Read the reviews! Trust the reviews! Believe the customer! Absolutely abysmal performance, service and customer support especially! It's no wonder they only offer a three year contract. They have no choice! If the customer had the ability to cancel anytime or at the end of a regular 12 month agreement I could not imagine this company still being in business. Many new homes are being built pre wired for Datasmart functions and home builders are offering 36 months of free service with Datasmart (doorbell with very limited functions). Even with that offer, I can't in good faith recommend this company (Datasmart/Duncan Security) to anyone looking for reliable, competent, honest, trustworthy, courteous and professional service for products or services relating to home security. read more

When I purchased a new home, it was prewired by Datasmart (Duncan Security) for various functions such as smart cameras, doorbells, speaker systems, thermostats, wireless access points for the internet, irrigation systems, locks, electrical switches, alarm systems, and more. I was introduced to two Datasmart employees including Bradley Tew and Ty Gibbs. When Bradley first arrived, he walked me through the entire home's wiring system and shared with me my options. He was very thorough with answering my questions, and I purchased multiple items. We scheduled an installer, and the entire package was put together in a few hours. They also spent time educating me about each device and showed me how to control it from one seamless app on my phone. As I was interested in more services, Bradley sent me Ty Gibbs' contact information as he was better suited for technical questions regarding the internet. After multiple phone calls with Ty, I felt he knew exactly what he was talking about, and I felt comfortable moving forward with a wireless access point package. Again, we scheduled installers, and the work was completed in a couple hours. Overall, I am very happy with my experience working with Bradley Tew, Ty Gibbs, and the entire Datasmart team. I would highly recommend them for all your home automation needs and more in the Houston area. read more

Lazy workmanship. No wires labeled after the pre wired for whole house audio. That's not not labeling any breakers in an electrical box. read more

DataSmart Home Technologies - This is the mess I pulled out the wall after they wired for 'whole house audio' - Security Systems Near Me - Houston, Texas

Right from the start they showed up to the installation with the wrong equipment and had to reschedule causing me to miss a second day of work. During the two years we were locked into a contract, we had equipment failure after failure. When we did have an alarm they didn't call us or report the alarm to the police. I feel generous giving them 1 star! Yelp can we get a no star review? Zero is what they deserve. read more

My Alarms beeps three times a day I'm 18 months into a 36 month contract with Duncan, so I'm screwed for another 18 months. They were very helpful taking my money for an alarm and three surveillance cameras but I'm screwed if I need help with it. About two weeks ago one of my fire alarms started beeping in the middle of the night, so in the morning I changed the batteries in all 8 of them. From then on, I have problems setting my alarm, with it "protesting" for "Smoke Detector Tampering". Then at 8Am, 6Pm and 9pm on the second each day my keyboards start going nuts until I get up and reset. A call to the tech support was a total waste of time. They only monitor 2 of the 8 and only list them as "Upstairs" but not which of the 6 upstairs. The tech says the problem is because one isn't mounted properly. I never unmounted to change the batteries, but I've checked all connections and mounts (now they all been unmounted and remounted) and they appear to be correct. They can come out to look at, but its at a charge, I believe $99 per 1/2 hour. I've even tried swapping around smoke detectors - since only two are monitored - and nothing. I gave these people thousands for my install and pay like $80 a month. Big regrets and can't wait until I can drop Duncan Security like a lead balloon! I hope others the will see how their installation and monitoring works, and move on with someone who has Customer Service. Duncan has Customer Service, but in my opinion, its Bad Customer Service. read more

Very uncomfortable experience with the install tech. When I made a complaint and asked for him not to return for the additional set up needed I was told they've had complaints about him before but he is harmless. When the new tech came to finish the install he tried to call the original guy to come over to do it. When I complained to my rep she did report it to her boss and was supportive. Her boss and the techs manager had a call with me to explain my experience. They apologized for the experience but kept repeating he is harmless and has passed a background check and they hadn't heard of this happening before. When my builder complained they also told him the tech was harmless. This was not a harmless experience I was very uncomfortable and they seemed more upset that he offered to do a side job of mounting TVs (a service they also offer) than the fact that he was forcefully asking to plan a vacation together and trying to set up a time to hang out later in the week to the point I was concerned he would not leave until plans were made. I'm very upset that not only was it not taken seriously the first time I complained but also I was told conflicting stories about past reports as well as spending over $3,600 to feel unsafe in my home and still not have the system properly set up. The tech that returned to my home to finish set up said he was too busy to do all the settings and I can look it up on YouTube. Would not recommend. read more

