What an unmonitored system actually is
An unmonitored system is sometimes called self-monitored. It does the sensing and the sounding: a door opens, the siren goes off, and your phone gets a notification. From there, the response is entirely yours. You decide whether it is real, and you make the call to the police. For some people in some situations that is enough. The problem is that it only works when you see the alert and are in a position to act on it.
What monitoring adds
A monitored system sends the alarm signal to a monitoring station staffed around the clock. An operator confirms the alarm, usually by trying to reach you first, and then dispatches the right help. With Allstate, that signal reaches our own UL-listed monitoring station right here in Amarillo, not a national call center. It is the difference between an alarm that notifies you and an alarm that brings a response.
The real difference, in three moments
Picture three ordinary situations. You are asleep at two in the morning and do not hear your phone. You are on vacation three states away. Your phone battery died an hour ago. In all three, an unmonitored system does exactly nothing useful, because the one person responsible for calling is unavailable. A monitored system handles all three the same way: the station gets the signal and acts.
What it costs
Monitoring with Allstate starts at $19.99 a month. That is the whole case in a sentence, because the cost of a single missed break-in or house fire dwarfs a year of monitoring. The monthly fee is what turns the equipment you already paid for into actual protection.
Who each is right for
Unmonitored can suit a tech-comfortable person protecting low-value property who is usually present and attentive. Monitored is the right call for anyone who wants real coverage during the hours they are asleep, traveling, or simply not looking at a screen, which is most of us. If your alarm exists to protect a family or a business, monitoring is not the upsell. It is the point.
Frequently asked questions
Is a monitored alarm system worth it?
For most people, yes. Monitoring is what turns an alarm into a response when you cannot act yourself.
Can I switch from unmonitored to monitored?
In most cases yes. Call us with what you have and we will tell you what we can activate and monitor.
Who answers when the alarm goes off?
With Allstate, operators at our own UL-listed station in Amarillo, not a national call center.
