Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

There are a few things not mentioned here that you may want to know about before purchasing this system. 1) There are 2 plans with Simplisafe, $14.99/mo or $24.99/mo. Neither this ad, nor the Simplisafe website (at least I couldn’t find it) says anything about the $24.99 plan. But most important about the plan issue is that this claim is not true at 50 cents/day: “The SimpliCam security camera lets you see what’s happening at home anytime from your phone, tablet or computer and comes with a built-in stainless steel shutter for complete control over privacy.” You have to have the $24.99/mo plan. With the $14.99 plan, I can’t arm or disarm my device remotely, view the activity of my specific devices, change contact settings, get emergency text messages, or manage my devices. The only features I get with the $14.99 plan are emergency email messages and calls, view my camera (real time only) through the phone app only, and emergency response. 2) To set this up yourself is not as easy as claimed. I had to call Simplisafe to activate 5 of my sensors. 3) Until I agreed to a plan they said they couldn’t help me set-up my devices. 4) AFTER my system was set-up and my plan was in place, they informed me that some police departments require a permit to have a home alarm system if the system is connected to 24/7 emergency monitoring. My city is one of them and my city also requires a fee for having a home alarm system. This is not mentioned here or on the Simplisafe website (at least I couldn’t find it). I can see why cities do this but it would have been nice to know ahead of time so I could research the costs first. 5) Since purchasing this system I’ve had to call Simplisafe 2 times and the hold wait times were over 45 minutes each to get a representative. So if I have to call Simplisafe to change anything I should expect to wait on hold for a really long time. On the positive - The Simplisafe staff is very friendly and professional, and skilled at managing frustrated customers! They would have gotten 5 stars if I didn’t have to wait on hold for so long. I’ve only had this system for a week but I got it at a good price so I’m happy with the system, even with its limitations – so far. I will say I wouldn't pay the current Amazon price for it knowing what I know now. This is my first system and it has definitely been a learning experience. Mar 2022 Update: 1) I've had this system for about 2 years now. The wait time for help has completely improved. I've had to call a few times and I don't think I've waited more than a minute. 2) I can now view my cameras through my computer and tablet. I still have the $14.99 plan so it’s still just real time. 3) I can now arm/disarm my system from my phone, computer and tablet even with the $14.99 plan. I also get an email every time I do anything to my system so I am aware, just in case I didn’t make the change to the system. And the emails are immediate. 4) It seems as though I now get everything the $24.99 offers except camera recordings. I don’t know if I would get emergency texts because I haven’t had an emergency since I bought it. They give you a yard sign that says “Protected by SimpliSafe” so it’s likely a deterrent. 5) They have not raised their prices in over 2 years, even with a struggling economy. I would think a price increase is coming soon, but at this point I’m so pleased with this system and company that I’d have no issues paying an increase. 6) Their customer service has always been, and still is very friendly and professional. They like to please their customers - they've given me a discount that I wasn't really eligible for and replaced a bad sensor for free. I like that I have been able to grow my system over time, adding additional sensors, alarm, cameras, etc. without a big-ticket price all at once. I’m completely happy with this system and I know I made the best choice for me.