Buyer beware! From Day 1, we've had problems with this equipment. In addition to the remote control being defective to the cameras not working. They have made a service call once a month to my house and when it goes out of warranty, they charge for the service call which is almost every 3 months. I've given up, I have equipment that is of no use to me and does not work. I would not recommend this company. No stars whatsoever! read more

I was with Duncan for 5 years. I signed on when we built our house, and because we moved a year before our 3 year contract was up, I had to renew their service for another 3 years at the new location... which brings me to today. The only time they ever called was around dinner time because of cooking - and even then it was such a delay, my house would've been 1/2 way burned down by the time they realized. Starting 4 months ago, October when my contract expired, I called to terminate. I was bounced around, told to expect verification documents, the whole run-around. That went on for 4 months of no call-backs while I continued to get billed... $45.45 every month on the regular. I finally today received the termination documents... and now I'm not sure if I'll actually get my refund to compensate for when this whole process was supposed to be terminated. I do not recommend. I'm putting in my own self-monitored security system that works with Alexa. read more

After 4 years of being a customer, we're still not happy with the service and lack of responsive from Datasmart. Rather than "own" their mistakes and shortcomings, they "hide"...don't respond to calls and the customer ends up in a never-ending loop of calls being transferred until you finally receive the voicemail that the office is closed or the call is disconnected. Highly frustrated with this company!!! Our $40k+ investment is a wash! I'll never recommend this company, because they don't serve their customers well. read more

Listen to the 2 star rating! Stay far away! Use a different company, there are so many out there. Customer service is terrible! 1 star... (read the other reviews) read more

If I could, I would give this review NO Stars. I am preparing a letter for the Corporate Headquarters for DataSmart and Duncan Security that I will also be sending to the BBB, Ashton Woods Headquarters and my attorney. To make somewhat of a long story short, here are my issues that will be documented in my certified mailed letter. * Docusigned Customer Acknowledgement Agreement with one final bill/cost. * Another DocuSign Change Order from Ashton Woods with a bill/cost of $750 more. * Took almost a week to hear back from a manager (Eric). And all he had was an apology, with no options of rectifying the error made by DataSmart. * Additional $750 was never explained or mentioned and not what I signed for. * I emailed, called and left a message with Grayson and never received a callback or email response. * Asked Eric, why Grayson never responded to any of my attempts to speak to him. He told me Grayson now works in another area. DataSmart/Duncan security should honor the signed agreement we made. read more

This is probably the worse company to work with. They are very unprofessional and haphazard. Their communications are the worst, technicians don't know what has been requested, why certain decisions were taken and what should go where. I am not sure why builders contract with them. It was unfortunate that we had to work with them, not sure we had an option to opt out and would have done that. They also do not proactively try to reach out or setup any appointments with you. After the installation their technician (N..k) who came to show us the work they had done had no idea why certain connections were done in they way they were. Why some junction boxes were empty and had no wire or conduit running through them. They did TV mounts in 3 different rooms, all done differently and the technician who was actually there to guide through this had no clue. Further more: he gave me his card , over sold their security service and said to use his mobile number to reach him. It's been more than 2 weeks , forget about being accessible - he had no courtesy to even say that he is trying to help. Phone and email follow ups with no response. Really horrible service- you have been warned. read more

So I have made a purchase from this company and have had issues since day one. I have several areas where I had speakers installed in my home. Let's start with what works. My theaters is well done. They went above and beyond on the install of the speakers and projector. However I had issues with the sound quality. Some days it is immersive. So much so it gives you goosebumps. Other days it's completely flat as if I have the speakers from a '79 Corolla in my walls. The issues: Within my family/dining/bath room I have two zones. Main zone is family room and zone two is everything else. I use these feature daily. Well let's be honest I try to use it daily. Majority of the time it doesn't work as designed. I have had the techs/installer here several times and they're always trying to fix something to make me happy. Sometimes it works. Sadly not for long. Two weeks ago I had them come out and try to remedy and issue with the zones playing in unison and independently. Worked fine for about 2 weeks. Then all of a sudden with no warning it stopped. I have had the techs/installers here at least half a dozen times with limited success to meet my needs. All in all. The installers/techs are top notch. Worth every penny of every visit. However for the amount I paid and the frustration I have had since the install all I want is this CRAP out of my house. If your looking to get service here just buy a sound bar from Best Buy. Save yourself $8k plus. read more

