The home security industry is filled with a lot of players with different offerings, services, and coverage. You would often be hard-pressed to find a service provider that suits your needs and fits the bill nicely.
As an investment, home security systems add value to your property. This doesn't mean that everyone has enough money to shell out for more expensive offerings though, even for local providers.
Security Force Inc is a company that has good offerings, credentials, and partners. But this is contrasted with some other downsides as well. How does it stack against the rest of the competition?
With its establishment in 2003, Security Force Inc is a newbie to the industry. It's a local company that serves multiple states including North and South Carolina and Virginia.
The company is the 38th largest security company in the country. This comes from SDM Magazine's 2017 ranking of security companies in terms of recurring monthly revenue.
The company is also quite a decent competitor with its recognition and awards received. It was awarded the GE Home Technologies Dealer of the Year National Award in 2014. Further, it uses a UL Listed monitoring station to handle its customers.
The combination of these two recognitions shows that Security Force's service network, despite its small coverage area, is formidable.
It partners with different companies to provide products and services. Some of these partners are Sony, Creston, Klipsch, Pioneer, Samsung, Dirt Devil, and Episode.
This leads the company to be quite expensive compared to other companies.
The Better Business Bureau has accredited the company since 06/03/2004. It's also given the company a rating of A+.
To date, the company currently has 50% negative and 33% positive reviews, with the rest being neutral ones. It's also closed eight complaints, most of which were issues with sales and advertising.
Compared to other companies, Security Force doesn't offer definite plans. It customizes a security solution for its clients. The company caters to both residents and businesses.
The following are the features and inclusions of its residential security system.
Burglar Alarm System. This includes door and window contacts, motion sensors, and other basic security equipment.
Fire and Smoke Monitoring. This system is triggered by the presence of smoke and high temperature. Monitored 24/7, the feature ensures that you'll be notified of a possible threat regardless of time.
Carbon Monoxide Monitoring. Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, but it's deadly. The nifty feature provides monitoring for this dangerous gas through specific devices.
Home System Breakdown. Your water pipes or furnace might get damaged without your knowledge. This feature focuses on these vulnerable areas and notifies you about damages before higher costs are incurred.
Commercial Fire Alarm System. The company can design, install, and service fire alarm system. For this feature, it partners with GE and Firelite, both of which are impressive fire monitoring services. Its installers are all NICET Certified. The company provides annual fire testing and inspection.
Video Surveillance. Security Force offers cameras that record high-quality video. These are professionally installed.
Access Control. This feature allows you to easily track who enters or leaves the building and at what times. You can give employees access privileges to secure areas of the property as well as determine who interacted with the systems. This feature uses magnetic cards, badges, key cards, and numeric codes.
Both residential and commercial services feature 24/7 monitoring from its UL Listed monitoring center.
Alternatively, Security Force Inc also offers home automation services through SFI Homes. This is like a daughter company that also specializes in home construction.
Security Force offers lifetime equipment warranty for its devices. This is an advantage over other companies who offer a limited warranty for only a couple of months or years.
You also don't need to pay for upfront costs.
On the flip side though, the company has no pricing information for its customized plans. There is also no definite list of equipment and devices included. It is assumed that the customer will be the one to customize the devices, as well as negotiate with the monthly billing.
A customer reports paying $37.99 a month, so this is a fairly reasonable place to estimate your costs.
As reported by customers, the company runs a credit check to determine your paying capability. It's not clear what the minimum credit score you need to be qualified. Customers have advised to keep a close eye on your credit report. A credit check can negatively affect your credit report and should be watched carefully.
With the lack of information present on its official website, it can be hard for a prospecting customer to make an informed decision. One thing you should ask a sales rep is the monthly pricing (see if you can haggle and get a lower price).
Security Force's contract can initially run up to five years. If you're looking to move during this period, it's best to consider a company with wider—preferably nationwide—coverage.
It's unclear if the contract auto-renews and how long auto-renewal terms are.
If you want to early terminate the contract with Security Force, you're in tough luck. You need to pay the remaining balance on the contract. This 100% cancellation fee can be pretty high, especially if you're just starting out with the service.
However, you have an option to transfer the agreement to a new homeowner in case you want to move.
The company also offers options for moving. It says that moving if you've been using the service for at least 12 months.
One customer reported paying $190 for moving and installation of equipment in her new house.
Security Force Inc complaints often involve unsolicited calls, unwanted credit checks, incorrect installation, and billing issues. Other downsides to the company include its high cancellation fees, potentially high costs, and vague information online.
It should be considered, however, that despite its small coverage area, the company has good credentials. Its partners and achievements imply a good quality service.
This puts Security Force Inc as a neutral choice. If faced with the option, the company is a decent choice as long as you're willing to live with a couple issues here and there.
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