Nest to ADT+ Complaint Thread

[bttampa]

I recently made the forced switch to ADT+ after having invested thousands into Nest Products.  Three weeks in, and here are the biggest issues I've found:

1) The ADT+ App doesn't show any of the Google Cameras I have.  I've linked my Google Home App and accounts and given the permission to share between the two apps, but I just get a message "Limited Access - Tap to Troubleshoot"

2) The ADT+ App doesn't even recognize the wired Nest Doorbell I have.  They include battery powered doorbell, of the same model I already have, and don't want to change it out.  ADT support said existing doorbell should work, but it does not.

3) ADT+ Hub/Key Pad numbers do not light up!  You can't see any of the buttons/numbers at night or early in the morning, and by the time you get your flashlight on your phone turned on, you might as well use the app to activate/de-activate.

4) ADT+ window/door sensors regularly miss being opened or closed if done too quickly.  We live in an older home, and the space between the door and the sensor is just under the 1" recommended distance apart.  When opening the door too fast, it won't sense the opening, but then you close it and it thinks that was the door opening, so the alarm can't be set because it thinks the door is open.  ADT did send a replacement, but it's doing the same thing.

I am sure I will learn of additional issues, but these are the big ones so far.  Hopefully Google and ADT+ will be able to tighten some things up before the deadline.

[pacommander]

The fact the Google is DISABLING equipment WE bought and OWN, seems underhanded, to say the least. Personally, I'd rather self-monitor than deal with ADT, but we don't even have that option. This seems like a class-action in the waiting.

[ndavid]

Thanks for making this thread, as I see no other way of sending feedback to google about the colossal f--- up this process has been.  

I understand that transitions are going to have some hiccups.  When I first set up my Nest Secure there was a learning period, but I was able to figure out everything pretty much on my own.  

The ADT+ system is a whole different beast.  I hate it.  I hate every part of it.  I went into the process with an open mind, and have been disappointed at EVERY step as every aspect of the system has felt like a significant downgrade.  I'm going to list them here.

1. The ADT hub is at least twice the size of the nest secure hub.  It did not set up seamlessly the first time, requiring three or four reboots before it would even talk to my wifi.  I adjust settings in their crap app, like turning off the need for a code to use the arming buttons, and it doesn't seem to do anything, and the hub just functions randomly.  I tried telling it to stop sending doorbell face alerts from my busy neighborhood to my email; nothing, still getting spammed. The hub will break you.  The hub recognizes no masters but itself.

3. I picked up one of the really cool IQ cameras originally with my Nest Secure, and the integration was seamless.  It's not compatible with their app.  No timeline for when it might be.  $300 out the window

4. The door sensors don't have a quiet leave button.  They don't have a motion sensor.  It took about an hour per sensor to even get them communicating with the hub.  Their design looks like a cheap out of the box proximity sensor from a middle school robotics league

5. They don't have tags for the base station, but instead have button keychains.  These are not included and cost $20 a pop.  These will also take anywhere from an hour to two hours of swearing, tears, and regret to get properly paired with the base station.  The battery holder inside is cheap and the batteries can come loose.  The buttons require holding for 5-10 seconds to send a signal.  Half the time the base station doesn't pick up the signal.  They are worse than useless.  Do not buy these unless you like fumbling with your keychain like a sweaty idiot while your alarm goes off.  

6. Have I mentioned how much the base station is worthless junk?  It will randomly decide to stop communicating with google home and will not respond to voice commands.  1-2 hours on average of rebooting, disconnecting services, reconnecting services, to get it to communicate.  It has randomly decided at least twice now in the month I've had it to disconnect itself.  It's 3 feet from my wifi router with optimal signal and uninterrupted power.  It is perhaps, only powered by spite.  

7.  The alarm is significantly softer than the Nest Secure.  In comparison, it feels like a gentle suggestive tweet or a far away car alarm.  The Nest Secure alarm was definitely a "GTFO" alarm.  The ADT hub alarm I could probably sleep through.

8. Their app integration with cameras is laughably bad.  Like, circa early 2000's bad.  The nest doorbell, the one camera that's supposed to work with their system cannot get a live feed through, and is always crashing and spinning.  Despite this, it works just fine in the google home app, with zero latency.  The problem is somewhere in between the integration of the two apps, and I don't have any hope for it getting better.  This means the ADT+ app is basically the place my security hopes go to die.

9.  Their tech support is like sticking your face in a fire ant hill.  They have separated their tech support channels, so the only way you can get support for ADT+ products is by calling their dedicated line.  No chat, no email, just a phone line that connects to hell.  Their tech agents are unfamiliar with their products, overseas, and seem to just be reading a manual on the fly.  I spent an hour with a person who had no idea what he was doing, and gave me incorrect information multiple times, as well as just made things up out of thin air.  I worked a helpdesk for 10 years and trained techs as well as dealt with escalated issues.  It was one of the worst helpdesk experiences I've ever had.  