I agreed to go with Duncan Security because they were the people who pre-wired my new construction home. Spoke with Brad - he was nice - sent paperwork quickly and locked me into the 3 year term. Next thing I knew they were showing up to my home when no appointment was confirmed and the technician didn't even have all of the equipment. We weren't scheduled to install because I needed to get my cable/Internet provider first but somehow they were at my home unscheduled. In any event, we got past that and once Dawan (the actual tech) came out to handle the install, HE WAS GREAT! Professional, efficient, patient and really took the time to explain the system he just installed. I haven't had any problems with the monitoring- they are very on top of that. I think it will end up being a worthy investment. read more

I used Datasmart when building my custom home with Partners in Building. Fred was helpful and very knowledgeable, we loved working with Jim's He gave us great options for security cameras and smart home features. We were happy with the service and the quality of the work. Would recommend to our friends and family. read more

Brad Tew is a great salesman. He did an awesome job thoroughly explaining to me all the offerings from Duncan Security. And we worked together to come up with a plan to customize our family needs. The installers John and his assistant Raul did a great job on my installation. John did a very thorough job explaining the new system to me and ensuring that I could properly work everything. They arrive in the time frame promised and didn't take long at all for the install. I appreciate the great customer service!! read more

Simply the worst service after the sale I've ever experienced. I've had an issue that is now months old and it still has not been resolved. I've also had many of the issues other reviewers are having along with extremely slow follow-up and empty promises. Save yourself a lot of time and aggravation. Use another company. read more

Forgot to add that when we had the techs out to address issues with the installation, a speaker selector literally started smoking while they were testing the system. Bad install, bad part...? Who cares. Had it been something we weren't standing right there to catch it could have started a fire and even burned down our brand new house. read more

I have called twice about service and cant seem to get anyone to call me back. Plus I want to get these 1970's preinstalled by Datasmart (Duncan Security) control panels out of my brand NEW house. They look horrific and I am scared a plane might land on my house due to how bright they are at night. Seriously they look that old. read more

update...when trying to contact DataSmart i repeatedly get no response so i sent an email with a read request notice in it. here is what i got.... Your message To: Trim Subject: FW: ................. - Orientation Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2021 5:11:45 PM (UTC-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) was deleted without being read on Friday, September 3, 2021 12:47:08 PM (UTC-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada). read more

One of the worst experiences with any service provider I've ever had! Technical problems with the system; no one "available" to answer phone calls and provide support; sit on hold for half an hour or more; a receptionist just puts you on hold or forwards to a central answering service that doesn't answer. And this is what your monthly payment gets you!! Time to switch to ADT. -Dr. Steven Coats read more

I have been with DataSmart almost 4 years and have never been disappointed with the technology or the customer service. Everything about DataSmart has been great! From alarm security to security cameras, outfitting my media room to surround sound it has been a smooth process. I am adding new features, and again, smooth process. Quick response time. I am a happy customer. read more

Do not sign a contract with Duncan Security. I hired them for home security for my first home 2 years ago and have had problems from day 1. The person they sent to install the system took nearly a whole work day and left without it being fully set up. Several different technicians had to come multiple times for the initial installation. They tried to use old equipment left behind by whatever security system was in the home before. Every few months I would be bombarded by false alarms. They would send someone out to change out some faulty equipment and it would be quiet for a few weeks/months, then the false alarms would return. I've had over 20 false alarms since signing with Duncan Security. Every false alarm caused a loud siren to go off in my home, a loud chirp on my phone, and also sent a text message to my emergency contact. It got increasingly embarrassing to let my emergency contact know it was yet again another false alarm. One time the system was triggered and I wasn't at home or near my phone to turn off the false alarm and the police were dispatched to my house. The last straw was a false alarm at 10:30 pm, waking me up in a panic. I gave Duncan Security many opportunities to fix the problem but it was never fixed, just postponed. In order to cancel my contract early they charged me over $300. I hired Duncan Security for peace of mind, but all I got was anxiety and a lighter wallet. Do not hire Duncan Security. read more

