# Don't see the point in a Tracker...



## nutts (May 8, 2002)

I'm sorry but whilst it may be your opinion, it fucking stinks. :x :x :x

In fact it smells of I'm allright Jack, fuck you.

Install a Tracker like product. Get your car back... maybe get the fucker that stole it off-the-streets.

"I don't want my car back", "It wouldn't feel the same", "It's too much hassle". What the fuck?

A full loss on your insurance is a bitter pill to swallow... it's a gift that just keeps taking! and all because you didn't want to shell out a couple of hundred quid.

Get your car back, get it repaired, then sell it. You'll lose less cash in the long run and help catch the fucker.

Just fucking fo it and stop moaning about it like a little girl!


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## jampott (Sep 6, 2003)

Personal attack? Hmmm... it's a fine line :?

Nah, I don't want a Tracker either.

Instead of paying "Tracker" money, I buy GAP Insurance. Some little toerag comes along and nicks my car, I'd hope it stays nicked. Or he trashes it and kills himself along with it.

My insurers will cough up the market value, and my GAP Insurance coughs up to the FULL invoice value that I paid for it (at any time during the 3 years...)

Sure, I'll have a total-loss claim on my policy - but the few grand sweetener, and the ability to go and get "brand new" again makes the pill easier to swallow.

Why should I pay to install something so the police can do their job properly? If some rich Russian wants an S4 so badly he has to pay to have one stolen, he's welcome to it... :lol:

I'm alright, Jack. You can pull the ladder up.

Calm down, nutts, its only a commercial.


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## Widget (May 7, 2002)

jampott said:


> Some little toerag


Those things are huge.


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## jampott (Sep 6, 2003)

Widget said:


> jampott said:
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Yeah, but so much nicer than the Cayenne to look at... :lol:


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

jampott said:


> Personal attack? Hmmm... it's a fine line :?
> 
> Nah, I don't want a Tracker either.
> 
> ...


Not a personal attack.

I'm in the middle of an insurance article for absoluTTe and trackers are a part of th article. Everytime I hear it, it gets to me, so I let off steam. It is a personal opinion directed at anyone in the world that has this alternate opinion on this subject.

Now fuck off and let my personal rant continue to steam :wink:


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## LakesTTer (Jan 19, 2005)

Isn't it a breakfast bar for people who're too fat?? :wink:


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

LakesTTer said:


> Isn't it a breakfast bar for people who're too fat?? :wink:


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## Hannibal (Dec 1, 2003)

nutts said:


> I'm sorry but whilst it may be your opinion, it fucking stinks. :x :x :x
> 
> In fact it smells of I'm allright Jack, fuck you.


I think by fitting a tracker, you're saying "I'm alright Jack, fuck you" If they are as wonderful as their advertising campaign states, then why do manufactures not offer them as standard? (or even on an options list) or for that matter why don't insurers pay for their fitting, or discount heavily for them? Seems very strange....but then, that's only my opinion.

Personally I don't have a tracker - for purely financial reasons...my insurance was cheaper without one, so why pay an extra Â£600 on top of the extra premium to get one? In case you're wondering Jack - I'm alright, fuck you!

H


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## MikeyB (Sep 30, 2004)

I DO have a tracker and reason being, from what various police 'people' have informed me, the theives simply break into the car, move it to another town, leave it for a few days, if it doesn't get retrieved, then its theirs.

If it does have a tracker, then the police are onto it, and its back with you in no time...

Well thats the plan anyway.


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## Hannibal (Dec 1, 2003)

MikeyB said:


> If it does have a tracker, then the police are onto it, and its back with you in no time...
> 
> Well thats the plan anyway.


Agreed that's the plan, but if it's so good, why don't manufacturers fit them as standard - AFAIK they aren't even on the manufacturers options list....I can't think of a good reason not to fit them as standard if they work that well :?

