Yesterday, my buddy and I went to a Circuit City nearby and asked if we could buy a Python 460HP alarm without install. The dumbass working in the "ROADSHOP" told us he couldn't do it because it would only ring up as the installed price and that DEI don't let them do so. I told him that 2 months ago, my brother-in-law up in WI was able to buy the same alarm unit at a CC and they had no problems selling it to him over the counter. I was going to ask to speak to his manager..but I didn't see the point in doing so. We decided to go to another audio shop down the street and bought a Viper alarm instead. IDIOTS these days!!!

 

Don't blame the salesman, those are management decisions, they tried that at our store once, put the SKU for alarm in the POS, [not piece of ****] terminal with alarm price and basic install, they thought it would be easier but it was a big pain in the ***, as up here, [only in Canada you say] as a DEI dealer we can sell the alarm over the counter, but unless you have it installed by an authorized DEI dealer you only get 1 year warranty on it, no re&re warranty, and no over the counter exchange, [unit has to go to DEI for warranty].

I hear that a lot, [can't buy DEI product without install] down in the US, I have not heard of any Canadian retailer doing so, and it only lasted a month at our store, and it didn't take the salesmen long to figure out how to delete the install charge in the SKU, only needed a supervisors OK and code, and as the install sup. I OKed more then a few. It is a dumb policy IMO. 94.

 

I mean..I didn't really care too much because he just lost a customer and some commission by not selling it to us. I recall buying a different alarm unit from the same store more than a year ago and they were okay with it. Sometimes, I just think they try to lure you into letting them install it for the labor charge. If I was the one buying it...I would never let anyone install an alarm in my car...ever again. NO OFFENSE to those honest car audio installers out there.

 

A year ago, I bought a DEI hornet alarm and CC only charged me the cost for the product, and not the install. So it depends on locations I guess.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GSteg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">A year ago, I bought a DEI hornet alarm and CC only charged me the cost for the product, and not the install. So it depends on locations I guess.</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by NVturbo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I mean..I didn't really care too much because he just lost a customer and some commission by not selling it to us. I recall buying a different alarm unit from the same store more than a year ago and they were okay with it. Sometimes, I just think they try to lure you into letting them install it for the labor charge. If I was the one buying it...I would never let anyone install an alarm in my car...ever again. NO OFFENSE to those honest car audio installers out there. </TD></TR></TABLE> Like I said it depends on the store manager at the time, and your right sometimes they do it to sell the labour, [installers have to work also] but as I said when they tried it at our store it was because the manager thought it was going to be easier to ring up because most people do get at least basic install.
And from what I have seen and heard here on H/T most people should have a pro install their alarms. NO OFFENSE to those who can do it themselves.
I am with you, I would never let anyone ever install an alarm in my car either. 94

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fcm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I am with you, I would never let anyone ever install an alarm in my car either. 94</TD></TR></TABLE>
Thats the problem in the US many shops wil not sell over the counter. It is extremely frustrating at times. I have seen $2500 "professional" alarm installs they are laughable. These places care about making the largest profit with the least amount of time spent per car.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxxtreme &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Thats the problem in the US many shops wil not sell over the counter. It is extremely frustrating at times. I have seen $2500 "professional" alarm installs they are laughable. These places care about making the largest profit with the least amount of time spent per car. </TD></TR></TABLE> Unfortunately I have to agree with you, as the install supervisor for our store and the chain I am always banging heads with the installers to maintain a high level of install quality, and management/owners to pay the installers a fair wage for the work they do, and sometimes the customer also, in this day and age customers are as much to blame for what is happening in the industry as anyone else is, the concept of "you get what you pay for" means nothing anymore, because the "big box" store down the road will do an alarm install for $100, with everything, [starter cut, door locks, hood and trunk/hatch pins, trunk release even window modules] and do the whole job in 2 hrs and we would charge at least another $100 for the same job and take most of the day to do the job, I have customers that bulk at the extra $100 but will also damn near have a stroke at how long it will take, so I have to explain the diff. between the poor slob installing at the big box store getting paid by the hr., [with the pressure you talk about] to get the job done as soon as possible, and the time it takes a pro to do the job properly.

