Tracker

[montecristo]

Further to some earlier references to insurance that doesn't require a tracker...if I were to cancel my tracker subscription, would the device in the car still be transmitting? Can it be switched off car-side? Would that extend the car's battery life?

[V8LM]

Not locking the car and not setting the alarm would also extend the battery life. Same thing.

[montecristo]

So if the tracker still tracks the car without a subscription, what's the subscription for? Is it for them to tell you the car's gone, before you notice it yourself?

[cornerit]

I'd like to know this too, my assumption is that it's on all the time regardless of subscription status - I can't see how it'd be switched on/off, acitvating a tracker sub doesn't require a visit to a dealer does it?

[JimboA]

montecristo said:

So if the tracker still tracks the car without a subscription, what's the subscription for? Is it for them to tell you the car's gone, before you notice it yourself?

Yes. But no-one will 'track' it for you and there would be no way of tracing the vehicle if you are not paying the subscription. Interestingly my insurance was cheaper by NOT having the tracker service. Mad I know but something to do with "suggesting that the vehicle is more likely to be stolen". Go figure!

[V12Vanquish]

If you don't want to use it, remove it from the car. I'm sure it must be fairly straightforward to disconnect it.

It's my understanding that the tracker is operating and using power once initially activated. If the subscription is lapsed they just ignore any triggers from it.

[Jon1967x]

Don't they have a phone sim in them? I'd have thought they'd cancel that part.

[Murph7355]

I would guess that if your car was nicked but still had the tracker installed, and you paid the tracking company enough money (x years fee if it's been off for x years) they would probably track it for you.

Am finding less insurers are bothered about trackers. Returned cars are probably more hassle in many respects.

[V8V Pete]

Murph7355 said:

I would guess that if your car was nicked but still had the tracker installed, and you paid the tracking company enough money (x years fee if it's been off for x years) they would probably track it for you.

Why wouldn't they? It doesn't really cost them anything and they can sting you for a load of cash in one go. I'm sure there was a thread on here about a year ago when a car was stolen in Scotland and someone mentioned that they would track it for about £600 if you had no subscription. Hmmmm…. £600 to get a trashed car back that you still have to pay an excess on to get repaired, let me think about that one for a while!

[bogie]

trackers are really insurance for your insurer....after all they insure you and you get your money back anyway

sure its a lot of hassle when you vehicle is nicked regardless, but most of the benefit is to the insurer, saving them each year (of course they say its passed onto us and insurers dont really make much money)

In the early days it was the insurance group that owned tracker that enforced the use of their device on any car over £30k ...essentially getting you to insure them and if you were lucky you got a small discount

I do still have the tracker on my 2006 Vantage - after 12 months ownership they sent me an offer for £250 for lifetime which I took and its saved some hassle renewing each year since.

If its so important to have one then they should come with new cars over a certain price.....