Talk Quesada forum

Hi all,

I've recently read in Costa Blanca Forum of the horrible problems squatters can cause and how difficult it can be to get them out.

I live here full time and given that prevention is better than cure, I'm thinking about getting an alarm system connected up to a security company and/or the police.

Does anyone have any experience of such things - are they really a deterrent, and do the security companies or police really respond in a useful way if the alarm does go off.

Grateful for any info, advice or recommendations,

Thanks,

Ed

EdOD wrote:Hi all,

I've recently read in Costa Blanca Forum of the horrible problems squatters can cause and how difficult it can be to get them out.

I live here full time and given that prevention is better than cure, I'm thinking about getting an alarm system connected up to a security company and/or the police.

Does anyone have any experience of such things - are they really a deterrent, and do the security companies or police really respond in a useful way if the alarm does go off.

Grateful for any info, advice or recommendations,

Thanks,

Ed

An alarm system would certainly be a deterrent but you would be paying a monthly subscription for the alarm to be monitored by the security company (police don't monitor private alarms).

If you have an internet connection & smartphone then another option would be one or two relatively cheap wireless IP cameras with appropriate signage (or visible dummy cameras). No subscription required and you can check on your pets/plants anytime you're out.

TBH as a full time resident you're less likely to be bothered by squatters than holiday home owners. Maybe get together with your neighbours and form some sort of a neighbourhood watch scheme, also a good way of meeting & socialising with your neighbours.

If the alarm goes off, the security company call you, ask for your password and ensure everything is OK. If they get no response they contact the police and the police have come around to my parents twice. Yes it's expensive around 40 euros a month or more but I feel happier having one. We use it when we go off to bed too, we alarm the bottom of the house. It's a bit scary when it does go off, which it has done once or twice in 20 years, but it was a kind of fault which can happen occasionally.

Chrisdee wrote:If the alarm goes off, the security company call you, ask for your password and ensure everything is OK. If they get no response they contact the police and the police have come around to my parents twice. Yes it's expensive around 40 euros a month or more but I feel happier having one. We use it when we go off to bed too, we alarm the bottom of the house. It's a bit scary when it does go off, which it has done once or twice in 20 years, but it was a kind of fault which can happen occasionally.

Can you tell me what company you use please? I have read horrific reviews about a leading alarm company on Trustpilot and wondered if there was an alternative company?

We use securitas, had them 22 years, are they the ones with not good reviews? We've found them helpful, no real problems apart from when we needed an engineer at one time it took longer than I wanted. Apart from that good.

We were with securitas for over 10 years , but this year we changed to ADT / Tyco much better system and you don’t have to purchase the expensive system in the first place, and no more expensive than Securitas per month and price fixed whereas Securitas goes up 2 euros approximately every year, and you get a notification email every time your system is activated or deactivated and video cameras taking video not just a photo.

Chrisdee wrote:We use securitas, had them 22 years, are they the ones with not good reviews? We've found them helpful, no real problems apart from when we needed an engineer at one time it took longer than I wanted. Apart from that good.

Yes it was them, people seem to particuarly experience problems when they want to cancel.