You've already signed. This is the system map for what you can still do.
This page maps every post-sign path by stage — from the FTC cooling-off window (most buyers don't know it exists) through ETF calculation, bill reduction options, transition point planning, cancellation execution, and what happens after. Find your stage, use the right guide or tool for it, and skip everything else. Want to see what buyers should have checked before signing? Full before-signing system — the stage-by-stage pre-sign buyer-defense workflow →
5 things worth knowing before you go further
Jump to your stage
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You signed in the last 3 business days
The most time-sensitive stage — most buyers don't know this window exists
FTC Cooling-Off Rule — your 3-day free exit
The Federal Trade Commission's Cooling-Off Rule gives you the right to cancel any contract signed at your home — for any reason — within 3 business days of signing. "Business days" means Monday through Saturday, excluding federal holidays.
How to cancel under the Cooling-Off Rule:
If the seller didn't give you two copies of a written cancellation notice at signing — they were required to by law. Your cancellation window may extend beyond 3 days in this case. Document this in writing immediately.
If the pitch didn't match the contract: Document every discrepancy in writing before the cooling-off window closes. A record of specific misrepresentations strengthens any cancellation dispute. Validate a sales rep claim — compare what you were told against your contract →
Common mistake at this stage
Assuming the window doesn't apply because installation has already started. Cooling-off cancellation rights apply regardless of whether installation has begun — the seller must reverse any work done.
You need to know what you actually owe
Before any decision — calculate the real exit cost
No path forward makes sense until you know your specific number. Buyers routinely overestimate or underestimate their ETF — and retention agents know this.
Start here: ETF Calculator
Enter your monthly rate, months remaining, and brand — the calculator outputs your ETF, the stay-vs-leave break-even point, and the cost comparison between paying now vs. waiting out the contract.
Run your ETF calculation →ADT buyers
ADT charges ~75% of remaining contract balance. Formula: (months remaining) × (monthly rate) × 0.75. Worked examples and dispute scenarios:
ADT cancellation fee deep-dive →Vivint buyers
Vivint has no monitoring ETF. The complication: equipment financing (Citizens Pay) is a separate loan that continues regardless of monitoring status.
What Vivint buyers actually owe →Vivint financing detail
How Citizens Pay works, what your loan balance means, and why it continues after you cancel monitoring:
Vivint financing explained →SimpliSafe, Ring, and Cove buyers
These brands are generally no-contract or month-to-month. You may not owe a classic ETF at all. Your first step is to confirm whether your account is month-to-month — not to run the ETF Calculator. Ring buyers: the Ring cancellation fee guide explains what Ring actually charges and when:
Ring cancellation fee — what you actually owe →Cove buyers: Cove does not use a classic ETF structure — if you’re on a month-to-month plan, cancellation is typically straightforward. Confirm your plan terms directly with Cove before calling.
Common mistake at this stage
Calling to cancel before knowing your ETF. Retention agents often present a lower rate as the "only alternative to paying the full ETF" — but if you don't know your ETF, you can't evaluate whether the rate reduction makes sense.
You're not sure whether to stay, lower the bill, wait, or leave
The core decision stage — most buyers land here
Once you know your ETF (Stage 2), the next question is which of your 5 options is the right financial move for your specific situation. Start with the multi-brand options guide and then go to the brand-specific path if needed.
Start here (all brands)
5 options laid out with honest tradeoffs: lower bill, downgrade tier, wait it out, cancel, or invoke cooling-off. Works for ADT, Vivint, SimpliSafe, Ring, and Cove.
All 5 options — multi-brand guide →ADT-specific path
ADT-precise situation routing: rate escalation clauses, courtesy holds, relocation transfers, and ETF negotiation scenarios for ADT accounts specifically.
Stuck in ADT — ADT-specific recovery →Vivint-specific path
Citizens Pay loan balance, payoff timing, and the monitoring vs. financing distinction — Vivint buyers face a different set of levers than ADT buyers.
