Tracker - Yes or No
Discussion
I'm in the proceeds of buying my first Porsche. The sheer excitement and anticipation of fulfilling a boyhood dream has clouded my normal ability to think straight and rationalise.
The car I'm buying has a tracker already fitted plus a CAT 1 alarm. Reinstating the tracker with a years subsciption will cost about £130. However, my insurance company Liverpool Victoria are offering no discount for the tracker, although I am quite happy with the quote.
Is this a "no brainer" should I just go ahead and pay the subscribtion?
Any input appreciated until my faculties return.
pp
The car I'm buying has a tracker already fitted plus a CAT 1 alarm. Reinstating the tracker with a years subsciption will cost about £130. However, my insurance company Liverpool Victoria are offering no discount for the tracker, although I am quite happy with the quote.
Is this a "no brainer" should I just go ahead and pay the subscribtion?
Any input appreciated until my faculties return.
pp
Streetcop said:
Worth every penny.... 
That from a car owner's point of view and a BiB
Street
Its a no brainer.
1) It extends the range of insurers who'll take the car - you might get a better price.
2) It virtually ensures that you get your car back.
3) It virtually ensures that the BiBs nick the scrotes who took it - so very satisfying...
I found that Priv. could never work out from one minute to the next whether or not they required a Tracker.
Before buying my current car, I asked them whether (a) it was required and (b) whether I'd get a discount. They said (a) no (b) yes.
When I got the car, I xferred my existing policy to it and got a Tracker anyway as a matter of course.
Next renewal I enquired as to the level of discount I'd be receiving, to be told that it was a definate requirement of the policy and they wouldn't insure me without. Would have been interesting had I chosen not to get one and hadn't prompted them at renewal by asking the question
Before buying my current car, I asked them whether (a) it was required and (b) whether I'd get a discount. They said (a) no (b) yes.
When I got the car, I xferred my existing policy to it and got a Tracker anyway as a matter of course.
Next renewal I enquired as to the level of discount I'd be receiving, to be told that it was a definate requirement of the policy and they wouldn't insure me without. Would have been interesting had I chosen not to get one and hadn't prompted them at renewal by asking the question
Don said:If only that were true. My first M3 has Tracker Monitor. It was stolen at night without the keys from outside my house by being lifted onto a truck. The Tracker neither alerted that the car had been stolen nor gave a single trace thereafter. Several other bm3w members have had similarly dismal experiences with Tracker.
Worth every penny....
That from a car owner's point of view and a BiB
Street
Its a no brainer.
2) It virtually ensures that you get your car back.
..
Not convinced tracker systems are a bonus for the owner to be honest.
From the Police perspective, yes it's good as it gives them a better opportunity to catch the tea-leaf in the act...
From the owners side, they might get a discount on insurance, and it may pay for itself in the longer term... and extend the range of people prepared to cover the car (indeed many insurers insist certain vehicles are fitted with them).
However, given the state that my old man's car was returned in, followed by the legal wrangling with the insurance company for damage he'd rather never have seen what one once his P&J again...
From the Police perspective, yes it's good as it gives them a better opportunity to catch the tea-leaf in the act...
From the owners side, they might get a discount on insurance, and it may pay for itself in the longer term... and extend the range of people prepared to cover the car (indeed many insurers insist certain vehicles are fitted with them).
However, given the state that my old man's car was returned in, followed by the legal wrangling with the insurance company for damage he'd rather never have seen what one once his P&J again...
As said below, it's never been a discount thing....it's just that some companies won't insure you without it.
I have to say I agree with the sentiments below about not wanting it back after some scrotes been in it. Always leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
However, I have got one on mine for exactly the reason stated above.
I have to say I agree with the sentiments below about not wanting it back after some scrotes been in it. Always leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
However, I have got one on mine for exactly the reason stated above.
If your car is recovered say by it being located by its tracker, does it then show up on every HPI check as 'stolen recovered' ? would think this would affect resale etc.
There is a school of thought (promoted by some dealers I know) that 'Back to invoice GAP cover' is a more sensible investment over a tracker if you are buying a common desirable performance car (M3, Boxster etc.) on finance (unless its something rare or unique)
the principal being if your car is stolen your insurance pays out 'market' value + back to invoice GAP cover pays the balance back to the original invoice cost of the car.
Or you get your car back, damage repaired, and possibly more difficult to resell, plus tainted by scrotes?
in either case your insurance premium is going to increase...
I know which one is 'morally' right, but being as tracker & back to GAP cover are approx the same cost ~£400, one has significant financial advantages.
obviously the dealer gets a kickback on selling GAP cover, but I guess they also get comission for tracker sales?
FWIW I'd want my car back even if it was stolen as it was very difficult to find and is exactly what I wanted, but not everyone is in the same boat.
Would be interested in people's opinions.
There is a school of thought (promoted by some dealers I know) that 'Back to invoice GAP cover' is a more sensible investment over a tracker if you are buying a common desirable performance car (M3, Boxster etc.) on finance (unless its something rare or unique)
the principal being if your car is stolen your insurance pays out 'market' value + back to invoice GAP cover pays the balance back to the original invoice cost of the car.
Or you get your car back, damage repaired, and possibly more difficult to resell, plus tainted by scrotes?
in either case your insurance premium is going to increase...
I know which one is 'morally' right, but being as tracker & back to GAP cover are approx the same cost ~£400, one has significant financial advantages.
obviously the dealer gets a kickback on selling GAP cover, but I guess they also get comission for tracker sales?
FWIW I'd want my car back even if it was stolen as it was very difficult to find and is exactly what I wanted, but not everyone is in the same boat.
