Simplisafe let me down

That is unfortunate.  However, I have to admit that this is EXTREMELY odd.  For a thief to break into a house but to only take the base station- to locate it, unplug it and take it before the alarm went off?  Was there some sort of failure with the alarm system? Or was the alarm off and they broke in and took the base station?  If the base station wasn't sitting right there in the open, then I would suspect that it is someone you know and the reasons for them taking it may be between the two of you. You can easily purchase a base for either SS2 or SS3 on eBay for $30 or less.  I don't see how the risk of being charged with breaking and entering for a base station makes sense.
BUT- there may be legal requirements for any sort of tracking, which is essentially what you are asking them to do.  Maybe with a legal warrant you could compel them to try and pinpoint the location.

It may seem odd, but it actually is so common that in the security industry it has a name:  "Smash and Grab."  And it is so common that Simplisafe has already ordered a replacement base station for me.

Regardless of whether you think that it is odd or not, the fact remains that Simplisafe has the ability to help catch the thief, but is refusing to do so.

I've never seen anyone ever use "smash and grab" to mean "break in and steal only security equipment and nothing else". I've only ever seen it to mean breaking in, ignoring the alarm and getting as much stuff and getting out before LEO arrives.

It's also worth noting that the backup battery can be accessed with a small screwdriver and 10-15 seconds of time once someone has hands on the base unit. (I'd wager it would take them the same time or less if they wanted to just pry/smash open the unit to get access to the battery) If that happens then I assume the system is completely dead. I assume this is likely true of any similar security system with similar hardware with a battery backup and not just a SS issue.

@SS

If a customer has a monitoring plan and the base station goes offline (no cellular or wi-fi) is it safe to assume you can't "see" that and there's no alarm on your end?  (Or do you all have a, "system hasn't been seen in x minutes" alarm on your end?)  Is this also the case if the alarm was armed and the entry delay timer had kicked off?

Hi noone2021,

Unfortunately no, it is not possible for us to trace cell connections. That level of access is more in line with what Law Enforcement would have, but not our Support team.

But I've created a ticket with our senior Specialist team to see what else we can do to assist.

@Worthing,

The Base Station does regularly send check-in signals, and if we stop receiving those, then you'll get the email notification. But there's no immediate warning.
But having said that, OP mentions that they got a "Power Outage" warning, which is only possible if the system was still connected either through WiFi or cell.

- Johnny M.
SimpliSafe Home Security

@noone2021   Your idea of "smash and grab" is a bit off.  It is more inline with what Worthing noted.  I still think there is more to the story than is being told here.  What good is a stolen base station?

@Johnny M

Ignoring the specific situation that OP describes for a moment, I have a question then. If someone breaks in and removes all power from the base station (remove battery, smash base station, etc.) that they have effectively thwarted the monitoring service completely? I get that the user will get some notification that the base station is offline but that doesn't trigger the police or anything, correct? Further, since the base station is completely offline none of the sensors or cameras are reporting anything at all?

This is how I have always assumed the system worked which is why my base station is somewhere less obvious and more difficult to get to. I just wanted to confirm with you all.