H


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## Marque (Jun 4, 2003)

There are alternatives...NAVTRAC ADR (seperate fob), start the car without it, silent alarm, you get a call & tracked by GPS.

But it does not stop the car...so try I-Mob. With this system, you receive a call (or can route via 24-7 monitoring centre) & you can stop the car's engine if stationary for >2 secs (in SA they do stop on demand but that's is not deemded legal in this country) + suggested to the occupants what is & what is not a local taxi should the need arise...

All in all with all 3 systems, the car should be pretty well covered...

Regards
M


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## MikeyB (Sep 30, 2004)

Hannibal said:


> MikeyB said:
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> > If it does have a tracker, then the police are onto it, and its back with you in no time...
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Audi Bradford have these available to install as an extra option.


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## A3DFU (May 7, 2002)

I have aTracker too --- or rather my car has. Somehow I feel (and sleep) better


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## Hannibal (Dec 1, 2003)

MikeyB said:


> Hannibal said:
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I know Mikey...most dealers can get them fitted, my point is that the manufacturers don't fit them, or offer them as an option - they're all 'aftermarket'. Most cars have immobilisers, central locking, and many come with an alarm but I'm not sure that any have a tracker - if they're so fantastic, why aren't they fitted by the car manufacturer? It doesn't make sense to me - I was going to have one fitted myself, but it was cheaper not to fit one, I'm not sure why this is :?

H


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## che6mw (Nov 13, 2003)

nutts said:


> Not a personal attack.


 :evil: Sounds a bit like a personal attack since your rant is based on a direct quote of mine.

Not that I'm fussed. :evil:


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

che6mw said:


> nutts said:
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Not all all mate 

Isn't that what everyone says who doesn't want a tracker?

Anyway, I'd much rather do my bit and "try" and get the tw*ts off the street. I'd also much rather have the car back and NOT have a total loss on my insurance. If the car is left in a side street and I get it back, then I have to decide whether to sell the car or keep it... but at least I get that choice.

Personal opinion and free choice is what we strive for... You clearly have yours and I have mine... but let me ask this question. If you decided for all your best reasons not to fit a tracker and I see your car being nicked, should I stop them? and if so, why? When you are not taking all reasonable care to protect your goods?

And that is an honest question... no personal attack. Just want a healthy debate


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## LakesTTer (Jan 19, 2005)

nutts said:


> che6mw said:
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Fight, Fight, Fight, Fight, Fight :lol:

Still not sold on the idea of a cereal and chocolate based breakfast bar helping with the retrieval of a stolen car?? must be the GM crops they use, exuding a radioactive glow 8) 
A far as contributions to the debate go......................that's about as much sense as you'll get out of me.

DING DING round 2.


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## jampott (Sep 6, 2003)

nutts said:


> che6mw said:
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Ridiculous analogy once again...

Having a Tracker does NOT prevent your car from being stolen - so seeing someone's car being nicked and them having a Tracker (or not) has little or no bearing.

Having a Tracker means you stand a chance of getting your car back (and that chance varies with product type and local Police response)... but if it isn't tracked and located immediately, there is a fair chance it will get abused or mistreated in some way, meaning you'll need to claim on your insurance anyway...

FWIW, I think "Tracker" money is best spent on either:

1) additional security - maybe an extra anti-theft measure on the car, or better locks for the garage etc

2) GAP insurance

The former (being a proper preventative measure) should improve your chances of the car staying put. The latter will properly compensate you over and above the insurance payout if it vanishes for good.


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## raven (May 7, 2002)

Agree with Nutts here. But before I had my TT nicked a couple of years ago, I agreed with Jampot. Basically, what changed my mind was the unbelievable hassle of having your car nicked, the crazy increase in your premium (and that's WITH no-claims protection - I was told that my premium would have increased even *more* if I hadn't got no-claims protection), the fact that your insurance company start by assuming you nicked it yourself, the lack of a car for what seems like an age, the frustration that the thief got away with it etc etc.