One of the ways I do so is to follow the rule, you get what you pay for...

We use a flat rate system for installing, based on an hourly rate, [at our location it's $40 per hr, at other locations it's as low as $30 and as high as $57] the $40 per hr. is for "basic" install, "custom" install is double and "show quality" is double again. EG; basic alarm install, [no extras] is 2.5 hrs or $100, for that you get the brain, siren, LED, valet switch, impact sensor, doors and light flash mounted and wired, all soldered connections and wiring loomed in however the OEM wire is loomed, [convoluted tubing, elec. tape or friction tape] the same job as a custom install would be 5 hrs or $200, wiring and components are better hidden, and as a show quality install it would be 10 hrs or $400, the install will look stock, you will not see anything that does not look stock.

Try and explain that to a customer that was shopping down the road, and has been told that they will do the alarm with a bunch of options for $100 but for $100 we will only do a basic install, that is the same customer that will later complain like hell at the crappy install he got for the $100, will never go back there, and can we fix his problems, and then still bulk and call us rip offs when we tell him we will charge the $200 we originally quoted him plus at leas another $40 just to remove the alarm so we can start from scratch

Like you I have seen "$2500 alarm installs" that are laughable if it wasn't for the fact that they are sad beyond belief, and there is no excuse for those, a customer should get what he/see paid for, but in most cases lay the blame where it should be, the ever increasing demand by customers to get as much as possible for as little as possible, and try and get past the mindset that saving a few $$$ is worth getting that alarm off an unauthorized dealer is more important then getting the warranty, and getting it installed at the cheapest price is more important then getting the job done right. Rant over. 94

 

Honestly...if a person is knowledgable with car electronics and is capable of installing a vehicle alarm, I don't see why they shouldn't do it themselves. Just read the posts on here in H-T and you can tell who does their own work and those who have shops do it all for them.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by NVturbo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Honestly...if a person is knowledgable with car electronics and is capable of installing a vehicle alarm, I don't see why they shouldn't do it themselves. Just read the posts on here in H-T and you can tell who does their own work and those who have shops do it all for them. </TD></TR></TABLE> I agree fully, nothing wrong with trying to save a $, and as I said I do not agree with stores that do not sell over the counter, [for those who want to do the install themselves, or have someone that will do it for them].

And if you have seen my posts you know I am more then willing to help anybody that asks, and if it happens to be someone that is completely new to car electrical, and is a no0b about installing, I will direct them to the "IM" and help anyway I can. 94

 

just to let you know...CC is not on commission.

one of the reasons why CC or BB doesn't sell alarms/rem starts/etc without installation is because it's all about money. retailers profit way too much for charging installation. it's 80 bucks to install an alarm/keyless in most vehicles when it only takes a decent installer 1-2 hours to install. and what are they paying installers...anywhere from 10-15 dollars an hour. you do the math, they'd make so much more money from the installs than they would just selling the units. granted retailers still make a bunch on the units themselves.

i know many ppl out there can put their own alarms in themselves, but when a person comes into my shop and says there's something wrong with my alarm, but i installed it, i can't help but cringe. i'll take the car in and charge the person the same amount of money to fix the problem as i would if i had initially installed it. i simply just take the unit out and start from scratch. that way i know it was done right and if there were any problems in the future i could track what i did.

i was once like everyone else, tried to install everything myself and that's how i got started installing, but i was lucky and got into a shop. fortunately the manager actually knew how to install and how to teach others how to install. i see a lot of installers that are great at installing but try to keep it to themselves (why i don't know) and not teach others around them.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by vicn77 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">just to let you know...CC is not on commission.

