As car alarm systems get louder and more numerous, more and more people are deciding that they've had enough. As is turns out, car alarm systems don't even increase the odds that a car will not be stolen. Many cities have begun to go so far as considering making the car alarm an illegal device to own or manufacture and sell to others. New York City has recently had several bills proposed by various council members calling for the restriction of car alarm systems within the city.
Many bills have been introduced whose main focus is to somehow reduce the annoyance that car alarm systems have become in many neighborhoods. Introduced in 2002 with nine co-sponsors, Liu's car alarm bill would effectively ban the sale and installation of car alarms that are audible within New York City. Introduced with fifteen co-sponsors, Moskowitz's bill of April, 2002 goes further in proposing a mechanism by which citizens could report annoying alarms to the police. This, in turn, would produce a warning letter that is sent to the owner of the offending car alarm.
The problem of car alarm systems has become such a large concern that Moskowitz and fellow councilmember John Liu have sponsored multiple bills that promise to fix the car alarm systems problem in New York City and the surrounding areas suffering from this noise pollution problem. Though some question the feasibility of making car alarm systems illegal, many people seem to agree that the time for some sort of solution being necessary.
Car Alarms Do Not Prevent Car Theft
Studies done by unbiased car insurance companies who wish to conduct objective scientific research to determine the effectiveness of car alarms showed that car alarms do nothing to stop car theft. Car alarm systems just plain don't make your car any less likely to become stolen or broken into.
As statistics seem to show over and over again, car alarms simply don't prevent vehicle theft. In cases such as theft, criminals are going to steal the car regardless of whether or not it has an alarm system installed. There are many ways to make your car less attractive. It is widely agreed that the best way to keep your car safe is to make it as inaccessible or unattractive to a would be thief because of the extreme lengths that he or she would have to go through in order to get to your car. One of the simplest ways to do this is to make your car the one that doesn't stand out form all the other cars.
Car Alarm Reviews Take the Worry Out of Buying
There are many free review sites, such as http://nextag.com . These are convenient to use, with the main drawback being that they only feature items from the most popular merchants. This is what some people want, but those looking for a bargain may be disappointed with the price range of products reviewed on sites like these.
The reviews section on eBay is relatively new, so some of the sections are not very populated yet, but I imagine it's only a matter of time before these sections are just as full of information as the discussion boards and other busy areas on eBay. You may just luck out and find the exact car alarm system that you've decided to get too.
About The Author:
Dewey worked for a security company as an alarm technician for more than 5 years. He has experience with both the installation of alarm systems for homes or for automobiles. At http://www.fantomizer.com , he provides a free technical chart on the pros and cons and the most popular alarm systems that are available on the market such as retail alarm systems.
How To Buy Cheap Cars From Government Auctions
There are a number of seized car auctions held in various places every month or at least quarterly. Usually, these special auctions are sponsored or put by the federal, state or local governments, and in some cases by law enforcement agencies.
There are a variety of ways on how the seized cars were put to the possession of the government. The most common and the most logical reason or explanation would be that these cars were previously owned by bad people, or those who violated laws or breached regulations.
Sometimes, cars sold at government auctions are actually old cars of government offices, which might have bought newer cars to replace the older ones.
People frequent government seized car auctions because they want to buy used or second hand cars at bargain prices. Indeed, they do get discounts, but buying seized cars could also be a gamble in itself.
Here are some helpful guidelines or tips on how you could effectively buy seized cars at government auctions.
1. To find such auctions, you should do a little leg work. Make inquiries or ask your local government about any auction that would take place. Check out the newspapers for postings and announcements.
2. Do your homework. Before buying seized cars at government auctions, it would advisable that you first do a little run down or research about the car you are planning to buy. By this, it means you should define your preferences and needs by knowing exactly the type of car you want and at what price range.
3. Research or ask experts about the value of the car you are eyeing at the government auction to determine whether the tag price is reasonable. Also try to know the seized vehicle's vehicle identification number or VIN and the mileage. The auction's administrators should know more about these facts and should readily give them to you.
4. Most of the seized car auctions run a preview of the seized cars for sale at least two days before the actual auction. This is the time when you can get really close to fully inspecting the vehicle.
5. When buying seized cars at government auctions, inspect the car very carefully. If you are not that familiar or if you are not really an expert in scrutinizing and eye-testing second-hand cars, try to bring in an expert or a mechanic at the auction. By doing so, the inspection would be accurate and you can be sure the price you would be paying, if ever you win the bidding process, is worth it.
6. Government auctions are still auctions. That means, people go there and bid against each other. If you want a seized car badly, chances are, there are also other people out there who also want the car so badly that they are willing to bid higher to make sure they get what they want. In cases like that, do not overbid. You might end up buying overpriced used car. That would not be really practical.
7. Prices for seized cars sold at government auctions vary and change from time to time depending on the currently winning bid. Maintain your focus, and eye for other cars, if your initially preferred car would be a little overpriced.
Overall, government auctions for seized cars are attractive and practical events help people acquire cars at discounted and practical prices. Just be sure you keep your head focused and thinking analytically while being immersed in the process.
Auctions can be a little thrilling most of the time, but in the end, people who buy at real bargains are the real winners.