In conclusion, don't migrate.  Take the $200 and run.  

If you're google and reading this, SHAME.  Your products used to be cutting edge and reliable.  This rug pulling and substitute partnership with ADT is beyond the pale of bad, and will lose you reputation and customers for years.  You made me briefly consider the one thing I swear I would never do, which is migrate to apple.  As it stands, I will never buy or recommend another home product from you again.  

[pacommander]

Ready to join in a class action against Google? I am.

[Neveragaingoogl]

I am too! I'm sure MANY people are as well who are only lurking and not speaking up.

[NoNoNope]

I’m dropping all my google products after this switch. The ADT setup has been absolutely abysmal and won’t work for me because our doors are recessed. Attempts to get this fixed with ADT has proven fruitless because their customer service is infuriating. Wouldn’t recommend people take this ADT “deal” and while the $200 credit is a slap in the face, at least it’s something. This is a such a monumental failure on googles part and I anticipate a large drop off in customers because of it 

[shouldbeworking]

Unacceptable oversight from Google and ADT. 

I've got three very expensive professionally installed outdoor cameras that apparently just won't work with my security system where under the Nest Secure/Brinks partnership they were workin fine. They're also the most critical outdoor areas to monitor for security purposes.

As a separate issue: I couldn't get any reasonable clarity about this from support either. Google chat transferred me twice, gave carbon copy templated answers, and then instructed me to call ADT. ADT gave me a phone number that routed to a sales pitch for a life-alert device, and when I asked to be transferred to tech support they hung up on me. I called the main number, received the same templated replies as from Google support, and then they instructed me to call back later to give the issue description for a 5th time and then be transferred to a manager to explain a 6th time. 

[Anon455435]

I literally hate the ADT product and transition.  This is total garbage.  The Nest Secure still works great.  Just let me keep it! 

[Lance_L]

Hello everyone,

Thanks for posting in our Community. We appreciate people who want to share their thoughts and insights with us.

While we don’t support the ADT+ app, we can point you in the right direction. Our friends at ADT are the perfect folks to help you with it. You can reach them at 877-464-7437,  Mondays to Fridays, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. EST, and Saturdays to Sundays: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST.

Best regards,

Lance

[ndavid]

Lance, most of us who have navigated the switch already have experience with the ADT+ support line, and it is /really/ bad.  I'm talking, call center overseas, representatives who have no actual experience with the system or devices in front of them, reading off of cue cards, no escalation for complicated issues, giving wrong information and gaslighting you, no idea what's actual going with your account bad.  

I understand you are under a mandate to be chipper and respond with a branded script to our issues, but this comes across as tone deaf and insincere in a really really obnoxiously messed up way.  Quite frankly, you sound like a sadistic robot, and if I ever had a tech working for me respond to customer issues with such a blithe and borderline condescenting script, I would pull them back for coaching.  I am giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming your manager is compelling you to respond this way, but I am kinda shocked it got posted anyways.  It looks bad, man.

What we are looking to hear from google is this 

1.  We are so sorry this has been a frustrating experience transitioning to ADT+, we want the Google experience to be a rewarding partnership and we regret the necessity of discontinuing the nest secure service has had such a negative impact on your relationship with our services. 
2. We have escalated your complaints to our customer experience managers and they are following up with our partners at ADT to address the issues you have expressed with their service.  We take your concerns seriously and want you to know that Google will ensure its partners provide appropriate support and service for any related or promoted product.  
3. If you continue to have issues with your transition, please contact our escalated support line at (insert contact details for actual human support person who has the agency to straighten things out and issue refunds, etc).  

The people at ADT are not your "friends."  From reading any of these threads you would know how insane it sounds to moniker them "the perfect folks."  To say "point you in the right direction" after we've already discussed, here, how unhelpful they are, is condescending and out of pocket.  

Honestly if the community specialists are limited to responding this way, silence is almost a better response.  

[Manda1]

Simply put, the ADT+ system belongs in the trash

[WaspSting]

I just got the terrible ADT system. Same thing with my cameras. Pretty much worthless. At least they still work in the nest and home apps.

[Tiberhits]

• After speaking with a google “specialist” I was told once I purchase nest aware through the Adt app then I would be able to view all my cameras in the app. On the app it directs me to call to order nest aware. I call and get told I have to purchase something in order to add nest aware! Hello?! I just purchased your system that google gave the credit for?! No that doesn’t cut it. You got to buy a camera…. Ok so I buy the camera (can never have enough) Installed it 10 mins ago. I can only see the new camera in the Adt app none of my original nest cameras. Absolute rubbish that they assured me that it would work then it does not?! Refund please!