Car Alarm Systems - The Lowdown

The sound of the humble car alarm is a familiar one, albeit perhaps for the wrong reasons. Yes, those alarms that sound off on the street for hours for no good reason other than a bit of a breeze. Some of them beep, some honk, some seemingly screech. But they all serve the same purpose – to prevent your car from being stolen. Cars are slightly different from our other valuable and expensive purchases insofar as many of us leave them outside on the street overnight! You wouldn’t see someone leaving their iPod or plasma screen TV out, right? As such, alarming is absolutely essential, particularly when you consider the fact that every minute there are 2 cars stolen in the USA.

But when it comes to buying car alarm systems, it might not be as straightforward a process as you might think. There are all sorts of factors to take into consideration when it comes to a purchase like this. What features do you need? Let’s face it, it’s for security, right? But some systems out there are laden with so many extra features and gadgets you would wonder whether it’s going to wake you up, brush your teeth and bring you breakfast in bed as well. But if you have a car that’s, well, let’s put this politely... if you have a car that’s a bit of a dump, you probably won’t be needing too fancy a car alarm system. In fact, the only assumption people ever jump to when your alarm is worth three times the value of your car is either that you’re stupid or you have something in your car that you shouldn’t!

You can realistically pick up a car alarm system for little over $50. Of course, these lower end ones are not quite laden with the same extras, gadgets, gizmos and devices as those at the upper end of the market are, but all the same they are functional and serve their purpose.

Others will offer motion sensors, varied alarm sounding options, demobilisers, remote control activation etc. The really fancier ones have a 2 way communication system between the car and a hand held device you can keep on your person or in your home. This device then lets you know if you car doors are open or if the engine is started etc.

So while it is possible to buy a basic yet functioning system cheaply, some run into the thousands. When you are making an investment of this nature, it is absolutely essential to shop around.

Start by asking your friends what type of car alarms they are using. Do they recommend their system? How much was it? Have they had any problems with it? And bear in mind that your car alarm really ought to be proportional to the value of your car. Is your friend’s car worth significantly more than yours? If so, then their car alarm system might not be the one for you.

Go online and check out comparison websites and independent review websites. Read as many reviews as you can on various systems and the features. Reading plenty means you are more likely to be getting an unbiased view on the system and this is perfect and very much what you need. If you have seen a system in particular that takes your fancy, check a few retailers online and see if the price differs. If you do buy online, you should endeavour to check that you are purchasing from a reputable retailer.

Of course, there is nothing stopping you from finding the name of a few systems you are interested in through means of shopping around online and then taking this information to a retailer yourself. This way has the added advantage of you often being able to have the system the same day and getting the advice of the professionals.

Whichever way you do it, however, when it comes to buying a car alarm system, simply given the vast variety available, take your time and do your homework!