If your contract is up or if you’re moving, you may wonder what to do with the old ADT system. The same applies if you’ve bought a house with an existing ADT system. So what do you do with an old ADT system?
If you own the ADT system, you can sell the parts online, reprogram it to work with other security services, or leave it as it is. If you don’t own the system, you can contact ADT to have it removed. However, ADT won’t normally buy back their old systems and may even charge you to remove them.
This article will discuss what to do with an old ADT system, whether you can reuse some components, and when you should throw it away. I’ll also cover what to do if the system was leased in someone else’s name.
Practical Ways to Upcycle an Old ADT System
The first step when trying to decide what to do with an old ADT system is to try to sell the entire system or some of the parts online. This will allow you to make some money from the security system since you’re not using it anymore.
If you can’t sell the old ADT security system, you can try connecting it with a different security provider. However, you’ll first have to check ADT’s terms of service for the equipment and make sure that there isn’t any clause preventing you from using the equipment with a different service provider.
Some equipment, such as security cameras and sensors, can be reprogrammed to work with other software. If you have a more advanced system, you can try selling the parts online, but make sure that you own the system first.
If the security system is too old and you can’t reuse it, the last option is to throw it away or recycle the parts.
Will ADT Buy Back an Old Security System?
ADT won’t usually buy back an old security system unless it’s still in high demand and you own the system. Most people will sign an agreement that gives the rights of the security system operation to ADT.
This means that even if you own an ADT security system, they don’t have to buy it back from you since only ADT can operate it. However, you can probably sell the ADT system to a third party, as long as you don’t use the same equipment with a different service provider.
The only downside to this is that old ADT security systems sell for pennies because many of them aren’t compatible with newer systems. Some people have even claimed that the ADT signs are more valuable than the security system!
Stipulations to What You Can Do With an Old ADT System
What you can do with an old ADT system often depends on how you acquire the system. If you’ve installed the ADT system and have ownership, you can practically do whatever you wish with it when your contract is over since you’ve already paid for the system hardware. However, if you’ve leased it, you’ll have to return the equipment or leave it as it is.
Here are some things you can do with an old ADT system, depending on how you got it:
You’ve Installed the System, and Your Subscription Is Over
In this case, you’ll have to look at the contract or contact ADT to check whether you’ve bought the equipment or were leasing it under the monthly contract. If you’ve bought the equipment, you can legally use it any way you like.
As mentioned previously, ADT doesn’t usually buy back their equipment because it’s not economical, so you’ll have to dispose of it yourself if you don’t want it anymore.
Your Contract Is Over, and You Don’t Own the System
If you install the ADT system and the contract states that the equipment is under lease, you won’t legally own it when your contract is up. So, if you decide to switch from ADT to another security company or you cancel your ADT membership for whatever reason, you’ll have to return the equipment.
Simply contact ADT and tell them that you’re no longer interested in their services. In some cases, they will come to retrieve the equipment without charging you anything. However, if you have an older ADT system and they don’t think it’s worth reusing, they may charge you to remove it from your property.
Unfortunately, you can’t really do anything with the ADT system if you don’t own it, but you can remove it yourself and call ADT to pick it up. If they don’t pick it up after a few days, you can store it somewhere, but you won’t be able to reuse or resell the equipment.
You’ve Bought a House With an Old ADT System
If you’ve bought a house that already has an old ADT system, you shouldn’t do anything with it until you know its status through ADT. Contact ADT and check whether the system was under lease or if the previous owner paid for the equipment. If the system was paid for, you could choose to use it by going into contract with ADT. Since the equipment is already installed, you may get a discount.
If you don’t want to use the ADT security system or want to upgrade, you can remove the ADT equipment. You can try selling it online, but keep in mind that old ADT equipment is almost worthless depending on how old it is.
If the previous owner had the ADT system installed on lease, contact ADT to take their equipment back. If they don’t come to remove it, contact the previous owner and ask them to collect the equipment.
Of course, you can always leave the system intact in case you choose to use ADT in the future, but only do so if the ADT system isn’t too old.
Final Thoughts
Old ADT systems may still have potential, and it may seem like a waste to throw them away. ADT doesn’t normally buy back old security systems, so you’ll have to try selling it to a third party or reuse it in some way.
If your contract is over and you don’t own the equipment, it’s better to contact ADT to have them retrieve the equipment if you don’t want to subscribe to their service.
