ADT Home Security Systems - Our research
You can purchase an ADT security system on the Internet through any authorized ADT dealer or
directly through ADT corporate. The basic Internet offer they are currently promoting
is a reduced installation fee of $99.00 instead of the regular installation fees of
anywhere from $299.00 to $609.00 depending on the package you order. One of the first
things we do when researching any advertised offer is read through the terms and conditions
document very carefully. As a consumer, you have nobody to blame but yourself if
you neglect to do this and haphazardly commit to products and services without any
due-diligence, only to be put in a compromising position down the road due to a variety
of circumstances.
There is a twist to the advertised $99 installation fee
Here is a quote directly from the ADT website T&C (terms and conditions) page:
" Initial installation price you pay is $349. You get $250 cash back by mail
for ordering via the Internet. $250 cash back certificate will be mailed to you
within 1-2 weeks after installation purchase. To receive your $250 cash back, complete
and return the original certificate to ADT Security Services, Inc. with a copy of your
signed ADT Residential Services Contract. Please allow 6 to 8 weeks for receipt of check."
Okay, that's not so bad, but just beware that you will be paying $349 up front and will
likely have to wait 2 to 3 months before you will see your cash back check.
A realistic timeline to getting your $250 ADT cash back check:
- You pay $349 when you order your ADT system
- They come out and install the system within 1 week (we called ADT and asked about this)
- They mail you the $250 certificate after 1-2 weeks from installation
- You get the certificate in the mail, fill it all out, and mail it in 1 day
- It takes about 2-3 business days for ADT to receive your certificate
- It takes ADT 6-8 weeks to process your cash back certificate
- They cut your $250 check and mail it back after 6-8 weeks
- It takes 2-3 business days for the check to arrive at your home
- You go to the bank and deposit the check, but it takes 3 days to clear
So if you add all those weeks and days up, that's 9 weeks at best and 12 weeks at the
high-end before the $250 cash back is actually deposited back into your bank from
the moment you place your order. Of course all this is assuming everything goes
smoothly without any additional unexpected delays.
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