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Overpriced?

2K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  Zexel 
#1 ·
This may be in the wrong forum section, and I apologize if it is but there is no specifically Electronics section so I said what the hell. In about 2 weeks I'll be getting an alarm with many goodies. I was just wondering if I am getting overpriced and if someone could recommend me another alarm with the same options for cheaper. Ok, this guy named Chris that owns his own electronics place offered me a deal with a Code Alarm security system. Here are some of the goodies I specifically asked for and that he would definately do for me if they didn't come with a specific alarm:

Dual Stage Shock Sensor
Central Door Locks
Ignition Lock/Unlock
Keyless Entry
Impact Sensor
Trunk Release
Dome-Light Activation/De-activation
Parking Lights blink w/ Activation of alarm
125-db Siren along w/ use of stock horn
Warning LED Light mounted inside on dash
Starter Disable

Remote buttons:
Panic/Find
Unlock/Disarm
Lock/Arm
Other accessory which would probably be trunk release

$250 installed. I think it's pretty good but I just want to double check. He said that he would rather me buy a product from him so he can take care of me if something goes wrong since he's local. He's a very intelligent man that knows his stuff. I'm not 100% about ALL of that, but I'm asking for all that. Can you guys tell me what kind of alarm you have (if any) and how much it cost. He said that he's dealt with Code Alarm for years and he recommends their products to most if not all people that ask him. Price sound good to you guys?
 
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#2 ·
Seems pretty silly to me to be putting an alarm into a 12-year old car that can be replaced for three thousand bucks. It only makes sense if you have a loan on the car and are paying full-coverage insurance.
 
#3 ·
Most of those features are standard on most alarms
(outside of the addition of the central door locks and trunk release) and can be had in an alarm that costs $60. So $250 sounds high to me, but I don't price installed alarms because I do all that kind of work myself. So maybe I can't offer unbiased advice on that. As far as barnds go I've only worked with Valiant and Viper. I've heard that Clifford is the "Cadillac" of alarms and is made by DEI, who makes Viper, among other alarms and various high quality car audio. If I can get a good price on one, the Cifford is what I'll be putting into my SE-R. Alarms typically work as a good deterrent and the LED is mostly what does that. Your second most effective part of an alarm is the sensors, especially a two stage with a warn away chirp on the first stage. I don't think it's silly at all to put an alarm in any car. Your car's not likely to be stolen, but break in's are another story, especially if you've got a flashy car or lots of stereo installed. If we lived closer Zex I'd do the install for pizza and your everlasting admiration. ;) It'd save you a bundle and it'd be fun. Add a hood pin switch to your list of features. Your trunk will be protected by a current sensor if the alarm has that as well, if not add a pin switch for that as well.
 
#4 ·
i just got an alarm installed two days before i messed up my axles on the curb, but i also got an illegal tint job to go with it. might sound a little high, but total was $500 with front tint visor on windshield (no charge). he gave me that alarm at $300 with all the same goodies with 6 button remote, but it cost more because he had to install power locks, since my se-r had none. iono if it was a deal, but i can't do worth jack with electronics, except hook up my own sound system. but i am attempting the power window upgrade soon. once car is out of the shop. at two other places, the tint and alarm separately would've been over 575. so whateva. I'm happy. $500 worth it since three head units stolen and two windows have been broken on my baby before i got it. and it's no waste to put on alarm. just because KBBook retail is low doesn't mean that it's not worth more in our hearts...:) cheesy, i know, but in the 4 weeks that i've had this car, i'd almost die for it... not really. plus, the beep when i unlock it sounds cooler too! it's more masculine! hahaa... i'm becoming aposting whore.. ok ok..

PEace
Cmo
 
#5 ·
bahearn said:
Seems pretty silly to me to be putting an alarm into a 12-year old car that can be replaced for three thousand bucks. It only makes sense if you have a loan on the car and are paying full-coverage insurance.
well, it all depends exactly how much he has done to his car. if its pretty much mint, and/or he has put a lot of effort into it then it might be worth protecting!
 
#6 ·
An absolutely cherry '91 Sentra GXE will be worth no more than $4,000. The more mods he's done, the less it's worth. Sad but true.

