Smith Thompson Home Security

Great service! Even better pricing compared to ADT… No hardware issues. Very satisfied… EXCEPT FOR ONE THING: The Smith Thompson online payment site is ABSOLUTELY ARCHAIC! they seriously need to bring it into the 20^th century.

Love these guys! Reasonable price and service is excellent! Switched from Brinks about five years ago; no reason to pay those outrageous rates.

I’m very satisfied with Smith Thompson. Their prices both for equipment and monthly monitoring were far lower than those offered by any other company in Austin with decent reviews. We had never used the landline based DSC system since buying our house, and the system was 18 years old, so the hardware needed to be completely replaced (motherboard, battery, and metal enclosure. Smith Thompson provided all of this at no charge (including one free touch screen keypad)!
The only required charges were exactly what I was quoted on the phone: $ 49 for adding the wireless communicator (a special reduced price to help them get more customers in the Austin area) and $ 39 for a second touchscreen keypad. We opted for the system that allows us to control and monitor our system from our smart phones or computer. This method has a slightly higher monthly charge, but were assured that we can later downgrade to the basic wireless system in the future with the lower monthly charge.
It’s great not to have a long-​term contract. But Smith Thompson offers 1 free month if you pay in full for the other 11 months, so we took advantage of that extra discount. We can still cancel before the year is up and would be refunded any unused charges. Based on our current satisfaction, I doubt we’ll be canceling early.
The technician, Steve Fedler, was very courteous and professional. He called us when he was on his way for the installation appointment and arrived on time. He took the time to explain different security coverage options and definitely did not try to sell us options we didn’t need or want. He completed the basic installation very quickly, but needed to order some parts to replace many old sensors that were not working.
Steve got the parts the next day and came back, at the promised time the same day, to install them. He did the work quickly but carefully.
Within the first 2 weeks of having a functional security system, I inadvertently triggered an alarm late one night. Within a minute of turning off the siren, I got a call from Smith Thompson asking for relevant information to verify they did not need to dispatch the police. I also received an immediate text message alerting me of a possible emergency and which zone caused the alarm. So, now I have verified the reliability of the hardware, software, and the monitoring service. Can’t ask for more.

We have used Smith Thompson Home Security at two different homes now and have had family members and co-​workers sign up as well. The price… as well as not having a multi-​year contract sold us at first… but what we have been most impressed with is the service! Our recent installer Shawn was excellent! He customized our security system and took several things into account. Safety was number one but he also made sure the devices he used were in areas where they didn’t detract from the home we just renovated. For example, he made sure the big break sensor boxes were as out of sight as possible yet still being highly functional. It was nice to meet someone like Shawn who loves their job! It showed! 5 stars for Shawn!

Installation was a breeze, no salesman BS, just what you needed. Why pay other company like XDT for $ 44.00 plus tax when you can get it in less than 20 dollars using the same technology? The best part is that there is no contract, so I can cut the cord anytime.

I had home security install in my house by this company today by Mr Gary Lanting. The service was great and fast, Mr Lanting was very knowledgeable about Home Security. Very Professional and match the price given by phone.
All my questions were rapidly answered. I recommend this Smith Thomson Home Security, their prices are good and no land line need it. No long contract. I think is great. We will be safe and safe money.

An update.
Last night, it got really hot inside the bed room, woke up all sweating around 3 in the morning. Didn’t wanted to turn on the A/​C for just one room, so pulled up the window forgetting the fact the alarm was enabled. Immediately it went OFF and I ran downstairs to turn it OFF. After that, I ran back upstairs since I knew dispatch will be calling me. Got back in my room and picked up the phone and there was a miss call from Smith Thompson, may be less than 15 seconds after the alarm went off. Had to call them and cancel the dispatch. That was IMPRESSIVE. Thought I would update my previous review and bump up the ratings from 1 to 3.

we subscribed to Smith Thompson in September, 2013, as we prepared to move to Colleyville from Maryland. We could NOT have asked for more responsive service to our questions and updates to our windows and doors over the year.
Sean Stroud was out this week to complete a setup on a couple doors we had changed out and my wife really appreciated the instruction and service he gave.
The system works flawlessly.