one of the reasons why CC or BB doesn't sell alarms/rem starts/etc without installation is because it's all about money. retailers profit way too much for charging installation. it's 80 bucks to install an alarm/keyless in most vehicles when it only takes a decent installer 1-2 hours to install. and what are they paying installers...anywhere from 10-15 dollars an hour. you do the math, they'd make so much more money from the installs than they would just selling the units. granted retailers still make a bunch on the units themselves.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Lets clear this up...It is NOT all about the money. DEI and these retailers sign an agreement that their products will not be sold without an installation fee to deter the "Do it yourselfers". DEI provides the limited lifetime warranty only if installed professionally. DEI is basically saying that there is less of a chance that one of their alarms will fail if it is installed by a proffessional who has gone through some of their training courses, than if it is installed by a JOE Know-it-all. But if it does go bad they will fix it, no problems to the buyer. I know through experience that if a customer of mine came in with an alarm issue (way back in the day), instead of spending hours on a FIX, I just swapped the alarm brain out to see if that solved the problem. If so, Bam, happy customer and the dollars are not bein spent on troubleshooting a problem. Obviously if it were something else wrong (very rare) then the time troubleshooting will have to be spent.
DEI provides ALOT of annual training for installers to install the alarm correctly the first time. DEI is the largest manufacturer for car security systems and they also have the best reputation for quality, but that all starts with the quality of the installation. So...in actuality DEI does not make a profit on the install, only on the product itself. The retailer who is paying the installer to put it in does. Sorry guys, I kinda started rambling there but Im sure I answered alot of questions.

 

they dont make commision so he doesnt give a **** whether you bought it or not..

reason the price is included is because Dei warrantys the product if its installed by a dealer...

and if u want it without install by in on CC.com sometimes they dont ahve the intall included

 

You suck! I deal with dumbasses like you all the time. Crybabies. I try to explain to them why that this is the way it has to be, and they get all butt-hurt and offended and turn around and bitch on the internet. That's fine, I'd rather not get customers like you. You end up buying it to install yourself, then you return it because it doesn't work right. Or you bring us a half disassembled car with pieces all broken and beg us to finish it. Or maybe we never see you again, it doesn't matter, we still lose, because we don't make money just selling the alarm.

Customers think that we're ripping them off trying to get huge profits. Some months we're struggling to stay open! Our installers/sales people aren't getting any hours. Then a big rush comes in and we have only two installers on staff. Then you have Good Guys that goes out of business!!! You think we want to end up like them? The truth is, when we sell you an alarm w/out install, or a stereo w/out install, or a stereo with free install and no attachments ie speakers, we're LOSING money. It's called overhead. Add to that DEI's strict policies, Circuit City headquarters refusal to give us a new POS system (ours is literally from 1986!!!), and what do you expect? It's a major pain in the *** to sell you an alarm w/out install, so cut the sales person some slack. You know how much crap he has to learn about all the different products and brands? Have some patience, ask politely if they can get a roadshop manager to help you. And realize that the roadshop manager does not work 24/7.

Circuit City is pretty much the only major retailer where you have the opportunity to get a good quality soldered installation. Everywhere else uses butt connectors, t-taps, or worse, and charges the same price that we do. We're under pressure to be just as fast as them. Our paid protection plan actually benefits you. I've had some problems as a CC customer trying to get a warranty, I'll admit. But at Best Buy and other places I've been more or less laughed out of the store. If you're patient and polite, we'll hook you up. If you're a ******* dick, I'll put just enough effort into the install that you don't come back for an R&R. When I first started, I felt guilty that some of the installations cost so much. Some things like satellite radio installs and ipod accessory installs are very overpriced, but it's what keeps us in business. It's capitalism bitch, so suck on it. It's what the other retailers are charging. It's how we make up for all the free stereo installs. It's how they pay the overhead. W/out that, I can't get hours, I can't make rent, I can't feed my cats, I live (or starve slowly) on top ramen.

Every reply to your topic is pure gold. fcm, if those prices are in american dollars, it might be worth driving up to Canada for the install. We're hiring a roadshop manager down here in sunny San Diego. Retirement city. Come and get it.

Oh and the reason why the installers don't share their techniques is because the work environment isn't conducive to it. In truth, we do make suggestions and show off our work to each other, between the installers that are comfortable on a personal level. Then the other guy just insists his methods are superior. You have to be careful or else the other guy thinks you're telling him what to do. He thinks you're insulting his work and putting yourself on a pedestal. That's how it is whether you're an installer, a welder, a carpenter, or a goddamned seamstress. You're so entrenched in your retarded pride that you refuse to learn anything new. It's the same reason why coworkers don't talk about how much they make per hour.

