SimpliSafe Boston Home Security

This is a very negative review. Although the system is an easy setup and seems to work properly, my complaint is with the integrity and responsiveness of the support staff. (I understand this a contract operation.)
Shortly after I used a credit card for the first time to buy the equipment, my credit card bank contacted me that my card had been used to buy pizzas and gifts in the area where the company is located. My bank cancelled the card immediately and issued a new one. I had signed up for the 15. a month monitoring but this lapsed with the cancellation of the card. This left me with a dilemma: having a home security system and a fear to use a credit card to pay for the monitoring.
The company has a way you can supposedly enter the card number into the website and thereby authorize the monitoring. This does not work. I tried it three times and was forced to ask for human help — remember that I had a fear of dealing with humans since the first card was compromised when I gave the numbers to a human — and the humans didn’t know how to fix it, but at least they don’t have the new card’s number.
I have sent numerous messages asking for help but these are all ignored by «Dave» and are never answered. The young support staff is unnecessarily impertinent, especially the women, and you never feel there is any support.
If Simplisafe wants to succeed as a business it has to focus on its support staff in two areas — honesty and responsiveness. The company is spending heavily to advertise its product but is doing nothing to assure that it’s client base is treated well.
I did write to the CEO of the company and told him of the credit card issue. I never received a reply.

Was really exited about SimpliSafe. So easy to install.
Used it for 2 weeks.
Unlike many reviews, I’ve had great experiences with customer service. No long waits. Very professional. No complaints whatsoever there.
The problem is that their system is forever bugging up. Lots of glitches. It disarmed itself many times. Base station goes in and out of connection.
I need something trustworthy.
I think they have the right idea, but their technology is SimpliSubpar.
60 day money back so I’m going to return it.

Interesting reviews! just received my system with a combination of 15 sensors and contacts. Install it in about 2 hrs after labeling and testing. So far no issues… sure is a lot cheaper than ADT and love the stupid proof set up… only concern is the life expectancy of the batteries and how moisture proof are the sensors/​contacts in a bathroom w/​high humidity setting. I would give it 5 Stars once we know we don’t have an issue in areas with high humidity.

I’m kinda surprised at all the bad reviews on Unilocal.I have bought several systems and have had no real problems at all. I love the fact that it uses Verizon wireless (as that is the most reliable cell service in NY and you don’t have to worry about some thug cutting your phone wire to the house). I did have one issue and received great customer support when I called to get it resolved. I would search for a coupon code before buying, but def consider SimpliSafe as good alternative to ADT, etc. I can say from first-​hand experience if you pay for monitoring, the central station people are way more professional than the people you deal with from ADT.
The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is because I wish you could plug the unit into a phone line or if it was wifi compatible because then you could not pay for monitoring and have the system just contact you if there was a break in at the location. I would prob still pay for monitoring, but it would make the system much more versatile.

Beware of the low price and easy install. The third party company that answers the calls is hard to get a hold of. After numerous disconnects, I gave up. My mobile APP would not disarm either. On another occasion, I called and started to give my secret password. I started with another password, but then immediately self corrected. They did not say anything, but sent the police anyway, as part of their policy. Third occasion, I did not receive a call, they claimed they called and I hung up… did not do this. Again, another false alarm. I have never had a fine from ADT on my other properties. In the long run, ADT is a better option, unless you community does not charge 100+ for a false alarm.

I gave Simplisafe a thorough testing of 2+ years and canceled today. I had not armed the system for the past month or so because one of the fire alarms went off during the middle of the night and scared my entire family. I had no clue if it was a fire alarm or a burglar, not fun. This was only one of the false alarms that lead me to not have any faith in the system.
When I called support today to cancel, there was no push back from the rep. Didn’t even ask why, that leads me to believe I am not the only one. I asked if they would buy back the equipment and the answer was absolutely not. Now I am stuck with hundreds of dollars of equipment that I will be forced to try to sell on craigslist instead of a company actually standing behind their product and refunding a loyal customer.
It’s a great concept, they just need to have higher quality gear. Do yourself a favor and if you need a security system invest your money upfront in a quality system instead of doing what I did. Probably going to end up costing me double at the end of the day.

