ADT Pulse: Inexact fees, dubious upgrade offers and a general cloud of confusion. ADT Pulse, a wireless “smart” home security system, perhaps has muddled its own waters by trying to retain and gain back the market leadership it once held through convoluted offerings that are driving customers to the newer more consumer-friendly kids on the block like FrontPoint Security.

When you line up ADT Pulse’s plans against FrontPoint’s, the difference is striking and choosing the company is easily a no-brainer.

Consumers want ‘easy’

FrontPoint offers three monitoring packages priced lower than ADT. The monitoring plan is determined by the equipment selected by the customer. All three of the plans include remote control and access, and around the clock monitoring. The equipment packages do not require hardwiring, making installation so simple that most customers can do it themselves in thirty minutes or less. Free peel and stick stickers for sensors and countertop cameras mean no drilling, no wiring, no problem. But, just in case the customer encounters a problem, free, friendly AND knowledgeable customer support is available via phone. The do-it-yourself option is a cost savings of at least $500 for a medium sized home. Gather the kids, Martha! We’re going out to eat tonight!

Now to ADT

First, customers have to be certain they pick the Pulse plans, among a slew of other solutions, since those are the only plans that offer wireless. The ADT Pulse website is somewhat frenetic, so customers need to carefully sift through the pages and paragraphs to make sure they get to the right plan. Remote access and control along with 24/7 monitoring seems commensurate with FrontPoint. However, an installation charge is included with each package which seems odd since the packages are supposedly wireless. There also seems to be some way to get a discount on the install charge, but it’s probably hidden in two point font somewhere on the agreement.

Let’s talk moving

In a time when professionals are switching jobs and careers every seven years, moving to a new home in a new location is pretty common. FrontPoint makes relocating easy and cost-free. Basically, unplug all of the components, un-stick the sensors, pack them up, move, unpack, and voila! All that’s left to do is call FrontPoint so they can reactivate.

Let’s talk pricing and hidden fees

Once again, ADT Pulse customers have to sift through several links and blocks of text to get to the Premium Mover’s Package description on the ADT site. The only information available pops up in a PDF file called the Certificate of Guarantee. There are a handful of variables, like how long a customer has lived in the home, that, when combined in various fashions, seem to generate a discount. Movers get a free security system, and can also get a 10-25% discount on the free system – oh, wait! What? So customers get a 10-25% discount on free equipment? Hmmm…moving on, the value of the new security system and discounts has a threshold of $749. Its’ not really clear what happens if customers ring up a bill (for their free system) that goes over this limit.

Wrapping up

Consumers who have a lot of time, money, and patience and are not concerned about ‘easy’ will find ADT Pulse pretty much fits their bill (pun intended). But in terms of ease, affordability and knowing what you get at the end of the day, there’s just no better option than the FrontPoint Security solution.