For example, at CC they like to group the alarm wires that are going in the same direction and then twist them together using the drill. Then they wrap each group in electric tape. IMO, this is messy, a waste of supplies, a huge waste of time, a pain to R&R, and it's easy for a thief to spot. But it's still a step above the more common method of install, which I refer to affectionately as spider webbing or "the world wide web" aka spaghetti wiring. The method I use is quicker, uses less supplies, it's cleaner and easier to R&R, and looks factory. But the other guys think I'm just taking short cuts and doing a shoddy job. Other people always accuse you of what they are guilty of. They never have to R&R my stuff so they don't see it first-hand. My method is to search for a singular location where all the wires I need are in close proximity, run all the wires together using split loom, and then wrap the split loom loosely in electric tape, mimicking the factory loom.

 

Just want to say most of the stuff you said I agree with but some comments I do not.

"Or maybe we never see you again, it doesn't matter, we still lose, because we don't make money just selling the alarm."

You know that's not true...look at your accomodation sheets and compare it to the prices the units are without installation.

"Add to that DEI's strict policies, Circuit City headquarters refusal to give us a new POS system (ours is literally from 1986!!!), and what do you expect?"

Not sure whether your store has it or not, but there is another POS...Magellan, but that is being replaced by an IBM POS. They tried it in many stores but there are too many bugs to roll it out.

 

Ditto the above........

Although as I said I have no problem helping someone that wants to DIY, I have just as big a problem with people that bitch and whine about install pricing.

It is a little diff. up here as I know of no place that will not sell an alarm or anything over the counter without install, I think there is a consumer law up here that does not allow it.

DEI like others, will still give warranty on over the counter. [no install by authorized dealer] on all their product, but only 1 year, [also a consumer law up here] to get the lifetime warranty it has to be installed by an authorized dealer.

If you want to buy it without install, no problem, but don't cry because they don't give you a lifetime warranty.

As for what the install charges are, suspendedHatch is right, we as installers have to make a living just like anyone else, I make 50% - 100% of the install charge, [depending on job and what the store charges for labour] less my commission the store pays a small commission to the salesman for the labour he/she sells, the rest is for overhead for the shop, BTW I still get paid for the free install, the store and the salesman picks up the tab for that, it has to come from someplace, so it comes off the GP of the unit sold, so less GP for the store and less commission for the salesman.

Also as suspendedHatch points out, times are hard for the retail market, GP is down across the board, overhead is higher, with the onslot of unauthorized online sellers with little or no overhead selling product with no warranty at below authorized retailers costs, and consumers flocking to the sites to get the "better" price, it makes it very hard to compete at a retail level.

To the people, [and I get a few every week] that think we overcharge for install or we are a ripoff because we will deal on product pricing, it goes on sale, you get package pricing and so on, but we will not deal on labour, to them I have two words bite me!

You get what you pay for, how would you like it if I came to the place you work and insist that you should get paid $1 or $2 less an hour for what you do for me, or your overcharging and a ripoff?

If you stop and think about it, add up the costs, shitty if any warranty, and a distinct lake of service, when you buy on line and compare it to the extra you pay at an authorized retail outlet, you should see that you are far better off buying retail.

I have never and will never buy anything online, and after reading, here at H/T, about all the diff. problems people have had with online sales, I'm not sure why anybody would. 94

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by siggy833 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Lets clear this up...It is NOT all about the money. DEI and these retailers sign an agreement that their products will not be sold without an installation fee to deter the "Do it yourselfers".</TD></TR></TABLE>I think your missing the bigger picture. Why does DEI do this? It is profit driven pure and simple. If you were a company who would you buy an alarm from? One that makes everyone agree not to sell over the counter or one that will sell to anyone. DEI is very much in control of there product line. If they choose not to support a product the customer is forced to buy a new product. Lifetime warranty means as long as a product line exists not as long as you exsist. The customer is at the will of DEI. Which has built in product renewal in there product line which continues the money flow. For both them and the dealer. Personally I am against throw away electronics and think I should not be forced into paying for a service I dont need. I would put my install up against any dealer in my area.

