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Protect America

More Expensive than You'd Think

6.0

Overall Score

2 days ago

Protect America

Review

Rating: 6.0 / 10 (Average)

Protect America is a home security company that was founded in 1992 and has protected over half a million homes since its inception.

The company offers self-installed, customizable home security systems with optional home automation. Protect America doesn’t exactly excel in any one particular area, and is more of a home security jack-of-all-trades. What they do offer is a unique business and pricing model that provides something different from its competitors.

Despite typically being on the cheaper end upfront and offering a variety of customization options, their monthly rates are high. Customer experiences vary, with some saying the DIY install proved to be harder than expected, while others report positive interactions with customer service.

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How is Protect America Rated?

Breakdown
Equipment
7/10
Monitoring
7.5/10
Reputation
5/10
Contract & Price
2/10
Technology Integration
7/10
Overall Rating: 6.0 / 10 (Average)

Protect America has been providing excellent home security solutions for 20+ years, and features fees amongst the lowest in the industry. Their equipment is 100% wireless, and has a wide variety of options available, with customization and many additional features, such as home automation and life safety. Their pricing model can be difficult for consumers to understand.

Pros
  • No Activation or Installation Fees
  • Low Upfront Equipment Cost
  • Integrates with Alexa and Home Automation Devices
  • Money-back Guarantee
Cons
  • Restrictive Cancellation Policy
  • No Month-to-Month Contracts
  • Limited Equipment Options

HOW DOES Protect America WORK?

Equipment - 7 / 10

Something that we like about Protect America is that it provides free equipment including: control panel, motion sensors, yard signs, window stickers and door sensors. There are no upfront costs to get started.

Protect America now offers the new Simon XTi, an innovative control panel which integrates with your smartphone through the Protect America mobile app. In addition to a wide array of home security features which includes a motion detector, night vision cameras, door window sensors, and glass break sensors, the company offers a number of home automation solutions to help you control your security system remotely.

Protect America’s SMART Connect mobile app controls door locks, lighting, and appliances, arms/disarms your entire security system, and streams or records live footage from up to two of your security cameras simultaneously.

Equipment Manufacturer 2Gig and GE
Ability to Reallocate System
Wireless Sensors
Control Panel
Event Triggered Siren/ Alarm

Security Monitors, Sensors, & Devices

  • Intrusion Protection
  • Door & Window Sensors
  • Garage Door Sensors
  • Glass Break Protection
  • Motion Sensors
  • Recessed Door Sensors
  • Surveillance
  • Indoor Cameras
  • Outdoor Cameras
  • Tilt & Pan Cameras
  • Live Surveillance
  • Event-triggered Surveillance
  • Environmental Protection
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • Flood
  • Temperature Change
  • Smoke
  • Life Safety
  • Panic Button
  • Medical Alert

MONITORING

Monitoring - 7.5 / 10

Protect America offers flexible monitoring options for nearly every budget. Home security monitoring can be conducted via landline (least expensive), broadband, and cellular communication.

Monitoring Options Professional Monitoring
Monitoring Technology Cellular
Broadband
Landline
Number of Monitoring Centers 3
Monitoring Center Type Owned
Professional Monitoring Services 24/7 Professional Monitoring
2-Way Intercom
Fire Department Dispatch
Police Dispatch
Medical Dispatch

How much does Protect America cost?

Contract & Price - 2 / 10

Protect America offers five different packages, with varying price points starting at $19.99. One thing that we did not like about Protect America is its 36-month contract and its cancellation policy. Other home security companies offer much shorter contracts or no contracts at all. If you decide to cancel Protect America’s service, you will be required to pay 100% of the remaining balance of your contract.

Other home security companies may only require you to pay a percentage of the remaining balance. Paying the full balance can end up costing you hundreds of dollars if you haven’t been on the contract very long.

New customers have 30 days from the date their package was shipped to return their equipment without being bound to the 36-month contract. And while live and recorded video streaming is available on Protect America’s Wi-Fi and cellular monitoring services, it is not available with landline monitoring, meaning customers will need to pay extra for this important security feature.

Monthly Fee (min) $19.99
Monthly Fee (max) $42.99
Number of Available Packages 5
Installation/ Activation Fee $0.00
Equipment Starting Cost $99.00
Contract Required
Minimum Contract Length 36 months
Cancellation Policy Customers may cancel their Agreement by returning the Equipment within 30 days of the original shipment date. A restocking fee of $79 may be charged against the method of payment provided at the time of sale.
Warranty Lifetime Equipment Warranty

TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATIONS

Technology Integration - 7 / 10

Protect America can interface with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT, Z-Wave, and ZigBee. They provide iOS and Android apps, which send email and text alerts, live surveillance feed for packages with cameras, and remote arm/disarm features. Their website allows homeowners to access their system, pay their bills, and troubleshooting.

  • Mobile Access & Alerts
  • iPhone App
  • Android App
  • Email & Text Alerts
  • Live Surveillance Feed
  • Remote Arm/Disarm

Protect America reputation

Reputation - 5 / 10

Customers have expressed disappointment over the lack of month-to-month options and have reported several issues revolving around the contract. Other customers complained that Protect America’s equipment was not functioning properly, specifically window sensors and door sensors triggering false alarms.

Trust Pilot Rating 5.4 out of 10
BBB Rating A-
Number of BBB Positive Reviews 18
Number of BBB Neutral Reviews 3
Number of BBB Negative Reviews 108
Date Collected 2018-07-23
Year Founded 1992
  • Certifications & Associations
  • Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL)
  • Factory Mutual (FM)
  • Electronic Security Association
  • New York City Fire Department
Top Rated
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Overall Score

  • Excellent reputation for customer service
  • Security camera & mobile app options
  • 100-day free trial, risk-free, money-back guarantee
  • Home automation devices available