Vivint Contracts

Love it or hate it, many home security companies want you to sign on the dotted line before you even switch on their equipment. We’ve seen this from big-name brands like Frontpoint, ADT, and Vivint. While some companies make long-term contracts compulsory, others offer it as an option, sometimes as part of a financing agreement.

We recently contacted a Vivint representative and had them set us up with a smart home security system. Of course, we first pored over the contract with a fine-tooth comb before signing our life away.

Truth is, there’s a lot of scuttlebutt about how strict Vivint is with their contracts. But the reality is, Vivint contracts aren’t stricter or more cumbersome than the rest of the industry. Also, Vivint contracts are mostly associated with financing, in the same way contracts are associated with financing a car or smartphone. Vivint’s cancellation policy offers some very reasonable outs as well. At the end of the day, Vivint’s contracts aren’t so bad — though we do share a few caveats to consider. Without further ado, let’s check it out.

Unboxing the Vivint Smart Hub

Overview of Vivint Contracts

We’ll be honest, if you do engage in a Vivint contract, expect to be on-the-hook for at least a few years. Their contract terms have ranged from 42 to 60 months — and if you’re doing the math, that’s three and a half years to 5 years. These terms are a bit longer than ADT's contracts, which typically lasts three years (or two years in California).

Now, this doesn’t mean you should write Vivint off and go with a no-contract home security system. If you’re committed to buying a premier system, a Vivint contract  won’t feel like a major commitment. There’s so much to love about Vivint. If you’re a homeowner and you plan on staying in your home for a few years, a Vivint contract will just feel like one more part of the joyful experience that is homeownership.

Also, Vivint only requires a long-term contract if you choose to finance your equipment over time. In which case, they want to contractually bind you into making your monthly payments, which is not only par for the course, it’s par for life. So in a sense, they don’t “require” a long-term commitment. However, Vivint does require paying a month-to-month monitoring fee for its equipment to work.

Vivint’s Month-to-Month Options

If you’re willing to purchase your Vivint equipment upfront, then you’ll only have to pay for Vivint monitoring on a month-to-month basis. This is ideal, but we understand that money doesn’t grow on trees, and Vivint sells some of the most expensive equipment on the market.

Expect to shell out about $500 to $600 for a Vivint package with the sophisticated Smart Hub, door/window sensors, and a motion sensor. If you want the works (which is what we got), you’ll be spending upwards of $1,000 or more on a Smart Hub, sensors, indoor and outdoor cameras, and a smart doorbell camera. And keep in mind that you’ll still have a monitoring bill coming in at $30 to $45 per month. In our case, since we had cameras, we had to go with the most expensive monitoring plan.

For some folks, contracts aren’t a big deal, in which case we’d recommend going with Vivint’s zero-interest financing. For others, contracts are to be avoided like the plague. We’re somewhere in the middle. We’d rather go month-to-month, but we also see Vivint’s contracts as a tool if you don’t have the cash on-hand for a full smart home system. After all, there's no interest if you have your system financed, so really, the contract is the only tradeoff. At any rate, you have options.

Vivint Smart Home Equipment

Vivint’s Cancellation Policy

All right, so you’re about to sign a Vivint contract, but first you want to know about their cancellation policy. Smart!

To cancel your contract, you can either snail mail, email, or fax a written Notice of Cancellation to the company. Be sure to do this at least 30-days before your intended cancellation date. Include the following info on your cancellation notice:

• The date of the cancellation letter
• Your Vivint service number
• Your intent to cancel your contract
• A brief explanation of why you wish to cancel
• Your signature

So… that sounds pretty easy. Well, not so fast. You’ll still be on the hook for your remaining equipment balance when you cancel. And let’s not forget the penalty for early cancellation: $300 during the first year and $150 after that.

Now you might be asking, “isn’t there a way to cancel without a penalty?” And the answer just might surprise you. Let’s dig into that next.

How to Cancel A Vivint Contract Without Penalty

In some ways, Vivint drives a hard bargain. But there are a number of ways to get out of the contract without paying a penalty. Of course, this is all in the fine print… but why read the fine print when we share it loud and proud right here?

Just note that the following “contract nullifiers” must be reviewed by Vivint’s Exceptions Review Team. It’s not as easy as calling in and saying “fare thee well.” The company will handle each cancellation request on a case-by-case basis.

Special Circumstances for Penalty-Free Contract Cancellation

Right of Rescission — When our Vivint technician Don installed our equipment, he also handed us two copies of the ‘Notice of Cancellation’. It explicitly said that we had three days to cancel our service without penalty. Since most companies offer a 30-day money back guarantee (ADT offers a 6-month guarantee!), we weren’t thrilled with Vivint’s 3-day “return policy.” But something’s better than nothing.

Life or Death — Another way you can get out of your Vivint contract is if you die. We know it sounds crass, and it’s kind of ridiculous that Vivint would even need to write this in the contract. But the truth is, many debts transfer to the deceased person’s estate; but Vivint doesn’t. So thankfully, your loved ones will have one less thing to worry about if you happen to pass. Rest assured they can cancel your Vivint contract without an issue.

