Life Alert is a very large and well-known medical alert system company. It has been long in the industry and is popular among seniors as it provides high quality service, offers a few variations of this service plus extra features and they do have good reputation on the market.
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Life Alert Company Background
The company was founded in 1987 and since then it has grown and become second next largest company in the industry. It has got 8 offices in the following states: New York, California, New Jersey and Florida. The headquarters is in Encino, California.
Life Alert offers affordable medical alert monitoring services ensuring seniors get the help they need right in time.
Specific Details About Life Alert System
- The system consists of a base unit with a powerful speakerphone and the choice of 2 emergency buttons – waterproof bracelet or necklace pendant.
- There is an option of mobile 911 calls.
- There is NO option of automatic fall detection.
- Life Alert was developed to work with regular phone lines.
- There are several premium features that the service offers – carbon monoxide (CO), smoke and fire detection alerts.
- Backup battery is up to 48 hours, which is higher than average and is a good thing in cases of power failure.
- The actual wireless range is about 150 feet – which is actually rather a short distance, for sure. The actual range is mostly influenced by the state of the environment and the presence or absence of physical obstacles as well as many other things in a certain house.
- Life Alert has got their own UL certified monitoring center, it is in-house and adheres with all the standards that should be adhered to.
- Life Alert offers a feature of Life Alert?s 911 cell phone and it is a separate cell phone unit that allows a user to connect to 911 immediately after pressing a button.
- There is no GPS.
- Life Alert mobile is developed to work directly with regular cell phones and it is a relatively new service of a company.
What are Devices use Life Alert?
Life Alert device consists of a base unit that allows a user to communicate with a response center. Help (or SOS, or emergency) buttons are offered in two variations ? they are wristbands (bracelets) or necklace pendants. The choice depends on a person’s demands and wishes and comfort. All buttons are waterproof and there is also an option to add another help button somewhere in the house ? in a kitchen or in a shower. Its cost is $49.
Price: from $29.95
Connection: landline/cellular
Range: 800 ft.
Battery: up to 72 hours
How Much Does Life Alert Cost?
Life Alert basic set costs $29.95 per month.
Premium set with all the additional options of CO, smoke and fire alert the cost will be $49.95 per month.
There is also installation fee of $95 to $115, which is not favored by many customers.
Customer Service
- The company offers only phone support option as well as FAQs on their website, no email, no Live Chat.
- Monitoring and assistance is provided 24/7/365 and they are very prompt to react to any calls.
- The stuff of the response center is trained professionally and stays with a user until medical aid arrives to a place and they are sure that emergency is handled with.
The company is UL listed – more information here.
Consumer reviews can be found at trustpilot.com
The company is CSAA Five Diamond Member – more information here.
Accredited member at Consumer Affairs
Pros
- The company has got their own US-based UL certified monitoring center. This allows the specialists to react faster for the calls; they also stay with a user on line till the time the aid arrives.
- Life Alert offers a set of additional features to the basic medical alert ones. There is carbon monoxide and fire and smoke monitoring/alarm feature that can be added to the service or signed in for it at the very beginning. This package is more expensive but it makes sense in some cases.
Cons
- One of the drawbacks of this service is that they offer long-term contracts (3 years) and an automatic renewal in cases when you didn’t terminate it in time. The terms of a contract are pretty inflexible and refunds or cancellations are problematic and rare.
- The company is not really generous for discounts. The monthly price is set and it stays pretty much the same all the time. There are no lower prices offered for quarterly or annual payers and they do not favor prepayment customers any better than regular ones.
- Pretty short monitoring range.
Conclusion:
Life Alert can be characterized as a pretty conservative company when it comes to its price policy. It is a good and solid choice for those who aim at long-term cooperation and seek good quality service. Surely enough, the company is reliable and runs its own monitoring center and has got a reputation. However, it is, probably, not the cheapest choice and not the best one in case you need more flexible contract terms.
Comments (2)
I used to think that these systems were for elderly persons only, however, it helped my husband (who is in his 50s now). He’s got PTSD and it’s been several times when pressing a button and immediate arrival of EMTs literally saved his life. So, it’s not just stuff for seniors, it’s a great thing to rely on whoever of your family is in poor health. And lifealert is very good at what they do.
I would like to cancel my Life Altert. I just call in to get a booklet & a little information. Talked to a very pushy person. He would not take NO for an answer. I didn’t like how he handled this matter. He really didn’t explain every thing to me just a fast talker. I am not satisfied & would not tell anyone to get Life Altert. I live in a very small town were the emergency service in VERY GOOD. I didn’t know Life Altert is coming out of California . I can not afford to pay for Life altert. How can I cancel this.? There should be away or this is not wright. Thank you