Vivint

In my last house I used a different security company, and they drilled holes in my walls and ran wires everywhere. When I moved to my current house I took a neighbor’s recommendation and called Vivint Security. I love the fact that the system is wireless (not even a phone line hookup, because it uses a cell signal) and the entire installation went smoothly without the sight of a drill. Awesome.

How does this happen? The “professionals” who showed up to install my Vivint Security system ended up not installing the smoke detector or the thermostat controls because they weren’t licensed to do those things in my state! This is beyond ridiculous, and I just got a bill that includes the services I still can’t use.

We have a large extended family with lots of people coming and going, so for a long time we put off installing a security system. We just figured we’d have too much trouble with people setting off alarms by accident. Vivint called us with a sales pitch, though, and explained that we could customize our system so different people use different codes on the touch pad to get into the house and disarm the alarms. We really like it that we can track who is coming and going, and when.

I’m not a “tech type” (I had to have my grandkids set up my Face Book page, just to give you an idea), so I was worried about all the controls for my new Vivint Security system. As it turns out, though, this control panel is really intuitive, even for a technophobe like me. I was so encouraged by that, I went ahead and signed up for the text alerts to my phone. Hey, this is actually simple to use. When one of those grandkids accidentally set off the alarm at my back door, I got a message o… Read more

I like it that I can add elements to my Vivint Security set-up, and it’s not too much hassle to add them because the whole system is wireless. The extra cameras and door lock controls seem a little expensive to me, but overall very worth it. I’d just suggest that you try to figure out at the beginning what you want, so you can avoid the hassle of scheduling someone to come out and add stuff on later.

When a Vivint sales representative tells you that you can cancel your contract any time you want, what they aren’t telling you is that you have to pay for the whole contract (whatever time you have left) if you do try to cancel. I moved into apartments where my landlord already had security in place, and I thought I could just cancel the contract I had with Vivint. That’s an expensive wake up call.

When I signed up for Vivint security, the sales person I talked to actually added on a couple extra pieces of equipment without billing me for them. I don’t know if that’s the usual experience, but I definitely appreciated it at the time, and it made me feel good about my choice of which company to use. I did spot some billing errors later on that would have cost me extra money if I didn’t catch them, but if you take a good look at your bill you shouldn’t get overcharged. In any case, I … Read more

I’m going to have to wait a few more billing cycles before I can tell for sure whether I’m actually saving money by using Vivint Security’s energy management controls, but I can say this already: there’s enough difference in my power bill that it’s pretty much paying for the monthly fee on the security. Even if I don’t come out ahead on the numbers, I’m at least coming out even, and my home is safer on top of that.

I don’t mind admitting that I was glad of the professional installation for my Vivint Security system. I’m just not a DIY type. I would say that you should be aware that the installer might try to talk you into more equipment than you planned on, and the price on the up sell might be more than you anticipate. If you go into installation with a firm idea of what you want, though, it’s a smooth process. Nobody was messing with the wiring in my walls or making holes in the house, thanks to th… Read more

My wife has a heart condition, so we have used the medical emergency feature of our Vivint Security system on more than one occasion. It’s actually quite a comfort to have a professional and calm voice talking to me through the two way intercom at a moment like that, and Vivint got an ambulance on the way every time we needed one. As far as I’m concerned, our security system covers every base when it comes to keeping us safe. It’s like having 9-1-1 and intruder protection wrapped up in one… Read more

If you think you might be moving to a new home after setting up a security system, don’t get into a contract with Vivint. I specifically asked about this when we first signed up, because we knew we were looking at buying a new house. They told me no problem; they would just send someone to un-install our existing system and re-install it in the new place. Ha! Nobody showed up to uninstall, and we were on the last day before we had to get out of the old place. We ended up leaving the equipment … Read more

Vivint Security seriously needs to get their installation and repair people organized. My cameras quit working right just a week after I had the system installed, and I got all kinds of run-arounds, including promises of appointments with technicians who never showed up, and reminder emails giving me conflicting times for those appointments. I’ve wasted way too much time waiting around for repairs.

I had never looked into automating my home until the sales rep for Vivint Security asked if we wanted to try it. I was a little skeptical—after all, we’ve been doing fine for decades turning on our lights and thermostat manually. But wow, we really use those features! The “Z-wave” system lets us turn lights on and off and adjust the temperature when we’re not home, and because we use it regularly, we’ve already seen savings on our power bill. We’d never used the time programming on… Read more

I had been intrigued by automated energy controls for a house, so I was pleased when I found it could be included with my Vivint Security system. I love having the various services “bundled” with a single bill and a single control system. I also like turning on the lights just before I get home, so I’m not walking into a dark house. And when we went on vacation, we randomly turned on a couple different lights every evening so the place wouldn’t look empty. What started out as a “bonus” t… Read more

Be careful when you commit to Vivint Security; I found out the hard way that I had committed myself to an extra three years on the contract when I thought I was just responding to inquiries about a recent repair to our system. When the service rep asked if I wanted to continue with our service, I thought she meant they were giving me an option to opt out because of the trouble I’d had with the equipment. I said I’d stick with it, but I really just meant for the contract I already had. Turns … Read more

I was initially put off by a Vivint sales person knocking on my door when I wasn’t actively looking for a security system, but now I’m glad they came calling. My neighbor’s house got robbed just a few months after I had the security system installed, and I’d be plenty nervous if I didn’t have this system in place to watch over my house and family for me.

I tried out Vivint Security because my neighbor had recommended it, but I was frustrated right off the bat over the installation. I opted for professional installation, and the first appointment was a complete no-show, when I had taken an afternoon off work! When I called customer service (irate, but polite) they promised they’d get someone out the next day. Guess what? Another missed appointment, though at least this time I got a call to let me know. Third time is the charm, I guess, but even… Read more

I can’t believe how affordable our Vivint Security and automation package is! I had wanted to set up energy management and home automation a couple times previously, and every system I looked at cost more than the Vivint package—and that was just for the automation, not including security. Now I’m happily managing my home in the palm of my hand (thanks to the app on my smart phone) and I know it’s secure as well. Definitely a bargain.

I got pretty overwhelmed when I was trying to figure out which security company I should hire to set up alarms in my new house, so I was glad to see a positive review of Vivint in Consumer Digest. They haven’t steered me wrong on previous purchases or services, so that was the deciding factor in signing up with Vivint. I’m feeling like it’s a safe choice because somebody else (a professional who knew what he was doing) installed the system for me, and all the equipment is guaranteed. I wor… Read more

I have been a Vivint customer since before it was called Vivint, and I’m pleased with the positive changes the company has been making. The security system itself has always worked fine for me, but I used to run into some difficulties with billing and customer service. I understand that they’ve had some bad press (hence the name change) but the fact that they are addressing those issues head on gives me even more confidence in the company. I’ll keep renewing my contract because Vivint keep… Read more