Crossfire Smoke Alarms
 

We attended a seminar last night regarding Optical Crossfire Smoke and Carbon Monoxide alarms. We enjoyed the presentation and believe the 40+ year old technology of the Chinese Alarms to code in our home may not be the best available. One of Crossfire's reps will be visiting tonight. My question is I have hears they are extremely expensive yet if you "bargain" with them they could come down to 1/2 of the original quote. I do not enjoy this type of sales tactic yet they say over 4000 home in TV have purchased them. Can anyone that has any experience with these Crossfire Alarms let me know of their experience?

This sounds like the water filter scam....

Let's put this into perspective, irrespective of where these are made, the name brand fire/smoke detectors need to be tested to UL standards, good enough for me.

I would do serious research on the brand mentioned before putting a penny on these, not just Google, but also the local Fire Department.

Please let us know what you find out.

:undecided: I have a couple neighbors..... one paid $2000 and one paid $2400. :ohdear:

I changed my old ones and put in new for approx. $75.00

Stop at the Fire Dept. H.Q. and ask them. Doesn't cost anything.

Might be a good product. $2400 good????? 4000 homes?????

First Alert and others protect "millions" of people for a lot less.

Remember what P.T. Barnum said.

Smoke and mirrors--old people = suckers don't be one= don't buy an annuity= don't go to the free lunch seminar== nothing is free == except your $$$$$==Scam Alert===Scam Alert= what are you gonna do when the company goes out of business= buying a lifetime warranty when you are 85= scam alert = lifetime dance lessons @ Arthur Murray's when you are 90- extended car warranties====scam

Listen to this man. Villagetinker has very good advice .


My hinky meter goes off when I hear you have to go to a "presentation". I run from stuff like that. ALWAYS.

Since I started this post and have completed hours of research since then, I will chime back in. IN MY OPINION only, there is a difference between the 40+year old ionization technology of the UL approved fire protection and the latest photoelectric smoke sensing technology using high grade optics. There are a number of different price ranges for systems available with the new technology and wireless communication interconnection. I would need to go on extensively here to explain in detail the technology differences but it comes down to a personal comfort level of protecting your family and home with the most up to date technology available. IN MY OPINION only, my investigation convinced me that the new technology is superior. I live on the North end of The Villages so we have gas for heating/cooling and my water heater. CODE allows for the gas lines to go into the attic with a UL approved felixable gas piping. A block away we had a home burn down from an attic lightning strike that was accelerated when these "flexible" gas lines were compromised. No attic alarm that would have set all the alarms off allowing the homeowner to identify quickly the location of the fire (new technology) to determine the safest way to exit. My gas lines have since been removed from my attic and hard piped into my garage, then directly to my appliances. A seminar on lightning protection led me to investigate, research, and ultimately make this change. As far as the "free lunch" theory goes if you don't have the intestinal fortitude to say NO when you investigate a new product or idea then by all means do not do it. But if you subscribe to the opinion above you would still be lighting your home with lanterns, communicating with your friends with smoke signals, and using AAA to do a trip tick map instead of GPS. Remember this is IN MY OPINION. Investigate, do research and be pro-active when necessary, especially when protecting family and home.

I can see that you have thought this through.


I just hate to see anyone spend money on anything that is sort of a scam. I am sorry if I offended you, but still stand behind that kind of blanket advice that we give to our just now beginning to live on their own grandchildren. "Be very skeptical of someone trying to sell you something,, Do your own research." More expensive is not always better. AND if someone has to rent a room to sell you something, word of mouth isn't doing the job.

when a simple smoke detector requires a seminar to sell my alarm goes off SCAM! SCAM! SCAM! SCAM!

this is like building a jet engine to light a candle. In a private home if any alarm goes off I am not wasting time to consult my app as to where in the house the fire is, I am grabbing my wife and getting the hell out of the house! any attic alarm, no matter what technology, would do the trick....these houses aren't so big that a blasting alarm won't be heard. Re-routing the gas lines isn't a bad idea in a high lightening strike area like florida.I need high tech smoke alarms like I need an iphone 6, or is that 6+, or is that 6s or maybe 6x?

