“I got some nice alarm systems here under my jacket…”

Summer is here, and along with it, the lush greens, bright skies, and barbeques that define the season. People walk their dogs, families enjoy their yards, and salespeople put on their hiking shoes and friendly smiles to hit the pavement on their way to knock on countless doors.

As a general rule, individuals approaching my home with the intent to sell me something will be immediately turned away. Magazines, vacuums, I’m already shaking my head and saying, “no, thank you,” before the girl scout can describe the types of cookies she has in her bag.

Fundamentally, door-to-door sales-on-the-spot removes, in my opinion, the bulk of a customer’s ability to choose—to weigh the pros and cons, the costs and values of competing products, and compare their own needs with the capabilities of what is being sold—and while the girl scouts are probably sincere and accurately representing their product, many other salesmen are not.

Unfortunately, the security industry is not free from the disreputable practices of certain door-knocking salespeople. Like the vacuum salesman who promises you enough suction to pull the concrete from your foundation, some alarm and security salespeople, many without ties to any established company, are more than willing to offer a hyperbolic and often fraudulent sales pitch to get homeowners to purchase a product and sign a contract before proper consideration can be made.

This is not to say that all door-to-door salespeople are to be distrusted, only that they must earn your trust by properly representing themselves and their services. In order to guard yourself against the “what’s it going to take for me to get into your wallet” approach, a few key considerations should be kept in mind.

First, be sure that you know precisely who it is that you are letting into your home and, equally important, know the company they directly represent. One of the strategies to look out for is the approach of a salesperson claiming to be from your existing security company, or if you haven’t a current system, from a major manufacturer of alarm systems such as Honeywell. The person may wear a hat or tag with the company name or logo, or they may expect you to simply take their word for it. They may tell you that your system is no longer being monitored, or they may tell you that you are eligible for an “upgrade,” or a new free system that could be installed on the spot by a nearby technician. Don’t worry about your old system if you have one, they’ll say, they can dispose of it and nullify any current contracts to which you are bound.

If this sounds ridiculous, well, you’re right, it is. I mean, if a stranger knocked on your door in a golf-shirt and khakis and said he was a representative from Samsung and could get you out of your cable contract, you probably wouldn’t let him take your television. The idea of a prominent, powerful company sending someone to your door to specifically address problems you didn’t know you had probably sounds obviously absurd, but in practice, the surprise of such a visit is often enough to throw a homeowner off their guard and fall for the proceeding fraudulent sales pitch. This deception is important to watch out for no matter what they are trying to sell.

Many states have laws in place requiring security installers to carry a license. There may also be laws requiring the salesman to offer his name, the name of the company he works for, and the names of the products he intends to sell before offering a sales pitch. Even if your state does not require such things, it is a good idea to request them up-front from anyone attempting to sell you door-to-door products and services. If their answers are difficult to believe, it is probably because they shouldn’t be.

To a person with a mortgage, car payments, maybe children and pets, and a multitude of other expenses, the word “Free” may be rather enticing, and enough to invite the salesperson inside to discuss their services further. However, one must keep in mind that no matter how cliché it sounds, you always get what you pay for. The free system is likely low-quality and unreliable, and if you truly desire a security system to keep you and yours from potential harm, the quality and proven reliability of a system should be chiefly important. Compounding the issue, the “technician” conveniently close-by when the salesperson offers a same-day install is often rushed, unskilled, or untrained, leading to the shoddy installation of equally shoddy equipment.

Also important to remember is that companies don’t make money by altruism and giving away their products for no cost. In fact, the main goal of these deals (offering free equipment and immediate installation) is to secure the homeowner’s signature on a long-term, often grossly overpriced monitoring contract. Alarm systems require monitoring, and overpaying for a sustained monthly bill easily outweighs revenue from poor-quality equipment. $1000 worth of immediate free stuff sounds great, but overpaying $30 a month for seven years costs you $2500 more than you should have paid, and remember that the system may barely function. Like a battery salesman giving you a free flashlight, this person promising you absolutely no cost knows precisely where the money will come from.

Disreputable salesmen may pressure you with time limitations. They may tell you that the offer expires tomorrow, and if they leave without you signing on the dotted line, your chance at the deal disappears forever. They may try to scare you into signing, perhaps discuss crime statistics and overstate the criminal activity in the area. These are pressure tactics, and it’s good to remember that if you ever feel pressure when speaking to a salesperson, they are probably not concerned with your interests.

Ultimately, the best thing to do when approached about a service or product is to research. To think. To take your time and be certain that this purchase is the right choice for you. When faced with the choice of how to protect yourself, your possessions, and your loved ones, you don’t want to simply make a decision. You want to make an informed decision. Always be certain you are dealing with a knowledgeable, reputable company—because the only thing more dangerous than those who prompt the need for a security system are those who con you into thinking you are secure.

 

Written by Jason Carnahan and originally posted here on suretyCAM Residential and suretyCAM Commercial’s website