For the homeowners who are planning to use the Vivint home security system, they are likely to ask “What is the Vivint contract length?” The usual period of the contract extends from 36 to 60 months or 3 to 5 years. It is important to understand the length of time you are locked into a contract with Vivint and the terms of this contract to decide if this is the security company for you.
Standard Vivint Contract Length
This standard Vivint contract is valid for 36 months, which is 3 years for most new customers with no restrictions. This means that before you can be allowed to access the various services offered by the company, you are required to agree to be loyal to the company for at least 3 years. In case you opt to exercise the option of terminating the subscription before the 3-year term elapses, then you are subjected to an early termination fee.
Vivint Flex Pay Option
While Vivint does provide the Flex Pay month-to-month contract plan, it’s not completely clear how much it costs with the aforementioned features included. We take advantage of the Flex Pay plan which does not have any form of contract or early termination fees. However, the monthly cost of service is slightly higher with Flex Pay for this reason only that Flex Pay is more flexible. If you might be moving or if you would like to switch to another provider shortly, the Flex Pay plan helps you avoid paying the early termination fees.
60-Month Financing Option
Another option is the 60-month or 5-year contract for those consumers who need Vivint to credit the equipment and the installation at the company. This extended financing agreement also involves 60 months of payment distribution and has a lower monthly payment obligation. Just remember that you will be required to pay for reimbursement costs for the other equipment within the balance within the 60-month term of the plan.
Some of the questions that People Ask When Their Contracts with Vivint Expire
After 3, 5, or 1 year of your commitment to Vivint, you will be presented with absolutely important decisions. First, Vivint will notify you of their intention to extend your contract, and they do this about 60 to 90 days before the contract comes to an end. This offer will contain signing a new contract at a proposed monthly rate for the next contract term.
You have three options when your initial Vivint contract is up:
- Agree to Vivint’s renewal offer for a new long-term contract of contract term of 36 or 60 months. This may come in the form of new equipment or other promotions that may be offered from time to time.
- If possible, pay-as-you-go or subscribe to the Flex Pay month-to-month. You do not sign another long-term contract but; you are charged higher monthly fees than you would have paid with a standard contract.
- Cancel all services with Vivint and end service immediately with no early termination fee. However, if you do so, you will be deprived of the Vivint services as well as the monitored home security, unless you opt for the services of another provider.
When financing equipment, you should have this cleared when your first initial 3 or 5-year contract has ended with Vivint. The only additional charges you can be expected to meet are what you may take when you agree to an upgrade of equipment at the time of renewal.
What voids the Vivint Contract?
There are a few circumstances that can result in your Vivint contract being canceled without owing the early termination fee:
- You change location to a place that Vivint doesn’t offer its services.
- You put your home up for sale and produce the documents to Vivint for them to see to their understanding.
- He/she dies, or the contract passes on to his/her heirs.
Further, some state laws place specific limits as to the extent of enforceability of long-term security system contracts. But at times, you might make a call to the customer service department and be granted a waiver of the cancellation fees due to financial difficulties.
However, in most situations, if you wish to cancel your Vivint service early, then I have to pay the remaining months of monitoring fees as mentioned in the contract. Thus, the 3-year Vivint contract, in this case, cannot be terminated since the company cannot be told to do so by their clients just because the clients have changed their minds or have been offered better rates by other providers.
How to Terminate a Vivint Contract Before the Stipulated Time?
Okay, but what happens when you want to cancel your Vivint contract and do not fit into the cancellation exceptions? Here are a few options to consider if you still have many months or years left on your existing Vivint agreement:
Pay the early termination fee: Subtract any money you have paid on any fees contracted between you and the firm. This will be costly but allows for the possibility of cancellation at very short notice.
Attempt to negotiate: It will be important to contact Vivint customer retention and explain to him or her why one wants to cancel early. Gently enquire if they could let one know if they could dispense with the termination fee or if it could be partially waived.
Transfer the contract: If this is permitted in your state, a new homeowner can assume the Vivint contract when buying a house from you.
Suspend monitoring: Another benefit of using Vivint is that the company may allow you to temporarily stop your monitoring services (for example, if you are on summer break). You can still have services suspended but receive monthly fees.
Assign home sale contingency: Include a provision for Vivint security services to the buyer purchase agreement of a home and make cancellation fees a buyer’s responsibility.
The only ways that can enable a customer to cancel without incurring penalties are the sale of the home and relocation to an area where Vivint does not offer its services. In all other cases, you should prepare to pay for rather steep termination fees to get out of your contract.
Vivint Contract FAQs
What are the requirements to sign up for the Flex Pay month-to-month Vivint plan? Some restrictions apply, for instance, applicants must have good credit and meet the required credit score to be granted the expensive Flex Pay option.
Is it possible for me to switch between the Vivint plans at a later date? Of course, it is possible to alter the monitoring plan and services even after being enrolled already. However, you cannot switch to Flex Pay options for the month-to-month services during the existence of a long-term contract.
Can I renew my membership before the expiration of my current membership contract period? Vivint may allow a customer to renew a few months early to enjoy the new offers from the company. However, renewing early is like starting a new long-term contract period all over again.
Are there any Vivint equipment costs after the first verbal agreement? Whatever equipment you get from Vivint is paid when you reach the end of the standard 3 or 5-year contract term. After that, you own it unless you decide to go for new equipment which renews the financing cycle.
Does Vivint cost more when one is not tied to any contract? Yes, the Vivint service is a little higher, costing between 10 to 15 dollars more per month if you do not take one of its long-term deals. The contract lets Vivint maintain a flexible rate schedule that is lower than that of other energy providers.
When it comes to the question of whether or not you should buy out your Vivint contract
Therefore if you still have more than a year of your Vivint contract, the option of purchasing your way out and switching to another provider may not be financially profitable. This is on top of cancellation fees and equipment reimbursement fees for over $1,000, which are owed back to Vivint. But any complaints should be directed at making Vivint obliged to boost the performance or service delivery during the current contractual term.
However, if there are only a few months of contract remaining until the expiration with Vivint, it can be more reasonable to purchase the termination of the contract to find a better rate or the other provider. It is just a simple math let me crunch the numbers to see if eating the remaining fees now will save more money rather than continue the service for a few more months until the end of the contract.
There is no standard rule regarding when to buy out your agreement early or if you actually should do so in every situation that presents itself. However, do not get carried away by the lure of a new contractor and impulsively cancel a still-active Vivint contract without knowledge of the financial implications. That is why, in many cases, continuing working in the place till the contract expires is financially more profitable in the long run.
Observations and Conclusion on Vivint Contract Length
To recap key points about the length of Vivint security contracts: The standard contract terms offered are 36 months or 60 months which is equivalent to 3 years or 5 years respectively.
- Flex Pay month-to-month plans cost more than the prices offered under term contracts but come with no strings attached.
- Long-term contracts display early termination fees should the contract be terminated earlier.
- Renewal offers are extended to clients 60-90 days before their subscription expires.
- It is usually costly to exercise this option, especially when the contract has many active conditions.
When deciding on which company to go for, consider both Vivint’s services and the time frame that is most appropriate for you. And know what is acceptable for cancellation before you enter any home security contract that you cannot fully adhere to for the agreed time. Gaining some knowledge on what you are likely to encounter from the Vivint contract makes one more equipped when it comes to securing the house.
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