Talk to me about Trackers
Discussion
So here we have it - insurance hard to get on a car that I'm fancying and most insurers are saying it needs to have a tracker fitted. I've not needed a tracker before and know very little about them.
- How much to buy/instal a tracker?
- Do they include immobiliser?
- How decide which company to use?
- Are the fitters competent? - I don't want electrical issues!!
- Is there always an annual fee?
- Are they reliable?
Depends on make etc but...
Trackers can immobilise the car even when being driven but this is rare as a feature and usually only ones built into the car.
You can get fitting for a few hundred pound for a recognised one.
You can buy annual or lifetime subscription with most companies, one of mine costs circa 125 a year, the other 220 a year.
The aftermarket ones just require a few power lines (I think switched and unswitched, one to keep it charged, the other to know when the engine is running, although I guess with batteries the may get away with just switched). I've had no issues with install and forget, I have had issues with ones that require a secure fob you carry with you which tended to raise a lot of alerts.
They tend to have a sim in them today and communicate back to base, I've had a call centre tell me where I was and how fast I was driving when they lost contact once!
For me it's a question of whether the costs (say 400 in year one for buy, fit and subscribe, and 125 a year after) outweigh the insurance savings. There might be cheaper versions that are approved.
Trackers can immobilise the car even when being driven but this is rare as a feature and usually only ones built into the car.
You can get fitting for a few hundred pound for a recognised one.
You can buy annual or lifetime subscription with most companies, one of mine costs circa 125 a year, the other 220 a year.
The aftermarket ones just require a few power lines (I think switched and unswitched, one to keep it charged, the other to know when the engine is running, although I guess with batteries the may get away with just switched). I've had no issues with install and forget, I have had issues with ones that require a secure fob you carry with you which tended to raise a lot of alerts.
They tend to have a sim in them today and communicate back to base, I've had a call centre tell me where I was and how fast I was driving when they lost contact once!
For me it's a question of whether the costs (say 400 in year one for buy, fit and subscribe, and 125 a year after) outweigh the insurance savings. There might be cheaper versions that are approved.
Don't think many will imobilise while it's in motion, but I know some can imobilise after it's been switched off. Alot of them will quote yearly subscriptions, or three yearly ones, and sometimes if you ring them up and negotiate you can sometimes get a lifetime subscription for as long as you own the car.
http://www.trackingmycar.co.uk/ have some good reviews and will come out and fit nationwide and offer different brands of trackers.
http://www.trackingmycar.co.uk/ have some good reviews and will come out and fit nationwide and offer different brands of trackers.
mrtwisty said:
Jon1967x said:
They tend to have a sim in them today and communicate back to base, I've had a call centre tell me where I was and how fast I was driving when they lost contact once!
:| I don't like the sound of that very much...I don't think it's worth the outlay unless your car means a lot to you (modified, classic car etc..)
You can get cheap ones that you text and they send back a set of gps co-ordinates, not sure how much power they draw. Alternatively you can get a smartphone with gps for £40 nowadays, hardwire it in with a payg simcard and you've got yourself a tracking device.
You can get cheap ones that you text and they send back a set of gps co-ordinates, not sure how much power they draw. Alternatively you can get a smartphone with gps for £40 nowadays, hardwire it in with a payg simcard and you've got yourself a tracking device.
untakenname said:
I don't think it's worth the outlay unless your car means a lot to you (modified, classic car etc..)
You can get cheap ones that you text and they send back a set of gps co-ordinates, not sure how much power they draw. Alternatively you can get a smartphone with gps for £40 nowadays, hardwire it in with a payg simcard and you've got yourself a tracking device.
They're a bit pointless though unless the insurance company recognises them. You can get cheap ones that you text and they send back a set of gps co-ordinates, not sure how much power they draw. Alternatively you can get a smartphone with gps for £40 nowadays, hardwire it in with a payg simcard and you've got yourself a tracking device.
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