Have found Simplisafe really easy to install and work with so far. I had a couple small setup issues and support was easy to reach and solved my problem. Their sales staff was also very helpful when I was ordering a few extra components for it. All that’s left is for me to activate it and test out the monitoring service, but so far so good! Will update once I’ve had a chance to use it for a little while but so far I really have appreciated how customizable the system is and, of course, not being locked into a multi-​year contract with ADT or something :)

Well they could have better customer service but for the price its good.

Sensors and equipment seem to work fine however, if you intend to only get the basic monitoring service you won’t have access to do any simple and useful setting changes like naming the sensor locations within your home, adjusting base volume, adjusting alarm activation time, etc. Basic is just that… basic.
Do some comparison shopping because it may cost the same monthly for you to use ADT or similar.

Like many reviewers, I found that faulty sensors and poor customer service plague SimpliSafe.
Sensors that do not work or emit false alarms, slow response to middle-​of-​the-​night (false) alarms, and poor or no response to customer concerns and questions are just a few of the reasons we are cancelling our SimpliSafe monitoring and requesting a full refund. Based on SimpiSafe’s history of poor customer service, I expected to be ignored or hassled every step of the way,
I bought the system after hearing rave reviews about SimpliSafe on The Kim Komando Show and The Dave Ramsey Show, two radio celebrities that I thought were credible and honest. The reasons we committed to spending $ 400+ for a system and $ 300 a year on monitoring were:
1) Kim Komando’s/Dave Ramsey’s recommendations
2) No contracts
3) 100% wireless, cellular system
4) Easy to set-​up
5) Mobile (cell phone) control and alerts
6) Power outage protection6) Portability
7) Pet friendly
8) Not One, But Three Risk-​Free Guarantees: — 60-​Day Money Back Guarantee– Three Year Product Warranty– 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
The system worked OK for a less than two weeks, then we started having false alarms on our motion sensors in the middle of the night, waking us to the shrill sound of the alarm and not knowing if an intruder was in our home. This happened on four occasions and response times from the monitoring center varied from 30 seconds to over four (4) minutes.
A lot can happen in four minutes during a home invasion and we found SimpliSafe’s alarm monitoring center’s response times to be sporadic. In the four minutes it took for an operator to call us after one middle-​of-​the-​night false alarm (fortunately), intruders could have rushed upstairs, kicked in our bedroom door, robbed us at gunpoint, sexually assaulted my wife, shot us in the head, and been on their way … all before SimplisSafe called us to see if we even needed them to call the police! It would have been much easier and safer to «Simpli» pick-​up the phone and call 911 ourselves, so why do we need to pay $ 24.99 per month for «monitoring»? I asked the young lady on the phone why it took so long to call and she said that there were «too many calls for the number of people working», a sad excuse if it were in-​fact a home invasion.
Their customer service call center is only open between 8am and 5pm, but if you need help, forget contacting SimpliSafe via email because they are nearly completely unresponsive. When I was finally able to talk to a customer service representative, they had me reduce the sensitivity of the motion sensors because the forced air heat was apparently setting them off (we have no pets or ghosts in our home). «The heater is setting them off?», I asked, something we had never heard of or experienced having owned several alarm systems from reputable companies (ADT, Guardian, etc) over the years. It is not much fun being awoken from a deep sleep, four times over a period of several weeks no less, because of a motion sensor that cannot tell the difference between an intruder and forced air heat. I wonder what kind of affect pets would have on SimpliSafe’s «Pet-​Friendly Motion Detector» that «doesn’t detect small pets»?
Since we installed the system and activated it on September 17^th, 2015, we have had five false alarms and eight sensor errors. They sent a replacement water sensor on December 18^th, 2015 after the original one failed, but it was like pulling teeth to get them to respond or cooperate. We had several back and forth emails asking me if the «sensors were in contact with water» (obviously not or I would not have been complaining) or after admitting that the sensor was bad, I was asked for our «delivery address» («the I was asked for our «delivery address» («the same address as the monitoring we pay for that is in your system», I responded). C’mon folks, use your brains!
One day after the «new» sensor arrived, it began to «error» and became unresponsive. It seemed to resolve itself after a couple hours, so I let it go, but repeated errors led me to contact customer service via email again on January 28^th, 2016. I was ignored, so I sent another email on January 30^th, 2016. Rather than addressing the problem or our concerns, I received an unprofessional and incomplete response, so I assumed that someone would get back to me, but after hearing nothing more by February 1^st, 2016, I told them I had had enough.
I still have not been contacted by SimpliSafe, so I am following through with my promise … I am cancelling our monitoring and SimpliSafe is losing a customer. I also contacted the Massachusetts Attorney General and the Eastern Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont Better Business Bureau (where SimplisSafe has 30 complaints on-​file) to file complaints. Kim Komando and Dave Ramsey have also been contacted to let them know what I think of their «recommendations».
CombatCritic Gives SimpliSafe 1 Bomb Out Of 10 and a spot on my «WALL OF SHAME»

