Discussion
Having just bought a second hand M5, I realised the other day its the first car I've owner which is truly targeted by the criminals. Gleaned while talking to insurance companies who incessantly asked whether I had one fitted 
. Most other cars I've owned have been slightly strange out of the norm, unlikely to nicked ones.
So not knowing much about trackers I called the only company which I coud think of (namely tracker.co.uk) and asked about install costs and yearly charges.
Halfway through this conversation and while I was registering my interest she said, why do you want a new one when your car already has a '24 hour Tracker Monitor' in it.
Question is what would others do in this situation? Pay to get it enabled. Go for a different type which is much cheaper running costs eg.
www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk/allprods.php?category_id=19&PHPSESSID=270c814c84e82f6b1c36382d32f456f0
Or bite the insurance bullet pay an extra £80 per year and refuse to enable it at £109 per year. The claims they make that the car will be found by the BIB with a 98% success rate seems in stark contrast to the polices ability in other areas.
Anyone got any experience of trackers, BIB's owners who's cars were nicked despite them?
. Most other cars I've owned have been slightly strange out of the norm, unlikely to nicked ones. So not knowing much about trackers I called the only company which I coud think of (namely tracker.co.uk) and asked about install costs and yearly charges.
Halfway through this conversation and while I was registering my interest she said, why do you want a new one when your car already has a '24 hour Tracker Monitor' in it.
Question is what would others do in this situation? Pay to get it enabled. Go for a different type which is much cheaper running costs eg.
www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk/allprods.php?category_id=19&PHPSESSID=270c814c84e82f6b1c36382d32f456f0
Or bite the insurance bullet pay an extra £80 per year and refuse to enable it at £109 per year. The claims they make that the car will be found by the BIB with a 98% success rate seems in stark contrast to the polices ability in other areas.
Anyone got any experience of trackers, BIB's owners who's cars were nicked despite them?
I'd say base the decision financially on how much you will save on insurance - given someone else has already paid to have it installed then it might be worthwhile.
I am facing the same decision and am unsure. Do I really want the car back if it gets nicked?
If someone was professional enough to steal an M5, do you not think they will know how to remove the tracker anyway?
I am facing the same decision and am unsure. Do I really want the car back if it gets nicked?
If someone was professional enough to steal an M5, do you not think they will know how to remove the tracker anyway?
where are the BIB'sProfessional thieves will simply nick your car and then leave it in a hotel car park for a few days to see if it's got a tracker enabled. That's safer for them than spending time stripping the car down to locate and remove the tracker - all the while running the risk of getting caught.
You can therefore recover your car undamaged a lot of the time.
You can therefore recover your car undamaged a lot of the time.
beanbag said:
I might be wrong but i've heard that tracker is useless if the car is placed in a steel shipping container as it blocks the signal.....
Not that old cheese straw again!
Back on topic, how long do you intend to keep the car? Consider paying the one-off lifetime subscription if it will more than pay for itself over the length of time you have it (note that its non-transferrable).
PetrolTed said:
I might be wrong but i've heard that tracker is useless if the car is placed in a steel shipping container as it blocks the signal.....
Complete urban myth. Tracker have recovered cars from containers. They've also recovered cars covered in tinfoil
Quality! I'd leave the tin foil on just for a laugh!!!
beanbag said:
I might be wrong but i've heard that tracker is useless if the car is placed in a steel shipping container as it blocks the signal.....
Whoever told you this is wrong. My better half works at a Porsche dealership here in London.
They have just moved to a brand new (newly built) site.
It is their company policy to fit trackers to all their cars.
Anyway, before the site was completed they took delivery of about 20 cars. One night they had 10 stolen off the site. All were recovered from a shipping container down at the docks...
My advice is if you want your P&J back then get one fitted. If you're not too fussed and don't mind then don't. Of course even with a protected ncb your next insurance policy will still go through the roof if the claim is very large.