With a tracker device, you get your car back. Period. At worst you'll have a few scratches - these can be fixed at a far lower cost that replacement of the car costs. Once this has been done (with a courtesy car provided) you can sell your car if you really cannot drive it again, but it is equally likely that you'll want to keep it as it will probably look even better than how it looked before it got nicked.

In addition, you are likely to have the satisfaction of the thief having been caught. What's more, if thieves believe expensive cars have tracker devices fitted, they are less likely to try and nick them. This is reflected in the fact that it is often cheaper cars that get stolen.

It's also daft to advertise the fact that you have / have not got a tracker. If a thief thinks you have one they'll spend the first 15 minutes trying to source it on your car. If they know you haven't got one, they'll obviously be more attracted to nicking it in the first place.


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## jampott (Sep 6, 2003)

raven said:


> Agree with Nutts here. But before I had my TT nicked a couple of years ago, I agreed with Jampot. Basically, what changed my mind was the unbelievable hassle of having your car nicked, the crazy increase in your premium (and that's WITH no-claims protection - I was told that my premium would have increased even *more* if I hadn't got no-claims protection), the fact that your insurance company start by assuming you nicked it yourself, the lack of a car for what seems like an age, the frustration that the thief got away with it etc etc.
> 
> With a tracker device, you get your car back. Period. At worst you'll have a few scratches - these can be fixed at a far lower cost that replacement of the car costs. Once this has been done (with a courtesy car provided) you can sell your car if you really cannot drive it again, but it is equally likely that you'll want to keep it as it will probably look even better than how it looked before it got nicked.
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The supposition here is that, with a Tracker, you'll actually get your car back.

Don't forget you can STILL go through the hassle of not getting your car back and have all the troubles Raven describes. And that's having paid over several hundred pounds to Tracker, and believing your car is now "extra secure".

Its still not theft-proof, and still not guaranteed to be returned. More frequently, Tracked cars are NOT found - as the police don't always have the resources to attend, or the thieves are quick at removing the tracker or moving the car into a container...


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## CapTT (Mar 2, 2003)

Hannibal said:


> MikeyB said:
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> > If it does have a tracker, then the police are onto it, and its back with you in no time...
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Some manufacturers do fit them as standard e.g. Seat Leon Cupra R , but its more common for a dealership to fit them as standard rather than a manufacturer as such. Because of the cost involved and also Tracker being a franchise its usually related to the geography and relationship between the Tracker franchisee and the dealership. Some dealerships do fit trackers as standard , I know of 5 in Carlisle , 1 in Cockermouth and 3 in Newcastle that do. Also depending on your postcode some insurers will refuse to cover some cars without a tracker fitted , period.


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## Hannibal (Dec 1, 2003)

CapTT said:


> Hannibal said:
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Not according to their website but they are available on the 'accessories' section as an extra. The distinction I'm trying to make is between manufactures and aftermarket/dealers. If trackers are as good as they claim, then why aren't they (or similar) offered as a manufacturer part like an immobiliser or alarm? I can't see the company loosing out on having more trackers fitted.

Perhaps you can let us know which dealerships fit trackers as standard so that people 'up north' could save Â£300 on their next cars security.

I understand that insurers are funny buggers, some would not insure my car without a tracker or if I worked anywhere with a manchester postcode but strange as it may seem, my cheapest quote was for without a tracker.

H


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

jampott said:


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Bollox matey 



> Having a Tracker does NOT prevent your car from being stolen


 Not if you take a short term self serving view of life, no.

But if you believe that your actions have a longer term effect, such as possibly helping to remove the scum from the roads, then yes, it does help stop cars from being stolen. 

Also, GAP insurance will not compensate for your increased insurance over the following (upto) 5 years.

