Walgreens Ready Response Review

Name: Walgreens Ready Response
Brand: Walgreens Ready Response

Who is Walgreens Ready Response?

Walgreen's is the nation's largest drugstore chain and their medical alert systems are actually provided by Connect America (a third party) and not directly by Walgreens themselves. Connect America has been in the medical alert monitoring business for over 40 years and its monitoring centers are based in the USA. Their operators have special medical alert monitoring training however, their monitoring centers are not TMA Five Diamond Certified.

Review Summary

Walgreens Ready Response Medical Alert offers traditional medical alert systems, cellular based systems, GPS options, and automatic fall detection all with a modern look and feel.

There are five system packages that Walgreens Ready Response Medical Alert offers with an add on option of automatic fall detection:

1. Vi - Home Based Unit: Traditional in-home system that uses a landline. You do have the option of adding automatic fall detection to this system.

2. CEL - Home Based Unit: In-home cellular based system that does not require a landline. Can be used with or without the fall detection pendant.

3. Ready Response On the Go - Mobile Safety Device: Mobile medical alert that provides on the go coverage and uses GPS tracking and location-based services (LBS) which can be programmed to include fall detection.

4. All-in-1 Mobile : Waterproof pendant with two-way audio built in. It can be used anywhere since it's not tied to a base station. Includes automatic fall detection. This system may not be listed online however, it is available to purchase over the phone.

5. All-in-1 LTE: This system is the same as the All-in-1 Mobile however it includes added protection with a Smart Cradle and additional wristband. The additional wristband provided keeps you protected while your pendant is charging on the Smart Cradle. It takes approximately 2-3 hours to charge your device and the battery lasts up to 5 days. This system may not be listed online however, it is available to purchase over the phone.

* iVi - Intelligent Pendent with Fall Detection (Add on): In-home pendant with automatic fall detection that can be used with the Vi or the CEL home based units.

Pros

Walgreen's Ready Response does not require long-term contracts. There is a low battery signal sent for the button and an automatic fall detection option. They have a mobile GPS option, new two-way voice pendant available, advanced payment discounts and free shipping. Their monitoring service operates two redundant monitoring centers.

Cons

Walgreens is only a reseller of the service, could take 5-7 days to receive the system, no activity or medical vitals monitoring option. No carbon monoxide detector or smoke alarm options available. Monitoring centers are not TMA Five Diamond Certified. Some of their products have one-time equipment fees.

Rating:

Compare Device Features:

Pros & Cons To Consider	How did Walgreens Ready Response do?
Price	Walgreens Ready Response Review
Cost for Equipment	None. Self installation, but professional installation is available for a $75.00 fee.
Cost Per Month	The Vi Home Based alert system monthly cost starts at $29.99 per month.
Advance Payment Discounts	Yes
Monitoring Agreement Term	Requires 30-day notice
Repairs or Replacement Charges	None, always covered by a full warranty and replacements shipped. If unit is lost or damaged, there will be a replacement fee.
Cancellation Policy & Discounts	Walgreens Ready Response Review
Cancel at Any Time	Yes, with 30-days notice. You will get a pro-rated amount back for unused services, and you have to pay return shipping.
Senior Discount	No
Other Discounts	Refer a friend and receive one month of free service.
Equipment	Walgreens Ready Response Review
Approximate Button Range in Typical Home	390 ft. radius
Watch/Button Battery Life	Lithium battery with a 5 year life. Sends signal when low
What Happens if I Lose Power	Approximately 30 hours of battery backup
Is the Watch/Button Waterproof	Water resistant
How Can The Button Be Worn	Pendant, wristband, or belt-clip. All 3 options included.
UL Certified Equipment	Yes
Does The System Automatically Test Itself To The Monitoring Center	No, but we were told they will call you every 4-6 weeks to remind you to test the system.
24 Hour Technical & Customer Support	Yes
Monitoring Station	Walgreens Ready Response Review
TMA Five Diamond Certified Monitoring Center	No. Monitoring provided by Connect America.
Typical Response Time When Button Pressed	Approximately 1 Minute
Other Options & Information	Walgreens Ready Response Review
How Fast Does System Ship	5-7 business days to receive with the free shipping option
Do You Need Separate Systems For Mom & Dad	No, it's $4.99/month for a second user
Optional Advanced Features	Walgreens Ready Response Review
Activity or Inactivity Monitoring	No
Senior Fall Detection	Yes, with the Ready Response On-The-Go Mobile Safety Device and the iVi Intelligent Pendent with Fall Alert Detection.
Cellular or No Phone Line	Yes
Non-GPS Mobile Alert System For Protection On The Go	Yes
Smoke or Carbon Monoxide Protection	No
GPS Medical Alert Tracking System	Yes, with the Ready Response On the Go Mobile Safety Device.
Special Offers	Walgreens Ready Response Review
Special Offers For Our Visitors	None at this time

Monthly Costs & Fees

Walgreens Ready Response fees are on the higher end of the market for their basic in-home traditional product offerings. The advanced payment discounts help to offset the higher monthly costs and free shipping is a nice perk. Their Mobile On-the-Go and new All-in-1 systems are more competitively priced within the medical alert market especially when you consider the advanced payment discounts. There are no long-term contracts and you can cancel anytime. Please note that a few of their advanced systems have a one-time activation fee.

