Trackers

[PetrolDave]

We make/sell trackers with a 5 year battery and no connection to car at all. About the size and weight of a bag of sugar. Thats a long wait

If the thief gets the car into a container before the theft is noticed then it won't receive the activation signal, so how long do you continue sending the activation signal for? If that's only a week (say) then parking up in a container is still a strategy that works.

[adsgreen]

We make/sell trackers with a 5 year battery and no connection to car at all. About the size and weight of a bag of sugar. Thats a long wait

If the thief gets the car into a container before the theft is noticed then it won't receive the activation signal, so how long do you continue sending the activation signal for? If that's only a week (say) then parking up in a container is still a strategy that works.

It doesn't have an activation signal - it's on permenantly and all self contained within the unit. Tripped by lots of things such as movement, idle activity, or if it strays too far from a set point. 5 years is a fair estimate based on an average of 7 location reports/day but you can tweak it so that if it's "home" then don't bother reporting so saves lots of power.

It's designed more for containers (with worldwide coverage) and trailers that don't have decent power supplies but works great in cars. I tried it in the spare wheel compartment of the RS4 and got a reasonable signal.

[karl]

Tracker as a company haven't given me any confidence at all. Their admin side is bloody useless!

[PetrolDave]

It's designed more for containers (with worldwide coverage) and trailers that don't have decent power supplies but works great in cars.

So does it call the rozzers? Or do you have to hope they take any notice when you tell them "5 minutes ago its location was xxN yyE?"

[PetrolDave]

Tracker as a company haven't given me any confidence at all. Their admin side is bloody useless!

+1

I paid for a Tracker back in 2000, but they were so cr*p they won't see another penny of my hard earned cash.

[adsgreen]

It's designed more for containers (with worldwide coverage) and trailers that don't have decent power supplies but works great in cars.

So does it call the rozzers? Or do you have to hope they take any notice when you tell them "5 minutes ago its location was xxN yyE?"

Nope - it's getting very difficult/impossible to have automated units that do this approved. I think unofficially the police are a bit fed up with false alarms so it has to go through a call centre and an actual person.

You can view it anytime online and give them a real address to use.

But if you do say you have a tracker with a location then they will investigate. It actually works out better imo - you don't want the police to chase the car and so much better for them to pick it up when it's been parked to check for no tracker.

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As for not wanting the car back after it's been nicked - I do understand but think of the consequences
- you have a big claim in your history for the cars value.
- no car
- payout will generally be lower than what you'd like.

At least if you get the car back intact you can replace it and not have any insurance issues.

[PetrolDave]

At least if you get the car back intact you can replace it and not have any insurance issues.

I think you'll find that it WILL be on your insurance history.

Earlier this year my wife informed her insurer that she and another car had had a low speed bump but neither would be making a claim, when I went to take out insurance for my C1 I couldn't do it online. I had (correctly) said that she had no claims, but her insurer had listed this as a zero cost claim.

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Ok granted, not completely clear. But there's a huge difference having a 30k+ car stolen and lost to having it nicked and recovered with no loss or payout by the insurance company.
For example it shouldn't hit your no claims - as long as the Insurance company recover 100% of their costs (minus your excess) it should be fine.

[PetrolDave]

Ok granted, not completely clear. But there's a huge difference having a 30k+ car stolen and lost to having it nicked and recovered with no loss or payout by the insurance company.

You expect a recovered car to be in perfect condition and not needing any repairs after it's been nicked and "driven like you stole it" by some scruff? That's about as likely as hell freezing over IMHO.

It's very likely to have damaged alloys, possibly been kerbed or driven fast over sleeping policeman so possibble suspension damage, the likelihood is that there will be some (possibly minor, but still expensive) body damage, they may have attempted to nick ther sat nav causing damage to the dash, ...

Saying there will be no payout by an insurance company on a stolen and recovered car just isn't credible.

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Saying there will be no payout by an insurance company on a stolen and recovered car just isn't credible.

Ok granted on that too.
But what I'm saying is that a stolen/recovered car with some damage is still better than a complete loss.

And good luck trying to claim all the damage a stolen car could have. You'll get the obvious bodywork stuff but stuff like suspension and thrashed cold engine won't fly on any insurance company I've heard of.

[PetrolDave]

But what I'm saying is that a stolen/recovered car with some damage is still better than a complete loss.

And that's where we have to agree to disagree.

[adsgreen]

I know where you're coming from - I personally wouldn't want a car back thats been nicked.
But purely from a financial view you're better off getting it back.
Car stolen and lost - big hit on insurance, insurance payout will be below what you'd be able to get privately.
Car stolen and recovered - less impact on insurance and you can sell the car afterwards.

[eightfoot]

I know where you're coming from - I personally wouldn't want a car back thats been nicked.
But purely from a financial view you're better off getting it back.
Car stolen and lost - big hit on insurance, insurance payout will be below what you'd be able to get privately.
Car stolen and recovered - less impact on insurance and you can sell the car afterwards.

you could also take out some insurance so that when the time comes and you need to take the insurance payout you have something to top you up to the invoice price

[SR71]

GAP insurance....

Its daft GAP insurance even exists.

Insurance companies should just pay up "New for Old" and charge appropriately rather than owners having to have a policy for this, that and God knows what else.