Control Room in Spain: Why It’s Often Illusion of Safety

Many people think an alarm system with a control room is the safest choice. They hear from neighbors, friends, or salespeople that “the police come immediately” or “it’s much safer with professional monitoring.” In Spain, this is often pure illusion of safety – and monthly wasted money. Below we explain why.

1. Control Rooms Are Not Allowed to Call the Police Directly

According to Spanish law (and European guidelines), a control room is not allowed to call the police directly when an alarm goes off. They must first contact the property owner to verify if it is a real burglary. This is usually done by phone or app.

What this means in practice:

• Verification takes time – often 5 to 15 minutes or longer.
• Burglars usually need only 3–5 minutes to enter and escape.
• In a real alarm, there is a high chance the owner does not answer (sleeping, in the shower, on vacation, phone on silent) – no police.

In short: the police rarely come or arrive far too late. This is not theory – it is the daily reality with subscription systems.

2. Jamming: A Simple Jammer Shuts Down the Entire System

All modern alarm systems are wireless – including those with a control room. Burglars use a cheap jammer (often €50–€150 online) to disrupt the signal. The result:

• No signal from sensors to hub.
• No signal from hub to control room.
• No notification to you or the control room – the alarm remains silent.

Most subscription providers (and we actually mean all of them) have no reliable jamming detection. They stick “jamming detection” stickers on their products, but in practice the system fails completely. We regularly demonstrate this for free: with one press of a jammer, their alarm is disabled – without anyone noticing.

Conclusion:

A control room in Spain is very easily taken out of play with a jammer. The owner notices nothing, the control room notices nothing, the police do not come. You pay monthly for illusion of safety.

3. Referral Bonus for Referrers (Neighbor, Friend, Acquaintance)

Many people are convinced by a neighbor, friend, or family member who says: “Take the same system as me, it’s the best.” What they often don’t tell you:

• They receive several months of free subscription if they bring in a new customer.
• The advice has almost nothing to do with safety, but with their own benefit.
• They have probably never tested the system themselves for jamming or real burglary attempts.

This is not malice – but pure commercial interest. The neighbor profits, you pay for years for a less secure system.

4. High Costs vs. Low Real Added Value

A typical subscription costs €40–€80 per month. After 5 years that’s €2,400–€4,800 – excluding installation. What do you get for that?

• Verification by the control room (often too late or not at all).
• No protection against jamming.
• Long-term contracts that are difficult to cancel.
• No ownership – if you stop paying, the system becomes worthless.

Our subscription-free systems (Hikvision and AJAX) cost a one-time €249 – €499 (depending on package), including installation. No monthly fees, full ownership, direct notifications on your phone, and real jamming detection with autonomous siren activation.

Conclusion: Control Room = Illusion of Safety in Spain

A control room rarely offers real added value in Spain. It is easily disabled with a jammer, the response is slow or absent, and you pay monthly for something that does not work as promised.

Choose subscription-free: direct notifications, jamming-resistant siren, outdoor detection, and full ownership. That is real security – not illusion of safety.

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