Subscriber Discussion

Can An End User Purchase Central Station Monitoring?

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Sean Nelson
Feb 16, 2017
Nelly's Security

Is it legal for an end user to obtain central station monitoring for an alarm system they self installed. Im sure their are central stations that wont sell to end users but are their any that do and/or is this generally even allowed under law?

(1)
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Ethan Ace
Feb 16, 2017

Good question. I don't think it's generally illegal, but local laws may differ.

There are several services easily available online, but whether they are running their own central station or reselling others is difficult to determine. But it's not hard as an end user to buy your own monitoring.

For instance, a few seconds of Google brings up: Home Security StoreAlarm Relay, Smarthome.com, etc.

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Brian Rhodes
Feb 16, 2017
IPVMU Certified

I second Ethan.

Proxy end-user monitoring purchases happen from DIY platforms like Simplisafe (They use COPS) and LiveWatch (Using Moni).

I would say limitation against direct public resale has more to do with the economics of one-off billing every month versus batch purchasing from an installer, but I'm curious to see replies too. 

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Brian Karas
Feb 16, 2017
IPVM

Yes, lots of central stations cater to that market.

It's not just for self-install, it is also for people that buy a house that came with an alarm system (as long as it wasn't locked out by the installer).

 

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Ari Erenthal
Feb 19, 2017

You might need a license, depending on your municipality, but those are easy to get. Generally speaking, the subscriber is the one to apply and pay for the license anyway, not the installing company. And once the subscriber gets the license, the monitoring is as legal as any other. 

In places that don't require licensing, any homeowner can pay for alarm monitoring, and pay something like $8-20 a month. The trick is, of course, getting the panel to communicate properly. Some monitoring companies sell takeover kits with preprogrammed communicators, but some panels are harder to takeover than others. 

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