I do agree however that extra security for the car and garage is a good idea... but if thieves break into your house and nick your keys, then the best thing would be to then track you car and get it back with minimal damage  Or at least I would  Even if I did have some damage to repair, the resulting impact to my insurance is better than a total loss impact... however if the damage (if any) is neglible (couple of hundred for locks, etc), then I can have the option to pay in out of my own pocket. Then I decide whether I want to keep it or sell it.


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## che6mw (Nov 13, 2003)

my understanding from an earlier comment was a tracker was useless if the car was taken with its keys ???


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## A3DFU (May 7, 2002)

che6mw said:


> my understanding from an earlier comment was a tracker was useless if the car was taken with its keys ???


That's correct


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

A3DFU said:


> che6mw said:
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That actually depends on which "Tracker" type product you buy. If the keys are used, then you can ring up and say your car has been stolen and they will enable it for tracking 

Or some have a mobile phone link and you ring the in-built phone and it tells you where it is...


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## A3DFU (May 7, 2002)

nutts said:


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Interesting, Mark.

Which Tracker does this then? The _Tracker_ Tracker??


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

I believe Tracker Echo comes close using GSM and GPS, but also there are others like http://www.trakm8.com :?


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## che6mw (Nov 13, 2003)

out of interest what are the official figures on the number of cars recovered that have a tracker fitted? Because they problem I have with Tracker type systems is they also rely on the police to find the car.

I really, really struggle to see how our wonderful police force would be bothered about a TT being nicked at 2am.

Am I being pessimistic? I just don't have any faith they'd give a damn.


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## David_A (May 7, 2002)

Well I drive mine like I stole it, so I've got a tracker - so long as they fix the dents and scratches when i get back it aint going to be worse than a sunny day with me driving :wink:

BTW thats how you're meant to drive a car !!!! 

Dave


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## omen666 (Oct 10, 2004)

I have Tracker installed on my TT, bought it second hand and was installed so I renewed subscription.

I have a couple of policemen friends who do recommend it, but interestingly I have insured the car with 2 insurers, neither of whom recognised the tracker as a benefit, i.e. reduced premium.

Maybe they look at it from the point of view that either outcome, total loss or recovery cost them money, so why reduce revenue by reducing premium. What are you going to do once you've paid for it? U can't sell it on once you find out its not any good or any benefit in reducing insurance premium.

Would I pay for one on a new car? Not sure.

But am I happy to pay the subscription ongoing not having paid for installation? Yes.

Does it make me feel better if a thieving scumbag get caught? OH YES!

I prefer my Tracker without chocolate, just Nutts :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## raven (May 7, 2002)

My last insurance company argued that cars with Trackers were more likely to be involved in a high speed chase and subsequent crash, and therefore they did not offer any discount.


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## Kell (May 28, 2002)

Not sure I totally subscibe to the argument that having one fitted helps to get anyone off the streets.

Most professionals know there's a good chance that expensive cars will have a tracker fitted and then will take and leave the car somewhere where it can be located and recovered before moving it on again.

It it's recovered, then they go nowhere near it (obviously) and therefore may not get caught.

Of course there's always the option of leaving the car there even if it has got a tracker fitted and getting the no-marks when they come to pick it up - but if it was your car, would you be happy for it to be bait?

Other than that, the car could be in a container before the tracker is even activated. :?


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## A3DFU (May 7, 2002)

Kell said:


> Other than that, the car could be in a container before the tracker is even activated. :?


Especially up here where Liverpool docks are only 35 min drive away :?


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## SaulTTR (Apr 30, 2003)

I've owned 3 cars in 2 years and my insurance company has insisted on a Tracker each time, at Â£500+ a go i've spent over Â£1500 on them and think they are a waste of time. I can honestly say that i'm that fussy and picky that if my car got nicked i definately would rather it stayed nicked. Tracker is useless if stolen with the keys and by the time you realise it would be half way accross Europe or broken up. It wouldn't be the same car if i got it back. I'd mainly have the hump that they hadn't let it warm up before ragging it :wink: Just IMO.

Saul


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