SUPPORT W T F IS THAT support really!!!
Been trying to get some help there paperwork sent with it is worthless maybe a good fire starter but not enough there to start the fire let alone set up there piece of crap and the number they supplied you with is even more worthless
maybe a cool unit but i will never know cant even get a call back and i own a mac that is like having something from another planet
if someone ever calls back and can pull there head out of there ass long enough to help that may work OH y A I have a mac im screwed Love my mac hate me unsimpli unsafe
they sent out lots of there made in china crap with no support
D O N O T B U Y again DO NOT BUY
and dont think they will call back it is ready to go back in crumbs in a box to them because they are a worthless company with no way to reach even the company un support line
wow did i get screwed
is there anything ez in life anymore spend your hard earned money and good luck at best
CALL ME BACK YOU BUNCH OF MONEY HUNGRY PRICKS WITH NO SUPPORT
They f_​cked me dont let them do you too
ZERO STARS ZERO SUPPORT WORTHLESS UNIT
Oh Ya be safe

To update my thoughts about SimpliSafe from 2 ½ years ago, I have interacted with their customer service staff several or more times to expand my system or to replace items and everyone I have had the pleasure to speak with has been professional and handled my issue promptly. At times, they have even gone above and beyond to ensure I have working equipment, even if at their shipping and return-​shipping expense.

I am currently a simplisafe member. I have been trying to call customer service for about 3 weeks now, been on hold at least 4 or 5 times, left messages, wrote emails. No response. My alarm went off a month at night and I did not get a phone call. It ended up being a false alarm (something triggered a motion sensor), but if it weren’t, my wife was home alone and I was nervous. I am hoping this will help get me through to someone.
To add, I know Customer Service number, and I know the hours — that clearly is not working.

I am a current Simplisafe customer. Had an issue with some equipment, called the company, they sent replacement parts. Since receiving the parts (before Christmas) I have been calling customer service with a question regarding installation of the new parts. I have called numerous times, emailed twice… no answers.
I see someone from the company is responding to Unilocal reviews, possibly this is a way I can get someone to contact me?
Customer service has been great in the past, not sure what is going on now, but it is extremely frustrating.

Terrible! I have been calling the 1800 number for three days and leaving messages. It is appalling that they do not answer. Does that make me feel safe? Absolutely not. Now i want my money back!!! Forget recommending this garbage
I have been sending the company test signals and they cant receive them. Yet they cant have a human being contact me to fix it. Whatever you do do not purchase anything from them!!!
I need to return everything

They have been touting the release of their cameras since 2011 or perhaps earlier than that. We are going into 2016 and still nothing, you do the math.
I am looking for a secondary market to get rid of my used equipment or just to recycle scrap plastics and electronic components.
If they can’t keep their promise, I can’t trust them to monitor my home. On hold for more than 15 minutes during a recent customer service call as well. I have suspended my service once and for all.
$ 57M FROM SEQUOIA CAPITAL AND NOTHING TO SHOW FOR.

