Trackers and insurance

[pammy]

As I'm shopping around for a poss cheaper insurance quote - I am finding increasingly that because of the type of car I have - it is a requirement that a tracker is fitted. The affect on the quotes is not insignificant - £100 saved on one I've just done - but the cost of a tracker is off-putting .

Anyone have any views, thoughts on trackers? I took the decision when I bought it not to bother as felt the fitted security measures were already good and that if they succeeded in getting the car - then they could keep it!! But maybe now I need to rethink.

So let's hear your views on trackers, worth it - not worth it and which you'd recommend avoid.

 

[Flash]

This is just my personal opnion - if ur pride andjoy was to get stolen/thrashed about would u want it back afterwards as to me it just would not be the same again?

Personally, I think that the cost of fitting the tracker does not enable one to achieve significant savings from the the reduction in the insurance premium but some companies specify tracker as complusory dpending on the car. Imboliser would not enable car to be started unless key is stolen but i'm sure someone out there is probably smart enough as always to bypass these things. MB standard security devices (alaram/imboliser) in my opionion are very good and up to the job.

Flash

 

[scruffy]

I was 3 months into a policy with tesco when I got my new car and they wouldn't transfer the car onto the policy unless I fitted tracker so for me there was little choice. Seems to be a few insurance companies who won't even quote without one fitted. Tesco were £300 p/a cheaper than anyone else as well.

Personally I think its too expensive and wouldn't bother under normal circumstances but I suppose it does allow you to shop around for better quotes and get a hopefully get a reduction.

Be aware though that they will only usually accept tracker monitor (the more expensive one) not retrieve, also miffed they wouldn't tell me how and where it is fitted on the car, it is my car after all.

 

[Brian WH]

I've had Tracker fitted when new to all my MB's. I now have the lifetime cover, on thias one, which is cheaper if you are going to keep the car more than three years.

We have discussed Tracker before - so do a search Pammy.

http://www.tracker.co.uk/home/

 

[fuzzer]

we had tracker on our passat VR6 all those years ago and havnt used one since ....

i agree , i don't want the car back when someone nicks it

 

[mickl]

my tracker system was an option available on my satnav system. for the couple hundred quid extra to take up the option, the insurance was cut by £200. So it kinda paid for itself in the first year. worth it in my opinion for that bit of piece of mind.

 

[McGreggor]

I've not gotten around to getting one just yet, but Tesco insured me without one. The trackers i've looked at seem to justify the costs, but the only thing I would say is to get one that constantly monitors the cars position. Thieves got round trackers by hiding the car in a container, as the signal was shielded. Some trackers however, log the car's position at set intervals, that way you can follow the cars last trip to where ever the signal was lost. Some systems also offer a service where they will alert you the moment the car moves, either at certain times of day, or while your on holiday etc. If the car is being nicked, at least you can get the Police on to it straight away.....

 

[Maff]

So far all the insurance companies I have contacted have asked for a tracker to be fitted to my CL before they would insure it.

If it provides any insight, all the JCB and Kubota diggers we have had stolen (about 4 in the last 6 years) have all had trackers fitted, and not one has been found or returned.

 

[fuzzer]

surely if someone is going to nick something like a merc or a JCB they must have the tools to do it ...

ill bet they have tracker locators like a metal detector or similar.

 

[Flash]

surely if someone is going to nick something like a merc or a JCB they must have the tools to do it ...

ill bet they have tracker locators like a metal detector or similar.

Absolutely, organised criminals who target expensive cars/vehicles are normally a step a head - they have conenctions/contacts within the motor trade who either work for them or provide the techncial expertise/support. A friend of mine is a salesman for Jaguar and he advised that when they install trackers at his particluar dealership they have "5 primary" different locations that they tend to use within the vehilces for installation and rotate on each the vehilce at random.

Someone who has knowledge of fitting/installing trackers can easily locate the device through trial eror is stripping the vehilce and putting it back together again or as Fuzzer said they may even have a device to assist in detetcting signals from the tracker and pin pointing where the strongest signal appears to be coming from within the vehilce.

Flash

 

[McGreggor]

Yup, My brother has a bug detector that can pick up pretty much anything that transmits, I'm 99% sure you could find a tracker in a car with it, but the time it takes to find, and then disarm. Having it though is a good enough deterrant to stop all but the most professional thieves.

Strange those JCB's weren't located, I wonder if they were standard trackers, or the ones that log the location every 5mins etc?

 

[rirhill]

Pammy
My car has had a tracker on it from new so didn t have to pay for install. The fact I have it didn t lower my insurance. The mods seem to have destroyed my decent quotes (AMG bodykit, AMG Alloys). Even though they were fitted by MB from new.
I have heard from Policemen saying they have bets with themselves who will tracker and discover the car first so I suppose thats good.

Cheers
Rirhill

 

[McGreggor]

Pammy
The mods seem to have destroyed my decent quotes (AMG bodykit, AMG Alloys). Even though they were fitted by MB from new.

If you had those parts fitted before you bought the car, then technically you have not modified it, and therefore shouldn't be telling your insurance company you have! Insurance companies will always up the price for modifications, but when they ask "is the car modified" they are refering to after you bought it, so however it came out of the factory is "standard."

 

[glojo]

Hi Pammy,
You have asked a very good question, but let me ask you instead. Why do you want a tracker?

Like Flash has said, would you really like your car back if it has been stolen? The chances are the accessories will have been taken and your pride and joy thrashed to within an inch of its life. I personally would not want my car back unless it had been taken by a VERY careful driver with exceptionally clean habits.

Insurance companies can insist on them being fitted once a car's value exceeds X amount, and that is solely for their benfit and not the owners.

If you decide on getting one there are different levels of service and different 'rental' type rates.

I was amazed at Maff's statement about four vehicles (JCB's) being stolen in the last six years and not one recovered. That to me is the message you should paya lot of attention to before making up your mind.

The sales literature might well give you 'peace of mind' but would it if 'Maffs' message was attached to it?

As a side note I thought Tracker discouraged customers from stating whether they had the equipment installed?

Regards, and good luck with your decision,
John

 

[fuzzer]

ohh , plus you need to let some monkey loose on your car to have it fitted too

 

[pammy]

Cheers all.

John - as you'll have seen from my first post - I took the active decision last year not to buy a tracker. What prompted the question now was the increasing number of insurance quote websites, which as soon as they see what the car is, run the requirement to have a tracker fitted. I pretended it had one with one company and the quote was about £100 cheaper.

Personally - I wouldn't want the car back if someone took of with it - been there done that thank you very much, didn't like it!

I'm just wondering how long it will be before all insurance co's expect a tracker to be fitted For now though I don't think the saving justifys the cost, not just of fitting but the annual charge too - so am prob gonna stay without.

Thanks one and all for your input. :bannana:

 

[fuzzer]

I'm just wondering how long it will be before all insurance co's expect a tracker to be fitted For now though I don't think the saving justifys the cost, not just of fitting but the annual charge too - so am prob gonna stay without.

Or maybe you won't .... who knows

 

[gary350]

I am amazed that after many years since tracker first came onto the scene that the quality cars have not introduced their own systems, seems like a good selling point to me but there again we dont have deadlocks do we, and if our cars get stolen we go out and buy another merc with the insurance money, seems I answered my own question.

gary

 

[Flash]

Now days if luxury cars are stolen the insurance companies now send out investigators and only pay out after much interigation (you can't blame them.. as our investiogator advised of the high number of fraudulant claims). We had the misfortune of a 7 week old brand new MB car being stolen and the insurance company were VERY thorough. They also source their replacement car for your via their own appointed Dealer as get good discounts themselves.

Flash

 

[glojo]

Cheers all.

John - as you'll have seen from my first post - I took the active decision last year not to buy a tracker. What prompted the question now was the increasing number of insurance quote websites, which as soon as they see what the car is, run the requirement to have a tracker fitted. I pretended it had one with one company and the quote was about £100 cheaper.

Pammy
I never realised, lucky I asked. If you told your insurance company you have one PLEASE get it installed as soon as possible. If the car gets stolen your insurance company will probably ask you to contact Tracker or ask you 'certain questions'

The outcome could be 'NO INSURANCE' payout.

Sorry to be the pessimist here,
John