|
I'd be interested to hear any pros and cons regarding fitting this to a new diesel x-type. Will it be worth it ? The 'basic' system is about £300 fitted + subscription, next up is £450 + sub.
|
Is anyone going to want to nick a diesel x type?
and
Are you going to want it back if they recover it?
|
Is anyone going to want to nick a diesel x type? and Are you going to want it back if they recover it?
Exactly. Good point Phoenix!
I enquired about tracker for my wife's C-Class. Cost was £450 and it saved -wait for it- £12 a year on the insurance. And if the car was recovered then she would not want it back: engine would probably been red-lined, or locks/paintwork knackered, etc.
If it saved say £100 on the insurance then yes. Otherwise it is only really for boasting to your mates in a pub.
|
|
|
|
|
My boss had Tracker fitted to his beloved MG which he had spent many years restoring. When he found it gone from a car park, he 'activated' Tracker (whatever that involves). 15 minutes later, the local boys in blue had found his MG in a nearby lock up, in the process of being stripped for parts. In this instance, Tracker was definitely worth it. How much no-claims bonus will you lose when your x-type is stolen and not recovered ?
|
|
Robbo: that's an interesting point; I won't lose any becuase it's protected. What I would lose is the difference between what I paid and what the insurance will pay out to me, assuming that there will be some difference, espec after year 1. Think I'll have a chat to them about that and also to see if there would be a premium reduction. Thanks for that.
|
One would have thought insurance companies would be extremely interested and willing to offer big discounts, also the police. If universally fitted all stolen cars would be recovered within minutes. Car crime would plummet and all those caught possessing or in the act of dismantling would be in jail.
|
|
|
|
None if the NCD is protected/guaranteed.
Also will the cost of the tracker reduce and/or replace the extra insurance cost if the vehicle is stolen. I think it would work out more expensive than just stumping up the extra on insurance.
As it stands the X Type has alarms/immobiliser/deadlocks. Most car thieves wouldn't bother. Pro's would probably go for a higher spec model - i.e 3.0. but even then i dont think the x type is something that would get stolen that much.
|
I take sensible measures to protect a car from theft out of a sense of public duty, if for no other reason. This includes locking it and using the coded immobiliser fitted. On a xantia worth lessthat a grand, I'll not spend the £450 though.
The alarm has proved to be a bit of a nuisance, so I don't use it.
If we were all positively encouraged to make life more difficult for car theives, I suspect we would see a drop in the crime figures overall.
For something like the X type, I would have one fitted. Firstly as a deterrent, and also to help the boys in blue catch the shisters in action! - As in that MG example.
To my mind, any high value car is at risk from theives trying to make money out of the car or parts. Lower value cars are at risk of those wanting them to commit other crimes and joy riders.
|
|
|
'if it gets stolen I don't want it back' is fine but:
With Tracker you will potentially get the car back quicker, therefore less damage caused. You can always sell the car once its found.
Not all cars are thrashed, some are borrowed for a day out then left in the street, legally parked, the thief then 'borrows' another car to get home. Result your car is parked up for weeks before someone notices it hasn't moved and calls the police.
If your car gets stolen you may have to wait up to 6 weeks before the insurance will do anything about it, then you have the hassle of arguing the payout amount which could take as long. A free courtesy car may not be provided by the insurance company during the six weeks as theft is not an accident. Car rental for a minimum of 6 weeks at say £200 per week, thats a lot of cash, much more than Tracker and one reason why I'm happy my car has it fitted - I need the car for work so to do wihtout it for 6+ weeks would be impossible.
Even if you have protected no claims you still have to declare all claims at renewal. A few hundred quid for damaged locks (possibly no claim required) is better than declaring a ten grand claim for a new car, because despite a protected no claims with a 10 grand claim you are a perceived as being a higher risk.
|
|
|
Are you going to want it back if they recover it?
A friend got his stolen car back after 2 days. The interior had been totally destroyed. Anything breakable had been, the seats had all been slashed and they had even taken a dump inside the rear seat. He and his wife didn't want it after that so it was repaired and sold ASAP.
It didn't have Tracker fitted, it's just that I'm not sure I'd want the car back unless I could be certain it was found within an hour or so. I doubt that will be likely outside of a main urban area.
Another friend had an MG Midget taken. 3 days later he was told to collect it from the Police pound as it had been found abandoned. It had less than 100 miles added, the number plates had been removed but were in the car, and plastic stick-on plates had been applied, and there was more petrol in it than when it went! He did have the hassle and expense of getting from Salisbury to London to collect it of course, but a far better than expected result.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rory - have you already bought the vehicle?
|
Yes, I've already got it. Have now been in touch with insurance company. Discount for a tracker would be negligible. For a car that's a total loss ( unrecovered etc etc ) then so long as I am the first registered keeper if it's under a year replacement would be in full. That said, I do take the earlier point made about time and hassle to effect a replacement.
I had also thought about GAP insurance ( also available to non-financed cars ) at a cost of circa £300 for 3 year's of cover may be a good idea, but for similar reasons it's only really useful after year one but - with good reason - you have to get cover within 30 days of original purchase !
|
|
|
|
FWIW my insurers (NFU) gave me 15% discount for Tracker. If you check the Tracker website www.tracker-network.co.uk/insur_svrs_set.htm you'll see a list of companies that offer this, and contact details to help if it is not immediately forthcoming.
BTW What's the secret of pasting a proper link into a message?
|
put h t t p:// (no spaces between the http) in front of the address.
Tim{P}
also see the thread \"Posting Website addresses\" in Announcements. DD.
|
|
|
|
With a group 20 car I couldn't find anyone that would quote for insurance without a tracker, even though a CAT 1 alarm and imobilizer is fitted.
--
I read often, only post occaisionally
|
I have seen lots of Tracker publicity, and they harp on about how many millions of pounds worth of cars they recover.
What figure I cannot find anywhere though is what percentage of cars with Tracker fitted are actually recovered. It's not a figure they seem to want to publicise...
Read into that whatever you want...
mike
|
I seem to recall the Tracker system has recovered over 97% of vehicles with it fitted. Which is pretty good really. Examples of cars not found are those from owners who didn't report them missing for two weeks.
Working on the principle of car going missing and left 'waiting' for a few days to see if anyone came looking - I'd be glad to get my car back.
I read of one story of a chap who bought a used BMW soft top, at the petrol station he left the keys in it - bad move he decided as it drive off (he had had it all of 15 minutes). The police turned up and asked tracker if it was on their books, it was. The chap payed his fee over the phone - unit was activated and the car recovered half an hour later in a nearby car park - without the keys. He got his new car back and was pretty chuffed. He didn't know it had Tracker in it when he bought it.
If nothing else, if it catches the people who do the stealing it was worth it. The more that get caught the better
|
97%? If it is that high why is it not mentioned anywhere on Tracker's web site, or on the glossy mag I got from them a month ago.
I would have thought they would sing such a figure from the rooftops.
mike
|
|
|
|
as mentioned, your biggest problem will be 'stolen to strip'.
Many T-leafs have got wise to tracker, and take vehicle to a parking lot/garage as soon as it's nicked, then go check it out 3 days later...
Also, make sure that your dealer is aware that tracker is fitted - it MAY affect the warranty, and there may be some interference with existing electronics if it isn't wired in properly.
|
|
Thanks for all the opinons etc, I believe I've now enough info to come to a balanced decision.
|
RAC Trackstar does not require the Police to have a recevier unit in the car, which means that any police vehicle can track your car.
I personally wouldn't buy tracker system, but would consider RAC if I had a suitable car.
Blue
|
|
|
|