I ordered this because it was advertised as a $ 400 security system with «text and email alerts and no monthly fees». Once its delivered I find that its $ 25 month in monitoring for these conveniences and the ability to use the app to control the system. Still something I could work with, but misleading advertising. It works on your cellular signal so you’ve got to have a pretty decent signal.
When I hit the «panic» button and nothing sounded, I realized I had to rethink this system. I know you’ve got to hold it down about 3 seconds, maybe its actually longer. My guess is my panic button was installed too far away from the tower, the brains of the system. It was on another floor over 30 feet away. Who knows, customer service is closed on Saturday and after 3pm daily my time.
It was easy to set up, but more time consuming than the 30 minutes the company claims. You can barely rip all the double sided tape off each piece or screw in all the little screws in less than hour.
Each component (window sensors, key pad, motion (heat) sensors, glass breaking sensor, entry sensors. etc) has its own set of batteries. The window and door sensors each have two pieces, one being rather large. One attaches to the wall You’ve got easily over a dozen batteries this system depends on in its Fisher Price like conponents. Can you imagine when they start to go? Like the smoke alarm batteries in your home designed to warn you that the batteries are getting low at 3am?!
The «motion sensor», is actually a heat sensor so you can’t place it where it might pick up heat from a dishwasher, oven, pet, or your radiators or registers in winter. A small annoyance that the key pad isn’t back lit so you need a light nearby to operate it. The tower is the alarm, so in a larger home the beeps for entries coming from the tower can’t be heard and an additional alarm or two is necessary. The tower is obvious with its blue light and has to be placed in an easily accessible place were it can «talk» to the keypad through your cell signal, not hidden in a closet.
I gave it two stars because as a small system, say in a living space of not more than 1,500 sqft this might do the trick if the bulk of the components, tower, large window and entry sensors aren’t something you’d find unsightly.
(For those of you in the security business please don’t contact me for sales. I’ve upgraded my current system with the cameras I was after all along.)
Update: SimpliSafe customer service reached out to me after I posted this review. Very good of them. However its on its already on its way back. A rep told me SS is open on Saturdays now, but the phone lines were busy and the message that plays says they’re closed when they aren’t. (I called back three times hoping to get someone if I pressed a different sequence of numbers, no luck). I plan to keep an eye on the company to see if they can improve components, but for now I’ll stick with what I have.

I am going back to adt. Customer service is almost an non existence. Alarm went on. Dispatch called. I let her know it is an non emergency. She asked for passcode. I gave her the CORRECT one. She hang up on me. The police came! Then, the dispatch called to tell me I gave her a wrong one. Ok, no. I don’t think so. So she transfered me to the customer service line. Guess what? It is closed. So the siren rang again. I got a call again. This time the guy got the same story and put me on hold. Wow. Really?! Did he come back to the call? NO! So, what did I have to do? I had to unscrew everything to disable it by not feeding it batteries/​wall plug.
Did I get a call back from customer services? NO!

We first went with SimpliSafe for our home security because we liked the idea of not being tied to a contract. I have to say their customer service was very helpful when choosing the number of alarm sensors, glass break sensors, and motion sensors. We received the items promptly and setting it up was a breeze. You can call and get walked through the set-​up if needed. The keypad is wireless so no fear of any phone line being cut. We are very happy with our system. We’ve not had nay problems with it to date. We can monitor it on our phones which is a nice piece of mind. Great price — the system is affordable, the monitoring is not very expensive and totally worth it. Also, we have all our outdoor security cameras hooked to our phones too. I would definitely recommend this company.

My experiences with SimpliSafe is completely opposite of the bad reviews I have read. Installation was easy, activation was quick, the sensors work as advertised and the price is right. I contacted customer service via email three time about minor issues and received prompt and helpful responses. I contacted the partner monitoring company once and they were courteous and responsive.
Having had experience with one of the major alarm companies, I must admit the alarm response speed from the SimpliSafe monitoring company is MUCH faster than the other company.
Most of the negative reviews I read seem to indicate the reviewer either did not follow the instructions, didn’t have the patience to work out the glitches with the help of tech support, or just didn’t understand all the features and options.
If you want to experience high-​pressure up selling, scare tactics, long and expensive contracts, and some stranger coming into you home to install equipment, then go with one of the traditional companies. Been there, done that.
If you want good value for your money, try the SimpliSafe system. They offer a 60 day return if you don’t like it. Make sure you follow the installation guide, watch the videos, and don’t hesitate to contact tech support if something goes amiss.