How effective are trackers for theft?

[cl0ox]

Hi there,

I'm considering buying a tracker but I would like to get an idea of how effective they are to protect against theft (i.e. to find a car that is stolen). One way to look at it is to know what percentage of cars are recovered after being stolen when they have a tracker.

I ask because I heard about a number of possible ways around it -- e.g. GSM or GPS jammers, maybe some hardware to detect GSM signals (is it a way to find a tracker?). No idea how realistic those are: do many thiefs have the right equipment and knowledge, or is rare/fantasy?

Two tracker options come to mind:
1) an expensive professionally installed tracker with associated annual fees. Tend to have more advanced features. Usually GPS+GSM, but some have VHF.
2) cheap DIY tracker off ebay or amazon or else. That would be GPS+GSM, with a much cheaper subscription or none at all.

Have anyone any insight on how effective each one is?

Ideally hard figures, e.g. tracker companies publishing their recovery rate states (I can't find any!).

Alternatively, also interested in hearing if you know people who recovered their cars thanks to the tracker, or had a tracker (which kind?) and didn't recover their stolen car.

Thanks.

[So]

cl0ox said:

Hi there,

I'm considering buying a tracker but I would like to get an idea of how effective they are to protect against theft (i.e. to find a car that is stolen). One way to look at it is to know what percentage of cars are recovered after being stolen when they have a tracker.

I ask because I heard about a number of possible ways around it -- e.g. GSM or GPS jammers, maybe some hardware to detect GSM signals (is it a way to find a tracker?). No idea how realistic those are: do many thiefs have the right equipment and knowledge, or is rare/fantasy?

Two tracker options come to mind:
1) an expensive professionally installed tracker with associated annual fees. Tend to have more advanced features. Usually GPS+GSM, but some have VHF.
2) cheap DIY tracker off ebay or amazon or else. That would be GPS+GSM, with a much cheaper subscription or none at all.

Have anyone any insight on how effective each one is?

Ideally hard figures, e.g. tracker companies publishing their recovery rate states (I can't find any!).

Alternatively, also interested in hearing if you know people who recovered their cars thanks to the tracker, or had a tracker (which kind?) and didn't recover their stolen car.

Thanks.

Sorry I cannot help, but a couple of asides: One of our cars that didn't have a tracker was recovered partially dismantled because the thieves had tried to find the non-existent tracker.

Also, I'd much prefer not to get back a nicked car generally speaking.

[DuckSauce]

GPS jammers cost a few quid off the internet, they plug in to the cigarette lighter and it will block your GPS tracking device.
There are other more sophisticated devices that thieves have, which will also block phone signals.

But you have more chance of getting your car back with one, than without one

[Pothole]

Utterly ineffective in preventing theft.

[anonymous-user]

Won't prevent theft but might get you your car back.

I had one from Cantrack. Designed for plant rather than cars but doesn't require wiring in, so can be hidden anywhere.

Considered it well worth the money.

Nothing to do with them just a customer

[Pothole]

keirik said:

Considered it well worth the money.

Why?

[av185]

The fact that most quality insurers of high end cars do not insist on tracker tells you all you need to know.

[So]

av185 said:

The fact that most quality insurers of high end cars do not insist on tracker tells you all you need to know.

We are with Aviva and they don't. But why do you think lesser insurers require one?

[anonymous-user]

Pothole said:

keirik said:

Considered it well worth the money.

Why?

Because I don't normally have 50k cars that I don't care whether I lose them or not

[av185]

So said:

av185 said:

The fact that most quality insurers of high end cars do not insist on tracker tells you all you need to know.

We are with Aviva and they don't. But why do you think lesser insurers require one?

Maybe because lesser insurers don't realise most trackers are useless but delusionally like to play safe anyway.

[So]

av185 said:

So said:

av185 said:

The fact that most quality insurers of high end cars do not insist on tracker tells you all you need to know.

We are with Aviva and they don't. But why do you think lesser insurers require one?

Maybe because lesser insurers don't realise most trackers are useless but delusionally like to play safe anyway.

TBH Aviva is the only insurer I have used who doesn't require one on more expensive cars. Who do you insure with?

[av185]

So said:

av185 said:

So said:

av185 said:

The fact that most quality insurers of high end cars do not insist on tracker tells you all you need to know.

We are with Aviva and they don't. But why do you think lesser insurers require one?

Maybe because lesser insurers don't realise most trackers are useless but delusionally like to play safe anyway.

TBH Aviva is the only insurer I have used who doesn't require one on more expensive cars. Who do you insure with?

NFU Zurich and Hiscox.

[Superleg48]

I have found the pretty much every insurer I have used for my recent cars, ranging from bog standard policiess to Private Client policies have insisted on CAT5 trackers on some of our cars.