As far as dealer down the street offering a $100 installs. Its you as a company that has to be innovative to compete. Large comapanies such as CC dont care about there "install" name. They care about the larger corparate name which will continue to sell just because of the name. So this is the monster you must compete with.

I dont believe an alarm should cost $2500.00 it goes beyond the cost vs benifit. Small companies should look to there employees. Managers should be leaders and demand high expectation. Companies should return the effort with additional training, and teaching the importance of training to stay ahead of the competition. Show employees ways to advance there career and help steer them in the right direction. Anyone that sees no future in there job will lose interest very quickly. Money isn't the only motivator but it take a good leader to see that. Reward employees that create new methods that save the company money. If you create the right environment money will follow. Sad to say most people expect the money first, which is the wrong thought process. I would stick a newbie on dumb boring jobs if they think they are to good for it they will always have the wrong attitude.

 

"You know that's not true...look at your accomodation sheets and compare it to the prices the units are without installation."

I never claimed we're selling them at-cost. How long do you think we would stay in business if we just sold alarms w/out install? That 20-30% profit isn't **** after you pay the overhead.

How many people from Good Guys are collecting unemployment right now?

What's wrong with making money? That's the whole point, isn't it? Don't you go to work to make money? Sorry but I'm not a monk and mobile electronics is not a charity.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fcm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
If you stop and think about it, add up the costs, shitty if any warranty, and a distinct lake of service, when you buy on line and compare it to the extra you pay at an authorized retail outlet, you should see that you are far better off buying retail.

I have never and will never buy anything online, and after reading, here at H/T, about all the diff. problems people have had with online sales, I'm not sure why anybody would. 94</TD></TR></TABLE>
Everyone is being asked to be paid a few dollars less an hour these days. Having a store front doesn't mean the store is an authorized dealer. I dont think its just price that drove people away from the local stores. Car toys which is huge here pretty much only sells for retail and they are doing well.

Service isn't garanteed at a local retailer. You may still have the same problems that you do online.

 

I disagree, with most of what you say, and things are obviously diff. up here in Canada then in the US, and yes every one is "downsizing" up here also, the competition between "big box" retailers and the rest of the industry is fierce an in the install end of things is where you see the diff., although the retail price of say an alarm, [same brand and model] will be about the same, the install will be very diff. even though if we both charge the same for a basic alarm install, what you get at the two places will be diff., everything from what is included in basic install to how the install is done, but we are both authorized dealers, and yes a storefront does not guaranty that you are an authorized dealer, [and again it may be diff. in the US] but I do not know of any unauthorized retail dealers of say DEI alarms up here, where on the other hand most of the online dealers are not authorized.

If not price, [driving people away from the retail market] then what?
If what I have seen here on H/T and g2ic and a few other sites, it's all about price, and nothing else, to the point that people don't care if it's not an authorized dealer and they will not get a manufacturer's warranty, or any kind of warranty, the price is all that is important.

Give me a break, "service isn't garanteed at a local retailer. You may still have the same problems that you do online" although it's not impossible to run into problems, and again it may be diff. in the US, up here if you buy and have your DEI alarm installed at an authorized dealer you get lifetime warranty on the alarm and the install, although how that warranty is applied from one retailer to the next may differ somewhat, EG; You buy a DEI alarm at our store and have it installed, you will get a certain level of install quality, [all unused wires depined and removed, all soldered connections and so on] if you have a problem, all you have to do is show up at any of our 22 locations across western Canada, withe proof of purchase, [we install a sticker in the glove box with date of purchase, inv. #, installers name and location] if you have lost your receipt and sticker is missing a quick search on the computer will get the info, you car will be looked at right away, if it is an install problem it will be fixed, if it is an equipment failure it will be replaced if less then 90 days old, [over the counter exchange] if it is more then 90 days old, we will give you a loner of some kind, [exact same thing if current, something that workes if not] and part will be sent for warranty repair.
Service is what we can give that an online dealer can not, even an authorized one, read the fine print about warranty at any online site at the best if you get it at an authorized dealer then have it installed at an authorized dealer, you can remove it or pay to have it removed and send it in and be without an alarm for 10 weeks, and if they cover it under warranty and send it back you pay to have it reinstalled.