Service is, excuse my language, shit. Lord help me should an intruder enter my home, for they never monitor our home properly. I've set the alarm off on accident and never receive a call to confirm safety, which is extremely concerning. The front door camera is crap and useless, and I often have issues connecting. We purchased this install through our home builder. I should have explored my options prior to making this hazardous piece of junk purchase. We pay $42 a month and for what?? Also, we had a booster we upgraded to and we don't even have the freaking password and can't get a tech to figure it all out. read more

I've been a customer going on 12 years and have had nothing but a positive experience, the service and tech support has been top notch. They even worked with us through Harvey making sure our system continued to operate after 4 1/2 feet flooding. We have now moved to our new home and the transfer was seamless. read more

Great company! Bradley is the best sales person on earth! Company has a great track record and has expanded their market over the years. Highly recommend DataSmart/Duncan Security read more

Terrible service!!! The house I purchased already had Duncan security installed. I had a problem with one of my cameras and they have no tech support to help me troubleshoot the problem and want to charge $90 for the first 30 minutes and $125 for every hour after that to figure out the problem. Last time they came out it took them 4 hours to figure out the problem. They aren't very tech savvy and like racking up those service hours! read more

This is supposed to be a "technology" company and they lack of any technology knowledge. I called to check how I could setup the internet connection as ATT changed my router. Well, the person I spoke over the phone was clueless. He consulted with his manager and the answer was to change my new ATT router password by the old ATT router password! I guess they don't know that each router has a different network name. They always want to send a technician to charge you for their visit and to make you waste time waiting for them. At least the techs that visit you are better than the guys answering the phone. read more

We recently moved to Texas and were excited to have a high tech home. We worked through DataSmart as the provider for our KHovnanian home. We meet with the sales person and purchased a new receiver, surround sound, outdoor patio speakers in addition to the original standard install. That was the last of a nice relationship. During install, the technicians were sloppy, unprofessional and installed the receiver incorrectly. My wife had to clean up after them and after 3 trips we finally got to have our system. We also needed to have direct tv come to connect the satellite correctly. In addition, the technician moved something on a newly constructed cabinet and peeled the paint. He never told anyone. In discussions with the sales rep, no mitigation for the disruption and even interest in a long term relationship. Would not use Datasmart!! There must be other and better companies in Houston area. read more

Just moved into a new house and was pleased that Duncan Security was labeled on the security system because they monitored my last house. However, 3 technicians in 1 week can't get the system they installed working properly. I've taken 2 days off work and spent over 7 hours waiting on them to work and the system still won't communicate properly. Buyer beware. read more

Don't use this company! They are the worst in responding to problems, unprofessional and disorganized. Very poor design of security and video systems both of which we have had to completely replace (less than one year old). All the cameras and a number of the balums were cheap Zuum products which constantly are dying. Some of the audio equipment was supposedly new but was instead rebuilt equipment. They contract with builders for cabling and wiring then stick it to the homeowner. The industry nickname for this company is DataDumb...... read more

Avoid at all costs. Never ran the correct wiring that we paid for when building our house. Rather than knock hundreds of holes in the walls, they 'gifted' us a wireless system so we would have the functionality we paid for. Failed to mention that we are now bound to them for $125/hr service calls anytime we change our router, the software needs upgraded, or have any issues with the system as it is proprietary. Took 2 1/2 weeks for someone to come out to fix a couple of issues and still not working. Never call when they say they will. Stuck with thousands of dollars of equipment that doesn't work. No quality control, no professionalism. Only lies and excuses. read more

One night I noticed some of my sensors were not working. I called Duncan. The office was closed so I left a message. 5 business days later I hadn't heard back so I called them again. They set an appointment for the next week with an 8am-12pm window. I sit at home all morning waiting for them. No call and no technician. I call them again at noon. After they hang up on me the first time, I call back. I finally get a hold of a manager and the technician calls me. He says he can come by in about a half hour. I'm pissed and have to leave for work so I have him meet me after work. He says the wires are bad and it's not covered by their warranty even though the house is only 6 month old. This is the worse home security company I've ever heard of. We've accidentally set off the alarm on multiple occasions and they have never even called. Avoid them at all costs. I'm weighing if it is worth paying hundreds of dollars to get out of my contract. I may be. read more