Walgreens Alert System	Cost Per Month	Cost Per Month if Paying Quarterly	Cost per Month if Paying Semi-Annually	Cost per Month if Paying Annually	Activation Fee
Vi Home Based System *	$29.99	$28.99	$27.99	$24.99	None
CEL Home Based alert system *	$36.99	$35.99	$34.99	$31.99	None
* iVi Intelligent Pendant w/Fall Detection (Add on)	$7.99	N/A	N/A	N/A	None
On-the-Go Mobile Safety system	$39.99	$38.99	$37.99	$34.99	$14.99
All-in-1 Mobile w/ Fall Detection	$34.95	N/A	N/A	$32.04	$99.99
All-in-1 LTE with Fall Detection and Smart Cradle	$44.95	N/A	N/A	$44.95	$99.99

What We Like About Walgreens Ready Response

Flexible Monitoring Agreement - You can cancel any time with 30 days notice.

24-Hour Support - Walgreens Ready Response medical alert has support available 24 hours per day.

Discounts For Advanced Payments - Discounts for quarterly, semi-annually, and annual payments are available.

Dual-Redundant Monitoring Centers - Has multilingual capabilities and UL Listed redundant monitoring centers.

No Phone Line/Cellular Option - Since every household no longer has a traditional telephone line, having a reliable no phone line option is a must.

Mobile GPS Option and Non GPS Options - For seniors or even young children on the go, mobile medical alert systems may be an important option for you.

Fall Detection Option- Since diabetics can have the tendency to faint and falls are common among seniors, automatic fall detection can be helpful because the user would be unable to press their medical emergency button.

Two-Way Voice Pendant- Walgreens Ready Response is keeping up with the times and their new All-in-1 system will remove the need of a base unit in the home. You can call for help and speak directly into the pendant.

What We Dislike About Walgreens Ready Response

Walgreens is a Reseller - Walgreens is not in the business of monitoring medical alert systems. They are simply resellers of Connect America's services.

Cancel at Any Time Policy - If you are not happy with your system or service, you will have some out of pocket expenses for your first month of service. Having to commit to only 1-month of service is very reasonable though.

No Activity Monitoring - Activity monitoring typically requires the user to check in with the system by pressing a button once every 24 hours. It can also use more advanced features like bed sensors, motion sensors and door contacts to report discrepancies in normal daily routines. This is very beneficial as it allows you to know that your loved one is active and about each day.

No Automatic System Tests - System's console does not automatically test monthly or weekly to the monitoring station. You must test the system yourself, but they will remind you every 4-6 weeks.

No TMA Five Diamond Certified Monitoring Center - This is an important certification that requires an annual renewal with The Monitoring Association, which shows a commitment to a higher level of service.

No Carbon Monoxide or Smoke Detection- Both are important features to have in your home and monitored devices can provide more protection.

Extra Fees to Monitor a Spouse- Some companies charge a fee for a second pendant, but most do not charge additional monthly fees like Walgreens.

What Others Are Saying About Walgreens Ready Response

Verified reviews we found on TrustPilot describe users who are happy with Walgreen’s Ready Response’s products and services. One woman describes the speaker being loud enough to hear. Others describe being happy with the response times and overall protection of the system.

The few negative reviews we found spoke about the quality of the equipment being poor, the service inconsistent and difficult to set-up. Overall, we found more positive reviews than negative ones about Walgreens Ready Response. Their new All-in-1 system has recently hit the market so there are no user reviews on that system as of yet.

Walgreens is a Better Business Bureau accredited company with an A- rating at the time of this review.

Connect America, who manages the medical alert services for Walgreens is not a Better Business Bureau Accredited company, but has an A+ BBB rating with 34 complaints on file at the time of this review.

Bottom Line

Although Walgreens Ready Response is not actually serviced by Walgreens, you get some assurance that you will get good service with their name behind it. Connect America, who provides the monthly monitoring service, has been in the medical alert industry for over 40 years. The Walgreens website has a lot of good information on it with a good FAQ section that answers many questions you may have without having to make a call. They do not offer a chat feature though.

If you do have to call Walgreens Ready Response for any reason, we found their call representatives to be friendly and knowledgeable, however they will ask you personal questions and give you a lengthy sales pitch.

We like that Walgreens Ready Response has comprehensive medical alert system options. If you need the basic landline service or a GPS enabled one with automatic fall detection, they have it. However, we found that the names of the medical alert systems can be confusing. The monthly service fee for their basic medical alert service is a bit on the high side however they do offer advanced payment discounts which is nice. We are happy that Walgreens Ready Response is keeping up with the times and introducing their new All-in-1 two-way voice pendant. Many competitors already offer this product and it is certainly becoming more common in the medical alert industry.

It's unfortunate that the monitoring centers are not TMA Five Diamond certified but they are redundant and UL-Listed, which is still a plus.

Although our experience with this company had these results, your experience may be different. If you're interested in this company's services, contact them to judge for yourself.

Also, check out our Philips Lifeline Review here.

Modified: 2019-12-29