Walgreens Ready Response Review

Name: Walgreens Ready Response Review
Rating: 4

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. Walgreen's is the nation's largest drugstore chain and their medical alert systems are actually provided by Tunstall Americas (a third party) and not directly by Walgreens themselves. Tunstall has been in the medical alert monitoring business for over 30 years. Tunstall has two different monitoring centers based in the U.S. that have bilingual call center specialists available 24/7.

There are four system packages that Walgreens Ready Response Medical Alert offers:

1. Vi - Home Based Unit: Traditional in-home system that uses a landline.
2. CEL - Home Based Unit: In-home system that does not require a landline.
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. iVi - Intelligent Pendent with Fall Detection: In-home system with fall detection that can be used with or without a landline.

Pros:

Walgreen's Ready Response does not require long-term contracts. They have dual monitoring centers in different geographic US locations. There is a low battery signal sent for the button and an automatic fall detection option. They have a mobile GPS option, advanced payment discounts and free shipping.

Cons:

Walgreens is only a reseller of the service, could take 5-7 days to receive the system, no activity or medical vital monitoring option. No carbon monoxide detector or smoke alarm options available. Monitoring centers are not TMA (CSAA) Five Diamond Certified.

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. Ready Response On the Go has a $14.99 activation fee.
Cost Per Month	The Vi Home Based alert system monthly cost is $28.99 per month. It's $27.99 per month if you pay quarterly and $24.99 per month if you pay annually. The CEL Home Based alert system monthly cost is $35.99 per month. It's $34.99 per month if you pay quarterly and $31.99 per month if you pay annually. The On-the-Go Mobile Safety system monthly cost is $39.99 per month with a $14.00 one-time activation fee. It's $38.99 per month if you pay quarterly and $34.99 per month if you pay annually. The iVi Intelligent Pendant with Fall Detection is an upgrade with a monthly fee of $7.99 for the service.
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 36 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 (CSAA) Five Diamond Certified Monitoring Center	No. Monitoring provided by Tunstall Americas.
Typical Response Time When Button Pressed	Under 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. $4.99/month for a second user, who's information is on file at the monitoring center.
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, with the CEL Home Based Unit or the Ready Response On the Go Mobile Safety Device.
Non-GPS Mobile Alert System For Protection On The Go	No
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

Likes:

Flexible Monitoring Agreement - You can cancel at 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 agents and redundant monitoring centers in different geographic US locations.

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 - 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.

Dislikes:

Walgreens is a Reseller - Walgreens is not in the business of monitoring medical alert systems. They are simply resellers of Tunstall 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 (CSAA) 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.

Bottom Line:

Although Walgreens Ready Response is not actually monitored by Walgreens, you get some assurance that you will get good service with their name behind it. Tunstall Americas, who provides the monthly monitoring service, has been in the health care industry since 1957. The Walgreens website has a lot of good information on it with a great 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. They answered all our questions without a pushy 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.

It's unfortunate that Tunstall Americas' monitoring centers are not TMA (CSAA) Five Diamond certified but they do have redundant - geographically separated monitoring centers, which is a major plus.

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

Tunstall America is not a Better Business Bureau accredited company, but they do have an A+ rating at the time of this review.

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: 2018-07-15