STEVECHAPS

Given the other threads on here about P1's Type 25's etc etc vanishing with trackers fitted, I'm not sure if it's worth renewing! My car has other more effective counter measures against the would be hijacker/thief & my insurance company doesn't require a tracker. Seems like a lot to pay for what amounts to nothing either way if the car does or doesn't get nicked!
Just wondering tho - can the thing be re-activated say in a years time if I sell the car or change ins co's?
Steve

Gutmann pug

To be honest if my car goes missing then I dont think i want it back again.

Iwan

Yeah it can be reactived any time afterwards, just bear in mind that you might have a job getting insurance with having one...

Gutmann pug

I didnt re-new and 6 months after the turn off date a had a phone call from RAC saying the car was moving did I know. It turned out they keep it running for a long time after just in case the customer changes his mind ...... Dont rely on it but it happened to me

Dream Weaver

I wouldnt bother if the insurance doesnt need it. As Gary says, you dont really want it back.

Better off fitting a Blackjax.

Ubik

Mines only there for the insurance. Dont want the car back if it gets nicked.


My friend Richard had his MY03 Sti nicked yesterday. Diskloc, NCP secure carpark & RAC trackstar. He returned to the UK late last night and found the car gone. Phoned trackstar;

'My car has been stolen'
'Has it?'

<details taken>

'The unit is not responding sir'

Hes not too chuffed as he paid for three years subscription (the length of time he intends to keep the car). Admitedly it would probably be ripped out of the car by the time he phoned but according to the blurb that made the both of us buy one for our cars they would know the moment it was moved. I know it was in a carpark but I would have expected some coverage outside!

If my insurance didn't require me to have one, no way would I pay the subs.

Cheers
David

scooby L

when ever I go away I inform trackstar that the car will not be moved until I get back.

I assume they can put a "if this car moves, whether the alarm has been triggered or not" setting on it.

richto

You should phone them at least once a year and get them to do a location check to ensure its working correctly. Even if they stole the vehicle and then disable the Trackstar, RAC can still tell you exactly to the house number where the vehicle was when it was last working.

EVOVI

I have had doubts about my rac trackstar....I often move my car without starting it to get at things in the garage and was under the impression if the car moves without disarming you should get a call...Never had a call..But I have called twice to get them to test it and both times they tell me exactly where the car is..
Most insurance companies I spoke to could not give a monkeys about having one fitted and would not offer a discount for having one....
You may not want your car back if it gets nicked but it is best to get it back after a few hours rather than get a call 4 weeks later to say we have found your car..God knows what has been done to it in all that time......So I am keeping mine....

speedking

scooby L
I thought that a ringfencing option was available with RAC Trackstar, but last year when I phoned to set it up the girl said that they can't do that i.e. inform you if the car moves even if started with keys.

Another option they could offer would be to inform you if the car moves between certain times, e.g. midnight to 7am, similar to the sticker scheme that the police operate. I'd pay a small extra fee for that.

scooby L

That is exactly what we all need.
Surely the softeare/hardware is there, just need someone to take it on..

Rasher

I do it once a month now

Ubik

It was fitted when he bought the car brand new around six months ago.

hedgehog

My car has been on a low loader on at least one, and I believe actually several more, occasions in the past few months and I haven't had a single call to say that it was being moved. It is also a regular on the ferries and I never tell them about it and they have never contacted me when it is on one. It has whatever the standard device fitted to a Type UK STi is, subscription fully paid etc.

With this in mind I am not at all impressed with the system. Apart from the possibility of it being ripped out it also seems that it is an easy matter to just knock the car out of gear, release the handbrake and winch it on to a low loader and I'd never be any the wiser.

There seem to be too many similar stories on here to make it seem anything but a pretty long shot in terms of the possibility of it working, though I am aware that there are also a few success stories. So, I'd say on balance it's only worth it if the insurance company insists on it but Murphy's law says that the day the subscription expires is the day it's nicked and you always have that nagging doubt that just maybe you might have been able to recover it. As others have said, would you really want it back?

scoob_babe

Have always had good service off RAC Trackstar. They've phoned us each time the scoob has been on a low-loader and we've let them know when its been on a ferry. They've always been able to pinpoint it when called too. The unit is about to be moved to its third car but by having the lifetime subscription from the start has more than paid for the renewals for the length of time we've had it now.
Thieves seem to be getting more choosy about their requirement - regardless of the technology for protecting cars, within weeks (if not sooner) some professional thief will have a counter-measure to relieve you of your car

TDT

AFAIK the unit goes to sleep after a set period of time. Could it be something to do with this?

I've had nothing but crap service from Trackstar, the back office is really disorganised and IMHO nobody really gives a toss.