VTS Tracking System

[lowndes]

Having driven the car back from Stuttgart it had to go to the OPC for UK plates, carpets and general fettling including fitting a tracker. I have to admit that I hadn't paid much attention when ordering the car as the tracker was part of the package and its not easy to get insurance wihout some tracking system on board.

So you pay the thick end of £900 for the tracker system on top of which you then have to pay £176 per year as a "service charge". OK so far but not exactly cheap. However, the truly unsatisfactory thing is that every time you use the car you have to have a little black plastic gizmo with you. And every time you forget and drive off without it you get fined £15. In my view that is a truly cr*p system.

Anyone any suggestions for a work around?

[b.johnson]

£15 every time you leave the fob at home?!! don't like the sound of that. can it be attached to your keys?

[fieldl]

If the fob does what I think it does. Attaching it to your keys would make it kind of pointless.

[lowndes]

I think the idea is that if the car is moving and the gizmo isn't close enough to send its signal to the tracker unit in the car then an alert is sent to the tracker HQ who then set recovery processes in motion, inform plod or whatever it is they do.

However, I suspect that in the event that say for example someone breaks into your house and steals the car keys with fob attached and you then subsequently discover the P&J is missing the insurance company would find a reason not to pay on account of tracker not having been activated. So you have to keep keys and gizmo separate.

It would be better for the owner if the car wouldn't start without the gizmo then at least you coudn't drive away and forget it.

[slippydiff]

It sounds a right con, ditch it and try something like this: www.autoalert-alarms.co.uk/index.jsp

Edited by slippydiff on Tuesday 10th October 18:31

[CatherineJ]

The fob is the whole point of having a Thatcham Cat 5 system. It is there to help you, should you be a victim of car key theft.

I am not aware that I have been charged £15 when I have left my fob behind (only happened once).

Edited by CatherineJ on Tuesday 10th October 18:35

[sidicks]

CatherineJ said:

The fob is the whole point of having a Thatcham Cat 5 system. It is there to help you, should you be a victim of car key theft.

I am not aware that I have been charged £15 when I have left my fob behind (only happened once).

Edited by CatherineJ on Tuesday 10th October 18:35

I reckon I've probably gone out without the fob on 6-8 times so far (in 6 months, mainly when I first got the car) and have never had to pay anything.

They have contacted me within 2 minutes of driving the car, and I've been very apologetic about my error. I reckon they would only charge you if they can't get in touch with you to verify that it is a false alaram, and therefore start tracking the car 'properly'.

It's not a cheap system, but so far I'm very impressed.

Sidicks

[screwtape]

I agree - never had to pay a penalty fine - plus they call and text within minutes. Expensive but in my opinion, well worth it!

[lowndes]

According to OPC you have five "lives" (false alarms) then you start paying.

As the system is fairly new (for Porsche) they may be operating a slightly more relaxed fines policy for now but I reckon it won't be long before it starts to cost. Bearing in mind that driving the car out of the garage without the fob would trigger an alert I don't think the five "lives" are likely to last too long.

Look at it another way. The system cost £900+. Keep the car for 2 years so with a service charge of £176 pa that means you are looking at £600 to £700 a year additional "insurance" premium. Would an insurance company load your premium more than this if you didn't have tracker??

When I had the previous car (a 997S) I didn't have tracker fitted at all and there was no specified additional premium or excess. (insured fully comp with A Plan)