Total Rip-off
NorthStar signs you up for an unbreakable multi-year contract with grandiose promises of great customer service. In actuality, the equipment is constantly breaking down due to antiquated technology and needs for upgrades. Equipment would break piece by piece, each requiring a separate EXPENSIVE service call, when in actuality, the entire system needed upgrading, which they would not do. They would give my elderly husband and me instructions on how to fix the problems that we did not understand or were physically unable to do, such as climbing ladders. We bought the extra insurance coverage, thinking that it would cover us, but it does not. We are still charged $99 for each service call with no guarantee that that amount will not rise. Additionally, there is a clause that specifies that you must give them a 60 day written notice or it automatically renews for 18 months, which is ridiculous. As far as the alarm service itself goes, that is great. They call when the alarm is set off, as per our request, and verify whether or not the alarm is real. The phone app is a little slow to work, but it’s usable. We are looking for a new system.
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Worthless
Buyer beware. I should have went with my first instinct when the rep initiated contact after I closed on my house since they probably have some sort of contract with the builder. How else would they have know that I just purchased a house. The system does not work like it should. The cameras are always offline and takes forever to connect. The doorbell camera even worse. Sometimes the doorbell will not ring when pressed. The few times it does by the time it connects you are already at the door. It never records when there is motion. I had some packages stolen from my porch and the doorbell camera didn’t catch anything, not even the delivery guy bringing the packages. The driveway camera caught pieces of it, the vehicle stopping in front of the driveway and leaving. It didn’t catch the person walking up the driveway to the porch or walking back to the car. It’s a useless expensive piece of crap. Do not buy.
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App is half function, Northstar is dysfunctional
The app is only so good as the company’s service for which it is used. Northstar repeatedly will promise to call you back to schedule a technician to come out and not follow through. They also will tell you they will give you a call back and never follow through. They might even send technicians to your home that leave discarded used staples on your floor without warning- and in addition said technician may even make your system no longer functional.
In short, Northstar is a company that traps people into long term contracts for security services they refuse to maintain or upgrade when promised. The technicians they employ are almost always outsourced from other organizations and contracted to work on their security systems as a side job. Their customer service is by far the worst I have encountered.
The security system I now pay for monthly does not work properly. One out of three appliances is installed and working properly, the door sensors are the most reliable equipment (probably because they have been around for 30+ years as equipment and have received numerous upgrades), their doorbell cameras work however they refuse to collect used equipment and in turn continue to charge you for it.
Beware.
In short, Northstar is a company that traps people into long term contracts for security services they refuse to maintain or upgrade when promised. The technicians they employ are almost always outsourced from other organizations and contracted to work on their security systems as a side job. Their customer service is by far the worst I have encountered.
The security system I now pay for monthly does not work properly. One out of three appliances is installed and working properly, the door sensors are the most reliable equipment (probably because they have been around for 30+ years as equipment and have received numerous upgrades), their doorbell cameras work however they refuse to collect used equipment and in turn continue to charge you for it.
Beware.
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