KillaIS250

iTrader: (1)

Don't go to Best Buy for an alarm install, try Fry's Electronics. The one in San Diego (San Marcos location) i've heard has some pretty good installers working there. I had Fry's install the alarm on my old car, but it was the one in Anaheim, they did a great job though. If you got some extra $$, ask them to solder the connections instead of just splicing and stuff. Also have them hide the "brain" and the wiring of the alarm as best they can. It's worth the extra $$, if they look at you like "0_0" take it to a smaller shop that does alarms...they should do it. Most installers just put the brain and everything behind the dash under the steering wheel. Guess where thieves look first to disable an alarm? lol

LexLuger31

I actually was going to start a thread about this. I just got a 99 es300 and saw bestbuy has the Viper alarm priced at 139 with basic installation.

A couple of local shops offer the alarm a little cheaper, but you also have to pay for install so it works out the same price.

Big Mack

iTrader: (1)

100% agree - as is just about any retail operation anymore, and it's not just limited to car audio stuff. A local store who promotes that it is "Just like having a friend in the business!" will never get my business or anyone that I know because of the way they treat people both over the fone and in person. It should not take an act of Congress to get a price and time of availability for an in stock washing machine, yet that's how their reps acted when contacted. Went back to a small independent after BBY couldn't get a black one in less than 6 weeks (not their fault, just a distribution channel limitation for them), and had one by week's end - for the same price as BBY but I added the 5 year warranty for $50.

I've said this in other threads about BBY - I've had excellent experiences with them and a couple not so good. The not so goods don't outweigh the positives, but I haven't visited in a while. I do see that their customer service has suffered a bit, but when I wanted something last year for Christmas, even with a mass of people, I was able to find someone to help me relatively quickly.

I firmly believe that in any retail operation it is an "attitude at the top" situation. If the manager takes pride and instills that in the workers and accepts nothing less, the store will exude that as a whole with a few bad apples. If the manager never walks the floor, never stops to chat with a customer and see how their experience is, never stoops to pick up a product (or trash) on the floor, or never assesses where a shortcoming might be, the store will flounder.

As suggested, I would know a few things when walking in and if you get the proverbial "deer in headlights" look when asking questions about those things, it's time to vamoose.

Big Mack