Tracker - do I have one fitted?

[richterswil]

Looking at insurance renewal and the most likely provider is stipulating my RS4 has a tracker fitted. My current provider hasn't asked for one so not had to bother previously.

Seems fairly likely there is one fitted that I could reactivate but how can I find out? Any ideas? They are supposed to be hard to find and putting fuel into it is the limit of my technical ability.

I have messaged the (non Audi) dealer I bought the car from and am waiting to hear back but it is possible they won't know either hence this post.

Will go down the route of having one installed if necessary but if I can save around £500 by avoiding this I would like to!

[Krikkit]

Didn't the car come with any paperwork or service history?

[alscar]

Most common Trackers are probably Cobra now Vodafone or Tracker - the former is more likely if the Insurer wanted a Cat 5 ie with the driver recognition fobs.
You could try calling Vodafone but understandably they may not assist unless you simply ask is there a current subscription for the registration but again I doubt they will be able to help.
Maybe worth asking the dealer to ask the previous owner ?
If there is a Vodafone tracker fitted then the annual sub should be around £159 for the car.

[Ron240]

richterswil said:

Seems fairly likely there is one fitted that I could reactivate

I dont follow your way of thinking on this.
Why is it fairly likely that your car has a third party tracker fitted to it?

[richterswil]

Sure - I have service history but nothing tracker related.

I could perhaps track down the first owner online assuming he hasn't moved house!

[richterswil]

Ron240 said:

dont follow your way of thinking on this.
Why is it fairly likely that your car has a third party tracker fitted to it?

Because it seems the majority of insurers want RS4s to have a tracker fitted. More likely than not perhaps but clearly not a guarantee.

[alscar]

richterswil said:

Because it seems the majority of insurers want RS4s to have a tracker fitted. More likely than not perhaps but clearly not a guarantee.

Most insurers will - if the car is over £50k then it’s almost certain.
You could try a broker to shop around first obviously.

[Ron240]

alscar said:

Most insurers will - if the car is over £50k then it’s almost certain.

I think it will come down more to theft statistics for the particular model rather than market value.
For example from what is being said here it is strongly likely that insurance companies will still insist on a tracker for older RS4's, whereas they would not for another type of car worth considerably more than £50k

Regardless though It is a tricky situation to be in.
I would certainly not be happy about being forced to fit a tracker to get insurance cover.

[alscar]

@Ron yes you might well be correct but when I said the car I was referring to OP’s. £50k has been quoted to me by my insurer previously as the £ figure for when a tracker is automatically required hence my comment.
Paradoxically the older RS4’s may indeed not necessarily require one.

[richterswil]

Thought I’d close this off. I went ahead and arranged for an S5 tracker to be installed (even a 2018 RS4 is close to or even over £50k) and the installer found one already in situ. I suspected that might be the case. Went ahead with the new one and left the existing one there - he said this one is easier to find so a would be thief might find and remove it unaware the “live“ tracker is still in place.

Bit of a ballache but the insurance company have insisted on trackers for everything bar my Yaris now.

[Ron240]

richterswil said:

the insurance company have insisted on trackers for everything bar my Yaris now.

What other cars do you own that require a tracker to be fitted?

I'm still not convinced about £50k being the cut off point point where a tracker is insisted upon by all insurance companies, because there will be plenty of £50k+ cars out there that do not have one.
I still reckon it comes down to theft statistics for a particular model and the individual insurance company.

[richterswil]

Ron240 said:

hat other cars do you own that require a tracker to be fitted?

I'm still not convinced about £50k being the cut off point point where a tracker is insisted upon by all insurance companies, because there will be plenty of £50k+ cars out there that do not have one.
I still reckon it comes down to theft statistics for a particular model and the individual insurance company.

Not sure anyone has said there is a definitive cut off at £50k. My previous insurance company (Aviva) covered the RRS and 911 without a requirement to have an active tracker.

I have a Land Rover Defender, 911, Vantage, the RS4 and my wife’s RRS that require trackers. They are all on a single policy along with the Yaris.

[Far Cough]

Ring supplying Audi dealer and ask them to have a look at the build sheet to see if it was an Audi fit from new. If there is no 3rd party paperwork supplied with the car eluding to one fitted then I would suggest it has not got one and you will have to cough up to a recognised insurance approved one.

[Ron240]

richterswil said:

Not sure anyone has said there is a definitive cut off at £50k.

Somebody earlier said "if the car is over £50k then it’s almost certain", which is what I disagreed with.
You have just proved that is not the case.
Regarding your Defender, this is a highly stolen car so I'm not surprised a tracker would be insisted upon.

Oh and that's a very nice little fleet you have.

Edited by Ron240 on Friday 7th April 15:58

[davek_964]

One of the nice things about Admiral - apart from their prices usually being good - is that they don't generally insist on Tracker. It makes a difference to the premium if you have it, but for me the difference in premium was less than a Tracker annual subscription.