Stuck in Vivint — Vivint-specific recovery →Common mistake at this stage
Calling to cancel without first running the options analysis. The multi-brand guide often shows that waiting it out or lowering the bill is the better financial outcome — especially when the ETF exceeds 3–4 months of payments and 10+ months remain.
You want to lower the bill without canceling
Several levers exist that most buyers never know to use
Before deciding to pay the ETF and leave, find out how much the current bill can actually come down. The retention department has authority that the billing department does not.
ADT bill reduction
Which department to call, what to ask for, plan downgrade options, Courtesy Hold availability, and rate escalation clause leverage — specific to ADT accounts.
ADT bill-lowering playbook →Vivint bill reduction
Vivint monitoring is month-to-month — you have more flexibility than ADT buyers. Monitoring plan options, what's negotiable, and how the equipment loan interacts with any bill changes.
Vivint bill-lowering guide →Common mistake at this stage
Calling the billing department to negotiate. Billing agents process payments — they have limited or no authority to change your plan or rate. Call the loyalty or retention department specifically and ask about plan options and available discounts.
You're approaching a key transition point
Contract end or equipment payoff — your best leverage moment
Approaching a transition point changes your options significantly. At ADT contract end, your ETF drops to $0. At Vivint equipment payoff, your total monthly obligation decreases substantially.
ADT contract ending
Your ETF is $0 at term end — you have maximum leverage. 4 options: renegotiate a lower rate, go explicitly month-to-month, cancel free, or auto-renew (with auto-renewal trap warning).
What happens when your ADT contract ends →Vivint equipment paid off
When Citizens Pay ends, your total Vivint cost drops. Is keeping monitoring worth it? 4 options and a stay-vs-switch decision framework.
Vivint equipment paid off — what to do next →Vivint monitoring value post-payoff
What monitoring-only Vivint costs vs. what alternatives cost — is staying with Vivint monitoring worth it once the equipment loan is gone?
Is Vivint monitoring worth it after payoff? →Common mistake at this stage
Missing the auto-renewal notice window for ADT. Many ADT contracts require cancellation notice 30–90 days before the term end date. If you miss it, your contract may renew for another term and the ETF clock restarts. Set a calendar reminder 90 days before your contract end date.
You decided to cancel
Execution — the exact process, in order
Once you've decided, the execution process matters. ADT and Vivint have specific multi-step procedures — doing it in the wrong order or without documentation creates billing disputes after the fact. SimpliSafe and Ring are typically simpler to cancel, but you should still confirm your exact plan terms and get written confirmation of the cancellation date.
Cancel ADT
6-step process: verify ETF → calculate → call the right number → get a confirmation number → follow up in writing → monitor billing for 2 cycles after cancellation date.
How to cancel ADT — 6-step guide →Cancel Vivint
Monitoring cancellation is separate from equipment financing. Exact process, what to say to retention, and how to confirm the cancellation while keeping Citizens Pay documentation separate.
How to cancel Vivint monitoring →Cancel SimpliSafe
SimpliSafe is month-to-month with no classic ETF. Cancellation is typically more direct than ADT or Vivint — but confirm your plan terms and always get written confirmation of your cancellation effective date.
How to cancel SimpliSafe →Cancel Ring
Ring Alarm monitoring is typically month-to-month. No financing separation to manage. Confirm your specific plan terms and request written confirmation of the cancellation date.
How to cancel Ring monitoring →Common mistake at this stage
Hanging up without a cancellation confirmation number. ADT billing errors after cancellation are one of the most common consumer complaints against the company. Always get a confirmation number before ending the call — and follow up in writing regardless.
You already canceled — what comes next
Equipment reality, replacement options, and what still works
After canceling, two questions come up immediately: what still works in my home, and what should I do next?
Hardware reality
Brand-by-brand breakdown: what sensors still detect, what apps go dark, what can be reused with another provider, and what requires new equipment. ADT, Vivint, SimpliSafe, Ring, and Cove.
