Lower Your ADT Bill: How I Saved $156 in 4 Minutes
I’m a big fan of calling and negotiating a lower bill with companies. Heck, I’ve even written about it in detail HERE. But for whatever reason I’ve never tried to lower my bill with our alarm monitoring company also known as ADT. I just kept paying whatever they were charging me and didn’t think twice. This was until they recently raised my bill to $39.99 a month. I figured okay, enough was enough, let’s see if I can get this bill lowered. Just how bad do they want to keep me as a customer? Here’s how I saved $156 with ADT by a simple 4 minute phone call.
How I Saved $13 a Month ($156/year)
After calling ADT at 1-(800) 280-6946, I told the first customer service rep that I wanted to cancel my alarm monitoring service.
He immediately asked me why and I told him “I found a cheaper alternative”.
He then transferred me to what he termed a “customer retention” or “customer specialist” rep.
I can’t remember exactly what their title was, but this is the employee who has the power to actually lower your monthly bill.
See Also: Learn to Negotiate with DishNetwork, DIRECTV, AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast (and Save Hundreds)
What Did I Do Next?
At this point I essentially repeated myself and told the ADT rep “I found a cheaper alternative” and wanted to cancel.
Having never dealt with ADT before I wasn’t sure what her response was going to be.
After all, I really didn’t want her to cancel me on the spot as I didn’t want to deal with switching companies if I could avoid it.
She immediately asked how much cheaper the other alarm service was and I told her “$6 per month”.
Since I was currently paying $39.99/month, I thought she might offer $33 or $34 a month to match the offer.
Not gonna lie, I was kinda shocked when she said, “how about $26.99 a month?”.
Of course I jumped all over it. She even let me pick the length of my contract.
I opted for a 12-month contract as I figured I can call back and get the same price if I decide to stick with ADT after my 12 months is up.
For literally 4 minutes of my time, I saved $156 over the course of the next year and get the piece of mind that a home alarm system provides.
Key Takeaways…
1- Never pay full price with ADT. They are always willing to work with you and get you a deal.
2- Analyze the competition. Know exactly what you could get with a cheaper alarm company. Use that info as ammunition when making the “cancel call”.
3- Threaten to cancel instead of asking for a lower price. If you call and just ask for a lower price you may save some money, but you usually won’t save as much compared to the cancel threat.
4- Think about your contract period. If you’re not sure how long you’ll be in the house, consider the 12-month contract at the lower rate. Otherwise, if it’s a fantastic rate you might want to lock it in for a couple years.
5- This tip applies to ALL alarm companies. If ADT is willing to lower my bill substantially you can bet your bottom dollar other alarm companies like Bay Alarm, LifeShield, and FrontPoint are willing to do the same.
Ask the Reader: Have you ever lowered your bill with ADT or any other monthly service? If so, how much money did you save?
By Kyle James
I started Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)