I must admit to being forgetful that I own a house and garage the car. Even still, the economics of insurance didn't justify an alarm on my car even when I bought it new.
 
#7 ·
i'm not talking about weather its finanically logical. you must know that a car seperated is worth more then together. someone could make a bunch of money stripping the car down, specially if there are some nice aftermarket parts to unwrench. sell them individually, and thats a good chunk of change. specially if they got the car for free (by stealing it) There for if the car is modded up an pretty for the camera, its gonna get a few more looks. Odds are the wrong people included. if he wants to keep his pride n Joy of Blood, Sweat, and Tears,.....well lets just say that 9-11-01 could have been prevented if the FAA got a security system in gear.

Especially If He DOESN'T have full insurace on the car, its worth it for at least a basic alarm. if he can part with something higher, the more the merrier. you may never know if your alarm discourages anyone or not. but you will know when not having one, didn't, and you "slither your ass down to the bus station in the morning"
 
#8 · (Edited)
The economics of insurance didn't justify an alarm? Just how low is your deductible? Most alarms aren't more than $200 installed, and the lowest deductible I've ever heard of is $250 and costs so much that most people go with $500 at the minimum. Comprehensive coverage also costs a lot more a year than the one time price on an alarm install. All that aside, the economics of insurance is to take your money and do all it takes to not give any back. I don't know how many claims you've had to make, but in my experience I've never not taken a hit. First of all there's depreciation, so it doesn't matter that I paid $10k for my '96 beretta in '98, because a year later when I wrecked it, despite that I put only 6K miles on it that year, it was only worth $8K now. So when they totaled it, that's what I had to fight them to give me for it. Good ole' insurance to the rescue, no car and I get a $2K loss out of the deal, plus my rates go up. On the bright side, that's when I bought my '93 XE and opened my eyes to the wonderful world of B13. Beside the point, now apply this to a break in in a car. I have comprehensive on both my Nissan's. Let's say someone breaks in and steals my change out of the ashtray, my sunglasses and in the process broke my window to do so. So now I get to pay to have it fixed, because the window replacement, the change in my ashtray and my sunglasses don't total or exceed my $500 deductible and likely wouldn't exceed a $250 deductible. A lot good insurace did. Let's say it did exceed taht, because the sunglasses were Oakley's and they screwed up my door lock and garfed up the surrounding sheetmetal. So now I still get to pay my deductible, whatever that may be, and I get the bonus of a rate increase when I re-up my insurance. Hell of a deal. Good thing I didn't take the $200 gamble of having an alarm installed and perhaps deter the theft in the first place. Insurance companies give you a discount for having an alarm, not much, but they do, and let me tell you, insurance companies don't give away anything unless it's in their favor, and they know that an alarm deters theft and it's worth rewarding you for having one. But hey, that's just how I see it.
 
#9 ·
I can't think of the last time I remember a se-r or a sentra xe being jacked around here. And I live in Dallas. You just don't want a si down here. The punks like them:(
 
#10 ·
like scarcrow said...it's just abuot the effort I'm putting into it. Especially after last night I just got done dropping it and it sits nice, just like I like it. I got about 4 - 5 looks last night in a city I don't even live in. And I've had the wheels alone for about 3 weeks and I've gotten about 3 looks the whole time in my own city! It's just the fact that I would feel so much safer with an alarm instead of having to lock up my glove box with my cd player and cd's all the damn time.

toolapcfan - the only reason I'm considering going with this guy is because he knows what he's doing and he already said that if something goes wrong he can fix it on the spot because he's got so many of the alarms that I'm getting in stock. So I said ok. But shit, if I can find one that goes from 250 down to 60, tell my ass about this shit! I know that DEI alarms are badass, he recommended those too. I'm trying to remember if he carried those? Anyways. The Central Door Locks is something he's doing to like someone mentioned. How much do you think he's adding for that? It shouldn't be 190 that's for sure. Oh well, if anyone could point me to the alarms they have, or any DEI alarms that they've experienced with I'd be thankful! And thanks for the offer man! I'll search around for DEI alarms.
 
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