with their alarm company for one reason or another. They have switched to Intruder Alert and been very satisfied with them. Unfortunately I have not had any recent problems or dealings to report on. Only that we have had satisfactory install and service for about 20 years. (1993 is an estimate of the installation date).
Ted C.
Jun 2012
They were very competitive and we tripped the alarm when we were looking at it and they handled it well.
Curtis G.
May 2012
They're very prompt. They answer real quick when I call. You don't have to go through an automated system. They're very good. They're very responsive.
Paul L.
Jan 2012
Very disappointed with IAS. First off, be aware that this company will trap you in a contract on an annual basis. This means if you decide to cancel their service, you can only do so in the month prior to your original contract start date. I guess they feel the need to do this because otherwise their customers might leave in droves. Why did I pick this company in the first place? Well, I didn't choose them, my home builder selected them to pre-install our house using their alarm system.
How did their alarm system work? OK, but we were getting too many false alarms. In fact it happened the first time we left the house to go out for the afternoon. So we really lost a lot of confidence in the IAS alarm at our house right from the start of our contract. Some were our fault when we didn't close a door completely, but most times the false alarm causes were unknown so we figured it was the wind and/or rain. Of course, the false alarms always happen around 3 AM when we used the alarm at night. I will say that their call center will call promptly when an alarm is activated so that was never a problem. The false alarms happened frequently enough that I found myself rushing to answer the IAS phone call and telling them it was a false alarm before checking the actual source - obviously that defeats the purpose of having an alarm system!
Overall, I would not recommend using IAS. I rated them unprofessional due to their use of the automatic contract renewal with a limited window of cancellation and no prior notice of renewal. I feel that a professional company should not have to trap it's customers to keep them.
Response from Intruder Alert Systems
"Unfortunately Mr. [member name removed] does not remember signing the 24 month contract. Contracts are common place in the security industry, as are auto-renewing contracts. Should a contract not automatically renew and a homeowner forget to renew or respond to a renewal notice they would go unprotected after the termination date. Should they suffer a loss at that point I know (for a fact) that their insurance company lawyers would come after the security company. That is why contracts automatically renew. Again, Mr. [member name removed] signed the contract with the term (length) of the contract in BOLD TYPE. Sadly, people just don't want to honor the agreements that they have signed anymore, but they still want the company to give them everything they want. We are sorry that Mr. [member name removed] did not take the time to fully comprehend the obligations he made in the contract. If he did not like the terms of our contract he could have tried to find another company. Although you will find that every security company requires contracts."
Ronald L.
Aug 2010
They always come out very fast and do the work very well. I'm going to miss them when I move.
JESSE D.
Dec 2009
Monda and the technicians arrived on time began working right away. She explained all the work to be done in detail and had the paper work ready to review. A supervisor of the techs arrived later to go over the work done. The system was installed and tested within the 3 hours. We have used IAS for the past 15 years and have not had any problems with the company. They are a local company and are always very responsive, professional and friendly.
Gerald W.
Sep 2007
They are responsive. Once I set the alarm off by mistake and they called in a timely fashion. The only thing I don't like about them is that I'm still dealing with a problem that started a while ago with the system and they don't want to take responsibility for it. They blame the builder so they won't pay me for the damages. I pay monthly.
Homeowner
May 2006
Intruder Alert Systems does an excellent job. We are very happy with their company and the people are very nice. When we call them, they answer all of our questions. They are local, so if we have a problem they are here right away.
Homeowner
May 2006
Intruder Alert Systems does a good job. We accidentally set it off and within twenty seconds, they called us to see if everything was okay. We feel safe with them. It is great, and they have been nice to us. I don't want to discuss how much they charge.
Licensing
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FAQ
Intruder Alert Systems is currently rated 3.9 overall out of 5.
Intruder Alert Systems accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
Yes, Intruder Alert Systems offers free project estimates.
No, Intruder Alert Systems does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Intruder Alert Systems does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, Intruder Alert Systems offers emergency services.
No, Intruder Alert Systems does not offer warranties.