When I told my husband I wanted to get an alarm system he started to do some research and chose Smith Thompson originally for the great reviews and the lowest prices. Since we hadn’t previously had an alarm system, I wasn’t quite used to turning the alarm off before letting our dog outside in the morning. Talk about an alarm clock — that sucker was LOUD! Whoops guess the husband was up now. I started freaking out on the way to turn the alarm off because I know that they are going to be calling my husbands phone first and he was asleep, probably not after the alarm went off though. Luckily I had my phone with me because it started ringing instantly since my husband didn’t answer his phone– they were very concerned for my safety and asked multiple questions to make sure we were ok. I was freaking out by how fast they called because if I didn’t have my phone on me I wouldn’t have been able to answer it in time, however, If there really was a problem I would be very thankful by how quickly they were on top of contacting both of us. I feel much more comfortable knowing they are watching our home.

We recently moved from Carrollton TX to Plano TX. A month later, the city of Carrollton want Smith Thompson to show a proof stating we had transferred our service from Carrollton to Plano so we don’t have to pay the alarm permit. We called Smith Thompson and were told by both the guy on the phone and the manager saying they don’t give the proof and that is the company policy NOT to give the city proof. When we told them the city has to have it. This is what they said, «keep telling them you don’t have it».
What a creative way of not doing your job! Just keep ignoring and things will be solved.
Thanks.
Paul

Converted our old big brand name (3 initials) system after too many years of paying too much.
The technician was fast, efficient and professional. He had to install a new motion sensor on our old system but was in and out in about an hour. Very pleased with the performance so far. Love the fact that we’re done with our land line and the other alarm company that overcharged us for years.
If you’re concerned with the service of this company, DO NOT BE! I feel confident that we made the right choice.
Installed in the Houston area.

I was unsure after reading the managers responses on BBB, however they showed up on time, even early. However with no contracts,
The guy was professional, he was helpful and personable when setting everything up, the price matched what we were quoted. He answered all of our questions, and gave suggestions but wasn’t pushy.
It is going to save us a lot of money for the same service somewhere else. When calling to cancel our old service, the man on the phone asked what company it was so he could check it out– Amusing!

The day after I wrote my initial review, I got a very nasty message from who I can only assume is the business owner, as it was from «Mark S. T». it reads as follows:
«Now you have two problems. You have no alarm service since you’re too much of a flake to pay your bills (a mighty small bill too with us) and now you get to pay an attorney thousands just to answer the lawsuit that’s coming your way. When you get a second, google what happens to people when they post ridiculous and totally inaccurate reviews. And trust me, we are dead serious. Flakes like you are everywhere and think the world owes them everything. Unfortunately there are millions like you walking among us! You see, it’s real simple, just pay your bills lady!»
I guess Mark doesn’t realize that the anti-​SLAPP laws enacted in Texas a few years ago actually protect me from lawsuits like the one he is threatening. Every person I talked to and the things that were said can be backed up by phone records, (since Colin said they record conversations), and can be used as evidence to back up what the exchanges were in my review, which actually makes it «accurate». With regards to my statements about the people I spoke to, and that I believe that they have lousy customer service… those are my opinions, which are very much protected by these anti-​SLAPP statutes, as well.
As far as Mark thinking that I believe the world owes me everything, this is a highly generalized statement. I originally called only with the intent to see if they would work with me on my reconnect fee. I stated to Colin that I had no problem paying the service fee that I owed them, so where he gets this statement is beyond me.
The personal insults? I will let them speak for themselves. To stoop to the level of insulting people… that says more about the person doing the insulting than the one being insulted, in my humble opinion.
The whole purpose for my review, as well as my follow-​up, is for my fellow people to learn from my experience, given that home security is a big deal, and for many of you, so is good customer service.

Although I have had nothing but good experiences with my previous two houses being monitored by Smith Thompson, I am very disappointed this time around. I moved into a house that seemed to have an excellent existing security system, with sensors on every single door and window, attic door, you name it and it had a sensor. The guy who came to our house said that the system was too old to use, so he was going to install a new system. I didn’t pay attention to the details of the system which is my fault, but they only included 3 door sensors and 2 glass break detectors for like $ 300ish. That means I have several rooms with no protection.
The other problem is that they installed the system in the garage (on the wall facing the alley), and the garage itself is not protected. So if someone drove by while my garage door was open and saw the system (it’s very obvious from all the flashing/​blinking lights on the uplink), they could disable the whole thing and break in later. Or if they could figure out a way to get into my garage they could unplug the whole thing.
Smith Thompson is definitely the cheapest in town and I would use them again only if they could figure out a way to use the system in my house. Otherwise it’s not worth the savings if your house is not fully protected. After my term is up, I plan on starting all over with a new installation through another company that specializes more in new installs. The other companies are a lot more expensive per month but offer a free installation that protects your WHOLE HOUSE!!!