Been using the monitored security services for two years and no issues so far. Equipment is standard for home security and functions well for our purposes. I had four video cameras installed and the installation was well done. The quality of the cameras sold to me by Duncan are in my opinion bottom of the line and don't provide a very good picture during daytime and you definitely cannot see anything of value in the dark despite the IR illuminators. I replaced the cameras with a higher quality product myself and added a DVR so I no longer need the add on monthly cost to use the cameras I already paid full price for. Eliminating that extra cost for monitoring a now non-existent system was denied unless I wanted to extend another three years - not happening and will find another security service at the end of term. Buyer beware - ask to see actual live camera demo and recordings for these low quality cameras being installed. read more

We had a central vacuum system installed by DataSmart technology when we built our house in 2016/2017. We recently had DataSmart come out to fix (which I assumed was going to happen) a clog in the system. The service call to do this was $125.00 and the representative who came out was nice enough; however, he did not have the necessary tools and equipment to fix the job (did not have a long enough snake to reach to the points within the system nor even a camera to check out the PVC piping). The representative said his supervised would need to come out to fix the system. So, the representative did not fix the issue. The representative stated someone from his office would be calling. No one called. I then called today to see about the supervisor coming out to fix the problem. Rita, the representative on the telephone, noted that yes we were charged the $125.00 service call. Rita also informed me that the service call fee was just to "check on things." She said because the rep was out at our house past an hour that we were lucky she did not charge any additional costs (which was NEVER stated to me when I made the appointment). Then she proceeds to tell me that this job would have to be an hourly job starting at $125.00 per hour for the first hour and then $90.00 for every hour thereafter. PRICE GOUGING if you ask me. We paid a lot of money to have their system installed in our house, which is not even 3 years old, and have to pay that amount amount per service call. Ridiculous. Completely ridiculous. read more

We originally elected this service based on the home builders recommendation. We were rushed with moving into a new city, starting a new business, and having a new baby, and found ourselves doing whatever it took to get things up and running. Once we settled down, we realized that not only were we paying a moderate monthly monitoring fee, but we also paid a significant amount of money for the original equipment, even though our brand new home was wired in for security. We were also talked into a three-year contract in order to "keep prices down". The absolute worst part of the deal was cancelling the service at the end of the contract term. The company has a form that they have created and claim that it must be signed and returned to them. This means that they did not accept my call to cancel, my email to cancel, or my letter to cancel my service. They advised that I must print, sign, and fax their form to them. I did just that but still was charged for another month's service, even two weeks after my cancellation request. The company then advised that they don't have a fax machine and hadn't had one for some time. I finally emailed them their internal form to complete the cancellation process and fortunately was able to get them to backdate the cancellation to my original requested date and refund the applicable payments (the only reason this isn't a two-star review). I recommend shopping around for better service. read more

Cannot trust this firm. We met with a sales person and designed a plan to integrate into our new construction home. It wasn't long before data smart began dropping the ball. Wiring was done incorrectly, and security cameras were left out completely from the installation, but not from our bill! The services were never completed and we had to go to another Control4 provider to finish our job. The owner of the company was terrible and did nothing to rectify the situation. Terrible company, terrible service and dishonest owner and sales people. RUN AWAY FROM THIS BUSINESS!! read more

Duncan Security installed the security system in our new home. The communicated well with us about each step of the process. Our main contact, James described all of our options and got us the system we wanted at a good price. The technicians called each time before coming out and never missed an appointment window. They were knowledgeable and helpful and worked fast. We had one small issue that came up and they handled it quickly without any additional cost to us. I would recommend this company. read more

Do not use this company! Their salespeople are extremely unethical, and they will say anything to make a sale. Not only are the salespeople unethical, the sales manager is very unprofessional. She called me a liar and said that she believed the sales rep over me on 2 separate occasions. When I asked to speak to her supervisor, she would not give his name or number. Of course I have not heard from him! I am sure she did not pass the message along. Do yourself a favor and do not use this company, or you will be dealing with the same headaches that I am! read more