Yes there may be problems getting service at some retail places, [they will not stay in business long] but it hardly compares to the grief and cost I hear people run into with something they got online when they have a problem.

BTW our stores are doing OK also, we will be opening store 23 next month, the new owners, [another Canadian Co.] is putting the emphasis on customer service.
The one thing we can't do is compete with pricing at unauthorized online dealers, and every day we have people come in with car audio/video/security they got online and want us to install because we are the authorized dealer for that brand, only to get pissed at us when we explain that we will only give them install warranty, and product is not covered, I have more then a few times had to go online to the site they got their equipment from find the warranty small print and show the customer "you get what you pay for" other then price I have not heard many other positive remarks about online buying. 94 nuff said on this subject.

 

FCM,

how much you boys charge for installation??
say a compustar in an integra

just wanna get an idea. installing an alarm is not easy I tired to install mine took me 2 days lol. It was my first time and I would glady pay someone to do it.

 

Lifetime warranty means different things to different people. It does not mean for the rest of your life.Alot of the time its for the life of the current production cycle. If it ends your warranty is worthless. Many online retailers offer there own warranties that are just as worthless as the manufacturers warranty.

If you have an alarm that isn't the current production model but is still under warranty you will still have to wait for the manufacturer to fix or replace it.

I wasn't speaking of just alarms. A lot of shops are not authorized to sell the equipment they sell. And the average consumer is not going to know how to tell the two apart.

I have had to repair family members alarms that had lifetime warranties that the company who installed them went out of business. I know of no shop that will repair an alarm that was installed by a different authorized DEI dealer. If you move away from the said shop your warranty is worthless.

I have bought many things online without any problems. If prices were somewhat similiar but slightly more expensive at the local retailer I will buy from the local retailer. I always give the local retailer first chance at earning my business. If I can save $100 by going online and buying a product then I will do it. Many shops dont want your business unless they can get full retail. There is pretty much a 100% markup on all mobile electronics. Ideal profit is 30%. Online retailers dont have as much of an overhead. A $50 item will cost $100 at your local retailer. Since they invested $50 they hope to make $15 so this leaves $35 in overhead the company uses to pay the bills.

An online retailers still has overhead just not as much. This is the savings that gets passed onto the customer. A local retailer could sell the same Item for $85 and still stay in business. If the company finds a way to be more efficient then there overhead would be less and they may be able to sell for $70 and stay in business.

The online retailer will have to pay the same $50 + 30%profit=65+overhead+shipping= More then the local retailer.

Obviously if you are loosing business to the online retailers customers do not value what you have to offer them. Complaining about it will not bring customers in the door. I think you value customer service to much, its never a garanteed thing and salesmen will tell you what you want to hear to get the product out the door. Profits are not as high as they used to be, you can't ride the same cash cow the rest of your life. You have to innovate and create a new cash cow. If Intel was still selling 486 processors obviously they would be out of business.

 

"Lifetime warranty means different things to different people. It does not mean for the rest of your life.Alot of the time its for the life of the current production cycle. If it ends your warranty is worthless. Many online retailers offer there own warranties that are just as worthless as the manufacturers warranty."

Bullshit. If we can find you in the computer, the install is covered. If you sell the car, be nice and give the new owner the reciept. We're not going to card him. Just today I took care of a customer's Viper 790XV. It is by far not the first time I've taken care of an old *** alarm or stereo. We have another thing happen at our store. We stopped carrying Infinity. A guy comes in with a blown Basslink II. Unfortunately, we can't get him another Basslink II, but we offered him an equivalent setup, fair to both him and ourselves. He decided to upgrade instead and we cut him an awesome deal.

I'm all about DIY, and all about supporting local businesses. But with some things, there's a major advantage to buying from a national chain that carries long established name brands.