Its not an easy one to answer. However, on a purely financial consideration:
- compare the insurance premium savings with the annual (or one time) subscription, and remember that in the future the premiums may rise faster than the subscription rates.
- consider that in the future your insurers may demand the Tracker is active to provide cover (either your current insurers policy may change, or other insurers may offer better premiums but demand the Tracker).
- being able to recover the car may save you the excess on your policy in the event of theft.
For the sake of £109 a year I'd say have it turned on anyway!
- compare the insurance premium savings with the annual (or one time) subscription, and remember that in the future the premiums may rise faster than the subscription rates.
- consider that in the future your insurers may demand the Tracker is active to provide cover (either your current insurers policy may change, or other insurers may offer better premiums but demand the Tracker).
- being able to recover the car may save you the excess on your policy in the event of theft.
For the sake of £109 a year I'd say have it turned on anyway!
I had the same dilema afew weeks back when I purchased a Porsche. My insurance company, Liverpool Victoria did not give any discount at all for the tracker but were offering the best quote. I decided not to have it activated on the basis that it provided no direct financial benefit to me, if my car get's stolen I'd rather not have it back. The only real beneficiaries would be the insurance company and plod.
The tracker is still on the car and I can activate next year if it provides any insurance benefit. I'm not expecting to recover the total cost just a portion.
I posted the same question on SPL and the Bibs were of the opinion that Tracker was top notch and significantly increased the chances of recovering the vehicle and making an arrest.
pp
The tracker is still on the car and I can activate next year if it provides any insurance benefit. I'm not expecting to recover the total cost just a portion.
I posted the same question on SPL and the Bibs were of the opinion that Tracker was top notch and significantly increased the chances of recovering the vehicle and making an arrest.
pp
Thanks for replies. Wanted a few BIB's to say top notch before I go. Maybe I'll put a link into speeding and plod.
P.S. Don't understand people who say if the car is stolen I'd rather not have it back. I spend a lot of time on my cars and certainly don't think this way.
Bit like saying if your wife was raped you wouldn't want her back. It'd just make me love her more.
P.S. Don't understand people who say if the car is stolen I'd rather not have it back. I spend a lot of time on my cars and certainly don't think this way.
Bit like saying if your wife was raped you wouldn't want her back. It'd just make me love her more.
Trackers are good. Every traffic car we have is fitted with the detector bit for trackers and the like.
Which gives a direction and rough range, system can be a bit tricky in built up areas because the signals arnt that strong, im also not sure of the range of the devices.
Worth the investment in my opinion. If your gonna have a decent motor, may as well have a decent chance of getting it back if it goes walkies.
Which gives a direction and rough range, system can be a bit tricky in built up areas because the signals arnt that strong, im also not sure of the range of the devices.
Worth the investment in my opinion. If your gonna have a decent motor, may as well have a decent chance of getting it back if it goes walkies.
PetrolTed said:Must have some basis in truth though...
I might be wrong but i've heard that tracker is useless if the car is placed in a steel shipping container as it blocks the signal.....
Complete urban myth. Tracker have recovered cars from containers. They've also recovered cars covered in tinfoil
They have a limited power supply and have to abide by various radioation signal law and statutes so can't be broadcasting that strong a signal, so how much matter (concrete and steal) would it take to block them?
I'd take the claims from Tracker with a pinch of skepticism on this one.
Julian64 said:I guess it depends on who is going to steal it really, a professional car thief who's going to export it for good money is unlikely to make a mark and if he has to it would be something easy/cheap to replace with affecting the value of the car, but if its stolen for fun you might be worrying more-so what temperature the tracker will withstand when the car is torched after a midnight joy-riding session.
P.S. Don't understand people who say if the car is stolen I'd rather not have it back. I spend a lot of time on my cars and certainly don't think this way.
Bit like saying if your wife was raped you wouldn't want her back. It'd just make me love her more.
Your M5 isn't a likely target for scrotes as they'd be unlikely to get past the security I'd think.
I'd go for it personally despite my reservations on signal strengh.
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