In this guide, we will answer common questions about canceling your ADT contract and in what cases you can get out of it without paying penalties.
Many people may be unhappy with the ADT service or maybe they found other better services and are willing to drop ADT.
Can you cancel the ADT contract?
YES, you can cancel the contract anytime by calling ADT customer service at 800-238-2727. However, you may need to pay penalties and it depends on how many months you have left in the contract and what kind of contract you signed. Generally speaking:
- You can cancel in the first six months with no penalties by using ADT money-back service guarantee. However, the ADT’s service terms are not very clear on what constitutes a reason to get a refund. Either way, check your contract or call them for more information.
- After six months, you can cancel the contract by paying 75% of the remaining balance.
Do you need to pay fees to cancel ADT?
The fees depend on how long you have had the ADT alarm system and what kind of tier service you’re getting from them. If you had an ADT alarm system for longer than six months, you’ll pay 75% of the remaining balance on your contract.
Actually, these fees are lower than many alarm and security companies such as Brinks, Protect America, SimpliSafe, and Alder, which charge between 80% and 90% of the remaining balance.
The table below gives estimated termination fees for ADT alarm systems and their most popular service types (data compiled in June 2021). The estimation does not include taxes or if you’re financing the equipment or the whole alarm system.
ADT Contract Termination Fees
ADT cancellation policy
- Customers have to pay 75% of the remaining monthly charges when canceling the contract early.
- ADT has a 36-month contract in all states except California which is 24 months.
- There’s a six-month money-back service guarantee. Terms of getting a refund may vary.
What is ADT’s money-back guarantee?
The ADT money-back guarantee sounds good on paper but it’s actually pretty vague. For example, it’s not clear if an ADT customer can cancel the service out of dissatisfaction or for other technical issues.
This is how the ADT defines the six-month service guarantee: “Money-back service guarantee only applies after ADT has made attempts to resolve a system-related issue and has not been able to resolve that issue within the first 6 months of your contract. Equipment must be fully removed before a refund will be processed. Conditions preventing normal system operation cannot be caused by the customer.”
A “system-related issue” is a general term and moreover, they say you can get the money back only if they can’t solve the problem. From our reports, you may need to fight hard with their representative to get the money back on the 6-month trial period.
Can you cancel my ADT service online?
No, you can’t cancel online. If it’s online, it’s too easy for customers to cancel the service, ADT wants to make the cancellation process difficult to stop users from canceling.
To cancel the ADT contract, you need to call their customer service via phone at 800-238-2727. During the call, the ADT representative will give you instructions about the fees you’ll need to pay and how to submit the cancelation requisition. If you think that they owe you a refund, go hard on the agent and insist on getting a refund.
Is it okay to cancel the ADT contract early?
First, you’ll have to pay any applicable termination fees and it’s usually 75% of the remaining charges, it depends on your service type. Then ADT will send you a prepaid box with instructions on how to return their equipment. Make sure not to miss any device when packing up.
If you cancel the first six months of what they consider a trial period, you may get a refund on the card that you paid after the ADT received the equipment in their prepaid box.
The refund may include the equipment cost that you paid upfront, installation fees, monitoring fees, etc.
What happens after the ADT contract ends?
Once the initial contract ends without any cancellation from the customer’s end, the contract automatically renews on a month-to-month basis until you decide to cancel.
In this case, you just pay the monthly dues and then you can cancel if you want to without the need to pay any fees.
It’s better to check the contract and specifically the clause when the contract ends. Sometimes the contract gets renewed to a longer term. Simply read the paper or contact ADT for more information.