What happens after you cancel home security →After canceling ADT
What the best no-contract alternatives are for households switching off ADT — ranked by monitoring cost, equipment cost, and contract terms.
Best systems after canceling ADT →After canceling Vivint
What the best no-contract alternatives are for Vivint households — accounting for the equipment loan payoff timing and what the next system's 3-year cost looks like.
Best systems after canceling Vivint →After canceling SimpliSafe
What to look for when replacing SimpliSafe — replacement options ranked by monitoring cost, contract terms, and equipment ownership for buyers coming from a no-contract system.
Best systems after canceling SimpliSafe →After canceling Ring
Whether to keep Ring cameras, stay self-monitored, or replace the system — 6 scenarios for Ring buyers coming from a no-contract alarm and camera ecosystem.
Best systems after canceling Ring →After canceling Cove
Whether to stay self-monitored, switch to SimpliSafe, or add cameras Cove didn’t offer — 5 scenarios for Cove buyers coming from a CSAA Five Diamond no-contract system.
Best systems after canceling Cove →No-contract alternatives
SimpliSafe, Ring Alarm, and Cove — no ETF, no financing, month-to-month monitoring. The full comparison for buyers who don't want another long-term commitment.
Best no-contract home security →Common mistake at this stage
Assuming ADT or Vivint hardware can be reprogrammed for a new monitoring provider. In almost every case, it cannot. ADT uses proprietary hardware and protocol. Vivint's equipment is platform-locked. Budget for new equipment when switching — typically $200–$400 for a comparable DIY alternative.
Mistake 1: Calling to cancel before calculating the ETF
ADT's retention team knows that most buyers don't know their own ETF number. When you call and say "I want to cancel," the first retention offer is usually a modest rate reduction framed as an alternative to "paying hundreds in ETF fees." Without knowing your actual ETF, you can't evaluate whether the rate reduction makes financial sense — or whether waiting out the contract is actually the better outcome.
Fix: Run the ETF Calculator before calling. Know your number first.
Mistake 2: Thinking Vivint's ETF and equipment financing are the same thing
Vivint has no early termination fee for monitoring. Buyers hear this and assume they can simply stop paying and walk away. They can cancel monitoring — but Citizens Pay equipment financing is a separate consumer loan that continues on its own payment schedule, affects your credit, and has nothing to do with monitoring cancellation.
Fix: Get the payoff amount for Citizens Pay separately from the monitoring cancellation process. They require separate calls.
Mistake 3: Missing the ADT auto-renewal window at contract end
ADT contracts include auto-renewal clauses that require cancellation notice 30–90 days before the end date. Buyers who assume they can cancel the month their contract expires often discover the contract has already auto-renewed for another term — reinstating an ETF they thought was gone. This is the most expensive timing mistake post-sign buyers make.
Fix: Find your contract end date today. Set a calendar alert for 90 days before that date. Act during that window.
Related reading: Before signing — the full stage-by-stage buyer-defense system (the prevention-side map for this workflow) · Stuck in a home security contract — 5 options with honest tradeoffs (all brands) · ADT cancellation fee — 75% formula, worked examples, and dispute scenarios · Vivint cancellation fee — what you actually owe when you cancel · How to cancel ADT — 6-step execution guide · How to cancel Vivint — monitoring vs. equipment financing explained · What happens to your hardware after you cancel — brand-by-brand breakdown · ADT bill reduction playbook — 6 ways to lower your bill without canceling · Vivint bill-lowering guide — monitoring plan options and what's negotiable · What happens when your ADT contract ends — 4 options and the auto-renewal trap · Vivint equipment paid off — what changes and your 4 options · Best systems after canceling ADT · Best systems after canceling Vivint · Best systems after canceling SimpliSafe · Best systems after canceling Ring · Best systems after canceling Cove · Validate a sales rep claim — compare what you were told against your contract · Vivint financing explained — Citizens Pay, loan balance, and payoff
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