Would be interested in people's opinions.
IIRC 'Stolen Recovered' is used when a car is stolen, paid out on as not recovered, then found - OR stolen with damage caused making it uneconomical to repair. If a car is stolen and recovered, then repaired and given back to the owner it doesnt go on any records.
Trackers IMO are for irreplaceable cars and insurance companies. If I owned a classic car or something I couldnt replace I would have a tracker - for a 'normal' car I would sooner not have it back! The only real beneficiaries are the insurance companies as they pay out £000s rather than £0000s for a replacement - but you will still lose your no-claims in most cases!
When a car has been out of your hands for x days/hours - driven by people who don't care - any number of things could have happened - not always obvious!
Once returned there would almost always be an insurance claim for locks/alarm/column etc and in many cases lots of wrangling over 'other' damage such as engine mechanicals and tyres - and these are items the insurance comany will fight tooth and nail to not deal with! You will still have a claim against you.
Months after the car is returned somthing goes wrong. Was it down to the theft? You will struggle to claim on the insurance, but it may well be down to the car being abused by the thieves - realistically you will never know, but it will always nag.
If I owned a car with a mega waiting list, or was a hard to replace classic I'd put up with this a 'want' it back. Otherwise no thanks!
Now, the police catching the thieves would encourage me to have one fitted. However, would they be caught - or would the car just be collected from a car park somewhere? In the event that they were caught - would their upbringing and lack of £100 trainers when they were at school cause the magistrate to give them a £75 fine spread, at £5 a week? Probably.
Edited to say - an insurance company wanted me to fit a tracker at about £400 cost + subscription. Looking at tracker info only £18,000 worth of Elises were recovered - 1 car! I'll take the chance without - Looking forward to going home to find an empty garage now
>> Edited by maxf on Friday 15th October 10:20
Trackers IMO are for irreplaceable cars and insurance companies. If I owned a classic car or something I couldnt replace I would have a tracker - for a 'normal' car I would sooner not have it back! The only real beneficiaries are the insurance companies as they pay out £000s rather than £0000s for a replacement - but you will still lose your no-claims in most cases!
When a car has been out of your hands for x days/hours - driven by people who don't care - any number of things could have happened - not always obvious!
Once returned there would almost always be an insurance claim for locks/alarm/column etc and in many cases lots of wrangling over 'other' damage such as engine mechanicals and tyres - and these are items the insurance comany will fight tooth and nail to not deal with! You will still have a claim against you.
Months after the car is returned somthing goes wrong. Was it down to the theft? You will struggle to claim on the insurance, but it may well be down to the car being abused by the thieves - realistically you will never know, but it will always nag.
If I owned a car with a mega waiting list, or was a hard to replace classic I'd put up with this a 'want' it back. Otherwise no thanks!
Now, the police catching the thieves would encourage me to have one fitted. However, would they be caught - or would the car just be collected from a car park somewhere? In the event that they were caught - would their upbringing and lack of £100 trainers when they were at school cause the magistrate to give them a £75 fine spread, at £5 a week? Probably.
Edited to say - an insurance company wanted me to fit a tracker at about £400 cost + subscription. Looking at tracker info only £18,000 worth of Elises were recovered - 1 car! I'll take the chance without - Looking forward to going home to find an empty garage now
>> Edited by maxf on Friday 15th October 10:20
Enjoy your Porsche. It's on my wish list of cars to own one day! For now I'm happy with Porsche on the model badge, the engine, and the Porsche wheels and mirrors.
Fitting Tracker isn't a condition of LV's insurance and there's no discount from them for having it fitted. But they normally offer very competitive quotes for performance cars - shame they're not so hot on second cars. And no I don't work for them.
Friend had Tracker fitted in a horsebox and a call from the monitoring team enabled them to disturb thieves and prevent lorry disappearing off the yard.
>> Edited by Cobstar on Friday 15th October 12:41
Fitting Tracker isn't a condition of LV's insurance and there's no discount from them for having it fitted. But they normally offer very competitive quotes for performance cars - shame they're not so hot on second cars. And no I don't work for them.
Friend had Tracker fitted in a horsebox and a call from the monitoring team enabled them to disturb thieves and prevent lorry disappearing off the yard.
>> Edited by Cobstar on Friday 15th October 12:41
Streetcop said:
There'll always be hiccups with any system...but your chances of getting your car back and the thieves getting caught...are much much higher with Tracker systems..
Street
Does anyone know the recovery rate for bikes fitted with Datatag?
However I suspect that a decent bike would be out of the country within hours
I have been to tracker activation recoveries where the thieves trash the inside of the car looking for the transmitter. If they are using it as a 'business' vehicle to go about thier criminality, they tend to do this. If they are looking to pass it on for ringing, they will leave the car to see if it attracts attention.
Better to have one than not to though!
Better to have one than not to though!
maxf said:
Once returned there would almost always be an insurance claim for locks/alarm/column etc and in many cases lots of wrangling over 'other' damage such as engine mechanicals and tyres - and these are items the insurance comany will fight tooth and nail to not deal with! You will still have a claim against you.
Most of these cars are stolen with the keys. They are very difficult to steal without them. Night time creeper burglaries are the favourite to get your keys!
maxf said:
Now, the police catching the thieves would encourage me to have one fitted. However, would they be caught - or would the car just be collected from a car park somewhere? In the event that they were caught - would their upbringing and lack of £100 trainers when they were at school cause the magistrate to give them a £75 fine spread, at £5 a week? Probably.
Quite a few are caught in possession of the car.
Most leave parts of themselves in the car for us to find and analyse
(not very bright some of them!) Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff