Car theft. Is "tracker" worth it ?

[HERBIEMERCMAN]

hi everyone, i have had a "tracker" moniter fitted for 9 yrs. for those who are not familiar with this device, it's a electronic transmitter which constantly gives the exact location of your vehicle using GPS satalites, with 24/7 monitering. 90% of police forces have the equipment to track down your vehicle if it is stolen. there were two types on offer at the time i purchased, the "moniter" includes a movement sensor so if your vehicle is taken you are contacted immediately by tracker, the other version was the "retreive" this was cheaper and the vehicle owner has to report the vehicle stolen then the track down system is put into operation. i chose the "moniter" simply because if your vehicle is taken whilst you are asleep or if you have left it in an airport for a week then it is essential that the vehicle is tracked down within the first hour otherwise it will be in a container or broken down for spare parts. you may find this next bit amusing, it has only just occured to me that the movement sensor is the key to the successfull track down of your vehicle, so i thought how do i know it is working ? it's not like a car alarm where you can open your car door and the alarm goes off. four years ago i was having tyres fitted and tracker contacted me to say my movement sensor had been activated, i thought this was great. during the past four years i have had more tyres fitted other repairs etc, but no tracker alerts ? i contacted tracker today, they say the movement sensor is specially designed to only trigger on genuine car movement on a road to avoid ferry crossings etc giving nuisense triggering, makes sense, but how do i know it is working ? they say they can put a test signal out to establish the basic GPS signal is in place, but the only way to test the movment sensor requires an engineer's visit. i suppose i could try towing the car away and see if i am contacted, this would save me £78.the cost of the visit. the system was installed 9 yrs ago at a cost of £485.with an anual hook up fee of £68.this increased to £85, then £100, and currently £125.i had a service 4 yrs ago £85,which included a new internal battery, so we have circa £2,000 on cost over the 9 yrs. insurance cover reduction hes been circa £350. my car was stolen prior to me fitting the tracker, it was missing for two weeks and i thought it was gone for good so i still reccomend the tracker but find the inability to test the key feature, the movement sensor, is the system's "achillees heel". tracker and their engineers are very helpfull and professional, my local engineer is paul roberts. i would value other member's comments on this subject ? herbiemercman.

 

[Micman]

I have a Tracker retrieve on my car, I didn't pay out to have it installed, I bought it as an ex demonstrator and it already had it....which is pretty cool.

I paid the one off fee to cover me for the lifetime I owned the car (think it was a few hundred pounds can't remember). Figured it was better than paying out to Tracker for renewals every year knowing that were bound to increase year on year like most things in life.

Don't think I would ever purchase a Tracker system and have it installed though - can't really see how you would justify it?

If I was dripping with dosh and had so many exotic cars parked up in my outbuildings then I might get it installed, as I would have so many cars I might not notice if one went missing!

 

[Alex M Grieve]

If I was dripping with dosh and had so many exotic cars parked up in my outbuildings then I might get it installed, as I would have so many cars I might not notice if one went missing!

I see from your signature that you got rid of the blue car then? Henry Ford would have approved!!

 

[Micman]

I see from your signature that you got rid of the blue car then? Henry Ford would have approved!!

Yeah, when it comes to buying a new car I consider the other colours but just can't resist the black motors!

Once I decide on the model I want I'll travel to find it in the right colour. I took the train up to York from Surrey just to see my A190. They then trailered it too my door when I bought it - very nice dealership.

If I was fortunate enough to have a garage full of exotic motors it would be pretty dark inside

 

[jberks]

I'm a bit confused on the models as I also have a tracker monitor and it doesn't have a GPS built in. The GPS one is the 'Response'. Ours differ from the Retrieve by virtue of the motion sensor making ours pro-active but they don't tell tracker where they are as they don't know, they simply send out a signal that police cars can pick up.

On whether it's worth it, well its rather like insurance. Chances are you won't need it but it's comforting to know that it's there. I didn't know my car had one until tracker contacted me. Once I did know I figured that if I didn't activate it, sods law would decree that I'd need it so I paid the money. I got a test on mine when it was collected by Mobilio recently. Within a few minutes of the tow truck leaving Tracker rang me to check everything was ok. So that's reassuring. Its a shade over 4 years old and there are a lot older ones out there so I suspect it will be fine for a while yet.

You say you're paying them £125 per year. I'm not sure if you're aware but they do a 'lifetime' cover. So I paid £350 when I bought the car (used) and never paid a penny since. So, works out average if you're a 3 year changer but 'keepers' like yourself are quids in. I'm on year 4 now so I'm ahead. They did used to do a conversion from annual to lifetime but I believe they've stopped it now. That said, as a 9 year customer it may be worth asking for a goodwill gesture.

 

[philharve]

Have I got a tracker?

... I didn't know my car had one until tracker contacted me. Once I did know I figured that if I didn't activate it, ...

Hi jberks

I assume that if you didn't know you had a Tracker then a previous owner, probably the original, had it fitted. How did the Tracker company track you down in order to contact you? Is the Tracker device registered against the vehicle's registration number and therefore a call to the DVLA should reveal the current owner?

I've often wondered how you would know if you had a Tracker fitted if the car had been through several owners during its life? Could I have a Tracker and not know it? Is it possible to check?

REGARDS

Phil

 

[HERBIEMERCMAN]

hi phil, on my car which has the moniter tracker there is an electronic activation disc/module adjacent to the ignition key, you have to pass the special key fob over it prior to starting the engine. every type must have this means of arming and dissarming, so you should be able to establish quite easily if you have a tracker fitted. it is the 4 or 5 radio transmitters which are covert and hidden in different locations. herbiemercman.

 

[jberks]

Hi jberks

I assume that if you didn't know you had a Tracker then a previous owner, probably the original, had it fitted. How did the Tracker company track you down in order to contact you? Is the Tracker device registered against the vehicle's registration number and therefore a call to the DVLA should reveal the current owner?

I've often wondered how you would know if you had a Tracker fitted if the car had been through several owners during its life? Could I have a Tracker and not know it? Is it possible to check?

REGARDS

Phil

Mine was an ex demo so I guess the dealer passed my details on. I just got a pack through the post asking me if I would like it activated. It did strike me as an easy con really - tell everyone they have one and ask for £350 - how would they know!?
Anyway, its possibly worth ringing tracker with your chassis number, but whether they would tell you I'm not sure. After all, if you were thinking of nicking a car it would be a good call to make. Failing that I assume a tracker fitter could tell.

 

[Lisa Jayne]

I was going through the paperwork for my car last night, and in amongst it was a receipt from a Dealer when the car was sold in 2003 saying that a tracker retrieve was fitted, but no other paperwork regarding the tracker is included, would the dealer be able to supply details, bearing in mind the car has had a couple of owners previous to me since then?

 

[jberks]

I was going through the paperwork for my car last night, and in amongst it was a receipt from a Dealer when the car was sold in 2003 saying that a tracker retrieve was fitted, but no other paperwork regarding the tracker is included, would the dealer be able to supply details, bearing in mind the car has had a couple of owners previous to me since then?

Possibly, or else I'd imagine tracker have your chassis number so if you rang them and provided that and your name and address then maybe they would be able to send you something.

 

[Rappey69]

My brother bought a new audi TT quatro when they first came out and had tracker fitted. 3 weeks later he pulls up outside his house and got jumped by 3 guys who took his keys and off they went. Car was located soon after 2 miles away hidden down some side street...

Another friend had a tracker by webtrack. this was gps and gsm (so it could ring out if hidden in metal container to cloak gps signal)
This was fitted to a quadbike which he rode across europe for a charity ride.
This system was also web based so we could log into the web site and see where he was and how it was going..
Log-
09:42:28 Ignition On Dartford Dartford (Kent) 0 Mph
09:49:54 Auto Reply A282 Dartford Dartford (Kent) 75 Mph
10:01:12 Auto Reply M25 Hawley Dartford (Kent) 87 Mph
10:02:51 Auto Reply M25 Hawley Hawley (Kent) 89 Mph
10:09:17 Auto Reply M25 Hextable Swanley (Kent) 92 Mph

Every time he went through dartford tunnel it use to ring out as it lost gps but system worked very well...

 

[HERBIEMERCMAN]

i took jberk's advice and contacted "tracker" hq. i sent them my posting from the mb site, i pointed out that over the 9 yrs i had the moniter i had never had my attention drawn to the possibility of a life time subscription. they contacted me today and offered a £40 reduction on the fee of £320.inc. vat. ( £280 ). i said this was a lot of money considering how much i had paid over the 9 yrs. however i said if they would throw in a full service which includes a check on the movement sensor ( heart of the system ), then ok. they accepted. herbiemercman.

 

[AndrewIles]

I think you have done the right thing, subscribing to Tracker.

I am impressed by them.

I've got a 911 with a Tracker fitted. Apparently they have a sensor in them that senses if the car is lifted off the ground without the ignition on.

About a year ago the 911 had a problem and had to go back to Porsche. Porsche Assist sent a low-loader to collect the car. The car was being winched up onto the low-loader and I received a call on my mobile from Tracker asking if I was near my car as it was being moved. If I had not been on my drive watching the car being winched onto the low-loader they would have then contacted the police immediately!

At least I knew that the Tracker worked!

 

[st4]

But if your car is stolen do you really want it back?

After all thats the purpose of a tracker is to help the boys in blue recover your stolen car. Think about it, lots of glass inside the car that you'll never 100% get rid of, and that feeling that someone else has been in your car and its probably been driven to hell and back.

Nah, I'd claim the insurance and get a new one and be done with it. If mine was knicked and then recovered, I'd move it on pretty quick.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

But if your car is stolen do you really want it back?

After all thats the purpose of a tracker is to help the boys in blue recover your stolen car. Think about it, lots of glass inside the car that you'll never 100% get rid of, and that feeling that someone else has been in your car and its probably been driven to hell and back.

Nah, I'd claim the insurance and get a new one and be done with it. If mine was knicked and then recovered, I'd move it on pretty quick.

Hence the philosophy, "in the event of a collision, don't damage your car, write it off"!

With prices where they are, that just gets easier, unfortunately!

 

[Dosco]

But if your car is stolen do you really want it back?
Nah, I'd claim the insurance and get a new one and be done with it. If mine was knicked and then recovered, I'd move it on pretty quick.

I wish someone would nick mine It might just help fund a really nice W211 I have seen and am drooling over, on second thoughts it is probably only worth half a crown

 

[jberks]

But if your car is stolen do you really want it back?

After all thats the purpose of a tracker is to help the boys in blue recover your stolen car. Think about it, lots of glass inside the car that you'll never 100% get rid of, and that feeling that someone else has been in your car and its probably been driven to hell and back.

Nah, I'd claim the insurance and get a new one and be done with it. If mine was knicked and then recovered, I'd move it on pretty quick.

No glass anymore. They can't nick the car without the key or else they need to drag it up a low loader. Either way, there is no point breaking the glass.
It all depends on how and why it was nicked. With mercs its normally to ship them elsewhere so they're less likely to damage the car. Anyway, the hassle of getting the meny from the insurance company, sourcing another car that unless you're going to throw money at, you're going to get one the same age and somehow your own 5 year old car is always better than someone elses. So, I'd want mine back.

 

[jberks]

i took jberk's advice and contacted "tracker" hq. i sent them my posting from the mb site, i pointed out that over the 9 yrs i had the moniter i had never had my attention drawn to the possibility of a life time subscription. they contacted me today and offered a £40 reduction on the fee of £320.inc. vat. ( £280 ). i said this was a lot of money considering how much i had paid over the 9 yrs. however i said if they would throw in a full service which includes a check on the movement sensor ( heart of the system ), then ok. they accepted. herbiemercman.

Well I guess thats £120 off overall considering you wanted the service irrespective. Not as good as I'd have hoped but much better than paying out another £125 every year going forward.

 

[philharve]

discrete Tracker

hi phil, on my car which has the moniter tracker there is an electronic activation disc/module adjacent to the ignition key, you have to pass the special key fob over it prior to starting the engine. every type must have this means of arming and dissarming, so you should be able to establish quite easily if you have a tracker fitted. it is the 4 or 5 radio transmitters which are covert and hidden in different locations. herbiemercman.

Hi HERBIEMERCMAN

It seems to me to be a bit of a giveaway. I thought Trackers were hidden away so discretely that you wouldn't know one was fitted?

REGARDS

Phil

 

[philharve]

secret Tracker

Mine was an ex demo so I guess the dealer passed my details on. I just got a pack through the post asking me if I would like it activated. It did strike me as an easy con really - tell everyone they have one and ask for £350 - how would they know!?
Anyway, its possibly worth ringing tracker with your chassis number, but whether they would tell you I'm not sure. After all, if you were thinking of nicking a car it would be a good call to make. Failing that I assume a tracker fitter could tell.

Hi jberks

So, it sounds as though it would not be that easy to find out if a Tracker was fitted.

I take your point about the possibilities for a scam.

Can you get badges that say something like 'Tracker fitted'. Wouldn't that have a deterrent effect even if a Tracker were not fitted?

REGARDS

Phil