I not only bought my alarm through Best Buy, but I negotiated the installation price just like any regular alarm shop.

They had installed the Viper 2-way paging alarm / remote start in my Avalanche. THEN, they removed it from my Avalanche and installed it into a Navigator for me.

I never had a problem with it in either vehicle. I took it back for minor tweaks to programming.

 

Just to let you know my install was great. The installer was very helpful he showed me how to use the Alarm and gave me my warranty papers which are good at any bestbuy!!!

 

That's great! Mine will be installed on Saturday. Did you loose any factory features of your truck such as memory seats? What about approach lighting when you lock and unlock the doors?

 

Nope! I don't have memory seats in my truck so I don't know about that, but other than that everything still works the way it should!

 

That's good news because it tells me that it all depends on the installer and not the hardware. I have read things like not being to use memory seats, pedals, and mirrors. Also not being able to use the door keypad lock anymore.

Did the installer let you hang out and watch him install? What bypass module did he use?

 

How did the install go?

 

Congrats on a good install. When I had my old truck (Dodge Ram) I had an aftermarket head unit and speakers front to rear installed, from Best Buy. They had a check sheet and tested how things worked before and after install. Everything had gone well. So like the above comments it all depends on the techs. I wouldn't hesitate to go back and have somthing installed.

 

Install went great! The guy did a good job hiding everything and making sure everything worked before I picked up the truck. He also installed the bypass module and audio window break sensor free of charge. The install looks factory. I watched him for a while and he was very organized. Not like some of the youtube videos when there is a huge rats nest on the floor of the truck. He showed me in detail how the system worked. We went over all the safety features as well. One thing he showed me was Best Buys version of the hood safety pin. They didn't use the one from viper. They use something that looks like a ball check valve that mounts on the inside of the hood. When the hood opens the ball drops and kills the engine. He said the viper hood pin corrodes easily and stops working eventually.

Overall I am very pleased with my local Best Buy. This viper system is truly awesome and can't wait to start using the remote start

 

I've had BB techs put in two JVC CD players in my last two trucks, since neither had factory CD players. The last time was in '04, but both experiences went smoothly. Fortunately, I've got a single disc in my '08 lol

 

Glad it went good. IMHO, Best Buy is probally a safer bet to get installed at than some hack shop. BB is a large corporation who will honor their work (you and them have the paperwork to proove it), as where a single shop can give you the run around or may not even be there in a year.

 

That is very true. Also somebody like me who travels a lot with the military needs a nation wide store to honor the work they do. The install has a lifetime warranty at any store. I am moving in a few months so that's why I chose BB.

 

What branch of the military are you in?

 

I am in the Coast Guard, have been for 8 years.

 

My brother in law had an alarm installed at Best Buy in Holyoke, MA and they did a hack job. Maybe it does come down to the installer, but I would think they would have someone do a workmanship check to ensure a good install. In his case they used crimp connection, but the main problem in the case of the crimp, it was 2 different wire gauges, so one side was loose causing intermittent connections. I prefer solder/heat shrink, but crimp is fine as long as it's done right.

 

Yeah it all comes down to the installer. Same thing when you take your vehicle in for service at the dealer, it all depends on the mechanic. In my case the guy at my Best Buy was very well liked and had a good reputation. I know in Texas that these guys have to be certified and have quite a bit of knowledge before being hired to do any kind of electrical work. I have had the system now for 2 weeks and couldn't be happier. No issues so far, although Directed Electronics should really consider making a higher quality remote fob.