A friend asked me to attend one of those "seminars" a couple of years ago. It was an eyeopening presentation. It all led up to the need of a smoke,etc. detector. They wouldn't discuss cost. I decided to let them call me the next day for an appointment. Meantime I did some research and based on my findings I told them no appointment.
I believe the product to be what they say it is. However the costs are horrendous and the slick presentation left a bad taste in my mouth.
However it wasn't a complete loss. I won the door prize! One free dinner at Golden Corral. Unfortunately, I am not a candidate for a meal, free or otherwise, at Golden Corral.

They came to my submarine veterans group-went over like eating beans at a chili convention and then going to church on Sun.

Definitely, you should go to any of the fire stations in The Villages and talk to them about that product.

Ask at Ace Hardware or Home Depot.

Check them out on-line.

Check them at BBB.

Ask Seniors vs Crime.

Your key statement here is "if any alarm goes off". My research found that the amount of time it takes to set off the old technology is far greater than the new technology alarms quite possibly not giving you time to get out. The statement " grabbing my wife and getting the hell out" is a great idea as long as you know where the fire is burning, but that does not seem to be an important concern for you. Seems you have made your statements without having completed any research on the alarm technology and what is offers. After you have invested the time to compare, then you can make an informed PERSONAL decision regarding alarms. Don't give me that jet engine - candle crap until you have researched the issue. You don't seem to be a person much interested in technology advances, even though in this case they may give you the few extra precious seconds needed to survive. Your PERSONAL DECISION vs MINE.

i am quite technologically up to snuff, look at your house, how many places could the fire be that are out of sight? if it is out of sight then you have exits in sight. 1 minute of opening my eyes tells me this. I don't need multiple monitors in remote places, my house is not a warehouse, so you do hours of exhaustive research and choose what makes you feel safe. having personally experienced the response time of the current generation of photoelectric detectors I am quite happy with them for my house, mind you my answer would be different for an industrial warehouse where I would embrace this technology. Did your research include other sources for direct purchase so you don't have to pay for their advertising seminars?

Photoelectric smoke alarms from Amazon 10.00 and someone paid 2000 no I dont think so

the cost comes to around $375 each which is absurd....and they try to sell you 10 or more.

these people are not company reps selling them, they are re-sellers. the company doesn't even list the price online,

I have no doubt Crossfire is a better mousetrap. I might pay 10, 20, even 30% more, but I’m not sure I would pay 1000% more. I’m a big fan of consumer reports, if CR said Crossfire is the only way to go, I would spend the extra $. I think you’ll find CR doesn’t say that.

If you have the $ and it makes you more comfortable in your home, definitely go for it. If the day comes that CR recommends Crossfire, I’ll join you- till then First Alert will do.

I applaud you for embracing new technology. I do like the wireless interconnectivity.

We also attended a Crossfire seminar. We then researched their products and found NO third party reviews, as, for ex, from Consumer Reports. The same firm that manufactures the alarms markets and sells them. We did not buy the alarms!!

As others have suggested and I include an example here, check with fire authorities on why this is very likely a waste of your money unless spending it to feel "technologically up-to-date makes you sleep better at night.Don't get burned by a salesperson - City of Fargo

Overthinking is sometimes a curse. Common sense is a wonderful trait only beaten by a card carrying grandmother's intuition.


I have this to say. You are gonna do it, but you aren't gonna get blessed here.


I am pretty sure you won't perish in a fire and I am pretty sure I won't either.


Be safe. Be happy. Do what you want to do, we all will anyway.

From the Crossfire website, these are NOT UL listed!!! That should speak volumes about the product.
Their products may work, but if they will not provide samples to be tested and certified, IMHO, I would stay away.
Hope this helps.

Recommend you go to the Underwriters Laboratoy web site. You can search their data base to see if these units are UL approved. If not run away and let your fellow villagers know. Good luck.

You have convinced me............you have my permission to buy them.:ho:

Personally, I feel it would be more prudent to install a residential sprinkler system.

probably cheaper than crossfire alarms :icon_twisted: