Three MB's in the Tracker Top 10 Stolen Cars for 2010

[219]

I'm sure that has happened too , however it would need to be fairly high up as dealers have to fax copies of V5 & ID to head office for keys , so not just a case of dodgy guy in dealership putting order through .

 

[markjay]

:bannana:

Not by the owner .

I would imagine that one way of obtaining keys would be to send off for the V5 , using the VIN number that all new MB's thoughtfully display in the windscreen , having it sent to an accommodation address in the name of someone whose passport/driving license has been obtained by burglary or forgery ( people do sell such things for nefarious undertakings stolen DL can also be changed to same address ) . With v5 and ID , MB will furnish keys and by the time the owner finds out , it will be too late .

A lot of trouble , but worthwhile for high value car .

iirc the insurer asked for letter from MB confirming that no spare keys have been ordered in general - not just by the owner - and the dealer checked with MB Germany and replied accordingly.

The reason is not that they suspected the owner of stealing his own car... but that if they could prove that a key was missing then they could argue that the claim is void, unless the owner can prove that the key was ordered by thieves unknowingly to him.

The questions are...:

1. Can you get a new key supplied by MB (by deceit or other wise) and NOT have any record of this on the MB computer in Germany?

2. Can you take an MB key, somehow copy it, then give it back to the owner? e.g. when valet parking? They used to do this with Credit Cards in restaurants... (keeping in mind that in the some countries e.g. the US there is no chip-and-pin, but only the easily-copied magnetic swipe).

If these are not possible, then there must be another way to drive the car off... and without having the alarm sound at any stage (car was parked under the owner's office window).

 

[Shude]

I'm sure that has happened too , however it would need to be fairly high up as dealers have to fax copies of V5 & ID to head office for keys , so not just a case of dodgy guy in dealership putting order through .

Back in 2003 I had an electronic key ordered for a car I didn't own yet. Turned up to collect the car and pay for it with the new key in my pocket! When the paperwork came through in my name a week later I took it all to the dealership to confirm.

 

[prprandall51]

At any rate tracker devices don't really work very well from the inside of a 14-feet sealed metal container....

Tracker (VHF technology) does still work when a car is in a shipping container - it's the GPS-based systems that fail when put into a shipping container.

 

[markjay]

Tracker (VHF technology) does still work when a car is in a shipping container - it's the GPS-based systems that fail when put into a shipping container.

But it will probably not work in an underground car park... where they would leave the car for a while to cool off... and it would definitely not work once the car is off-shore on its way to a new destination... but either way, cars fitted with the latest security devices do disappear, so there are ways....

 

[prprandall51]

But it will probably not work in an underground car park... where they would leave the car for a while to cool off... and it would definitely not work once the car is off-shore on its way to a new destination... but either way, cars fitted with the latest security devices do disappear, so there are ways....

But you never mentioned an underground car park! I agree that an underground car park would be more of a barrier to detection... I still think Tracker is better than having no protection at all.

 

[Alps]

The pros would have a scanner and would normally have removed the device!

 

[SilverSaloon]

The fake key thing would be better if it triggered a trap (hole in floor/hook/bear trap) near the car door?

 

[markjay]

Well, the age-old rule applies: if you have something nice, someone will try to take it away from you... the only fail-safe solution is buying a crappy car in the first place

 

[Alps]

Well, the age-old rule applies: if you have something nice, someone will try to take it away from you... the only fail-safe solution is buying a crappy car in the first place

my dad used to have a cortina, it rained heavy once and it got nicked, and was found dumped the next day, all locked up with a thank you note inside for the use of the car! bet you wouldnt get that with a range rover lol

 

[219]

Some cars are stripped of valuable parts and the remains crushed within a few hours of being stolen .

 

[prprandall51]

my dad used to have a cortina, it rained heavy once and it got nicked, and was found dumped the next day, all locked up with a thank you note inside for the use of the car! bet you wouldnt get that with a range rover lol

No, you would find it locked up with a bill inside for the replacement gearbox, air springs and differentials.

 

[bostonmj]

VHF - line of sight comms with reception up to about 30 miles on a good day however, within a metal shipping container, iffy!

I would prefer a GSM txm as the best technolog for a tracker as it works when under cover and can be as accurate as GPS - do they use GSM yet?

Obviously GSM can suffer the same vulnerabilites of transmission/reception as other wireless transmitting devices/technologies.

 

[st13phil]

The most stolen cars or the most stolen cars with trackers fitted?

It's the ones fitted with Tracker (sorry, should have been more specific in post #1 )