It’s cold out there! Can I get
a remote starter for my
ca r if it didn’t come with one?
If your car was built after 2005,
chances are good that you
can buy a compatible remote
starter that lets you start your
car from a distance, thawing
window ice and making the
inside toasty warm. “Your
safest bet is to get a system
from your car’s manufacturer,”
says John Ibbotson, chief
mechanic at CR’s Auto Test
Center. Your local dealer can
usually provide one.
Cars built before 2005
probably need an aftermarket
starter, Ibbotson says. “Have
it professionally installed at
a national chain or reputable
local shop, and get some level
of warranty on the work.”
Aftermarket remote starters
usually cost from $200 to $(including parts and labor),
but systems for European
cars may cost up to $800.
Aftermarket remote starters
can be itted to cars with
manual transmissions, but
CR advises against it—the car
could potentially be started
while left in gear instead of
Neutral, which is a safety
hazard. Never remote start a
car in an enclosed area, such
as a garage; carbon monoxide
poisoning is a deadly risk.How can I tell if my old
incandescent string lights
are safe to use this holiday?First, check that the wiring
on your incandescent string
light set isn’t broken or frayed,
and is still lexible. “Brittle or
exposed wire indicates that
the set is past its prime and
potentially unsafe to use,” says
John Banta, a CR test engineer.
If the wire is pliable, plug in
the strand to test the bulbs. If a
few bulbs are out and you have
the original spares, it’s safe toreplace them. Properly working
incandescents will feel warm,
which is ine for your tree. But
don’t link too many strings
together because this can cause
a power overload.
If you’re replacing strings,
choose LED lights. Even
though LED lights might be
more expensive, they last
longer, can be brighter, and
use less energy. Plus, LED
bulbs are usually plastic, and
therefore won’t shatter like
glass incandescent bulbs.
Whether LED or incandescent,
always look for the UL seal (the
standard for safety) on any
box of lights you buy, and turn
them of before you go to bed.
One last safety tip: Between
2014 and 2017, 27 percent of
emergency room visits were
related to falling of a ladder
while putting up holiday string
lights. So exercise increased
caution if you must string your
lights high up, advises Don
Huber, safety expert for CR.Are e-gift cards secure?Physical cards for speciic
merchants and services are
widely available at stores,
but before buying one, always
inspect a card’s protective
stickers or coating for
tampering and check whetherthe PIN has been revealed, says
CR senior money editor Tobie
Stanger. “Scammers can copy
gift-card codes while they’re
on the rack and later steal the
funds you load on them,” she
says. Some issuers will replace
a lost or stolen gift card if proof
of purchase and the card ID
number are provided, so give
the receipt along with the card.
You can also opt for
reloadable prepaid cards.
“These are attractive because
you can use them wherever
merchants take the debit cards
of the issuer—such as American
Express or Visa,” Stanger says.
If fraud occurs, many issuers
limit your liability to $50 if you
report the unauthorized use
within two days. A few issuers
won’t make you pay anything.
With e-gift cards, your
recipient gets a redeemable
code via email, text, or social
media. The e-card may be
printable or designed only for
a smartphone. Some allow
redemption only online, not
in a physical location. Keep in
mind that you typically supply
a lot of identiiers for yourself
and your recipient. Though
this makes it easier for e-gifts
to be replaced if, say, the
recipient loses the redemption
code, it’s not without risk.
“Consumers are at the mercy of
the companies they purchase
from to secure their data,” says
Shirley Inscoe, a senior analyst
at the Aite Group, a inancial
research and consulting
company. So alert the recipient
ahead of time and conirm that
the e-gift arrived, and remind
him to change passwords often
to thwart fraudsters.Ask Our ExpertsILLUSTRATIONS BY SERGE BLOCHWe have more than
140 in-house experts
who research, test,
and compare. Submit
your questions at
CR.org/askourexperts
... and watch for the
answers.LEARN12 CR.ORG DECEMBER 2018