Does your alarm system use a premium rate number for arm/disarm notifications?

[pete]

While investigating various telephone-related stuff, it came to light that our most expensive phone calls are the arm/disarm calls to the alarm company that happen twice a day.

 

So, anyone mind finding out if their alarm system dials a premium-rate number or not?

[plexer]

Ours is monitored on a red care line so I don't think it dials anything.

 

Ben

[timzim]

Sounds like you're being ripped off by your alarm company. No surprises there.

[Danp]

In my old company, the alarm line had a SIM in there, meant I would get a text message every time the alarm was set or unset. Anyway, we were being charged £85pm line rental on it plus the cost of text messages.

[pete]

Ours is monitored on a red care line so I don't think it dials anything.

 

Ben

 

Just had a look at that. Is it tied to a specific alarm system or can it be swapped into any type as the notification transport?

[dgsmith]

While investigating various telephone-related stuff, it came to light that our most expensive phone calls are the arm/disarm calls to the alarm company that happen twice a day.

 

So, anyone mind finding out if their alarm system dials a premium-rate number or not?

 

Sorry to bump this but it's come to my attention (when reviewing our phone system, bills etc) that our alarm system also dials an 09 premium rate number when set/unset.

 

Did you successfully get this changed where you are? I have rang around a few companies attached to our system (service provider, monitoring centre etc) but none seem to either feel like they are responsible or know how to advise.

 

With these things, does it tend to be that there is always a standard rate alternative or can it be hard-coded in the system and unchangeable unless the system itself is changed?

[pete]

Sorry to bump this but it's come to my attention (when reviewing our phone system, bills etc) that our alarm system also dials an 09 premium rate number when set/unset.

 

Did you successfully get this changed where you are? I have rang around a few companies attached to our system (service provider, monitoring centre etc) but none seem to either feel like they are responsible or know how to advise.

 

With these things, does it tend to be that there is always a standard rate alternative or can it be hard-coded in the system and unchangeable unless the system itself is changed?

 

Ultimately we dropped our incumbent alarm company (for this and a lot of other reasons) and went with a local firm that we'd had good experiences with. Current setup uses a mobile connection as the primary and a landline as the backup.

 

Short-term, I think there was a cheaper rate number (can't remember off-hand, I just pointed an irate finance dept in their direction and stood out of the firing line) it could use.

[MatthewL]

Question is why when the alarm is been set and unset is it dialing out? Surely it should only be calling when the alarm is triggered?