(Added June 14/11) As my job involves security and operations, I have worked with all the little and big Alarm companies out there over the years. I can say without hesitation Bay Alarm is the best. When there is a problem, they fix it. When they say they are going to do something... (Read the Whole Review)

(Added June 14/11) My mother died 12/24/10.  By the time I notified Bay Alarm in writing and returned their machine to them, it was 2/10/11 so I calculated what would be due them per month and sent a check for $188 and asked them to credit the balance of $134... (Read the Whole Review)

(Added May 4/11) We have been Bay alarm customers for about a year and have had a couple of minor issues that were resolved quickly. Their people are always courteous and professional and have always gotten the job done right the first time. Their fees are actually pretty reasonable compared to other national alarm companies. The system in our home was installed by Bay about 4 years before we moved in. When we activated service the rep that came out was very friendly and made sure every aspect of the system worked as designed and insured that we had all the protection that was needed and appropriate for our situation. He even called back a few weeks later to see how everything was going. We had to have a service call for a keypad that was beeping constantly. The tech arrived right on time and had the problem fixed very quickly, the tech didn't even charge for the service call because the fix only took a few minutes (it was a loose connection on the keypad if I recall).  I have nothing but positive things to say about Bay Alarm. We have told many friends, family and co-workers about the outstanding service we've received from Bay Alarm.

(Added March 22/11) I'm going to write a review here because I feel our experience with Bay Alarm should be known.....(read the whole review)

(Added Feb 10/11) I have had Bay Alarm for about 7 years now (home and business) and have had my share of small issues. Whether it be billing, the call center or a sales rep mistake, every single time there was a small problem it was handled in the most professional, polite and helping way I have ever had from any type of service company. The people on the phone are great and I don't even use the 800 number anymore, I just call my rep on his cell phone and stuff gets done, even a service call  had him schedule last month. My opinion is that no company is perfect but Bay Alarm does a very good job at trying to be.

(Added Jan 9/11) (Bay Alarm Employee) All alarm companies can lock out an alarm panel if you don't pay for it, or if a lease commitment is not completed. These complaints are unfounded. Most all of the national companies lock out the panel as soon as the monitoring payments stop. As far as monitoring cost going up every year,a client can quit anytime the rate is changed or just complain and the monitoring cost will remain the same.

(Added Aug 7/10) Keep in mind that many of these could be written by Bay Alarm's competition just trying to tarnish their rep. Bay alarm is far better than ADT. At least Bay is local to California and not trying to service the entire world! Im sorry but I doubt Bay used double side tape to install a transmitter and I also doubt they're not allowed to use screws. Also the story about paying cash for the install and three years upfront service............I mean who does that, nobody thats who. If you sign a contract people be prepared to have to do the time, or any company will have to collect in order to recoup their loss on the installation. Brinks, now know as Broadview and soon to be merged with ADT is notorious for pulling this stuff 6 years or more in and removing the equipment. I'll take Bay over some of the other national companies anyday.

(Added July 1/10) I just went to court with Bay Alarm and won!  I proved they provided sub-standard workmanship.  Just as the judge was going to rule in my favor, the reps from Bay alarm pulled out the contract which stated they are limited to $1500 or 1 year monitoring services which ever is less.  So I only recieved $478.  So watch out for this company!  They are expensive and their work did not meet my expectations.  I did however have great satisfaction in winning my lawsuit against this company.

(Added June 24/10) We had used Bay Alarm at our business, and when the business closed, we paid off all bills and closed all related accounts. However, Bay Alarm continued to bill us for almost a year after we had cancelled the account. After we cancelled the account, we received absolutely no letters, bills, or phone calls, not one! Now, over a year later, we get a call from a collection agency stating that Bay Alarm kept charging us and had put our account into collection. This is possibly their way of raising more money to cover the cost of the class action law suit filed against them. BAY ALARM IS A SCAM! (Note from Admin: The reviewer is referring to a lawsuit filed in 1998 against Bay Alarm for locking out their alarm panels, which prevented customers from switching monitoring services.  The suit was settled in 1999 with Bay Alarm denying any wrongdoing).

(Added Mar 22/10) Bay Alarm is a local family owned business that not only uses the same system as ADT Vista 20 but also is half the cost and has better service.

(Added Jan 31/10) Watch out for Bay Alarm!  We purchased an alarm system from them after we were burglarized and they used double sided tape on rough sawn lumber to mount the door transmitter.  This resulted in another successful burglary at our house where they removed the door transmitter with a putty knife and duct tape.   The alarm didn't go off because the transmitter was taped together by the burglars.  If Bay Alarm had used screws to secure the transmitter like the manufacturer recommends, the burglary would have been thwarted. We purchased the alarm to avoid this type of problem.  We found out through another more reputable alarm company that they make an in wall door transmitter mounted in the door jam which Bay didn't even offer us.  The installers informed us that they can not use screws as it is a company policy.  The managers claim different.  The install was bad however the response from Bay Alarm was even worse.  We invited them to look at the install and at the same time provide a security assessment of our needs.  All they did was say there was no liability.  They didn't bother to provide any feedback on how we could upgrade the system to prevent future burglaries.  When I asked the sales rep about the 90 day money back guarantee, he informed me that we had to have a good reason!  Just one more example of the poor product and service provided by them.  We changed alarm companies!