We have been extremely happy with our service from Smith Thompson. Our last monitoring company ‘suddenly closed’ and we had 2 weeks to find new service. I stumbled onto Smith Thompson. They were new to Austin. Their prices are incredible. We’ve had them for over 2 years now. The service tech came and in just reconfigured everything to ST (no new installs). We like that it is wireless — we were we able to get rid of our LAN line. Anytime we accidentally set off the alarm, ST calls extremely fast. We have had zero issues with ST in our 2 years. I would highly recommend them!

I’ve used Smith Thompson the last five years. Prompt service, excellent prices and friendly people. I pay for my monitoring yearly, but only because it’s cheaper. I’m pretty sure you can go month to month. I checked into ADT for similar services when I moved in as they had previously monitored the system and their prices for repairing my existing system and for monitoring were easily double. Smith Thompson is local too, which is a plus. They are highly recommended.

We had used ADT for years. I had paid a small fortune for all the new sensors they installed after the old hard wiring became brittle and could not be replaced but their monthly monitoring fee of nearly $ 50 (after my discounts) was just too much. When I started looking around, I discovered Smith Thompson and the do the same thing for much less. Better than that is they answer their phones quickly. So yesterday Sean Stroud switched my system to Smith. Sean was very helpful and knew his stuff so thank you Sean!

So far I’m really impressed. Tech was able to arrive early to my appointment so he called first and that helped a lot (got to leave work a little earlier)! He fixed some broken areas of my house’s old system and even figured out a weird problem from a previous technician who had done something wrong. He also gave me the run down on extra equipment and actually told me what was BEST for my house vs what would have been a bigger sale for the company. I did end up adding $ 250 of additional sensors anyway. Overall was very thorough and professional, and even had interesting stories of break ins and what would have stopped the thieves. Trained me on my system well. Now all I need is a panic room installed next!

What A.B., the other reviewer said is not correct. They DO have contracts, just not a contract that says you have to be with their service for «X» number of years. However, I did have to sign a contract that said that they will only be liable for 4 times my monthly fees. Since they charge $ 17 per month for their alarm monitoring service, then that means they can only be liable for $ 68. If they mess up and you get robbed, then they will only cough up $ 68.
What Dr. Dan A. said is also incorrect. The tech who came to my house was very thorough, knowledgeable, professional, and most of all, honest. The tech called me and told me he was on his way 15 min before the scheduled time. He came in on time. He took off his shoes. This is very important because most techs refuse to take off their shoes and end up tracking dirt all over my carpet. I have to give them shoe booties. It shouldn’t be my job to give techs shoe booties. They should either come prepared or take off their dirty shoes. This tech came in and automatically took off his shoes without my asking. Bret, the tech, also explained in detail how to use the alarm system. He checked all the doors and windows and did a complete security assessment of my house. Finally, I asked him about motion sensors and asked him how many I needed. He honestly answered, «They cost $ 129 each, but I’ll try my best to intall them in such a way as to minimize the number of motion detectors that you’ll need.» Most people these days will try to upsell you more stuff but he did not.
I only just now signed up for their services, so I have no experience with their response times, but my neighbor says that they respond in just a couple minutes and that ADT takes a bit longer to respond. I used to have ADT and their service was responsive, too, in my experience, but ADT is a lot more expensive. ADT, last time I checked, charges $ 34 to $ 50 per month.

I’ve used Smith Thompson for nearly a decade. I’ve never been disappointed with their service. Please ignore previous reviews like that of Dan A. It’s obviously fake.
I’ve moved several times and have chosen Smith Thompson as my security company at each location. Each time I moved, they kept their appointment to the letter, and were extremely helpful in answering any questions I had about the service, or the technology that they use. Their response time is incredible. I’ve set my alarm off before, and some of my relatives or house sitters have. Every time it happens, Smith Thompson has called myself or my wife within 10 seconds of the alarm triggering. Extremely reliable service. Extremely professional installers. Extremely wonderful customer service. Extremely affordable price.