Big issue with the system!

Its 25 bucks a month which would likely be one of your top 3 cheapest bills.  But u have 60 days to return it if its not right for you.

If I am away from home and the system has been activated I can't turn it off without calling SimpliSafe (what if it is after their operating hours as they are not open 24/7) to turn the system off because I can't.

You would not call SimpliSafe to turn off the alarm; you would phone the monitoring company (COPS) who are open and available 24/7, 365 days a year.

Respectfully, I am noticing a lot of similar posts lately with this complaint, and it boggles my mind. I understand purchasing and utilizing the system without active monitoring. But before my purchase 4-5 years ago, I expected to pay for monitoring to access or have control over certain features. I would never conceive that SimpliSafe would allow me to have complete access to such abilities without subscribing to a monitoring plan.

I understand the frustration, but to me, it is misguided. SimpliSafe has room for improvement, but I can certainly understand why they do not allow what many are seeking. A lot of would-be subscribers would probably forgo a monitoring plan if buyers had that much control over the system. If you were someone who was confident you did not desire or want law enforcement dispatched upon a possible break-in, you would be getting a feature many people pay for, at no cost.

Maybe they will give this control to all who purchase a system in the future, but to me, I can understand why it goes hand in hand with paid monitoring.

If I did not travel as much as I do, perhaps I would not subscribe to monitoring. Now that way of thought relies on the idea and hope that an intruder would flee the scene upon hearing the sound of the alarm, but I need someone else to have my back (i.e., COPS, law enforcement, fire, and medical - what I get by subscribing to monitoring). There might be someone who is bold enough to test the theory, see that no one was dispatched, and come back to take whatever they would like (after locating and smashing/disabling the Base Station as not to draw attention).

I do not deem the monitoring fee as extortion, I consider it as a means of protection, a feeling of safety, and quite honestly, a bargain.

$25/mo for monitoring is definitely not that cheap with the current market. 10 years ago it would've been, and 5 years ago it would've been middle of the road. SS does state that interactive monitoring is $25/mo and basic monitoring is $15/mo. What they fail to make clear is that interactive monitoring IS remote access to the system via their app (effecitvely self monitoring). In the current market, remote interactivity with your system is a baseline feature, and SS is definitely holding that out at the end of their tier, and that's not a good model.

Otherwise they have a great system, and honestly for the reliability and simplicity of the system and comparative affordability of their hardware, they'd still be a really good option for a lot of people. For someone interested in a self-monitoring system though, they aren't just a bad option, they aren't an option. They just don't offer it. They claim to (called "local monitoring" if you speak with customer service), which is really what I find troubling. I found this out only after my first call occurred about a week after my first alarm incident. Turns out it was a false alarm when the wind nudged a loose window sash, but I was traveling and had a siren running keeping my neighbors up in the middle of the night. SimpliSafe got my $25, and if it weren't for the fact that they don't have ANY return option after the 60 day return window, even with a restock/shipping fee, they wouldn't be getting a dime beyond that.

If you're still within that window and looking for something similar with a solid self-monitoring option, check out Iris. There are others, but Iris is definitely the most like SimpliSafe, and their product is actually free to use after you buy the hardware. Even their top-tier off-site monitoring only runs $15/mo. SS would do well to notice that's the current market price.

To me, $24.99 to protect my home and give one peace of mind is worth it.

I did A LOT of research on non-contract alarm systems and SimpliSafe was by far the best value when I purchased SS2 4-5 years ago. I relate the current perception of the high cost to competition that has appeared since that time (e.g., the present lower prices for seemingly the same service now make SimpliSafe look expensive). I, perhaps, might have gone with a different alarm with the monitoring prices of 2018 vs. 2013-2014.

I have said it previously - due to market competition, SimpliSafe might do well to offer the Interactive Plan at the $14.99 price point, but to me, the cost to professionally protect everything I own is invaluable. I have single items in my home that are worth decades of the monthly fee. And while I do not expect it, if it ever came down to affordability, I can find other things to slash from my monthly expenses to keep monitoring. Some are not necessities - I deem the fee for the system essential.

I would hate to come home to find stolen items and damage for $15-$25. Because I would not count the years in total in such an instance, I would count the one month a burglary happened as the only cost that matters.