Xfinity Home Security

Short Summary

Lengthy and expensive required contracts, combined with steep installation fees and cancellation penalties, put this company among the more expensive options for home security.
Professional installation of equipment is required.
Customer service generally gets low ratings in user reviews
Xfinity Security is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau.
Smart phone apps enable users to access controls of the home from another location.

Review

Xfinity Home Security is one of the pricier home security systems on the market, but their incentive of discounted rates for existing Comcast customers, combined with the convenience of a single bill for multiple services, makes their security worth considering for anyone who is already planning to use Comcast for television or phone or internet.

Pros at a glance:

When prospective customers take advantage of the frequently offered incentive discounts, the service can end up paying less than the “sticker price” usually advertised.
The system is backed up by battery power and cellular signals, making it impossible for an intruder to disarm by cutting wires.
Remote access to controls enables users to get alerts by text, check video clips, and adjust lighting or temperatures.
Users can look at their video feeds with a picture-in-picture view on the television screen while watching their favorite shows. If someone rings the doorbell, you can check your camera feed without getting up.
Clients own the equipment at the end of the contract, and Comcast Xfinity Security also offers to use existing equipment if your previous system is compatible with theirs.
Clients can bundle their bills (and get relatively discounted prices) when they use Comcast for Xfinity television, Xfinity internet, Comcast Verizon phone, and other services.

Possible Con:

Xfinity Home Security is among the higher priced monthly payments for people who don’t also leverage the other offerings of Comcast, though it can be a convenient combined bill for people who get their phone and cable and internet through the company as well.
This service is not available in areas that do not have Comcast service.
There is an early termination fee (starting at seven hundred and seventy dollars!) when a customer cancels the contract, so this is not a service you want to employ unless you are very sure it will suit you.

About

Comcast was originally founded in the 1960’s as a cable television company, gradually expanding its services to include options like internet and phone. Over the years, they have acquired the communication networks of a number of other companies, essentially consolidating its power base, but home security is not one of its primary functions.
That fact sometimes becomes evident in the low quality customer service and the expensive pricing packages. Whereas a dedicated security company strives to provide the best services and the best value, it is worth remembering that the security services are just a “side business” for them, rather than their main focus.

Security Equipment

Comcast Security equipment comes with back up batteries to serve as protection against power outages. An intruder may imagine he will be disarming your alarm system by cutting your power, but the back up batteries will keep the system active.
Customers also have the option of adding more components to customize their security system, if the package of choice does not include everything they would like to put to use. Additional equipment can include home automation elements, enabling you to turn lights on and off or adjust the thermostat (though not to unlock or lock your doors remotely).
You can also add video cameras that can send clips to your cell phone as accompanying information with a security alert. If you get a text message that your front door has opened, you can also receive a video clip that might show you who opened it.

Alarm Monitoring

Xfinity Home Alarm utilizes UL certified monitoring centers, and they average a response time of forty five seconds to an alarm. Although the response time of less than a minute may seem impressive at first glance, that could feel like a very long minute if you are in your home with an intruder.
Compared to other company’s average response times of seven to fifteen seconds, this is perhaps not the strongest point in favor of Comcast Home Security.

Customer Service

Home security reviews of this company reveal that customer service does not tend to be its strong point. Customers are frustrated at times with their interactions with customer service representatives. Online “how to” videos may be a customer’s best bet for getting helpful answers to issues regarding equipment or service.

Installation

Comcast Xfinity Security does not offer the free DIY installation option that some of its competitors feature. You will need to schedule a technician to come to your home and do the installation for you.
You should also know that (depending on the package and equipment you choose) the installation itself can take as long as six hours. Add in the company’s required four hour “scheduling window,” and you will have to plan on devoting a full day to having the technician in your home.

Pricing

First of all, it should be noted that existing Comcast customers (or a prospective customer looking to add services besides just security) will get a discounted rate on the security system, compared to people who are only contracting for security.
To ascertain exactly what the rates will be for your situation, it might be worth calling the customer service representatives directly. Ask about bundle deals and pricing, and be sure to find out what length of contract you will be asked to commit to, and whether the prices go up after the initial months of service.
It should also be noted that the installation of your system will cost an up front fee of at least ninety nine dollars, so don’t forget to calculate that amount into your total costs. (Add even more for the higher level packages; the Home Secure 350 costs four hundred dollars to install.)

That said, the security packages (as they stand alone) are priced as follows:

Home Secure 300: This is the basic security package from Xfinity Home Security Comcast, running at around forty dollars per month for a two year contract. This package includes professional security monitoring around the clock, and remote access control through their Xfinity Home Security iphone or Android app. This package includes a touch screen control pad, three sensors for doors or windows, one motion sensor, and the wireless security key pad.
Home Secure 350: This package, offered for fifty dollars per month, includes identical services to the basic package, with added equipment. In addition to the basic equipment, this package also two video cameras, as well as the choice between an automated thermostat and a third camera.

If you choose to add home automation to your security package, you can enjoy Zigbee products that allow you to remotely control your home’s temperature and lights.
(You can also purchase the automation equipment separately, even if you are not installing security.

Home Control 150 automation package costs one hundred dollars for professional installation, and twenty dollars per month for the service.

It is important to note also that you have to purchase at least one of the five offered “starter packs” in addition to the Home Control itself:

Basic Starter: For one hundred dollars, you get a video camera featuring IR night vision and one hub.
View Starter: For two hundred and thirty dollars, you get the Basic Starter Pack plus a window/door sensor and a controller for lighting.
View-Eco Starter: Also for two hundred and thirty dollars, you get a thermostat, a video camera, and a hub
Eco Starter: Still at two hundred and thirty dollars, this package includes a controller for lights, a sensor for door or window, a thermostat, and the hub.
Total Starter: For three hundred and fifty dollars, you get the hub, a video camera, a thermostat, a sensor for door or window, and a controller for lighting.

Conclusion

If you are already a Comcast customer for phone, internet, and television channels, Comcast Xfinity security may be a no brainer choice for you.

The package deal is more cost effective than purchasing the security alone, and you will definitely enjoy the convenience of bundling all those bills into a single payment and provider.

XFinity Home Security reviews reveal that customer service is not the strong suit of this company, and that a prospective customer should definitely take care to itemize the actual costs (installation, equipment, and monthly fees over the life of the contract) before signing up.

Companies that focus exclusively, or even primarily, on security systems will tend to provide better service and better value than Comcast, for whom the security business is clearly an afterthought add-on to its other communication services.

If you have no previous ties with Comcast, we would definitely recommend you to look at some better options for your home security provider.

We suggest to start with reading either Frontpoint Security or Protect America reviews, our top-two rated DIY wireless security system providers in the nation and definitely a better option than Xfinity Home Security.

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Customer Reviews

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