Home security providers can be similar from one company to the next. The main difference is support and contract duration. The last thing you want is to sign a multi-year contract and get stuck with sub-par service. We reviewed Alder to see if they are worth their 5-year commitment.
What Is Alder Security?
Alder is an alarm company offering alarm systems and professional monitoring. The company, founded in 2008, grew rapidly due to the aggressive door to door sales.
In addition to security monitoring, they offer video surveillance as well as medical alert and fire monitoring and motion detection. They provide services to both renters and homeowners. Aside from their high-pressure sales tactics, they are known for long contracts and an expensive and difficult cancellation process.
- DIY installation option
- Modern home security systems
- 3.4 second response time
- Amazon Echo integration
- 3 to 5-year contract length
- Auto-renew clause in contract
- Limited smart home options
- High-pressure sales tactics
DIY System Setup
Alder is one of the newer companies that’s doing away with professional installation and offering do it yourself wireless equipment instead. This means you don’t have to block off an entire day for a professional installation process as you would with companies such as ADT. It also means you can skip the fees usually associated with pro installs.
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Equipment Warranty
Unlike companies that you lease the equipment from, with Alder, you are buying your home security system outright. They provide a lifetime warranty for the equipment and ensure that it will be free of defects. This includes their security equipment as well as any smart home automation options you purchase.
Pricing
Alder makes you call in to request a quote about their home security system. This is to get you on the phone with a sales rep. We made a phone call to the monitoring center phone number and found out a few things about their pricing:
- Low Package - $34.99 monthly monitoring fees with a $49.99 activation fee
- Mid Package - $44.99 per month with a $99.99 activation fee
- High Package - $54.99 per month with a $149.99 activation fee
Equipment
Alder Security systems you find with many other companies. One thing they are limited on is home automation equipment such as garage door and thermostat control. Some of their equipment options include:
- Touchscreen Control Panel
- Outdoor Camera
- Night Vision Indoor Camera
- Motion Detector
- Window Sensors
Alder Alarm & Monitoring
Alder offers 24/7 professional monitoring services from the Alder monitoring center. The home security company claims on its website to have a response time of 3 seconds. This would give them one of the fastest response times in the industry.
Customer Service
Home security companies don’t always have a good reputation when it comes to customer support. Alder also has received several poor marks from their customers. The security company offers support for your alarm system and other equipment, such as security cameras and motion sensors.
Mobile App
Alder offers an app you can download to your mobile device. The app allows you to monitor your security cameras and receive a medical alert if you have the service. You can also control your control panel.
Alder Security System Reviews
Out of all of the companies we’ve researched, Alder, headed by CEO Adam Schanz, had the most complaints with the BBB. Many of the negative remarks center around their sales force, for which the company recently settled a class-action lawsuit against. Make sure to review these before using Alder.
BBB Rating
Adler has a B- rating with the BBB. They have over 200 customer reviews with an average of 1 ½ stars out of five. The company also has 902 registered Alder customer complaints and two recorded government actions against the company (1).
Trust Pilot Rating
On the Trust Pilot website, Alder has a rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars based on 130 reviews. 50% of reviewers have given them a review of excellent while 38% have given the company a rating of bad (2)
Consumer Affairs Review
They have one review on the Consumer Affairs website, which is a one-star rating. The primary complaint is with their customer service.
Adler Security Complaints
Out of the 902 complaints listed on the Better Business Bureau website, 610 of them are for problems with the product or service and 169 for billing and collections issues. This is consistent with the low reviews on Trust Pilot and Consumer Affairs.
“They put me in a five-year contract while telling me it was a month to month service. When I tried to cancel they gave me a hard time. I had to call three times just to cancel.”
- Verified Trust Pilot Reviewer
FAQs - Alder Security
Alder Security costs between $34 and $54 per month for their monthly monitoring service. Their activation fees range between $49 and $149, but some users have said this fee was waived by signing a longer contract. The equipment costs are built into the monitoring charge you pay each month.
Alder has contracts that range between 36 months and 60 months ( 3 to 5 years). There is an auto-renew clause built-in, which means that your contract will automatically renew if you do not take action to cancel it.
To cancel Alder Security, you must send in the form of intent stating that you wish to have your contract canceled. This letter must be postmarked at least 15 days before the end of the contract period. You cannot cancel online or by calling the company directly.
You use the Alder App by downloading it either from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. Once the app has completed downloading, you sign in using your Alder provided login and set up the app based on your preferences.
Our Final Verdict
The home security company seems to be a stable option overall. We don’t like their long contracts and high pressures sales, though. An alternative to Alder that may work for more people is Simplisafe. We like that they don’t have any contracts.
You can completely customize your security system and own everything outright. They also have highly rated customer support when compared to other home security providers. Because they are a nationwide provider, Simplisafe can move with you. If you want a provider that won’t leave a dent in your bank account, check out Simplisafe.
SimpliSafe
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