Anyone participate in ADTpays alarm lead program. I signed up but haven’t used it yet. Just wondering about anyone else’s experience with the program and if there are any better programs out there.
No. I consider it unethical to trade my client’s personal information to marketers for fees or other consideration.
I agree with Chuck. Read, understand and abide by TAC 535.220(e)(4). While what you are asking about can be done ethically and legally I find it unpalatable to properly implement.
I understand your concern. From what I see in the program, no client info is offered to ADT. The client is given a card with a promo code. If they use it, you get a check.
Does that process meet the requirements I mentioned in post #3?
An inspector shall not receive a fee or other valuable consideration, directly or indirectly, for referring services that are not settlement services or other products to the inspector’s client without the client’s consent
The client is the one making the call. I would say yes. As long as the card identifies that I would be getting a commission.
Bingo! Does it?
Haven’t gotten them yet. Thanks for your concern. This defers from my original post, has anyone had experience with this program?
No. Though the card does address the personal information issue, so long as there is disclosure of the compensation.
Here’s why I don’t, in case it helps you make your own decision: I treat Home Inspection as a profession. I only market my own services. I consider myself a consultant to the client. As a consumer, whenever some who advises me has some level of commission at stake dependent on the decision that I make (e.g., a commissioned financial advisor) I am ALWAYS skeptical of the advice I am being given, because it has potential to be at odds with my own best interest. Disclosure helps assuage that concern to some extent, but I remain skeptical.
I work hard to establish and maintain as much credibility as I can with my clients and won’t engage in anything that I believe has potential to erode or compromise it. To do this, I charge well for the service that I provide and seek no ancillary fees for third party marketing or referrals. If I make a referral for another Home inspector, termite company, A/C contractor, whatever, It’s only ever merit based, never revenue based. I consider my reputation and the confidence that my clients have in what I tell them to be my most valuable business asset and something that I am unwilling to put at risk, even a little bit.
You can offer a program such as this and still be entirely ethical about it. But if I were your client, the revelation that I was being marketed to for someone else would awaken my more skeptical side. Not worth it for my own business model.
If I wanted to sell alarms, I’d be an alarm salesman.
I’m a home inspector, I inspect homes, I don’t sell people adds that have nothing to do with inspecting the home.
EDIT: What Chuck said.
To each his own but for me no add on sales.
When I renewed my E&O insurance my phone and email were given to a residential insurance company and within a few days I was getting calls.
I research my needs and buy when I am ready and do not want service providers calling me.