(Added Jan 21/10) I have always heard that Bay Alarm was a fair and honest family run business and at a previous employer we had used Bay Alarm and they always seemed responsive. I just purchased my first home and decided to have Bay Alarm as my alarm company. Their Sales Representative, ****** ******, came out and told me that since the house already had an alarm system, (previous owner had ADT), that Bay Alarm would reuse the existing hardware and he even opened the control panel and said they were familiar with that brand and model. He told me that my total costs would be $100.00 and would include a smoke and fire sensor. I agreed and signed the three year contract. A week later the installer came out and after a couple of hours he said he couldn't figure out how to reprogram the keypad or controller and I would need to have a new controller and keypad and that I would have to pay an additional $50.00. I talked to the sales rep and told him that this was not part of the deal we made, and he told me he would stand by whatever his installer said because he trusted him. So take this as a fair warning "Do Not Trust Bay Alarm's Sales Reps!" they will lie to you and it will cost you money.

(Added Jan 21/10) Please read this whole story before you do business with them... Bay Alarm installed....(read the whole review)

(Added Dec 12/09) I have worked for Bay Alarm for over fifteen years. I have heard complaints regarding Bay, ADT, and etc. I think what people need to see is that NOTHING is free, you get what you pay for, and these companies run a business (they are in it to make money, just like everyone else). Being a "Bay" employee, I am always on the street (salesperson), so I see what people want and don't want. I do sell what they need, not by being agressive, but giving them the FACTS. I will let them make a conscience decision.  First of all, main communication are landlines, no alarm company can control what happens to them outside the home or business. Get wireless communication then, it does come with an added price though. You don't question your cell phone, PGE, or utility bills, do you? See where the central station is, we are located in Contra Costa County, pretty darn local for California customers. We provide 24/7 emergency service, does your company do that? Doubt it... We are very competetively priced. I laugh at people who state ADT, Broadview, or APX are giving alarms at no cost, nothing is free you fool. They make money off you, me, and everyone. I believe in the product I sell for Bay Alarm, not only do I sell it, but I have also installed them back in the day... Always ask questions... Now that's free.

(Added Nov 24/09) I have had Bay Alarm service for years in my home and my business. No issues. Good service. Fair prices. Their website says that they are family owned and operated and I like that. The other huge alarm companies couldn't care less about my community. I see that Bay is very involved and I like companies that do a good job and give back.

(Added Sept 9/09) I have had service for my home with Bay Alarm since 2006. Their customer service is horrible. The people there are rude and unprofessional. Two of my zones were not working for a few months and they had not realized it, when I called and complained they said it is my responsibility to monitor the zones and make sure all zones are working properly (even though I paid a monthly fee for their monitoring system). It took forever to get rid of them. They would not cancel my contract due to their non-performance and tried to refer me to collection agency for the full value of their two year contract. I am filing a complaint against them with Better Business Bureau.

(Added Aug 25/09) We have had Bay Alarm since 1997.  We have had two different homes and have always used Bay.  We have always gone "full boat" on our alarm systems....(read the whole review)

(Added June 29/09) (Updated Oct 15/09) On Saturday about10:30pm, 27Jun09, the Bay Alarm system or equipment set off a false alarm. I was home alone and was terrified. And I am still traumatized by the false alarm and police call and visit.  Either the door's contact/connection had been incorrectly installed, or the equipment or system just failed with no warning. The question is why would it suddenly fail at 10:30pm, after not being disturbed for many hours or days?  Despite the clear responsibility for the false alarm by Bay Alarm, I was charged $95 by the service person, after being told by the Bay Alarm operator that there would be no charge unless it was my problem. This was a true 'bait and switch' tactic by Bay Alarm. There was also another intentionally misleading tactic; I was never told that my land line would be 'dead' if an alarm went off. During the alarm sounding on Sat night, I was trying to call 911 on my land line, and could not use it. This was truly scary, because my first thought is that the line had been cut. Thank goodness my cell phone was close by, because the Bay Alarm did not call me for a several minutes after I was talking with 911 operator on my cell phone. The Bay Alarm service is horrible, and the unnecessary false alarm was truly terrifying and traumatizing. I keep the alarm to warn of danger, but Bay Alarm only creates terror due to incompetence or their own sloppiness. And, then Bay Alarm charges me for their incompetence and poor system or equipment. I will also probably be charged by Berkeley Police for a false alarm. This not the first time that I have had Bay Alarm system and network failures, and been treated with condescension by Bay Alarm phone staff. When a network failure kept giving me an error message for sensors in a portion of the house, I was told that the sensors were bad...it was the network that was failing. Bay Alarm first response was that I am causing a problem. Update: I have changed alarm companies.  Thank you for your follow-up.

(Added June 25/09) Dealing with Bay Alarm is a bad investment.  They lied to me.  Here is what happened; I opened a business where the previous tenant was with Bay Alarm.  So Bay Alarm's hardware was already in the store.  A Bay Alarm representative walked in the store and offered to start gave me a presentation of how good and cheap Bay Alarm's services are. And he said that installation was free. I signed the contract. But when it came to doing the work, they said that it will cost $80.00 for every half hour of doing the installation.  When I said that your representative said that the installation is free, they said that he meant that since the hardware was already installed, then it will cost me nothing to install it.  But because of the changes I made to the store, the location of the main hardware was not practical and it needed to be moved.  They said it is not our problem.  They also don't stick to the initial monthly cost in the contract.  They raise your monthly payments.  I think they are crooks.  And I wish that there is a way for me to get out of the contract.  By the way, I never turned on the system after I opened the store.  The main alarm box is in the women's bathroom.  Bay Alarm stinks.

(Added May 15/09) I am a former employee of Bay Alarm and would like to rebut the comments here about Bay Alarm.  Bay alarm Company is, for the most part, a fairly good company....(read the whole review)

(Added April 5/09) I use Bay Alarm (San Joaquin Valley) for all the other buildings I manage and they are wonderful.