Do’s and Dont’s of Buying a Remote Car Starter as a Gift

One of the most popular gifts we sell during the holidays is a Remote Car Starter. This truly is a great gift that the recipient will be thankful for each time they get into a warm vehicle. Buying a remote car starter as a gift can be difficult, though. We hope to help make this process easy for you.

Buying a Remote Car Starter as a Gift

1. Be sure to find out the exact year, make and model of the vehicle in question. While most shops cannot give an exact quote without seeing the vehicle, having this information will at least allow them to get you in the ballpark.
2. Never buy a remote car starter over the counter in hopes of having your “expert” friend do the install. On today’s advanced vehicles, the installation goes way beyond the skill level of most. You want it installed by a real expert.
3. Never buy a remote car starter via mail order or over the Internet. The motivation to do this is usually price. A remote starter is not a case where you want to trust your or your loved one’s vehicle to the lowest bidder. If you find that the price to have it installed at a brick-and-mortar retailer is more than you planned, our recommendation is to buy a different gift!
4. Look around for the best-reviewed and most-respected shop. If possible, visit them and make sure you get that warm, fuzzy feeling. If you do, that is the store where you want to make your purchase because you want great customer service after the sale along with a quality installation.
5. Always, Always, ALWAYS buy the system installed! That way, that same person who sells the product and does the installation is accountable for the project. You eliminate the possibility of finger-pointing and the blame game between the selling store and the installation shop. In our 20+ years of experience, there has never been an exception to this rule. You are buying the remote car starter as a gift. You do not want to create headaches for your loved one!
6. Consider buying a gift card instead of a specific remote car starter system. “You mean there is more than one option? I thought I just needed to buy a remote car starter.” Many of the best stores sell many different units so they can be matched to the person’s needs (Mobile Edge currently offers 14 models!). If you buy a gift card, the recipient can go to the store and pick out the system that best fits the vehicle. If someone goes over the amount you spent on the gift card, they only have to pay the difference. This way, you stay in your budget and they get the system they truly want.
7. If possible, go to the store you have picked. Spend 15 minutes there. Get to know them. Do they truly seem like they know what they are doing? Ask them about the way they install the system. Does they sound professional? Do they have a clean, organized display to show you the different systems? Do you feel comfortable with them after talking with them? If you have said yes to these things, that is the store for you.
8. Shameless plug! We invite you to visit Mobile Edge to purchase your remote starter and have it installed. We have over 25 years of experience installing remote car starters. We have great online reviews and very skilled technicians to perform your installation.  We carry the best brand in the business, Compustar, and sell nearly every model they offer. Our workmanship is guaranteed for as long as you own your vehicle and most of our remote starters come with a lifetime warranty. Feel free to stop in, give us  a call at 610-377-2730, or fill out our remote starter estimate request form to get the process started!

Take a look at our post of the Top 5 Mistakes People Make When Buying a Remote Starter. It too should help save you from costly buying decisions or even worse, some major headaches for a loved one.

We hope this has helped you. Buying a remote car starter as a gift for that special person in your life is awesome! Just be sure to follow our advice to make it a gift they will remember for a very long time.