Never leave your car for service and come back later

[Dragon]

'My car got the full Audi service (with 27 joyrides included)'

When Mark Reece took his car for a routine service, he expected it to receive professional care and attention.
But when the businessman came to collect his beloved Audi RS4, it was not exactly in the condition in which he left it.
In fact the £50,000 estate had been driven no fewer than 27 times while in the care of the registered Audi garage.
On several of these occasions it had been mysteriously racing around his home town at more than twice the legal speed limit.
The excursions were exposed by a tiny security device fixed to his car, which records every journey it takes.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1052872/My-car-got-Audi-service-27-joyrides-included.html

Wonder what this security device and where I can get one?

 

[WLeg]

Well, according to the link you posted "But he had a bigger shock when reading the log from the £1,000 Tracker Response monitoring system."

 

[Swiss Toni]

Wonder what this security device and where I can get one?

If you search the 'net the device is called "ALIFE". Let us know when you get one and whether you think it is worth having.

 

[Carrotchomper]

Flipping 'eck, I would be utterly, utterly livid if this happened to a car of mine whilst in for service. I would be muttering darkly about bringing key members of staff in for Taking Without Consent...

 

[Dieselman]

Flipping 'eck, I would be utterly, utterly livid if this happened to a car of mine whilst in for service.

It happened to me when I had a New Volvo sports years ago. The Tech was seen ragging it when they'd fixed it after it broke down 2nd time in 2 weeks.

He went scarlet when I said when I went to collect...




I sniggered....it got worse from me..

 

[Dragon]

It also common, some left your radio on all day and when you get it back, the battery is flat.

I normally wait even though it may take an hour or two. You may never know they didn't service the car, just left there parked, clocking your money.

 

[st4]

Flipping 'eck, I would be utterly, utterly livid if this happened to a car of mine whilst in for service. I would be muttering darkly about bringing key members of staff in for Taking Without Consent...

Debatable as you've left the car in their care, they'd argue it was for "diagnosis". I reckon its a civil matter, but if speed limits were broken the driver of the car could be done for those offenses.

 

[para alpha]

Wonder what this security device and where I can get one?

Probably a TrakM8 T2002T GPRS. It can be monitored via your mobile phone or PC. You monitor it yourself. You can Instruct the car to put up a 1 meter Security shield. If it moves out of the 1 meter zone, It will SMS you and tell you it's on the move. If you then TXT "Where are you" to the car, it will txt you back with the Lat and Lon. You can also Txt, the car to "imobilise" and it will imobilise the engine... It also a imobiliser card that you keep in your wallet/person. You can assign up to 15 cards to the system too, i.e. Wife, any other family members. It's quite good really!http://www.mytrakm8.com/products/trakm8/features/

Do you want one?

 

[oorjim2]

It happened to me about five years ago I took my 190E in for mot and went to do some shopping the car past me twice, when I got back I asked what he was doing and he told me that it was a new part of the mot. That was the last time I used them.

 

[Dieselman]

when I got back I asked what he was doing and he told me that it was a new part of the mot.

Hahahahahaha.. LOL..

It's the carrying the sandwitches test..

 

[oorjim2]

Yes that’s what it was. Think he forgot the mayo the first time out had to go back and get it.

 

[Dieselman]

Lucky they allowed a retest, it must've failed first time..

 

[oorjim2]

Lol.

 

[Dragon]

Probably a TrakM8 T2002T GPRS. It can be monitored via your mobile phone or PC. You monitor it yourself. You can Instruct the car to put up a 1 meter Security shield. If it moves out of the 1 meter zone, It will SMS you and tell you it's on the move. If you then TXT "Where are you" to the car, it will txt you back with the Lat and Lon. You can also Txt, the car to "imobilise" and it will imobilise the engine... It also a imobiliser card that you keep in your wallet/person. You can assign up to 15 cards to the system too, i.e. Wife, any other family members. It's quite good really!http://www.mytrakm8.com/products/trakm8/features/

Do you want one?

99 pounds I may consider.

 

[marty359]

I have a similar GSM/GPRS tracker on my car, it came in quite handy a while ago when my car went into a dealer for repair.The car got dropped off by a recovery truck on a Sunday and left in the far corner of the compound, it took a whole week to repair and they told me it had been in and out of the workshop all week accessing engine damage.

I popped by the dealer in the week and my car was still sat in the corner of the compound !! not until the next Friday morning did I get a text showing that my car had been moved more than 5 metres. I had to cancel my holiday that week as I was going in the car, if they had told me they were busy in the first place instead of fobbing me off I could of arranged a hire car

After mentioning this to the service department I got a discount and a very embarrassed manager staring back at me.


You can even call the unit and hear whats going on in your car, all for around £100 with no subscription fees.

 

[Dieselman]

I have a similar GSM/GPRS tracker on my car,

Isn't this an invasion of privacy of the garage and mechanics.? The Government, Police and any mind control gestapo could be tracking your every move...

 

[Carrotchomper]

Isn't this an invasion of privacy of the garage and mechanics.? The Government, Police and any mind control gestapo could be tracking your every move...

I repeat.. Where can I get one of these newfangled tin hats?!

 

[Sp!ke]

Not quite as sophisticated as some of the other devices out there, but for this purpose it would work quite well.

Cheap too, just leave it in your glove box or wherever.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=224133&C=Newsletter&U=08P10-2&T=-11849109

 

[crockers]

Similar case in Manchester

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1975927.stm

 

[Uberwagon]

Years ago a member of the RS owners club with an absolutely perfect RS500 Cosworth, original tyres etc, total concourse car, had it written off by a garage when it went in for paintwork to be done on the rear spoiler.

My car is in somewhere at the minute and i'm not totally happy with what has happened. It wont be going there or anywhere else apart from Mercedes main dealers again. If I caught someone joyriding in it i'd completely loose my temper.

If it were my RS4 and it was abused like he can prove, i'd be camped at the dealers till this was sorted out.

Dave!