To search for cheap cars, please visit http://www.auto-car-auctions.info/
How to Buy Japanese Used Cars?
Today, more and more people are setting out to buy Japanese used cars. Although most of these used car buyers know everything about cars as well as car buying techniques, but what they are not quite sure of is, ?How to import used cars from Japan??
Why Buy Used Japanese Cars?
Considering the growing popularity of used Japanese cars, the most pertinent question that arises is, ?Why do people have preference for used Japanese cars?? One of the foremost reasons for favoring Japanese used cars is that since innumerable years, Japan has been a leader in car manufacturing. Japanese cars as Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Mazda are famous throughout the world for their excellence, value and steadfastness.
Another reason for opting for Japanese used car is the wide assortment of car models that are available for selection, and almost all of them come with ultra-advanced features such as power steering, air bags, air conditioning, power windows and high performance engine.
One more reason why buying used Japanese cars is worthwhile is that they are maintained in excellent condition, both cosmetically and mechanically. World-class public transportation system, heavy traffic conditions, high toll and parking fees, and stringent rules of Japanese government with regards to proper maintenance of car safety system are some primary reasons why Japanese cars are used infrequently, and hence, are technically sound.
Where to Buy Japanese Used Cars?
Once, you're convinced that Japanese used cars are the best; the primary question that impinges your mind is, ?Where to buy used Japanese cars from?? There are several dealers and exporters who supply Japanese used cars, you can easily purchase your used Japanese car from them. However, in reality all these people get the used cars from major auction houses.
These auction houses get used Japanese cars from two main sources. Firstly, from Kaitori Shop, which concentrate on purchasing cars from individuals who sell their Japanese used or new cars to fulfill their urgent monetary needs, and secondly, from car dealers, who trade in used Japanese car for a new model. Thus, auction houses have a wide variety of used Japanese cars, and all of them are available at very low prices to professional buyers such as dealers and exporters. Hence, it would be a better proposition to buy your used Japanese car directly from such auction houses rather than obtain it from intermediate dealers and exporters.
However, you cannot purchase Japanese used cars directly from auctions because you cannot become a member of these auction houses. Only used car dealers and exporters, who have a license to do business in used cars, can apply for the membership. Furthermore, there are several strict contract terms that have to be followed when applying for the membership. Nevertheless, there are several used car exporters as www.auctiondirectjapan.com, who provide ?Auction Agent? service, that is, purchase Japanese used cars from auctions or from One Price (for sale at fixed wholesale price, until the next auctions). They also handle all the necessary procedure for shipping Japanese used cars.
How to Inspect the Condition of Used Japanese Cars?
When you buy used Japanese cars from online auction houses, using an ?Auction Agent?, you would neither get a chance to inspect your Japanese used car from close quarters nor you would have the privilege to test drive the used car before purchasing it. Hence, to know more about the condition of the car, you would have to depend solely upon the 'Auction-Sheet', which is nothing, but a car evaluation sheet prepared by the auction house.
Although all auction houses have different criteria for measuring the condition of the Japanese used cars, but some parameters are the same. For instance, they allocate grades 2 to 5 or 6 to S for the condition of car exteriors, and grades A to C for the state of car interiors.
Apart from external and internal condition, mileage is the next most crucial factor that used car buyers' worry about. The auction houses take care of this aspect. The seller is compelled to divulge the correct mileage. If the owner rolls back the mileage to hide the true figures, he is severely penalized by the auction house.
Another worrisome aspect related to Japanese used cars is the accident record. Even though it is difficult to ascertain this fact, but the auction houses have the ways and means to extract the truth, and the details are given in the auction sheet.
How to Import Japanese Used Cars?
Most used car buyers hold the opinion that it is usually difficult to import used Japanese car. Nonetheless, importing used cars from Japan is not at all difficult if you know the correct process. Here is a glimpse of the entire procedure that is put into practice while importing Japanese used cars.
1. Find out details about every law dealing with import of foreign cars in your country.
2. If you haven't found the right used Japanese car as yet, then you would have to send a request to the dealer to find the right car for you first.
3. Before giving a confirmation to the exporter/dealer (Auction Agent) to buy the used car, you should (1) check recent market price of your favorite car, which is usually provided by Japanese used car exporter or dealer (Auction Agent); (2) read the auction sheet very carefully; and (3) decide your budget to bid from auctions or purchase from One Price.
4. The next step is to make the payment. Before issuing the check, you should verify the authenticity of the exporter/dealer. This can be done in two ways: (1) by getting the company registration number and address confirmed at Japanese embassy in your country, (2) by checking if your exporter is a member of JUMVEA (Japan Used Motor Vehicle Exporter Association), which is the most reputable organization in the Japanese used car export industry, and is officially accredited by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japanese Government.
5. On arrival of the used car in your country, you would have to reproduce the documents that the exporter/dealer has sent to you. Thereafter, you would have to complete a few official procedures as paying import tax, getting your Japanese used car tested and insured etc. Once, you do that, you can drive your used Japanese car home.
Autor: Sadayoshi Miyakuni, CEO of M's Crw Co., Ltd. who runs www.auctiondirectjapan.com