I've bought online too. Why shouldn't I, I'm a professional installer. But I have had problems just like everyone else where the product takes a **** or is DOA, and it's very easy for someone to remain anonymous and even disappear when it's over the internet. Often times, they're out of state so there is no legal recourse. That's a risk I will not take with expensive products. I can't tell you how many times a paid store warranty has saved my ***.

And I'm still going to insist to you that if we just sell hardware w/out attachments, installation etc, we're not going to be around for long. Layoffs, hour cuts, pay cuts, benefit cuts, store closures... this is the american way. How many ******* times do I have to point the finger at the empty Good Guys building that was once a job for over 50 people? Two blocks from where I work!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bossman032 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">FCM,

how much you boys charge for installation??
say a compustar in an integra

just wanna get an idea. installing an alarm is not easy I tired to install mine took me 2 days lol. It was my first time and I would glady pay someone to do it. </TD></TR></TABLE> Depends on what Compustar, and what you want done, and if you wan a basic, custom or show quality install, alarms start at $100 same for remote starts, combo alarm/starters start at $200, start adding all sorts of options and extras and you can add another $200-$400 custom install is double, and show quality is double again.
I have had customers pay $1600-$2000 for a show quality install of a Compustar 2W900FM-AS with all the bells and whistles. 94

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by suspendedHatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">"Lifetime warranty means different things to different people. It does not mean for the rest of your life.Alot of the time its for the life of the current production cycle. If it ends your warranty is worthless. Many online retailers offer there own warranties that are just as worthless as the manufacturers warranty."

Bullshit. If we can find you in the computer, the install is covered. If you sell the car, be nice and give the new owner the reciept. We're not going to card him. Just today I took care of a customer's Viper 790XV. It is by far not the first time I've taken care of an old *** alarm or stereo. We have another thing happen at our store. We stopped carrying Infinity. A guy comes in with a blown Basslink II. Unfortunately, we can't get him another Basslink II, but we offered him an equivalent setup, fair to both him and ourselves. He decided to upgrade instead and we cut him an awesome deal.

I'm all about DIY, and all about supporting local businesses. But with some things, there's a major advantage to buying from a national chain that carries long established name brands.

I've bought online too. Why shouldn't I, I'm a professional installer. But I have had problems just like everyone else where the product takes a **** or is DOA, and it's very easy for someone to remain anonymous and even disappear when it's over the internet. Often times, they're out of state so there is no legal recourse. That's a risk I will not take with expensive products. I can't tell you how many times a paid store warranty has saved my ***.

And I'm still going to insist to you that if we just sell hardware w/out attachments, installation etc, we're not going to be around for long. Layoffs, hour cuts, pay cuts, benefit cuts, store closures... this is the american way. How many ******* times do I have to point the finger at the empty Good Guys building that was once a job for over 50 people? Two blocks from where I work!</TD></TR></TABLE> Ditto the above...
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by suspendedHatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">"Lifetime warranty means different things to different people. It does not mean for the rest of your life.Alot of the time its for the life of the current production cycle. If it ends your warranty is worthless. Many online retailers offer there own warranties that are just as worthless as the manufacturers warranty."

</TD></TR></TABLE> Again It must be diff. in the US, up here life time warranty means for as long as its in your car, we will also let, [and encourage] customers to transfer the warranty to a new owner, [easy way to get a new customer at no cost] we have also replaced items with other brands if we no longer carry that brand, [if it's still under a manufactures warranty] although up here even if we drop a line the manufacturer still covers warranty, and maybe consumer laws are diff. up here but if they say 1 year warranty you get 1 year if it says 3 years you get 3 years if it's lifetime warranty you get lifetime.
If we have a problem with warranty/warranty repairs, [like we did with Eclipse] we drop the line, and we take care of the customer, in some cases we will replace a product with a diff. brand, thats just customer service. I have yet to see an online seller do or offer that. 94

 

You quoted me quoting somebody.

Quote, originally quoted by suspendedHatch, orignally posted by nsxxtreme, then quoted by fcm »

Things are better in Canada. But I can't believe guns are legal?!! That's just crazy! We should fortify the northern border. You guys might try to take over. Our Mexican neighbors don't carry guns.