Envisalink 3 and Alarm Relay monitoring

[occams_razor]

I am switching over to IP monitoring for my Alarm Relay service. Alarm Relay will charge an $80 setup to get my EVL-3 working with their system. If I go with an DSC TL-260 or similar device the cost is $35.

Please correct me if I wrongly interpreted what Alarm Relay is telling me. I got the following from Alarm Relay regarding the EVL-3:

As explained by the nice folks at Alarm Relay, they need to basically "activate", "unlock", or whatever you want to call it the EVL-3 so that Alarm Relay can directly communicate with it without going through an Eyez-On server as an intermediary. The end-user setup cost for the EVL-3 is inflated because of this "activation" fee ($45) that Alarm Relay pays (which is passed on to the end-user as an upfront cost.) In the end, the EVL-3 becomes basically the equivalent of a DSC TL-150 type communicator and will work independently of any Eyez-On service if desired.

The other features of the EVL-3 such as the remote personal monitoring remain intact after Alarm Relay's "activation".

Is this the true story, or was Alarm Relay blowing smoke?

[GrandWizard]

I guess there's some truth in there but some of the details are incorrect. Envisacor (the people who make the Envisalink) requires all dealers and resellers pay an "unlock" fee in order to enable the Envisalink to work with central station equipment. I have been told that this is because Envisacor has to pay upstream licensing fees to cover that part of the technology. Envisacor calls this their "Envisalarms" service and that traffic never goes through our servers, even when you're an Eyezon customer. It goes directly to the central station, we have nothing to do with it.

Eyezon pays this fee, Alarm Relay pays it, everybody pays it. As for $45, I don't know the actual fee but that seems a little high.

If you sign with Eyezon for three years there is no fee as we absorb it. If you go month-to-month, then we have to pass this fee along, just like the nice folks at Alarm Relay do.

Do remember that when a module is "unlocked", Envisacor registers the module to whomever paid the unlock fee and therefore effectively owns the module. So if you registered your Envisalink with a monitoring company and you didn't pay your bill, they could turn off all features in your module. FYI.

[DaveSin]

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Do remember that when a module is "unlocked", Envisacor registers the module to whomever paid the unlock fee and therefore effectively owns the module. So if you registered your Envisalink with a monitoring company and you didn't pay your bill, they could turn off all features in your module. FYI.

Just read this FYI and found it quite alarming...no pun intended. So the operative question I have is: Can an end-user/individual pay the "Unlocking Fee" to Envisacor directly, which would negate a Monitoring Company from charging the individual this $45.00 fee (and "Owns the Module", ultimately turn off ALL features for whatever reason)? I brought the unit outright, so why should a third party be able to disable the unit? This doesn't make sense. Can I pay the unlocking fee to Envisacor and only pay Alarm Relay the $35 setup fee to initiate service? Can I just tell them the unit is already unlocked and no need for them to request this $45 unlocking fee?

BY the way, why not sell the unit at a price that includes the "unlocking Fee" (essentially selling an unlocked unit) to those that wants it that way.

[GrandWizard]

I guess "unlock" isn't the right term. Maybe "enabled" is a better term.

You have to be a licensed/registered security dealer to get Envisacor to enable the device. The dealer is then responsible for the account after that. They will not sell to the general public for a few reasons, liablity included.

Eyezon is effectively your "dealer" in the case as we take responsibility for the account once activated. But we're strictly a DIY company unlike other companies.

[Pelican]

Hypothetical question. Will the end user be able to switch from a CMC such as Alarm Relay to another if the EVL3 has already been "enabled"?

[GrandWizard]

The end-user can't. The CMC would have to make that change.

[rsilvers]

Aside from people who already have accounts with Alarm Relay, why use them? They charge a little more (not much more), and they have no fancy web set up interface. I don't know about you, but I am not into calling people and have them tell me how to set something up on the phone when I can just put my info into a web form.