Move to Retirement Home — You can also cancel your Vivint contract penalty-free if you move into a nursing home or retirement home. After all, if it’s a half-decent establishment, they’ll already have a security system in place. We’re glad that Vivint put this clause in the contract, as the decision to move into a retirement home is often out of your hands. If you’re a mature adult, read about our top-rated home security systems for seniors here.

Bankruptcy or Bust — Do not pass go, do not collect $200. We know bankruptcy is nothing to joke about, as it happens to a lot of good people for various reasons. If you’ve found yourself in a world of financial trouble, Vivint offers an “out” for folks like you. Just be sure to keep all of your bankruptcy records organized and ready to share with the Exceptions Review Team.

Military Deployment — If you’re active duty or reserve military and you’re about to be deployed for 6+ months, then you can get out of your Vivint contract scot-free. This is also true if you receive PCS orders, if you’re medically discharged, or go into retirement for 20+ years. But again, have your official orders ready to go.

Qualified Candidate Takeover — This one comes with a penalty, but if a friend or family member is willing to take over your Vivint agreement, at least you won’t be on the hook for your equipment balance and monitoring fees going forward. In our case, we had a few houseguests ooh-ing and ahh-ing at Vivint’s smart home capabilities (especially with the cameras). So we think this will be an easy out for some folks.

What Happens to My Contract if I Move?

Bon voyage Vivint? Unfortunately, you cannot get out of Vivint’s contract just because you move across town, across the country, or even across the world. With that said, Vivint does offer some great moving options, and they have a whole team (called Move Specialists) dedicated to relocating current users. From what we’ve seen, they’re flexible to work with users to find a solution here.

When you move with Vivint, you can:

• Customize a new Vivint system from the ground-up
• Take down and move your existing Vivint system yourself
• Have Vivint Smart Home Pros take down and reinstall your system for you

It’s worth mentioning that Vivint doesn’t offer service out of the country. So if you’re prone to wander, think long and hard before signing with Vivint. But if you’re simply moving within your city, state, or within the country, reach out to Vivint two weeks before the big move; they’ll need to pencil you in for professional installation.

One final note on moving with Vivint. Our technician Don (pictured below) told us that when we decide to move, he would personally drop by to spackle and paint any drill holes he left in our wall (if you’re reading this, Don, we’re holding you to your word). That’s a nice little touch and speaks to their end-to-end service.

Photo of our Vivint Installation Specialist, Don

Vivint Warranty and Service Plans

Vivint’s default warranty leaves something to be desired. Your equipment is covered for 120 days (4 months), while we normally see 1- to 3-year warranties from other home security brands. You can still get your equipment serviced after the first 4 months, but you’ll have to fork out $49 per Smart Home Pro visit. Note that each service visit does come with a 60-day guarantee, which we think is nice.

Your other option is to purchase the Premium Service plan for an additional $10 per month. We decided to go this route, so if we need Vivint’s help for any reason, all service visits are covered (we won’t pay a dime extra). Since we have over $1,000 invested in Vivint, what’s an extra $10 per month to ensure our system remains in tip-top shape? That’s money well spent in our book.

Billing Options

Vivint prefers paperless billing and auto-withdrawal (of course). You can set this up in your Vivint account online if you like auto payments. You can also choose direct invoice billing (snail mail), or you can pay manually online each month. We were a bit surprised by our first bill to be honest — and not necessarily in a bad way. It just seemed really official and professional; not something we’d expect from a home security company. But then again, Vivint is positioned as an industry leader from a customer experience standpoint.

Installation and Activation Fees

Keep in mind that you may have to pay for installation and activation with Vivint. The company typically charges between $99 and $199 for an installation. This is fairly standard for professionally installed home security systems, and it’s in-line with ADT and their installation charges.

Now, you don’t always have to pay Vivint’s installation fee. The company frequently runs deals and promotions that waive the installation and activation costs.

The Bottom Line on Vivint Contracts

If you’re completely turned off by contracts, Vivint might not be the best fit for you. While they don’t require a contract if you pay for your equipment upfront, Vivint will lock you into a 3-5 year agreement if you wish to finance your system. So think of it like purchasing a shiny new smartphone like an iPhone (which can cost upwards of $1,000 or more!). Thankfully, if your credit is decent, you’ll just get on a payment plan and spread those payments over the coming years. Same deal with Vivint.

Of course, if you can swing it, we do think it’s best to bite the bullet and pay for your Vivint equipment upfront. But if you have to sign a contract, we do think it’s worth it to get one of the best smart home security systems on the market. In our experience, Vivint impressed us in just about every category. And for that, a little ink-on-paper isn’t the end of the world. This is especially true for homeowners with a bit of disposable income to work with. That’s our story, and we’re sticking to it.