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Our sole gripe was that the door sensors are only available in white. We would have preferred a color to blend in with our natural wood. Smart door locks come in bronze, satin nickel, and polished brass. Vivint offers a high level of technology integration. Customers can select systems that combine home security, environmental safety, and energy efficiency features. The company manufactures some of its equipment itself, which is unusual in the industry.
In the last five years of his FBI service, he worked in tactical operations, traveling across the United States making court-ordered entries into residences and businesses. Walters worked specifically on the team in charge of overriding and disarming alarm systems. Regardless, it’s strongly recommended that you get two to three custom quotes that clearly indicate all the expenses and terms of a contract. You should request nearly identical systems from the competing companies so you can make a fair comparison. The contract’s terms and the professionalism of the company during the home visit and bidding process should inform your final decision. We made the switch from our previous security because the quality of the product we received for the same price was a way better deal.
Vivint Smart Home Security
Vivint tends to offer customized packages, but their basic offering typically includes the control panel, two door sensors, a flood sensor, and a motion detector. The Settings icon is where you go to configure sensors, enable notifications, and create rules. You can use any of the numerous preset rules or you can create your own. I’m only giving 1 star because I have to give something. Do NOT get Vivint unless you really enjoy self torture.

Out of all the other security and automation systems in its price range, nobody else comes close to including the features you'll find with Vivint. You can even set up your system so you receive a text message anytime an "event" is triggered, and you can receive notifications if your carbon monoxide or smoke detectors sense an emergency. Unlike most companies that offer restrictive, pre-packaged plans, Vivint focuses on a customized approach.
Customer Comments & Reviews
Once I started researching, I found a very large number of less than positive reviews. Every company gets bad reviews, but each negative review seemed to reflect the same issues…equipment failures, salesman not being honest, customer service horrors, etc. Even the better reviews seemed to have negative issues as well…STRIKE ONE.
However, given the complexity of Vivint's systems, equipment costs can mount fairly quickly. Depending on the length of the monitoring contract you choose, monthly monitoring can be on the high side. The Vivint website does advertise a low $19.99 monthly monitoring fee option but it is attached to a high minimum initial purchase and lengthy service agreement. How many door/window sensors, motion detectors, and indoor and outdoor cameras do you need?
Easy install the same day of purchase
I always enjoy an experience where I don’t feel like I’m being “sold” a product by a pushy salesman. My salesperson was there to help serve my best interest. He went above and beyond on installation and taking the time to explain how to use the product. We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Spectrum Mobile Review 2022 Existing Spectrum customers can get a cheap and powerful cell phone plan.
The good news is, financing is usually available and sometimes customers can take advantage of special deals that includes free professional installation. They don't check in to see if everything is OK when your smoke alarm goes off or when your front door alarm is tripped, and they don't call the local authorities. For that kind of response, you need a subscription-based service like the one that comes with the Vivint Smart Home security system. Vivint is one of the leading smart home security companies in North America. Our offering includes an integrated smart home security system, in-home consultation, professional installation, and 24/7 monitoring and customer support. Dedicated to redefining the home experience with intelligent products and services, we serve more than 1.5 million customers throughout the U.S. and Canada.
The installer advised us about what he called “a smart second line of defense,” such as placement of a glass-break sensor where someone might smash a window rather than prying open a door. Bradley Berman is a technology expert and writer with two decades of experience covering smart products and trends that affect the way home and automobiles work. I got told someone would contact us with an install date.

On the same visit, he updated the firmware of the Vivint Outdoor camera, which sped up the talk function for more effortless conversations with people at the door. You can also ask Vivint to send a “Smart Home Pro” to your house for a free in-person consultation. This allows you to follow a thoughtful planning process to select the necessary equipment.
Overall, the installation process went pretty smoothly. The technician took most of our concerns into account when placing the equipment. But he was adamant about installing the outdoor camera in a location where we already had cameras instead of placing it in an area without camera coverage we’d picked out.

That vision drives us to bring our customers safer, smarter homes. The Smart Hub is the Vivint Smart Home's nerve center. The panel also lets you assign and edit user codes, adjust alarm volumes, tweak camera settings, arm or disarm the system, and run diagnostics. However, you can't change the sound of the alarms, which can be problematic . The hub uses several types of wireless technologies including Wi-Fi, RF, and Z-Wave to control cameras, sensors, door locks, and more.
Everyone at Vivint—from the installation techs to the customer service reps to the monitoring staff—actually does work for Vivint, which should make things a bit more cohesive. We’ve used it for about six weeks, and we think it’s a perfectly good system. But to get the best use of Vivint, you need to go for a full-on smart home setup. So if smart home functionality doesn’t matter to you, a Vivint alarm isn’t your best fit.
