Forum Topic

Expensive car tracking systems to prevent theft

A friend had a Land Rover stolen and they notified the police within 10 minutes of the theft for it never to be seen again and likely was on a shipping container on a boat on the Thames in hoursIt appears it was done by criminal experts who know how to disable systems and get into the car in seconds without any keysSo my advice to anyone with an expensive car- get one of those cheap Apple Air Tracker devices, they cost about twenty pounds and there is no annual subscription and it would help police pinpoint the car and where it has been stored (there is a delay as it needs to ping off peoples i-phones- but it even gives a more precise location than the tracking system and the criminals would not know where to find it in the car)- Given the tracking subscription is hundreds of pounds a year, and this costs just twenty - can’t go wrong- just remember to replace the batteries in the air trackers annually

Samantha Christie ● 1600d6 Comments

Good idea. But the tags (i believe) will show up on the criminals (assuming they're not android geeks) iphones as travelling with them. So not sure it's a replacement for a decent tracker. The ability of criminals to access cars, especially those with keyless entry, is definitely a problem, but that process wouldn't defeat an installed tracker. The better of which drop a pin on a map as to location, though not sure how easily it is for police to see where the car is in that format. 

Rob Reynolds ● 1598d

Hi Rob- totally understand your point- the issue is a friends Landrover sport with a top of the range tracking system was stolen and reported to the police within 10 minutes of the theft….(the app warned him it was taken off the driveway and confirmed it was just 10 minutes by CCTV)  Had an apple air tracking device been hidden somewhere in the car- (eg hidden under spare tire etc), that would have potentially spooked the theives and enabled the police to get to the car… but who knows- seems the car is in a shipping container and in another continent at this point.The problem is all high end vehicles need secondary tracking which isn’t in a standard spot- this is also why criminals rip out the main tracking system and leave the car on a street for say 24 hours just in case there is a separate tracking device as they don’t want them tracked to themDon’t be fooled the best tracking systems work- and as for Land Rover’s tracking system- it doesn’t pin point the car as accurately as the air track would (although don’t get me wrong, it has to be near an iPhone).  If this can increase the chance of recovery just slightly or spook a thief at the initial theft, I’d love people to try it…..

Samantha Christie ● 1597d

Do you work for Apple?

Will Watson ● 1596d

I read some time ago about a tracker for under £10. It was a little disc and it was suggested you could put it under the carpet in the boot. Also buy one and tape it under the saddle on a bike. I cannot find the advert now, somebody may know.

Nicholas Beard ● 1596d

I use a device called a Monimoto for my motorcycle, but it works for cars too .it's a bit more advanced than an AirTag in that it detects movement and will call your phone if that happens when not near a fob  . It's about the size of a pack of cards and battery life I about 1 year.I think it cost about £90 with a £20/yr dim subscription.I think it's pretty neat and may be helpful for those wanting extra car security.

Tim Mackinnon ● 1593d

If you have a high value, high end car get a ghost immobiliser fitted.

Janice Jones ● 1586d